Archives for November 2020

The Bible teaches us to make distinction between things that are good and bad. We are shown how to identify such things as fools, the wicked, the wrong path, human wisdom, unclean things, and so on. We are also shown how to identify things that are clean and good.

We are to keep ourselves from evil things, so we are not contaminated by them.

“Make no friendship with an angry man, and do not go with a furious man, or you will learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” Proverbs 22:24,25

“Abstain from every form of evil.” 1Thessalonians 5:22

“They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern the clean from the unclean.” Ezekiel 44:23

There are several key things we need to be sensitive to, including things offensive to God, such as sin, and things dedicated to or belonging to God.

When Israel began to conquer their Promised Land all the goods in the first city, Jericho, were dedicated to God. The people where not to take any goods in the city since they belonged to God and God declared He wanted them destroyed.

One man, Achan, secretly took and hid a garment and some wealth from the city.

When Joshua led his army against the next city he was defeated. He then fell before God, alarmed at the defeat. God told him there was sin in the camp. God helped them find the man who did wrong and he confessed and revealed the goods he had taken. He was killed for his sin.

The things he took had been claimed by God. They were God’s property. Achan might have considered that they would only be destroyed, as the city was burned, so God had no use for them. By taking those things Achan ignored God’s claim on the city.

What’s more, his action not only affected him it polluted the whole camp of Israel. So God did not go with Israel’s army in the next battle.

This shows how we do need to take seriously our attitude toward things and to note God’s ideas about what is good or bad, or claimed by Him.

The blessing of God was temporarily blocked due to a curse on the camp, due to a curse on a man, who stole from God.

After Achan was judged and the things destroyed, Israel went on to capture the next city with ease.

I point out that God is clear about curses and blessings and that we can curse ourself by such things as trusting in our own strength.

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and relies on his own capacities, and turns from trusting God.” Jeremiah 17:5

Many of the regulations of the Old Testament have been done away with for Christians, so we don’t have to be so careful about what we eat and so on. However, we are warned that whenever we abandon faith, trusting in ourselves and refusing to trust God, it is sin.

“He who doubts is condemned if he eats what he believes he shouldn’t, because he does not eat from faith. For whatever is not based on faith is sin.” Romans 14:23

So we should be sensitive to keep ourselves from sin, and keep living by faith. We should also be sensitive to those things which God claims as His, and not touch those things.

Note that God claims the right to take vengeance. So if you seek revenge you are taking something that belongs to God.

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19

Another area I have seen to be important is having things that were dedicated to evil. Often people collect evil items from foreign countries and place them in their home. Those items can carry with them an evil connection that opens a door, so to speak, for the enemy to bring darkness into your home.

I know of cases where nightmares and fears, sickness and mental confusion left a home once items connected to evil were removed. You will note that in the New Testament people actually burned items connected with witchcraft and pagan practices.

“Many people who used magic brought their books and burned them publicly. They counted the price of the books and it was fifty thousand pieces of silver.” Acts 19:19

In my youth my father was alerted to darkness in part of our home. My father had collected a range of books thinking they would help him understand pagan beliefs. Once the books were removed the darkness also went.

I recall being given a book from a false religion and almost immediately finding my mind oppressed by a storm of thoughts whirling in my head. I immediately looked for a place to  destroy the book and when I had done that my mind was peaceful and clear again.

Wonderfully, Christ has destroyed our enemies, but we are still called to make a separation between things that have God’s blessing and things that are evil and bring a curse. If there is sin, we are to repent. If there is evil we are to keep ourselves from it. If there are things dedicated to satan’s realm we certainly don’t want them in our lives.

I don’t share this to arouse fear. If this makes you fearful, then remember that God’s love casts fear out. Reaffirm your trust in the Lord.

Then allow God to prompt you if there are things in your life that you need to get away from or dispose of. And may you, your family and your life be blessed as you enjoy God’s blessings and live free of any Cursed Things.

The Apostle Paul calls Christians to maintain the ‘unity of the Spirit’. 

“Endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3

In his appeal Paul points out that we are not to be confused by many variations of spiritual things.

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6

Christianity has at times been a battleground of competing ideas and creeds. I dare say that behind much of those divisions through the centuries we would find such things as pride, desire for control, deception and delusion, immaturity, selfishness and even much worse things.

As a result we have a greatly divided landscape of denominations, theologies, forms of worship and so on. Those things were beginning to emerge in the early church. The Apostle John wrote about a leader in one church who liked to be the king pin and control what others can do.

“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.” 3John 1:9

Paul and Barnabas disagreed about who should go on their ministry team and they split up as a result.

“The contention between them was so sharp that they separated one from the other. Barnabas took Mark, and sailed to Cyprus” Acts 15:39

Paul also warned the church leaders at Ephesus that over time some of them would even become bad leaders.

“From among you men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away a personal following.” Acts 20:30

So we should not be surprised at the diversity of thought that has emerged over time. However, we should also note that Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus to maintain the ‘unity of the Spirit’.

The unity we maintain is based on the fact that in God there is no diversity. God is not divided and neither is Christ.

Paul had to address this issue in the church at Corinth as well.

“Each one says, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas (Peter), or I am of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?” 1Corinthians 1:12,13

The unity we enjoy is based on the fact that there is one Christ, one Holy Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all”.

For all kinds of reasons Christians get upset with each other, disagree, part company, seek their own interests, have favourite ideas, like certain things certain ways and so on. For a company of people commanded by Christ to “Love one another” we do a pretty poor job of getting along.

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, so love one another.” John 13:34

We are to do all we can to maintain the ‘unity of the Spirit’ and we do that best when we ‘love one another’.

Let’s see if we can’t make sense of what we are to do. There is only one God one Christ and one faith, explained to us in the Bible. All those who put their faith in the Christ of the Bible for salvation have come to the same Christ. It doesn’t matter whether they did that at a huge meeting, a home group or on the side of the road. Those who confess Christ as Lord, similarly, are worshipping the same Lord, whether in a cathedral or a barn.

It is the same Holy Spirit at work in our lives when we come to Christ, whether we are in a formal or informal church, or whether we read one translation of the Bible or another.

Paul did not argue for one form of church management, or one type of worship song, or one formula for prayer.

There is and always will be diversity. Some of that will be for good reasons and some from bad. But we maintain unity by recognising all those who have put their faith in the same Christ and Lord we love and serve.

In every church there are likely those who don’t know Christ, despite going through the church routines. They may likely put their faith in their church to save them, rather than Christ. But there are also people in unlikely places who have cried out to the Lord and put their faith in Christ. We are prompted by Paul to stop splitting ourselves up and living in disunity at our heart level.

Christians will continue to worship God in diverse ways with various ideas about various Bible topics. We are not expected to become a global church all doing the same thing the same way. But all who put their faith in Christ are born again as children of the same God, with the same Lord and receiving the same Holy Spirit.

So, in light of that, I join with Paul in calling you to maintain the Unity of the Spirit.

When we are in situations where we need God and God comes through for us we can feel elated and wonder why we ever relied on ourselves or ever worried.

However we soon seem to revert to relying on our own instincts and powers and trying to get things done without God’s help. It’s as if we are naturally programmed to live without room for God.

Maybe this comes from our training, where we start life learning to stand on our own two feet. We learn many things in our early years and are raised to become independent, not relying on constant care from parents and others.

If someone continues to need support we see that as bad. We are meant to accept responsibility, be reliable, get things done and make things happen. And that’s all perfectly fine. However, in that process we learn to rely on ourselves, instead of God.

Somehow we are meant to become independent and perfectly capable, while at the same time learning to not depend on our own independence or rely on our own abilities.

We have to leave Room For God in our lives and in what we are doing. If we don’t we will end up working out of human resources and seeing ourselves as the sustainer of our life.

The danger is that we come under a curse if we don’t rely on God.

“The Lord says, Cursed is the man who trusts in man and relies on human resources, and  whose heart departs from the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:5

Be as capable as you can be, and excel in every area of your skill and capacity, but at the same time Make Room for God. Don’t think that your capacities are enough. Don’t rely on yourself in such a way that you abandon your reliance on God.

I recall being in a church planning meeting where leaders discussed a major project. The church had plenty of resources and could easily have worked within those resources. Yet they saw the need to Make Room For God. They needed to step out in faith and allow God to have a major part in the project. If it was simply a human endeavour then they could not be sure God was in it.

One way to Make Room For God is to have a plan that can only proceed if God brings special provision. Then, if provision comes, you can be sure God is in the project and blessing the plans.

Another way to Make Room For God is to do what the Bible instructs, even though it is not what normal society thinks is right. There are many challenging instructions in God’s Word and many of those are from the lips of Jesus Christ, Himself.

Consider the instruction to give hospitality to the needy, who can’t repay you.

“When you give a banquet invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. For they cannot repay you, so you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13,14

Consider the instruction to accept being exploited, such as by turning the other cheek. In our culture we are not trained to be so generous and we think giving in like that is a sign of weakness.

“Do not resist evil. If someone strikes your right cheek turn to him the other also. If someone wants to take your shirt, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” Matthew 5:39-41

In such situations we Make Room For God because we don’t try to win the fight ourself. We do what the Bible instructs and we leave the outcome to God.

If you can’t do that, such as feeling you have to defend yourself, fight for your rights, demand justice, get full compensation, and so on, then you may get what you chase, but end up with the curse that comes from not trusting the Lord.

People who Make Room For God get to see God come through. Those who play safe and live by their own capacities get what their capacities can deliver, but never see the power of God or the wonderful things God has prepared for them.

The best way to Make Room For God is to be led by God’s Holy Spirit. This is the sign that we are mature, fully grown Sons of God.

“All those who are led by the Spirit of God are the mature sons of God.” Romans 8:14

So, in each situation and challenge, we seek God’s wisdom and guidance. We let the Holy Spirit prompt us as to the right course of action. That means in some situations we act differently to the last time we were in a similar situation, since God knows the background and the details which we don’t know. God knows our own heart and the heart of others.

When we follow the leading of the Lord, according to God’s Word, despite what others around us might think, we are Making Room for God. When things go well it testifies to God’s ways and God’s word being right. God gets glorified.

Every time we succeed in our own strength we get praised or can feel good about ourselves, but God is sidelined.

You can Make Room For God by giving in to God’s way and God’s will. When you forgive someone you would rather see suffer, or when you are generous to the needy, not demanding that they pay you back, or when you take time to serve the Lord and witness for Him, or when you put others ahead of yourself, you Make Room For God to bless you and to show His loving favour to you, and also through you.

You can fill your life with material goods, entertainment, fun activities, people, food, enterprise, comforts and many other things. But the presence and power of God in your life is vastly more enjoyable and valuable than all the things this world can offer.

I challenge you to take stock of the life you are living and check how much place you are giving to God in your everyday life. Then look for multiple ways each day where you can Make Room For God.

You cannot serve two masters. Jesus told us that. He said we cannot serve God and Mammon.

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will be be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:13

Despite this warning people often have mixed motives in what they do. This probably contributes to many of the problems people encounter in their work and relationships.

People get on with life, fitting into their circumstances, abiding by the rules and doing as they are told, but they often carry deep-seated personal agendas and ambitions, which they secretly worship and serve.

We have an example of a secret personal agenda in the servant of Elisha. When Elisha healed the Syrian commander, Naaman, of leprosy, he was offered riches. Elisha turned them down but his servant, Gehazi, was greedy to get the wealth. Gehazi crept away and talked with Naaman, getting some of the riches for himself.

As Elisha’s servant his duty was to serve his master, but Gehazi also wanted to serve himself. He was not single-minded about his responsibility, but put his own desires into the mix, and even ahead of honouring his boss.

That kind of self-interest is quite common. Most employees don’t love their boss and may not even like their job. They work for the income and toward their career development. It is fair to say that in general employees work firstly for self-interest, not for the good of the company. The income, working conditions, suitability to their desires and aspirations, and so on, are given serious consideration when someone considers taking a job. If there are very few jobs, then just having an income is a high priority.

Despite the high level of self-serving that goes into our lives, the warning from Jesus still has great significance. We need to think carefully about the consequences of having mixed agendas and not being single-minded in our commitment.

God wants us to make up our minds who we serve and what our commitments are, and to stick with our word and the choice of our heart, with single-minded focus.

“Let your Yes mean Yes, and your No mean No, or else you will fall into judgment.” James 5:12

We are warned that if we are double-minded we will be unstable.

“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8

I found an interesting commentary on the Chinese view of contractual arrangements. Westerners are to take care that the Chinese view such agreements as flexible, while we might think they are more binding. The quote goes: “From a Chinese point of view, if situations change during the course of your business relationship, naturally you’re not going to be bound to the initial agreement.”

(quoted from: http://www.businesspundit.com/7-deadly-perceptions-about-doing-business-with-china/)

That’s the attitude many westerners take in such serious matters as marriage and family. They make a vow to be committed “for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health” but then abandon that commitment “if situations change” along the way.

They might argue, “You were supposed to make me happy”, or “You weren’t supposed to be so difficult”, or “You make things uncomfortable for me”. Those changed circumstances cause many westerners to not feel bound to the initial agreement.

But doesn’t that suggest being double-minded? A single-minded person has made a commitment, and nothing can change their mind. We change our mind because we are also committed to other things, such as self-interest, ambition, desire for care-free living, pursuit of happiness, and so on.

I reflected recently on a strange example of single-mindedness I saw many years ago. An American-based Christian ministry organised an event in Australia and a number of Americans came over to support the event. They made a number of local connections and encouraged many people to attend.

As I arrived at the venue people were arriving in dribs and drabs, a few at a time. In the foyer of the conference centre, near the registration table, stood a man dressed in somewhat outlandish jacket and hat, whistling a constant string of bird-calls.

He was waiting to meet someone who he would not recognise. He had arranged to make himself obvious by his dress and his bird calls.

With less than half a dozen people in the entry area at any one time his efforts were way over the top. He was glaringly obvious in his clothes, without needing the bird calls. Yet he faithfully and persistently kept up his whistling.

I was immediately embarrassed for him. He seemed so desperately out of place and so desperately out of context with the small attendance at the event. His approach may have been needed in a huge conference in the USA but was way overdone in a modest meeting in Australia.

I long remembered the man with a note of censure, that he did not need to be so over-the-top. Yet I then realised he was being single-minded about his purpose. He had told people what to look out for and he faithfully delivered the quirky presentation he promised. I have no doubt the person looking for him would have found him.

He wasn’t put off by the inappropriateness of his plan or the strange looks he must have received from people who thought he was out of place.

Many of us would shrivel if scorned, or would die of embarrassment if we had made an inappropriate arrangement. The single-minded will stick with their word and their plan, putting self secondary to the purpose they pursue.

We can’t serve two masters, because at some point or other we will have to choose between them. If we are serving self first, we will deny God. If we are serving self-interest, we will cheat on our other commitments. If we are ruled by pride, greed, lust, ambition, or a bunch of other such motivations we will be unstable and changeable, as we chase opportunities, forget our responsibilities, abandon commitments, destroy relationships and change our minds and our direction at whim.

You have chosen to make Jesus Lord of your life. He is your master. You cannot serve Christ and self or all the other things you hope will make you happy. It just can’t be done. So you’d better sort yourself out right now. Affirm your commitment to Christ and ask Him to help you abandon all those other things you have fallen in love with along the way.

And may you live for Him, with all the joy of being God’s child, and all the blessings that come as you are Single-Minded.

The Bible records several times where God specifically granted what was asked for in prayer. Those examples can instruct us in our own praying.

Of course we are to follow the example prayer given to us by Jesus, which we call the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6. And we are to ask and keep on asking as Jesus instructed. Yet we can also be encouraged to see prayers God specifically answered.

One such prayer was prayed by a man named Jabez. We know very little about him except a short explanation in a record of names in the Old Testament.

“Jabez was more honourable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez (meaning ‘Pain’), saying, Because of the painful birth. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, praying, Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that your hand would be with me, and that you would protect me from evil, and that I may not cause pain! And God granted his request.” 1Chronicles 4:9,10

Since we know God answered this prayer let us look at what Jabez asked for and consider seeking the same things for ourself.

Jabez approached God with a bold prayer. When I was a boy we were taught it is wrong to ask for things for ourselves. We were instructed to pray only for others, otherwise we would be being selfish.

However Jesus taught us to ask for specific things for ourself, such as our daily provision, forgiveness of sins, guidance and protection. The limitation I was taught as a child was a religious idea that is not supported in the Bible. Sadly there are many religious ideas taught by Christians who haven’t stopped to see what the Bible actually says, but have kept up some tradition passed to them.

Jabez knew he had relationship with God, so he could confidently come to God in prayer. He was one of God’s chosen people, so he accepted that and stepped confidently into God’s presence, asking for what he was sure God was happy to give.

You, as a believer, are a child of God and you too can come confidently into God’s presence and bring your requests.

Jabez asked for blessing: “Truly bless me”. He knew that God’s blessing is far better than anything we can do for ourselves. We can bless ourselves by being good students, good workers, wise managers of our money, careful in our decisions, making right friends, and so on. But those blessings are insignificant compared to the blessing of God.

Jabez then asked that God would give him larger territory: “Enlarge my borders”. He knew that promotion comes from the Lord and that God is able to give us greater room in life.

“Promotion isn’t from the east, or west, or south. But God is judge. He puts down one, and sets up another.” Psalm 75:6,7

“Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes.” Isaiah 54:2

Our territory is enlarged when we get promoted, or find our business moving into new products and areas, or when people join our team, or we are given a bigger budget to manage. A growing family, expanding business, higher office and greater responsibility are all expressions of having our borders enlarged, as Jabez prayed.

Jabez then asked that God’s hand would be with him: “Let your hand be with me”. God’s hand with us brings us Provision, but also Protection. God’s hand can also tap us on the shoulder or point the way, giving us Direction. And when God’s sword is in His hand, we are able to win battles that are outside our strength.

When Gideon fought the Midian host their battle cry was “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” Yet what Gideon’s sword could do, with only 300 men, was next to nothing compared with what God’s sword did in that great victory.

God’s hand can go before you, setting up connections or protections, so your day works sweetly. He can put things in place for you, block those who would mess things up, take a firm hand against those who would challenge you, and so on.

Jabez then asked to be protected from harm: “Protect me from evil”. Evil can come up in our lives from two main sources. We can be attacked by others, such as an angry person, or a deceiver, thief, fool or abuser. We want to be protected from all such evil. But there is evil that springs from our own human heart, such as pride, jealousy, anger, revenge, spite, unforgiveness, lust and greed. We need to be protected from ourselves, as well as evil people around us. So I like to think of that prayer for protection as covering those two dimensions.

Finally, Jabez talks of not being a pain. Some translations suggest he was concerned about not being in pain: “Keep me from evil so I don’t suffer”. But the words are also translated as: “Keep me from evil so I don’t cause pain to others”.

Since Jabez started life as one who caused pain, and since his mother named him ‘Pain’ (Jabez), the curse on his life is of him being a pain giver. So it seems Jabez was asking for a new destiny, a new identity in life. It’s like he is praying, “May I be free from all that I was, and live in a new way, being the opposite of the bad things I am known for.”

So, since God answered the Jabez prayer, let’s take this prayer and make it ours.
“Lord God, we come to You and ask You to truly Bless us. Lord, give us expanded territory and give us the wisdom and capacity to occupy that territory well. Lord, may Your hand go with us to Provide, Protect and Guide us, and to fight for us when needed. And deliver us from all evil, including attacks from around us, and the evil that might spring up in our own heart. And Lord, take all the bad things we have been known for and turn them around so we become people known for the very opposite of those things, for Your glory. Amen.”

And now friends, may you be blessed as you live out the Jabez Prayer.