Marvelous Works, Idiosyncrasies & Quirks

Comparison is an issue that God has significantly highlighted in my life the last few
years. I had never even recognized it until God revealed a life long stronghold in my
life, self hatred. A few weeks after this realization an outpouring of the Holy Spirit began
to touch our community that brought a great deliverance to my life. On the first day of
what’s now known as the IHOPU Student Awakening, God broke the power of self-
hatred over my life. In a matter of hours God began to unravel what twenty-six years
of wrong thinking had wrought. Deliverance is similar to salvation, it is a present reality
and a continual process. Shortly into that process I discovered that one of the key
components of self-hatred is comparison. Comparison can sometimes be healthy,
it reveals areas we can grow in, specifically when we compare ourselves to Jesus.
However, most of the time comparison breeds envy, pride and dissatisfaction with the
way God made us.

Envy and comparison are inseparable twins. If I compare myself with another, there’s
an overwhelming propensity towards discontentment or resentment concerning my own
talent, ability or influence. Comparison is a two way street. We can compare ourselves
with others as a means to put ourselves down or to puff ourselves up. Neither way
is healthy and both are a form of pride. If we compare ourselves with others in false-
humility now, deeming them superior and ourselves inferior, it is a subtle form of pride
that places worth on our own ability and strength. If this comparison is not rectified now,
when the script is flipped and we suddenly find ourselves the recipient of abundant
revelation and great influence, we’ll be guilty of comparison on the opposite side of
the spectrum. “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov
16:18) God’s promise to the arrogant throughout scripture should provoke us to terror.
Pride fuels comparison and envy because they are the close cousins of self-sufficiency.

Comparison can be a slap in the face of our Creator. When we compare ourselves to
others in an unhealthy way we are essentially saying, “You did a lousy job God, and
now I’m suffering for it.” Self-pity is one of the byproducts of comparing ourselves with
others. This can equally manifest itself when we match up our ministry calling with our
brother’s ministry. Pride is an attack against the nature of God. When I am prideful
I am saying that my life is my own & I don’t really need God. Pride is lethal. It is a
threat to those around us and to ourselves. It endangers our calling, our very lives and
if unchallenged the eternal destiny of our soul. If I trust in who He is and who He has
made me to be that is true humility. His leadership is perfect. If others are promoted
and I am upset because I was overlooked, it is an insult against God’s leadership. True
humility is knowing that without God I am truly nothing. When we genuinely learn to love
who God created us to be comparison’s grip is broken. Paul told Timothy, “Godliness
with contentment is great gain.” (1 Tim 6:6) Contentment is a difficult feat, but not
impossible. If we are content with what God entrusts to us in a given season, envy will
have few inroads into the soul.

Envy and comparison have suffered a significant decline in my life through God’s work these last few years, but I still have to vigilantly confront thoughts when they turn up. A great way to do this is by exercising thankfulness. In a community where there is a high concentration of talent, anointing and opportunity there are plenty of occasions to confront wrong thoughts. If I choose to be grateful for the season He has placed me in, the conflict He’s allowed me to endure and the talents He’s entrusted to me, it cripples comparison and envy. God creates each of us unique, idiosyncrasies and all. When we find ourselves caught in the battle of comparison and envy we do well to heed the Psalmist example, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14) Praise and the confession of truth about what God says about us will keep us on the road of truth that leads to freedom.  

 

Creative Diligence

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 is the most popular Biblical teaching on stewardship. I won’t take the time to revisit this passage because you’ve probably frequented it many times. The point of the parable is that we’ll be held accountable for what we do with our gifting. I can’t say that when we stand before the judgment seat we’ll be judged on the quality of our art, but I do think that we might have to answer for it could we have done better. There is an unfortunate stereotype that Christian art is cheesy and cliche. The arts in Christendom are usually categorized as subclass and passé to their main stream counterpart. It is an unfortunate truth that the arts are something that followers of Jesus can miss the mark in. Part of the reason for this is that Christians often assume that if they are communicating a Biblical truth, or a “Pro-Christian” message, the quality isn’t as crucial. In her book Walking on Water  Madeleine L’Engle said, “If it’s bad art, it’s bad religion, no matter how pious the subject.” Whether she meant that as a hyperbolical statement is uncertain, but the truth remains that bad art is bad art, whether it is sacred or pagan.

The notion that an unbeliever has a better handle on their craft than those who have direct relationship to the Creator of the universe makes me cringe. Which is one of the reasons that the pursuit of excellence is such a priority to me. Parents may praise their three year old’s stick figure art, but their sixteen year old’s handiwork should be held at a far higher standard. I think it’s the same with our heavenly Father. He rejoices over our achievements even when we’re immature and our craft is budding, but He also desires us to grow into full bloom. I have been writing songs for over a decade now. Thankfully, I can see a stark difference between the songs I wrote then and the songs I am writing now. That said I can usually tell when I am writing below my skill level. My challenge as a songwriter is to write songs that communicate truth from a fresh perspective. The reason that songwriters sometimes consider writing about the Lord uninspiring is because they only have one angle in mind, and dare I say, a deficient revelation of who God is.

If we have direct relationship with the creative genius of the cosmos, our tendency towards triteness should be eradicated. The first revelation of God that we see in the Torah is this, “In the beginning God CREATED.” When we create we are reflecting His image. The ability to create, whether one is an atheist or a Muslim, is proof that we were all made in His image. The devil cannot create anything, he can only corrupt what God has created. Raw talent alone is not enough to perfect skill. The man with the five talents in Matthew 25 didn’t stop there, he invested what he had. The man with one talent buried it in the ground. Practice and discipline are necessities for excellence, we cannot simply accept the proverbial cards we were dealt. Jesus of Nazareth was the greatest teacher to ever walk the planet.  The years of growing in wisdom and stature were work. As a man He must have diligently applied Himself to study in preparation for His few years of ministry. His mastery as a teacher incensed the religious leaders and ultimately lead to His crucifixion. The point being that His influence wasn’t limited to His knowledge, but His ability to articulate it. He was skilled in His ability to communicate truth. He supplies us with a supreme example that we should always be looking for inroads to grow in our craft. If we are reflecting the image of our Creator as artists, let us do it with the highest caliber attainable.

 

The Justice of God

It’s difficult, yea impossible, to examine the justice of God without a thorough examination of His mercy. If we received our just due we’d be consumed by the fire of His wrath. Thankfully there is no chasm between God’s justice and mercy. God has always agreed with God (Heb 13:8). I am currently reading through the Psalms but came to a standstill when I reached Psalm 7:11. It says, “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Every day. The God who is an all consuming fire, is burning with anger against the wicked every day. The hebrew word for anger is Za’am. It means to be indignant or abhorrent. Indignant is a specific form of anger; it has to do with being angry at injustice. The idea of being abhorred by God is terrifying. It literally means to loathe or to be repulsed.

That’s the way He feels about the wicked. Why? Is it because He’s an angry God? And who are the unfortunate recipients of this anger? The Hebrew word for wicked is Rasha, which is anyone who is guilty of sin or a crime against God’s law. That means that before I received the free gift of salvation I was wicked. Paul tells us that, “we were by nature children of wrath,” (Eph 2:3) .  So the wicked are those who have not received of the righteousness of Christ. When men refuse this free gift they are given over to all manner of wickedness. (Rom 7:8) So why is He angry? Because He is a just. He sits as the only just judge. God hates injustice, and desires that men would choose the way of justice.

In the law of Moses we see the consequence of the wicked. “’Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.” (Deut  27:19) God hates the perversion of justice. The women and children who are helplessly enslaved in the sex industry are a quintessential example. God has burning indignation towards the captors, DAILY. So if God is so angry with the wicked why doesn’t He just smite them instantly? We have to return to the fact that there is no chasm between His mercy and His judgment. God does not suspend one aspect of His character for another. Though God does act on behalf of the oppressed now, He mostly restrains Himself for a coming day. The primary reason is that He is longsuffering. The same God who, “administers justice for the fatherless and the widow…” (Deut 10:18) is also, “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

I was a recipient of His longsuffering before I was a partaker of His mercy, a vessel of wrath before I became a vessel of mercy. God’s justice is fulfilled in me only because of the blood of Jesus. Justice and mercy are inseparable peers. He is angry with the pornographers, the traffickers, the extortioner and as well as the average unbeliever.  The delay of justice is not a flaw in God’s character, but a witness to His perfect nature. He will bring freedom to the captives and justice to the wicked. There is coming a day when He will judge the people with righteousness, And the poor with justice. (Ps 72:2) The boast of the wicked is that they can escape the consequences of their actions. They claim that God does not see. (Psalm 10:11) As a people of prayer we can pray with confidence that He will answer, (Luke 18:7-8) We can assert with David, “Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, 18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.” (Psalm 10:17-18)

© 2011 Jonathan Rizzo

 

Prophetic spirit vs. the Critical spirit

Rev 19:10 “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The prophetic spirit is the testimony of Jesus. Our words are dull and dead. His words are alive and sharper than a sword. The testimony of man is vanity and Jesus did not receive it. “Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25) The question shouldn’t be what we think, but what God thinks. There is a huge difference between the prophetic spirit and the critical spirit. There is a tendency that we must guard against as a prophetic people. Many who possess a genuine prophetic gift have suffered a mixture with a spirit of criticalness. Others are self-proclaimed prophetic people, but really they are just critical. Criticism is usually born out of a place of pride. The true prophetic takes humility. It is the emptying of one’s own opinions and judgments, to hear God’s perspective and judgment. Even an unbeliever can look at the western church and see the faults in it. It’s human nature to point the finger and shift the blame. But to actually have the heart of God on a matter and have real revelation is an entirely different matter.

Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24) There is only One that is righteous and that is God. We see the importance of a heavenly perspective in the parable of the workers and the vineyard in Matthew 20. Jesus’s concluding point was this, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’” (Mt 20:15) Our eyes are by nature evil. That is the reason that it’s so dangerous when we judge according to appearance under the guise of “discernment.” When we do this we are operating out of a critical spirit not a prophetic one. Jesus is telling us to see things from His perspective. When we judge with righteous judgment we are operating out of the prophetic spirit. The spirit of prophecy is insight into the heart of God. It is the disclosure of the heart of Love incarnate. The critical spirit stems from the spirit of murder. It is the killing of another on an intellectual, societal, emotional, or even a moral level. The prophetic spirit is always unto the turning of men to God that they might have life, a critical & judgmental spirit is unto destruction. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;” (Psalm 19:7)

Men look at the outward things, but the Lord looks at the heart of a man. Isn’t it astonishing that Samuel, the prophet of Israel, did not immediately discern who God had marked to be the next king of Israel? “So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam 16:6) Samuel thought it would be the man who looked like a king, but God sees past what man sees. Seven of Jesse’s sons past before Samuel, but the Lord hadn’t chosen any of them. “And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” (1 Sam 16:11-12)

If we think that God is hyper critical we will assume that being prophetic means being hyper critical. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. When we look at the character and compassion of Christ we have to rethink our understanding of what it means to have a prophetic spirit. It doesn’t include an angry and frustrated demeanor when delivering a message. We see in the account of Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it that it cost him the right to enter the promised land. He had the revelation from God on what to do, but he disobeyed in his anger. Did he have a right to be angry with the people? Absolutely, but the wrath of man never produces the righteousness of God. (James 1:20) Jeremiah is a great example of someone who possessed the heart of God. He is known as the weeping prophet because of the severity of the message that he proclaimed. Yet, not once do you see Jeremiah saying, “I told you so!”

We don’t need any more critics, we need prophetic voices that have been birthed out of the place of friendship with God. A people who have known the intimacy of God’s heart in the secret place. The moment you point the finger without having a broken heart, you’re in danger of steering the wheel out of the prophetic and into the critical. If you notice from 1 Samual 15, Samuel had to give Saul a really intense word about losing the throne of Israel. Once he delivered that prophetic word he never saw Saul again. What was Samuel’s reaction when he left? He wept and mourned for Saul. There wasn’t any pride in Samuel’s heart, no rejoicing that Saul had sinned so Samuel would look more righteous. Samuel didn’t go and gossip about how Saul had really blown it. He went away and wept. His heart was broken over the sin of Saul. Saul was a man who was anointed by God as a king, yet he forfitted that anointing by disobedience. I have a tendency to be passionate when I confront falsity in errant teaching, but I don’t want that passion to turn into pride, I want it to turn into a burden from a broken heart. As we operate in the spirit of prophecy we should follow Christ’s words by being, “Wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Mt 10:16)

 

Grace to Obey

Matt 5:17-19 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” The words of Jesus often alarm me when I scan the western church’s version of the Gospel, in particular, the message of grace. There is a popular teaching that says if we try to obey the ten commandments we are in legalism. The premise is that we no longer need to obey the Law. The problem with such a teaching is that it’s the antithesis of the words of Christ in Matthew five. Jesus is saying, “If you do and teach the commandments of the Law you will be called great in the kingdom of heaven, if you don’t do them and teach men that they no longer need to keep the Law, you will be called least in the kingdom.”

 

Let me stress that we are saved by grace. It’s not of our own striving, our righteousness is like filthy rags. We cannot impress God by our self-righteousness, but we are undoubtedly called to obey from the heart the law of God. You see we can never obey unless we put our faith solely in Christ blood and sacrifice. There’s a promise in Ezekiel that outlines this reality, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27) It is only by His indwelling Spirit that we can walk in His statutes. Paul, who had some of the most profound teachings on the grace of God said essentially the same thing, “I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Rom 7:25) He knew that even though he was, “Concerning the law, a Pharisee,” and “concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless; ” (Philippians 3:5-6) all of that was counted as loss that he might gain Christ.

 
How can we throw out the requirement to obey the 10 commandments when we see that obeying your parents is the first commandment with a promise? Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” If we are no longer expected to obey the Ten Commandments then how will we know this blessing? It seems that obeying the Ten Commandments and the Word (Law) of God brings a blessing. The New Covenant still tells us not to covet and that contentment brings a blessing. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Tim 6:6) The New Covenant still condemns: lying (Eph 4:25), adultery (Heb 13:4), and stealing (Eph 4:28). We aren’t exempt from obeying God’s Word because we are under grace. On the contrary, we are empowered by grace for radical obedience. Love is the fulfillment of the Law. We know love by the revelation that Christ laid down His life for us.

 
Whoever does and teaches the commandments of the Law shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. We obey and teach His commandments out of love for Him and genuine love for others. Jesus wasn’t promoting legalism, He condemned the teaching of the Pharisees who laid heavy loads on men’s backs. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) If we desire to be great in His Kingdom we’re exhorted to keep His commandments and teach men so. We obey His commandments not in an attempt to earn His love, but because we know we’re loved by Him and desire to love Him in return. Love is the only way to obey the Law because love is the fulfillment of the Law. “For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Rom 13:9) His Spirit and love abiding in us is what gives us the grace to obey.

 

Love and Holiness

It seems that much of the battle over righteousness in the church is rooted in the conflict between love and holiness. One group states that we only need to love, but neglects holiness. The other strains holiness to such a degree that abandons love. To love in truth is probably one of the most difficult feats. God is love and God is holy. You cannot dichotomize the nature of God, just as you cannot separate love and holiness. Jesus is our supreme example of the inseparability of love and holiness. Christ loved perfectly, but He never compromised an inch in the area of holiness. Though tempted in every way, He was without sin. (Heb 4:15)

“Love does not seek it’s own.” (1 Cor 13:5) True love demonstrates itself without expecting anything in return, not even to be loved in return. By this we know love that Christ died for the ungodly. (Rom 5:8) When Jesus died on the Cross He knew that most of the world would spurn His gift of salvation, yet He gave Himself completely. He loved with absolute vulnerability, knowing the predominant response would be rejection. It is unfortunate that in the church’s reach to love fully, she often makes concessions in the area of holiness. Jesus loved the outcasts of society: the prostitutes, the drunkards & the tax collectors, yet He never condoned their sin nor engaged in it.

Jesus is proof to us that one attribute does not need to suffer for the sake of the other. Our pursuit of holiness (Heb 12:14) must be equal to our pursuit of love (1 Cor 14:1) and vice versa. If we only pursue holiness we are bound to stumble in the area of love, and love is, “The greatest of these.” (1 Cor 13:13) If we only pursue love we are bound to fail in the area of holiness, “without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14) We must, “love in truth,” (2 John 1:1) and in holiness. Love, “does not rejoice in iniquity.” Love must rejoice in the true holiness or it ceases to be love.

It is a natural human tendency to judge another. We seek to subjugate others to elevate ourselves. It is easy to see the faults in others, but love, “Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Holiness without love will breed condemnatory pride in our heart towards our fellow man. Man wants to be seen and praised for his achievements & righteous acts, but love does not parade itself. When we aim for holiness we cannot forgo love, the moment we do so we quickly deviate into the territory of hypocrisy.

It is no coincidence that Jesus closes His teaching on loving our enemies with the exhortation, “Therefore you shall be perfect [holy], just as your Father in heaven is perfect [holy].” (Matt 5:48) “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matt 5:46) He is in essence saying that love is the key to holiness. On the commandment to love God and to love our neighbor hang all the law and the prophets. (Matt 22:40) Therefore as Paul admonishes the church, let us, “continue in love and holiness.” (1 Tim 2:15)

 

No safe place

There is no safe place but in the center of His will. Fear not those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Fear nothing, fear no one, but Him who has power to destroy both body and soul in hell. (Matt 10:28) There is no hope other than the hope that no one can take away. Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts.(Rom 5:5) Every other hope will disappoint, except the hope that the love of God brings.

In order to be inhuman you must first be human. Love is the evidence of God. There is no good in man. The human heart must constantly curb the urge to become callous, this is only made possible by the power of love. Life is bound to produce fear and bitterness in the human heart, the love of Christ is the only cure. “Perfect love casts out fear…he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18) To be made perfect in love is only possible through the perfect offering of Christ, the propitiation for our sin, this is how we know love, because He first loved us.

When we are fearless, we are free to love the way that we were created. We hope all things, we believe all things, endure all things and we bear all things. (1 Cor 13) Love is the laying down of our lives. It is being faithful unto death. Love is what enables us to rejoice in the truth and abhor iniquity. Apart from love, we are either self-righteous or reprobate.

Those who love Jesus will keep His commandments. There is only one safe place, abiding in His love. Love for God demands absolute obedience. “Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” (1 John 2:5) Jesus lived out of the place of fellowship with the Father. He was so enveloped in the love of God that He could confidently say to His disciples, “I have food to eat of which you do not know…My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:32,34) He was sustained in love. He so desired to please the Father because of the love that they shared. “Though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Cor 13:3) He was driven to the cross by love. He   endured torture because of love. He chose to deny Himself every day because of love, even to abstain from the most legitimate of desires.

I could give everything to feed the poor, but without love it profits me nothing. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16) There is only one safe place, abiding in His love and remaining in the center of His will.

 

True Worship

Jesus said in John 4:23-24 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” We often approach worship as the twenty minutes we spend singing rehearsed songs before we hear a message, but Jesus spoke of something far greater. In the Hebraic understanding of worship it was holistic to cover every aspect of life. In the Jewish mind there were no “spheres.” We seek to compartmentalize our Christianity which leads us to compartmentalize worship, a mindset which stems from pagan Greek philosophy.

James three is probably one of the most powerful passages on the tongue. “With it [the tongue] we bless our God and Father [worship], and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.” (James 3:9) The beloved apostle says something similar in 1 John 4:20 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” God is glorified when we sing songs in a church setting and in our personal devotional time, but only in part. It must agree with our personal lives. We must love those around us and walk in holiness. If we follow the method of thought in 1 John four, when we say, “I love God,” which is worship, and then in the next breath speak death over our brother, is our worship true?

We love Him because He loved us first. It takes God to love God. In God’s mercy He receives genuine worship even from the weakest of vessels, but Jesus calls us to something higher. He calls us to worship Him not just in spirit, but also in truth. It is the Holy Spirit that aids us in worship. He is the comforter and counselor. He is also the Spirit of truth who guides us into all truth.(John 16:13) We are guided into the place of true worship by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who is truth. Worship is not primarily about style, genre, and format. It has to do with the attitude of the heart and the position of our spirit towards Him.

When an Israelite would bring a gift to the altar in the temple, it was an act of worship. It was an inconvenience to their daily schedule and meant a financial sacrifice. However, God was after more than that, Jesus states in Matt 5:23-24, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Even as Christians we are commonly entrenched in prejudice and strife towards our brethren. We are called to live at peace. This is what is pleasing to the Lord. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) We see this point driven home by Jesus. He is essentially saying that the sacrifice would not be received if they weren’t walking in love and in truth. What moves the heart of God is not religious ritual or lip-service. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) Worship’s authenticity is the testimony of our lifestyle. May the Father find the worship that He seeks.

 

The Power of Silence

I just concluded a three and a half day speech fast. I am struck not just with the power of words, but the converse power of silence. When my tongue is still, I find it much easier to keep a rein on my thoughts. I find that as I am giving myself to silence and the study of the Word that my thoughts are far less destructive and defiling, nearly not at all. I am also struck with the power of worship. Often we sing the same songs we’ve always sung without giving any assessment of their meaning or worth. As I refrain from singing, I find my heart is much more prone to engage in true worship. I consider the meaning of what I am singing and repeat it within my own mind and I am overcome with the unsearchable worth of Jesus. I am also overwhelmed when I meditate upon the debt that has been paid. He is so worthy of all my affection and devotion!

It is tragic that praise and worship in many congregations has become nothing more than twenty minutes of lip-service, no less than a religious ritual. I have to ask myself the startling question. How many times have I sang a song of worship without ever lifting my gaze from myself and placing it on God? I can almost hear those who said, “Lord did we not prophesy in Your name?” (Matt 7:22) also ask, “Lord, did we not worship in the church?” We can go through the religious rituals without ever touching His heart. You cannot truly touch someone’s heart unless you truly know him. We are so ill-consumed with our own narcissistic, humanistic ideals that we have completely forgotten the God who is bigger, and more important, than anything or anyone we can imagine. Many may be surprised when they stand before the judgment seat and find that God doesn’t do anything solely for them, but for His glory. Many will be shocked to find that it’s not about their own interest but the interest of His glory.

We rejoice when we receive the affirmative answer to our nonverbal question of, “Am I not appointed? Am I not gifted? Am I not anointed?” Yet heaven is unmoved. They are not concerned with the economy of earth. They understand that worth is only determined by it’s eternal value. “No flesh will glory in His presence.” (1 Cor 1:29) He is worshiped when we humble ourselves. (James 4:10) When we humble ourselves we are valuing what He values. It is a shame that so often we speak when we should be silent, and are silent when we should speak. We are silent when it is in our best interest and we speak with the same motive. The question has become, “What will make me the most popular and the most liked?” Not what is most holy and what is right. Many times the Lord will be more magnified in silence than in a multitude of words. Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.” It is with great grief that I concede that though some of my words bring Him joy, many of them grieve the Spirit of God. Jesus said, “…by your words you will be justified, and your words will be condemned.” (Mt 12:37)

Here is the tongue, James calls it a world of iniquity. The power of life and death are in the tongue. It is what comes out of our mouths that determines what is in our hearts. “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” (Matt 15:11) Often it may not be the very words that we say but the spirit we say them in. When James and John asked Jesus if He wanted them to call down fire on a village of Samaritans, He turned and rebuked them saying, “You do not know what spirit you are of.” (Luke 9:55) In their minds it made sense. After all, there was Biblical precedence for it and these people rejected Jesus. Didn’t they deserve it? Though what they said was “right” and “Biblical” the spirit in which they said it was opposite to the Holy Spirit. “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20) The end time bride of Christ is called to prophesy. (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17) Oh that nothing would hinder us from this great calling!

 

The Precedence of Love

Last week, I was walking in Luce Park, a local Kansas City park, with a few friends. We happened to walk by a man sitting on a bench, probably in his thirties, reading a Bible. I stopped to ask him what chapter he was reading. He looked up, giving us an affable glance and a warm greeting. He told us that he was reading Deuteronomy 11. One of the girls in our company asked him if he had anything to share about it. He expressed that he did, “I really feel like we need to learn to love each other, especially in the times we are living in. We need to forgive anyone who has wronged us, because it will only hold us back if we don’t. We need to stay close to the ones we love and not distance ourselves from those around us; especially cause of what’s ahead, some of them might not make it.”

I was a little surprised by his last sentence. It had a sense of urgency, that if we didn’t get what he was saying it could be detrimental for those around us. “So, that’s about it.” He concluded. “What about all of you?” He said, motioning to the four of us. “What do you have for me?” I was still contemplating what he had said when it came to my turn to speak. All I could think of was Hebrews 12:2, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” I modestly shared this verse, not really knowing where it would lead me, dissolving with a statement about how it’s interesting that you never really know who you are going to meet. I marveled at the actuality of a community of believers who all confess the same faith and are living unto the same means.

It wasn’t until a few days later that I decided to look at Deuteronomy 11. It begins with a commandment, “to love the Lord and obey His commandments always.” (vs 1) The entire chapter goes back and forth between the reward and consequence of love and obedience.  “…You shall keep every commandment…that you may be strong…go in and possess the land.” “…That if you earnestly obey My commandments…to love the Lord your God and serve Him…then I will give you rain for your land…grain, new wine, oil.”(vs 14) The latter part of the chapter mentions family, “You shall teach them (God’s commands) to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house…And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

At first I was cynical towards the simplicity of what this man was saying. After all, isn’t there more to our beliefs than just love? It was only his last sentence of premonition that made me think twice about it. After overviewing Deuteronomy 11 I gave his advice further thought. Isn’t it all going to come down to love in the end? Everything else will fade away. Paul, one of the great Apostles and authors of the New Testament, said that without love everything one can accomplish means nothing. I marvel that of all I can achieve, and everything I can be, if I have not love I am nothing. (1 Cor 13:2) In the Hebraic sense of love, there is always an action required. Jesus said, “Those who love Me will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) And truly loving one another is about preferring one another and considering other’s needs as greater than our own. “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” (Romans 12:10) Jesus said, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt 22:37-41)

I can get everything else right, but if I don’t have love I am completely missing it. Of all the lessons that I have left to learn, the one of greatest significance is to love. Love must always be exhibited in a spirit of humility or it is not love. Eph 4:2, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.” Love and truth cannot be separated (Eph 4:15, 2 John 1:1) Jesus said, “…Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) Everything God does is for love. God is love and God is holy, or without mixture. He calls us to walk in the same love, without mixture. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7

Consider the love of Christ that He would stoop so low. He made Himself so vulnerable to fallen, frail, & evil men. This is true love. 1 John 4:9 “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world…10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son…” Love is making yourself vulnerable to those around you. Love is the inverse of self-seeking. (1 Cor 13:5) Love lays down it’s life repeatedly. Consider the ones that Jesus associated Himself with as a man, and the reproach that it brought on Him. Too many Christians think themselves the “cat’s meow” and pat themselves on the back when they are “kind” or speak with someone who is not in the same “category of cool.” This is not love in any form, but self-exalting arrogance that makes man feel better about himself. He may say, “Look I have fulfilled the command to associate with the lowly.” In truth, he is more the hypocrite for there is nothing self-seeking in love. We must not look at any other example of love and humility than Christ’s.  Several years ago, I clearly heard the Lord say that He can’t truly use me unless I am vulnerable. Vulnerable is a synonym of weak and means to be capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt. Love means vulnerability. It is in our weakness or vulnerability that God’s strength is made perfect. We can’t love without God. As the apostle of love wrote, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11) We must love God and one another. The eternal fate of others hangs in the balance.