Love Righteousness and Hate Iniquity

Thomas Walsh, a revivalist preacher in Ireland during the 1700's said this: "How can I consider myself one of His children and yet continue in sin (paraphrased)." Surely the greatest proof of our redemption and reclamation is a love for righteousness and a hatred for sin. At the end of the day it all boils down to this; some will strive against sin because at the core of their being, where the Godhead is seated, they love righteousness and hate iniquity. Perhaps they may struggle with the Adamic nature which is destined to rise up against holiness, however, their heart cleaves to what is right and therefore they will strive until holiness is achieved and the old man is put down. We can illustrate this using the law of the clean and unclean animal from Leviticus. The clean animal had a divided hoof which speaks of having a separated walk, being separated from this world and separated unto God. This very same truth is carried into the New Testament when Apostle Paul speak in Romans 12:2 to be separated from the world and "Transformed" by the renewing of our mind (this happens as we are separated unto God, when our affections turn to Him).

The problem that can exist at times is that for some their love for what is wrong exceeds what their conscience "KNOWs" is right; they are tormented when they do wrong because they recognize it is wrong but they still crave it. Even after their redemption it still remains important to them to be able to do those things that are wrong and yet they know it is wrong and they should not desire it. There can only be two possible outcomes in this instance, they will either meet with God have sin broken and emerge victorious or they will eventually be overcome by that thing they crave and be dragged out of the kingdom becoming twice dead. They do now participate in those things but suffer continually under a guilty conscience (Paul identifies this frustrating condition in Romans 7).

What every believer in this situation of torment really needs is a mighty meeting with God whereby they have a dramatic conversion in their heart where Christ becomes their true Lord and they turn their backs on sin. Certainly, they will still be tempted and yes they will still have an Adamic nature to struggle against but they will be more successful because now they are striving against sin and not seeking to protect it. The apostle Paul talked about with his mind wanting to serve the laws of God (obedience to Christ) and yet with his flesh wanting to serve sin; he said (paraphrased), if I want to serve God in my spirit and my flesh wants to do wrong then it is no longer me but sin working in me. He highlights for us and even personifies sin as a force that works within us to pull us in the wrong direction but if our spirit hates sin, is repulsed by it then we will resist. This is the meeting of God, an encounter whereby Christ is put within our hearts in His rightful place and sin is as a result put in its!

Some truths to contemplate in association with this theme to stir up our pure minds:

Psalm 45 - He loved righteousness and hated iniquity and it produced an anointing!
Isaiah 7 - Butter (abundance of the Word) and honey (Revelation) shall he eat that he may know how to choose the good and refuse the evil
1 Sam 5 - The death of Dagon in Philistine Temple (head and hands removed), destroying idols in the heart through a revelation of the Ark of God, the literal presence of God.

This thought occurred to me; do I need something broken in me to successfully strive against sin or do I need something built up in me. In other words, is it a decrease in one area (a love for sin) that I need or is it a increase in another (love for righteousness and the zeal to pursue it)? God only knows the measure of the two we all need. Let's begin to pray, "Oh, Lord, you know me, all of me, what is it that I really need?"

"Oh That I might Have My Request!"

Job 6:8  "Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!"

Job is about to make a request in the verses that follow this one that he thinks he means (that God would cut him off, basically he is asking God to take his life). It is a request that is borne from his present circumstances and even though it seems right now it is not the right prayer. We understand completely why he feels it is the right prayer (anguish and suffering birthed it) but it could not be more inappropriate in light of what God intends to do in him and through him. There are prayers we will pray throughout our lifetime that we should get down on our face before God and thank Him that He did not answer. I remember a pastor telling me once that when he was younger he prayed earnestly for God to take him down a certain course (before he was a pastor) and he began to get frustrated with God because it was not coming to pass; it was a path after his own hearts desire for his future. He confessed later that he thanked God earnestly that He did not answer those prayers because otherwise he would have never met his wife, never had the family he has and would have in all probability not been in the ministry today. It would have taken him on another course altogether.

I preached a message some time ago on "Jesus' Unanswered Prayer"; I think the title caused people to pause for a moment and ask themselves, "Wait, Jesus had an unanswered prayer; is that possible?" But, not only was it possible, it happened. It was a prayer that was borne out of His anguish as a man and yet to answer that prayer would mean missing the Fathers will for His life and so, He realizing that, ended His prayer with "Never the less, not my will but thine." We are, of course, talking about His prayer in the garden when he sweat drops of blood. His soul was in anguish and He prayed that if it were possible that the cup would pass from Him. Yet we all know, this was the very reason he was born into the world, to drink that cup. The Father could not answer that prayer (and it must have been emotionally painful to the Father to know He could not answer this request of His beloved Son).

Now, let's bring this into modern times, into our own lives. Do we know the absolute will of God for our lives? No, in most cases we have an idea of His will and we sense a direction but we do not usually know specifics and so we pray many times based on our perceived needs. But may we always find the grace and presence of mind to say at the end of our prayers, some of which will be borne out of anguish, never the less not my will but thine be done!

Science Vs Faith - Hold Fast (Grip Tightly) That Which is Good!

1 Thess 5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

The scriptures encourage us to prove all things and to hold fast (grasp tightly) to that which is good. The point is that once something is identified as good you stop questioning and grasp onto it. Today there is a mentality which says "Question Everything" and so question they do, they question God, authority in general, even the laws of physics are being questioned. While I wholeheartedly encourage healthy questions, there can be a questioning which is rebelliousness in nature, it is vexing to the soul and which borders on blasphemy. Mankind has come to the place where good answers exist and yet they are so caught up in the spirit of questioning everything that they are in fact unable to see what is right in front of them, that which is good. I will define good as that which is wholesome for us and brings peace and tranquility to us and those around us (i.e. Accepting Gods free gift of His Son to atone for our sins brings salvation which produces peace and tranquility to us; His Spirit transforms our lives and makes us better human beings which brings peace and tranquility to others). The idea of being on a quest for knowledge is that when one finds what is good that they hold fast to it otherwise you become one who gropes in darkness unable to see light in anything. There is a curse that God puts upon the rebellious who are not really lovers of the truth or lovers of what is good but rather they crave to break into some secret knowledge, some holy grail something new and fantastic (that really does not exist and so their quest is in vain), we read of them in the scriptures:

2 Timothy 3:1-6 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, note 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

The last verse sums it up best: "Ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth"; this is a curse and it is very real. While we are indebted to some of the great scientific minds of the past generations for their discoveries in the areas of medicine, astronomy, physics, ect...still there is one fatal flaw in science; it is that faith (a major component of life) does not mix well in the scientific mind. Science and faith do not mix well, you will come to the point where you must choose one or the other. How, for instance, does science deal with what men of faith accept such as the parting of the Red Sea and Jesus walking on the water, healing the sick or raising the dead. For that matter how does science handle the resurrection itself? It seeks to come up with some plausible explanation or else they dismiss it all together when in fact miracles are not plausible (that is why they are miracles). Science feels the need to dress things up and explain everything when in fact there are things that are inexplicable. This is rooted in the feeling that man can discover everything and can, given enough time, explain everything. We have scientist who are believers so do not misunderstand what I am saying, I am not putting down scientists or even science itself since I acknowledge we need both (one of the greatest men I have ever know was a chemical scientist). What I am saying is that somewhere along the line one must win out over the other and once the truth is discovered whether or not it agrees with science it is in fact the truth and we would find the greater peace to hold fast to it.

The Benefits of Obeying His Word

The Chain of Sin Broken!

Romans 6:17

"But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." 

Here is a very important truth and it is a truth which is critical in breaking the inherited curse of sin that we are all subject to; obeying the word of truth (Gods Word) causes the curse which compels us to sin to be broken and releases the blessings of God in its place. We have the great teaching in Deuteronomy 28 which lists all the blessings of God that come upon those who are obedient and Chapter 29 which lists the curses of disobedience (all of us fit in one or the other category). As we walk with God and we seek to have the chains of sin broken it behooves us to keep His commandments, for it is in striving to keep His commandments that the chains are broken. The blessings come almost automatically upon us when we obey the word of God, the commandments of God. We also have Peter who speaks of the cleansing power of obeying the truth (again, His Word): 1Peter 1:22 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit..." 

We must, with all effort, cry out as David cried out: Psalm 119:1-5 "1 ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. 4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!"

"O' that my ways were directed to keep thy Word that sin could be broken in me!"

The Words of Job Were Used to Strengthen His Fellow Man

Not only do we have the testimony of the Lord concerning Job in chapter 1 and 2 as well as the accusation of the adversary against him, we also have in chapter 4 the testimony of his friend (Eliphaz) who speaks of his reputation before the trial and we learn that Job was a man who used his words to strengthen the weak and to build people up!

Job 4:3

"Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands."

Eliphaz is testifying of his observations of Job and so in spite of the fact that he is ripping him to shreds with his words you can see he knows Job himself used his words for instruction and to build others up. This was Jobs reputation. God has respect for those who use their words to build people up. Eliphaz is not following the example of Job. It is true that for some days they remained silent comforting Job over his suffering but now they are going to buffet him with their words. Mankind is too fond of his opinions at times; he does not even make an attempt to restrain his words because he is too busy giving freely of his opinions. He is convinced people need to hear what he has to say; he can, at times feel as though his words are too important to restrain but the truth is that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar did not have the word of the Lord, did not speak for him and were making Jobs trial more painful with their free opinions and philosophies. The older I get the less I am impressed with my own opinions and pray Lord, let me get it right and have the restraint to not have to speak if I am going to get it wrong or make the situation worse by my words. It really is a deep flaw in mans character to feel they have to speak and everyone would be wise to listen. There are those whose words carry such weight that you would do well to listen and the scriptures do tell us that there are those who speak for God but these dear ones exemplify meekness and do not force themselves on others or put themselves forth as the anointed ones. Jas 1:19-20 KJV 19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." Pro 15:23 "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" Isa 50:4 "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." Lets be like Job and use our words to instruct in kindness and to strengthen the weak hands.

Job 4:4

"Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees."

Eliphaz said Job, you have given encouragement to him that was falling and with your words you strengthened those who were weak; this is the kind of reputation Job had among his friends. We will be known for what we used our tongue for? Was it for good or was it for evil. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and we see that in Jobs mouth was the law of kindness, he was a man who used his words to encourage and strengthen those who needed a bit of help. Job made a difference in peoples lives with his words; we might rephrase what Eliphaz said this way: "You have upheld and strengthened him that was ready to fall by the words you spoke to him". His friends knew he was capable of strengthening the weak with his words, this was his reputation and Eliphaz knew this about Job. Are we using our words to strengthen a weak brother or sister or are we the type that will swoop down on the weak like a vulture and criticize them for their weakness. I have seen in the Church of Jesus Christ those who will verbally kick a man while he is down, who sees a person with a weakness and instead of coming into strengthen them will say such things as "I knew they would not make it" or "It was only a matter of time". I know there are those whose hearts are not drawn to obedience but to disobedience and they can be hypocritical in their walk. God has His ways of dealing with them as we see illustrated in Oba 1:4 KJV "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle (pretending to be overcomers), and though thou set thy nest among the stars (pretending to be saints), thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD." but there are men and women who do love the Lord and yet because of a weakness in their lives have trouble staying on the path. They need much encouragement from the mature saints, they need to be strengthened by others until they get their feet under them and can stand on their own. Lets ask God for words that will uphold people, words that even when we are not aware of it helps people. I have benefited myself over the many decades with people whom God used to strengthen me and they do not even know it. May this type of help exude from us and when we know a brother or sister needs help lets be the one who strengthens them with our words and upholds them.

Where Did Understanding and Wisdom Come From?

Job 38:36 [NET] "Who has put wisdom in the heart, or has imparted understanding to the mind?"

Universe as seen by Hubble

Basically I do not have a problem with many secular theories today, for instance the Big Bang theory does not bother me a bit; Dinosaurs do not cause me any heart burn at all. The scriptures simply say God created the heavens and the earth by His Word and in Genesis, Proverbs and in the latter chapters of Job we have some renderings of the activity of creation but not specifics on how He executed it.  As far as Dinosaurs are concerned,  I can accept for the sake of argument that there was another creation before us (Investigate Genesis gap theory). Sticking with the Big Bang theory for a moment suppose we accept this as a possible hypothesis (albeit for it to be true one of the principle laws of physics must be violated, namely, particles exceeding the speed of light; a feat that nothing in the universe currently can do). The problem I have with secular theories are not so much how the things we see today came to be but rather two critical and I believe fatal points that refute secular theories: 1) Where did the very first particle and its energy come from? and 2) Where did wisdom and understanding come from and who put them into the heart of man?

Where did the first particle come from? Scientists are very proud of their explanation that everything came forth from one single astronomically compressed dense particle bursting with energy which exploded causing particles to exceed the speed of light for some period of time (better be careful with this one; under special relativity doesn't exceeding the speed of light cause an event to go back in time or reverse?) producing dust and other elements that filled the universe with matter and eventually formed into galaxies and into the known universe. My question is simple; where did the first particle which contained all these sophisticated and complex particles and gases come from? 

In my faith I can answer this question; I believe that the worlds were framed by the Word of God and so God comes before the particle and is responsible for the elements contained in the first particle. In the scientists theory nothing existed before the particle and so the particle is all powerful and created itself; therefore, they believe the particle is God since this little particle created everything we know and see today. Ask yourself this question, does this make sense and answer all the questions of light and all darkness, water, skies, outer space, atmospheres and planets, sun moon and starts. Were all of these created from one little particle of dust and energy? What about intangible things such as wisdom and understanding, good and evil were these all created from a particle of dust too. This does not make any sense at all; the answer is, of course, they had to be created. 

Where did all the immense energy in the very first particle come from? There can only be two possible answers; it was either created or it created itself. It was either created by God or it is God. This theory is folly; don't waste my time explaining to me what happened when the energy was released explain to me where the energy came from in the first place. What is created is not nearly as important as what created it. This next point is the most fatal to secular theorists. Where did the intangible things such as wisdom and understanding in the heart of man come from? The Lord in the book of Job (Chapter 38:36) asked Job, a man who was in the midst of a trial and accusing God, this very question. And to the modern theorists I would like to ask the same. If man formed from the organic composition of the primordial ooze, a strictly organic activity then where did his intelligence come from and who told him he needed it? He could not have developed it because he sensed he needed it because not having intelligence how could he sense he needed it? The answer is, of course, obvious; it was God who put wisdom and understanding in the heart of man.

Here is the issue. Modern man is committed to discounting God because of the accountability issue; if he accepts that God exists then he is accountable for all his ambitions and works. He wants to cast God away because he wants the liberty and freedom to be his own man, not accountable to anyone. Unfortunately, he will find out too late that mankind is created and as such is accountable, everyone is accountable, it is the one unbending rule of the universe. Man was not created, as he accuses, by a cruel taskmaster but rather a loving and kind God whose only issue with man is against that which is evil (sin). If man walks contrary to laws God has given then he is subject to the penalties of the law (this is the same principle we govern ourselves with; if one breaks a law he is subject to the penalty - no difference!). 

What exactly is the commandments of God that we are judged by? Love, plain and simple. Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Hardly the mandates of a wild dictator bent on forcing worship. So motivated to man's success in this command is God that He offered His only begotten Son on the cross for those who have rebelled against Him, the very one who gave them life and breath. He did this to provide a covering for mans sin and to impart to us the power to walk in His commandments and thereby avoid the penalty of the law. 

In conclusion, the fatal flaw to modern theories is that although they try to explain the origins of the universe and the origins of man they can only take you to a point in time where something already existed and they cannot go beyond that point! My faith can easily make that leap to the other side bridging the gap and explaining the real origins, the origin of the very first particle and the energy contained and where wisdom and understanding came from.

Numbers Six - The Secret to Strength and Power for the Church

This was a prayer that God commanded when He established the Tabernacle and priesthood. Numbers 6:22-27 "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them." We have an example of this blessing being performed by Aaron in Lev 9:22 "And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings." So powerful was this blessing that we have an example of Balaam trying to curse the children of Israel but he could not violate this command to bless (Number 22). Every time he raised his hand to curse Israel he pronounced blessing (This blessing was in force because God testified in Numbers 22 that Israel was not walking in sin; this is the one thing that will break that blessing).Balaam could not break the blessing so he wickedly advised Balak, the king, to cause Israel to sin and thus remove this profound blessing; and so the men of Israel sinned with the women Balak sent into the camp and broke Gods commands causing God to bring judgment. I want to focus on the blessing itself and what it means for a people to have it so let's consider the different aspects of this blessing:

The Lord Bless Thee - Prosperity, in a very real sense we depend on His blessing for everything; whoever has His blessing prospers, whoever does not have His blessing wains. This is a simple basic fact of the kingdom. Prov 10:22 - blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it; Prov 28:20 - a faithful man abounds with blessing! Our prosperity (naturally and spiritually) depends on His favor and blessing.

The Lord Keep Thee - The keeping power of God. This would be best understood by Psalm 91: - why is it that one's stands the test of time throughout the years of good and evil; it is because of the keeping power of God. He upholds them in trials and tribulations. One who sets their love upon Him, as demonstrated by keeping His commands (John 14:15),  He upholds and preserves.

The Lord Make His Face to Shine Upon Thee - This is the thought of a father who looks upon the son in whom he is pleased; when he looks at him his heart is filled with pleasure and joy and the smile on his face belies the joy in his heart. We understand this through Jeremiah 29:13

The Lord be Gracious Unto Thee - Amos 5:15 - To the man or woman who loves good and hates evil the Lord will be gracious. Graciousness is the aspect of overlooking one's faults, they have blundered and yet one is gracious to overlook their faults. What a treasure this is, to have God be gracious to us even though we may stumble. But this is applied to ones who love good an hate evil because God knows their heart and does not get them with "Technicalities"; rather He is gracious and forgiving, He is pleased to give them leeway and time to mature.

The Lord Lift Up His Countenance - This has the sense of Gods acknowledgment, it is like king Ahasuerus in the book of Esther, this is only given to those who have found favor and grace in His sight. Esther 5:1-2 He extended his scepter to her...more to the point, he recognized and acknowledged her (she could have perished because she had not been called). Mark my words, there are those who God doe not acknowledge because of the way they are walking, this is not a given; the ones He acknowledges are ones who have character.

The Lord Give Thee Peace - "Shalom" - completeness, soundness, welfare, peace. The peace of God keeps our hearts and minds; it is not easily shaken or moved when things seem to turn against us, the peace of God holds us on course. This is a blessing indeed!

What is it that brings this blessing from God? It is a little bit more than just calling ones self after His name; it is walking uprightly and doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord! In Rom 8 we have listed for us "17 things" that cannot separate us from the love of God but in Gal 5 we have "17 things" (works of the flesh) that can displease the Lord and cause Him remove His blessing if we do not put them in check (as was the case listed above in Numbers 22) . What is the point we re making here? In summary it is this; the blessing of God is what gives the church its strength and makes it the head instead of the tail; in His favor is life and blessing. If we walk in His ways and endeavor by His grace to keep His judgments and statutes we will be preserved by these very blessings. However, I have seen over the years the church walking away from His commands and as a result I have observed  the blessing of God dissolve and the church losing its strength and sanctity; they have become weak spiritually and carnal because they have lost His blessing. They have been given over to carnality and error. It is time to return to the Lord, seek His face and walk in His ways. Let us once again ask Him to show His favor. It will mean for many brokenness and repentance but in the end it will restore His hand of favor to the Church and He will uphold us.

A Testimony of Romans 6:6 and the Desire for a Deeper Experience

Isaiah 53:3-5 - "3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

On a flight to Chicago recently the Lord made me understand in the most painful way how that the innocent (Christ) was punished, not for the sins of the world but...for me, for my sins and my guilt! He was beaten and crucified because of my sin and my transgression; this was both a wonderful and horrible experience but it produced within me a fresh cry for a much fuller experience of Romans 6:6 – “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin”.

On this flight He came from behind and stood by me, when He reached my row He leaned in towards me laid His hand upon me and without a thought I was compelled of the Holy Ghost to say: "punish Him for my sin". I could not believe I was saying this; here was my beautiful friend, the one who came to visit me and yet the words could not be restrained. I had to turn my head towards the window because I could not refrain from weeping. In a profound way I understood that He, the innocent one, was punished for me the guilty. I reasoned within myself if this was the right thing to do and yet I knew it was the only way, if He was not punished for me I would be lost. He had to be punished for my guilt. This is how real His offering became to me. My elder brother whom I love, this very elder brother who cares for me, even Jesus, I knew He had to be punished for my sin and it broke me. He was treated like the criminal and I, the guilty, went free. How can I describe what this produced in me, it produced within me a cry of: "No More! Lord let me sin no more so that I no longer contribute to your punishment, enough O' Lord, no more. Bring me like Isaiah to a place where my iniquity shall pass from me!"

I have to confess that when I first came to Jesus Christ 35 years ago it was not because of an awareness of my sin; it was more like a drowning man who clung to the life saver to keep from perishing. But throughout the years I have come into the revelation of what I did to Him and why He needed to die for my sins. The knowledge of this affects me in a most profound way; it produces such a desire to have a very real meeting with him so that the power of sin and the old Adam can be broken for good. The knowledge that the innocent was punished for your sin helps but it is not the complete solution. The full solution is that iniquity must be purged for a real breakthrough. There is something that takes place in a person’s life when they meet face to face with the power of God; not simply a casual meeting or sighting of Him but a life changing transformation where He puts something in you that was not there and you are so different or perhaps He removes something from you that was there and you are free indeed.

I recall Isaiah 6 where the prophet see’s the Lord and is made aware of his own uncleanness; the angel of the Lord touches his lips with the coals form off the altar and says “I have caused thy iniquity to pass from thee”. This is where the real crippling effects of Adam are broken. I am writing this little testimony to encourage us all to get before the Lord and ask Him to give us the faith that will produce this same kind of experience in each one of us; where we have such a meeting with God that the old man is rendered inactive and we no longer are servants to sin.

Conflict II - The Assault Against Job, The Enemy’s Assault through Trials

I have just completed my commentary on the prophet Hosea and am starting my second most ambitious project to date (second only to doing the book of Proverbs). I have been prompted by the Lord to start on the book of Job. The following is an excerpt from my book on the Armor of God and somehow it quickened afresh as it relates directly with the book of Job. In this portion it is revealed that the enemy is after one thing...our testimony! We can think he is after many things as he attacks but in reality, it is just one thing and that is to knock us off course and to disqualify us through our hearts attitude and our speech...

When Satan engaged with God to attack Job, what was the enemy really after? Was he looking to rob Job of his wealth and earthly substance or was he after something more? Consider the position of this great man of God, whom the Lord said there was not another man like him in the earth. In Job 1:8 it says, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Was the evil one’s scheme simply to remove Job’s blessing? Or was it to destroy Job’s testimony and make Job and God enemies? The answer is in the enemy’s own words in Job 1:11, “But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” His scheme was to destroy Jobs testimony and turn him against God, to offend Job and to make him believe God was not just or fair. He wanted to see Job curse God. Satan knows what is in the heart of man and how to get him to react. Many times men and women sour when they suffer and tend to blame God when situations become difficult. It is a mature saint indeed that remembers all the good the Lord has done and does not doubt the character of God, even in the midst of suffering.

Job Never Curses God

It is worthy to observe that, when the trial began, Job was able to put forth a confession that was victorious. Job 1:21 states, “And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” It was only after the trial dragged on that we can see what needs to be purged from Job; there is manifested all kinds of wrong confessions. The same can be true with us, unlike Job they are not always put into words but nonetheless wrong confessions can be there lurking beneath the surface. That being said, we must note that faithful Job never did curse God to His face; he did not become an enemy of God or do at all what the enemy said he would. The secret to maintaining a good confession is to know and understand the character of God with deep conviction, so that we do not turn on him and begin to accuse Him as soon as He begins to deal with something in us. Many times mankind turns on the Lord as soon as the going gets rough. Job 2:4 says, “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” In many cases this is true enough.

Be Careful About the Opinions You Form When Suffering

As we stated at the beginning, the enemy is in the business of changing what people believe. He knows the power of a belief system and he knows how what we believe governs every detail of our lives. The enemy works evil to get us to form a belief in something that is not even true and the vehicle he is using here is pain and suffering. Men and women do this everyday, formulating opinions about God in their trials that are not true because they are suffering and cannot understand. The enemy will seek permission from God Almighty to take us through great trials in order to get our testimony to sour. Keep in mind that all of the enemy’s tactics deal in the realm of beliefs. He knows full well the reality of God and His plan. In fact, he might even believe more than many of God’s people! Of course, Satan is not born-again and his belief does not do him any good, none-the-less he believes “even the devils believe, and tremble…” (James 2:19) The devils know what you stand on is true; their diabolical plan is to undermine the integrity of God in one’s heart and shake your confidence in Him in order to produce fear and doubt. They want us to believe what the children of Israel believed in the wilderness, “God has brought us out here to die…” (Num 21:5). They want us to believe He has forsaken me… He is no longer here… He no longer cares…

The enemy was after one thing in the trial of Job. He was not interested in Job’s children, his cattle, his wealth, or his influence; these are all sideline issues! The enemy does not need camels and cows! He was after Job’s relationship with God; he was after his confession, his testimony and the promises of God. Please listen. The fact that God has allowed something to be removed from us is not the tragedy; the tragedy is when the enemy can steal one’s relationship with Christ and one’s testimony. Job 1:7 states that “…he will curse thee to thy face.” This is what the enemy is after. He wants our love for the Lord and our testimony to sour.

Things come and things go, as Paul said Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (12) I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (13) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. The things around us, wealth and possessions are less important. What is important in our trial is what we bring to it, such as our confession and opinions formed about our God. It is absolutely critical that we maintain a good confession and watch out for attitudes that do not please Him. You will recall that the scriptures say that we are chosen in the furnace of affliction. What this tells me is that God brings the fire to see what our confession will be in it and then He directs our lives accordingly. Please remember that there is grace in the fire if we will humbly cry out to Him because He wants our confession to be good.

The Devastation of an Evil Confession

Let’s consider the children of Israel for a moment. It was not the giants that kept them from entering into the land; it was their own confession of God. Those who maintained a good confession (Joshua and Caleb) survived. “As you have spoken in mine ears so will I be unto you” (Num 14). Be mindful of one thing; Satan cannot get access to us unless God first allows it. Therefore, the opinions we formulate in our trial (good or bad) are our opinions of God, who has allowed it. When Job said, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21), he crushed the enemy. By that testimony he contradicted the evil one, who said Job “will curse you to your face” (Job 1:7).

The First Children of Job, Unfruitful

Job 1:4 "And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them."

Up to this point Job's children had lived a charmed life; they were able to eat and feast on a regular basis. There is no mention of the work they did or their personal character in fact there is every indication from Job's actions that he had reason to be concerned that they did not share the same devotion to the Lord as he himself did ( 1:5 "And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually."). The brothers would feast on a fairly regular basis and the sisters would join them. This reminds me of many believers who go about life happy go lucky without a care in the world. They are unaware of the work God has called them to do and they simply exist. God want us to have a purpose about us, men and women who are aware of the importance of their lives. God gives to every man or woman a talent, a specific thing that He wants them to do. It could be quite simple or it could be very great but you are the one person who can do it.

God wants us to have a cry and a burden in our heart to serve Him and to have our lives produce fruit; not to only eat drink and be merry. Very early on in my Christianity there was this cry in my spirit "O' God give me fruit! I do not want to appear before you empty". In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) 75% of the ground brings forth no fruit at all but even among the remaining 25% there are varying degrees of fruitfulness. There are some 30 fold, some 60 fold and some 100 fold. In Johns Gospel chapter 15 we have these three levels of fruitfulness identified for us: it is to bear fruit (30), to bear more fruit (60) and to bear much fruit (100). Jesus says it is your Fathers desire that ye should bear "Much fruit". Joh 15:8 "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." Lets desire to have our lives produce fruit and have meaning.

After Jobs trial he has more children (we learn very shortly in chapter one that he looses his first children as part of his trial) and these children are different, his daughters are mentioned by name and they all obtain a good inheritance. These children are very fruitful and God honors them by mentioning the daughters by name and revealing they were the fairest in the land, godly girls and fruitful children: Job 42:13-15 v 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. v 14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. v 15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren."

"O' God, please make us fruitful!!"

Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock!

This morning I had a pleasant experience, something I have not experienced for years. The Lord woke me up by a sound of knocking. I remember years ago the Lord used to watch over me when I was on third shift, frequently while I was on my break I would dose off (since it was the middle of the night). I worked alone so there would be no one there to wake me up when I did fall asleep and so the Lord would cause a noise in the building I was working in and it would be just as my break was ending. It could be a creak from the building, a pop machine compressor kicking on or a broom that just suddenly fell over. One way or another I was very conscious of this and I actually gained a moderate amount of confidence that if I accidentally dozed off He would wake me, this went of for several years. 

Well, for the last four or five years I have been endeavoring to get up at five am to spend time in study and to write commentaries on various books of the bible. It is generally a grand time for me to sit with my coffee and to read and write my commentaries; generally God allows the waters to flow so it is very fulfilling to me. Yesterday, however, I just felt I would stay in bed, catch up on rest and I thought very little of it (I confess I have done this before) and so when the alarm went off I simply ignored it and allowed myself to fall back to sleep. This morning, however, about 2 minutes before my alarm went off I heard what sounded like a distinct knocking at the door and it was loud enough to wake me; of course I jumped from my bed ran to the window to see who could be knocking and I saw no one, so I hurried to see who was at the door and there were no cars outside and no one at the door. Puzzled by this I scratched my head and went to see what time it was and just as I looked at my clock my alarm went off! I realized at a moment what had happened, God wanted me up, out of bed and at my rightful place. This did not annoy me at all but rather thrilled me because I realized this time of study and writing is what I must do and it is something God wants me to do, so much so that He woke me in time to do it, right at the very hour! 

Is this a simple testimony? Yes, but what a thrill for me to know what it is He wants me to do, especially when it brings such joy to do it. God has a track He wants all of us to run on, things He is pleased we should do. If you have not already done so why not ask Him to reveal it to you and ask Him to support you in it. When we all come to the end of our life and we stand before Him what a pleasure it will be to know we have done what He wanted us to do!

Stay Close Enough to be Embraced by Him

Song of Solomon 2:6    “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.”

In this wonderful verse from the most loving and affectionate books of the bible we see a posture that emphasizes a very important truth for us, namely, that we need our Lords left hand on our head (mind) and His right hand (strength) embracing us. We need to stay close enough to Him that He may embrace us. This somewhat reminds us of the John who leaned on His chest.

In this portion of the Song of Solomon He has returned to greet her, they were apart and she missed him desperately, it is as though He was gone for a time and and upon His return they embrace and greet each other affectionately. His left hand is on the back of her head and with His right hand He embraces her as she buries her head in His chest. Spiritually, this is a wonderful truth because she is being upheld by His power (the secret to strength is being close to the Lord).

"...His left hand is under my head" Where are most of our battles won or lost? It is first in the mind (the head). In Leviticus 14:26-29 it was the left hand that cupped the anointing oil, that cupped hand was the reservoir that the right hand drew from when anointing the right ear, thumb and toe. After that task was completed the cupped hand with its remaining oil was placed on the head. And so we see an association between the anointing oil and the left hand, the truth conveyed is His left hand is under her head or her mind is anointed by His hand. I have seen His hands and when I saw them an ointment was forming over the scars. An overcoming mind is one that is anointed with the oil from His (nail pierced) left hand.

"...and with His right hand He doth embrace me" This too is an important point; the right hand is the hand of strength and power, she is embraced by His power that is what will keep her. We need to live a life that is pleasing to Him so that He will be free to embrace us. Jude 1:24 relates to this verse "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before his presence with exceeding joy".

And so as we began the secret to being upheld and strength is to love Him with all your heart, be devoted to Him and embrace Him frequently as the Shulamite or as John the beloved who frequently leaned on his chest.