Archives for October 2020

I recently attended a debate between a Christian and a Moslem. Both men were highly educated in both religions. The debate was polite, but both men were totally committed to their position and put their position clearly.

Watching that debate, and appreciating the excellence of explanation from both men, reminded me how empty head knowledge can be.

In a debate ideas are presented and dissected. So the process is essentially intellectual. That bogs down as soon as there is reason to doubt the source material on which thoughts are based. The Moslem speaker undermined confidence in the Bible, based on Moslem beliefs. With confidence in the Bible undermined all sincerely held beliefs of Christians can be appreciated, but discounted as misguided. Similarly, as the Quran is brought into question all Moslem beliefs can be similarly discredited as misguided.

The battle ends up being about respect for source documents. That’s the intellectual debate. Such debates can bog down in minutiae over interpretations of words and so on.

I realised, watching that debate, that the mind only delivers a limited experience of life. Our heart, our inner beliefs and feelings, are apart from the dissection of detail. Most people hold strongly held ideas because of heart beliefs and what those beliefs allow them to accept as fact.

As soon as we hold a position of any kind our whole being relies on upholding that belief. It is an insult to our intelligence if we are found to hold a wrong idea. Our pride can be trampled on and our self-worth damaged if our beliefs prove to be wrong.

So, whether we realise it or not, we have a deeper, emotional stake in the ideas. We seek validation for our ideas and may dig ourselves ever deeper into our beliefs, strongly resistant to evidence to the contrary. This might appear to be intellectual, but it’s a much deeper issue. It is an issue with our heart.

When God inspects us He does not do a brain scan. God won’t test us on ideas, facts and figures. There will be no exam of Bible knowledge. God looks directly at our heart.

“The Lord told Samuel, Look not on his appearance, or his height; for I have refused him: for the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1Samuel 16:7

“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” 1Chronicles 28:9

“You justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.” Luke 16:15

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him.” 2Chronicles 16:9

So behind all the thoughts in our head are our heart attitudes. That includes our fears and pride, jealousies, rebellions, lusts, and the like. God knows that what we claim to believe with our mind is a product of choices we have made in our heart. Some have chosen to be blind, or to hold ideas that serve their selfish intent, or to remain in control of their life, and so on.

I have found, in my own limited experience, that people are more ready to respond to the cry in their heart than the questions in their head. People know when they are unsatisfied deep within, often looking for answers and hungry for more in life.

There can be great effect when speaking to people’s hearts, rather than their head.

The enemy likes to engage our mind with ideas, such as the serpent tempting Eve. Doubts and reinterpretations were sown into Eve’s mind and she became deceived. The lies tempted her heart, offering greater happiness and importance.

So ideas thrown around in our world today also tempt us. We are tempted to doubt God and God’s goodness, by the promise of enticing benefits. Ideas are sown in our head, but they hook our heart, and God sees our heart and knows why we accept those beliefs.

So if you are unsettled by ideas that raise doubts about your faith, stop and recognise that in your heart you love and trust God. Affirm where you stand in your heart, and your head will likely clear up.

If you find yourself in a debate with someone try to consider the heart issues at stake. If the person has taken a strong position in their heart, then don’t argue, but pray for them. You might be able to connect with their inner desire to be right, or to find something solid to stand on.

One way to fish for their heart is to consider and even ask, “Why is this so important to you?” They might open their heart a little as they acknowledge their inner needs.

Christ and God’s love are the answer to all our inner needs.

If you feel confused and fear that you are unable to defend your beliefs and you get rattled by arguments about things in the Bible, remember that God is looking at your heart, not your head. Settle in your heart that you love God and put your faith in Christ. Then call on the name of the Lord. You don’t have to understand God’s reality to enjoy His salvation.

And may the Lord bless you in both your Head and Heart.

Life is at times a bit of a battle. We love it when life is clear sailing, but at times we face disappointment, concerns, frustration, loss, opposition, fears, and the like. At times we can even face depression and hopelessness if things don’t work out.

The Bible reveals that the sense of battle is at times based on direct attacks from the evil one who wants to keep us from God, faith and the blessings that are ours.

The Bible talks of the enemy having strategies and using fiery darts against us.

“Don’t let Satan take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2Corinthians 2:11

“Above all, take the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Ephesians 6:16

So the feeling that life is a battle is at times because … Life is a Battle.

“Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1Peter 5:8

The enemy looks for ways to rob you of faith, blessing, joy, fruitfulness, breakthrough, peace, direction and much more.

However none of these things should make us afraid. The devil is a defeated foe and we have authority to resist and overcome him.

“He (Jesus) Himself also shared in our humanity, so that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” Hebrews 2:14

“This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.” 1John 3:8

“Now the prince of this world will be cast out.” John 12:31

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

The picture of our life is that we have placed our faith in Christ and are children of God, but we have an enemy who will try many tricks and attacks to spoil our life and our walk with God, to stop us being fruitful for God.

We don’t have to be ignorant of what the devil is doing. We can employ God’s equipment to take authority over the devil and his work and to win against him.

Our authority over the devil comes through Christ.

“Take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1Corinthians 15:57

The challenge for us in this journey, facing various interference from the enemy from time to time, is to remain victorious. The Apostle Paul counsels us to stop being overcome by evil things, but to overcome them.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

Let me share two responses to the instruction to not be overcome by evil.

Firstly, we are wise to know what the enemy is trying to do against us and what resources we have to resist him. If we are ignorant we can be swallowed up by things we don’t understand.

“My people are destroyed due to lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6

The lessons I give are helpful, but so too are lessons from all those who love God’s Word and walk with God. So make a point of understanding the battle and the battle lines, so you can stand firm against the enemy.

Look out for such things as unforgiveness and bitterness, fear and anxiety, pride and self-righteousness, jealousy and vengeance, lust and sensuality, occult and new age practices, feelings of being hurt and offended. Each of these things is an area where the devil loves to mess with us.

Also look out for lies and deception, emotionally disturbing things, things that create division, people with an argumentative attitude, those who want to punish others, and similar evil things.

If there are things that attack your faith, confidence in God’s Word, fellowship among believers, peace, assurance of salvation or relationship with God, then you can be sure the enemy is behind it.

Look for the weapons God has given you, such as resisting the enemy, binding evil and releasing blessing, the truth of God’s Word, faith in God, gifts of the Holy Spirit and much more.

Another insight provided by the call to not be overcome by evil is the instruction to ‘overcome evil with good’.

That is confirmed by the words of the Apostle Peter.

“Do not return evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that you are called to such things, so you will inherit a blessing.” 1Peter 3:9

The enemy wants to create strife at times and cause people to have bitter feelings and attack others. This is completely contrary to Jesus’ teachings about loving one another and loving even our enemies.

“This is how everyone will know you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

“I tell you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44.45

I recently felt weighed down with some anxieties, busy with a number of projects and cares for several people I was helping. It took several days for me to realise I was actually under attack. I thought it was just a product of the pressures I was working through.

Once I realised I was under attack and evil was trying to overcome me, I took authority against anxiety, seeing it as a spirit that was trying to tie me up and disable me. To my delight the anxiety quickly lifted, even though the challenges remained. So those feelings were not natural, but from the enemy.

I have had such experiences many times and I want to urge you to see your capacity to do the same – to resist being overcome by evil. It’s the Bible instruction, but, like me, you might think some of the things weighing on you are just natural pressures.

Take time today to reflect on the things I have presented here, and see where the enemy has engaged you in battle. Look to the Lord for His empowering, wisdom and victory. Learn to stand against evil. And in each step of your journey from here, Don’t Be Overcome.

I attended a seminar many years ago with international motivational speaker Jim Rohn and was surprised to hear him talk of some very ordinary and everyday things. He was known then as the ‘millionaire maker’ and he credited his own success to practicing some simple, practical things.

One thing he talked about was accepting gifts graciously.

There is a saying “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”. An animal’s age is shown by the gums. So inspecting the mouth of a horse given to you is checking out the quality of the gift. That is offensive to the giver.

You are simply to say “Thank you”, politely, and to appreciate the gift, despite what suspicions you have about it.

Jesus gives us good reason to Receive Gifts Graciously, because there is more blessing in giving than receiving. The Apostle Paul quoted this otherwise unknown word from the Lord.

“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, when He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

The significance of this is that the focus is on the giver, not the receiver.

From the receiver’s point of view we think of gifts in terms of whether we want them or appreciate them. If someone gives us something we don’t need or want we instinctively think of the transaction from our point of view.

Jesus, however, puts the focus on the giver. The giver is the one who receives the most blessing.

So, when you sneer at a gift or say you don’t want it, you are stealing from the giver the greater blessing in the transaction. They are going to get more out of giving than you will from receiving, so if you refuse or despise the gift you do the giver great harm.

James Rohn taught the would-be millionaires that they need to receive all gifts with thanks and appreciation, even if it isn’t what they want.

There is a blessing in giving. Don’t destroy the blessing by being self-focused. Instead, let the giver receive their joy and reward.

On the other hand, if you want to insult someone then despise their gift. It is a horrible insult to take a gift and drop it into the bin in front of the giver. Again that shows that the greater pain is in the giver than the receiver, confirming what Jesus said.

Over the years I have been blessed by people and offered them money or some other gift in appreciation. Many times people have refused point blank to receive what I offered. At times my wife and I have had to leave a gift of money where it will be discovered after we have left, because the people would not receive it directly.

Don’t resist gifts from people. If you expect them to receive your gift of hospitality or help, then you must be ready to receive their gift of appreciation. It can’t be one-sided.

So, what do you do when you go to church with something from your garden, or some other gift, and you give it to a person, but as you are leaving a different person comes and offers it as a gift to you? Maybe your gift has gone through multiple hands before finally being offered to you.

A natural response would be to decline, saying “Oh, but we brought that ourselves, this morning.” But that is being self-focused. The giver, for whatever reason, is passing something to you and they will get the greater blessing. So, receive it with thanks.

Receiving is less about you than about the giver. Don’t destroy or steal their blessing.

A rural preacher once told me, “The cardinal rule of being a country minister is to lock your car during service. Otherwise you’ll find the back seat covered in produce.”

Not everyone gives sweetly. Some people pass things off to get rid of them, rather than to be caring and generous. You probably still have to receive the gift if you can.

And receiving isn’t just about money or goods. People can give their time and energy, such as offering to help with a task, or do a domestic chore for you.

I have had people do yard work for me, help with home repairs, cook food, clean house, mind our children, give me transport, mend things and so on. The giver receives joy and a blessing from giving.

At another level, a gift giver becomes a participant in your life and endeavours. The Apostle Paul told the Macedonian church in Philippi that by their giving to his ministry they earned a share in the fruit of Paul’s labours.

“I am not seeking a gift from you, but I am looking for fruit that will be credited to your account.” Philippians 4:17

When people sustain your life, even in the smallest way, with gifts or acts of service, they enable you to get on with your life and they earn a portion of the fruit of your life too.

If you are stubbornly independent and you repel gifts and offers for support you deny people the privilege of sharing in the output of your life.

It’s a lovely thing when a prominent person can say, “I have been richly blessed and enjoyed great fruitfulness. And I owe a lot of that to so many wonderful people who have supported me in so many unseen ways over so many years. I appreciate you all.”

So friends, be an appreciative receiver of gifts. Let the child who brings you a flower, and the person who passes you money, and the one who drives you to your appointment, and the one who happily picks after you, have the joy of giving into your life. Bless them with your thanks and appreciation as you Receive Graciously.

For those wishing to support Ps Chris use the details at http://chrisfieldblog.com/support

Fear is something we each encounter from time to time. The question we confront is how to deal with fear when it comes.

Some people are disabled by fear, locked up and limiting their life, based on their fears. I have met people with deep fears of water, spiders, birds, the dark, flying and the devil. Crossing the Mississippi River by train one time I talked with a woman who kept her eyes shut tight until we were over the river. She made the trip regularly but was terrified each time.

At times I have felt ill at the prospect of facing a tough challenge. I have also had my hands shaking in some tense moments. From my experience there is nothing nice about fear.

The Bible agrees, saying that fear is a tormentor.

“Fear brings torment. He who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1John 4:18

That verse suggests it is a bad sign if we have fear.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear brings torment. He who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1John 4:18

From practical experience I suggest that it is normal to feel pangs of fear at times, when some unpleasant prospect faces us. However, what we are to do is deal with the fear in a godly manner.

King David was a fearless fighter, who ran to face giant Goliath when he was just a lad. He had already taken on a lion and a bear, and he went on to be a bold soldier and commander. Yet David faced fear from time to time.

What is significant is what David did when he was faced with fear.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise. In God I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Psalm 56:3,4

“In my distress I called on the Lord and cried to my God for help.” Psalm 18:6

So David had a response he employed “When I Am Afraid”.

David did not try to pretend he wasn’t afraid, but he recognised his need to put his trust in God in all such situations.

So we see in the Bible two separate messages about fear. One is about being free from fear, because God’s perfect love expels fear from our lives. The other is about a strategy for dealing with those moments when we are confronted by something fearful.

Let’s look at becoming free from fears.

Perfect love expels fear. God, who is perfect love, dwells within us. So we should expect that no fears can live within us.

Deep seated fears gain entry to our life, with ideas in our mind, emotional responses and physical evidence. The entry may be from a shock, where we felt very vulnerable. Or fears may come in from ideas put into our head.

My young sons had a fear sown into them by another lad who told them scary stories about hideous things hiding under the house. The ideas and images in their mind became a nest for fear to settle in.

In their case I decided to take them under the house and show them there was nothing there. I also had them pray and break the power of the scary ideas sown into them. I then rebuked the fear that wanted to get a foothold in their life.

Each time one of the children had a fear emerge in their life, through nightmares, fear of doing something, or the like, I would explore where the fear came from and pray with them to break the lies and ideas placed into them.

Some people are gripped very strongly by fear. They can almost have a fit or faint in the face of their fears. Uncontrollable screaming, terror, irrational responses and such things indicate a deeply rooted fear. We have authority in Jesus’ name to beat such evil things.

“Behold, I give you power (and authority) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing will by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

“Perfect love casts out fear” 1John 4:18

For such cases I refer to the Steps to Release which I have shared elsewhere, helping a person identify where and how fear entered their life, then repenting, forgiving and renouncing the fear package. That removes any legal right for fear to stay there. Then resisting and expelling it from their life.

That then leaves each of us, while free from fears within, still facing fear reactions from time to time. These are not evidence of fear controlling us, but just coming against us as we face a fearful situation.

That’s when David’s approach is important. We need to put our trust in the Lord, finding strength and comfort in Him.

At the same time we throw the problem, that fearful prospect, onto the Lord, because He cares for us.

“Cast all your care onto Him, because He cares for you.” 1Peter 5:7

In purely natural terms we find that we are nervous about new things or areas where we feel insecure. As we step into those things and get practice with them they cease to be scary. That includes such things as driving a car, performing in public, doing tests, breaking the ice with new situations, dealing with the public, and the like.

God is ready to coach and train us for these challenges.

“He teaches my hands to do warfare, so a bronze bow is broken by mine arms.” Psalm 18:34

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” Psalm 144:1

May the Lord give you victory over fear and give you wisdom, so you can say, “I now know what to do … When I Am Afraid.”