Move That Mountain?

 I am continually amazed at the beauty of God’s creation. Just recently, I was privileged to ride on a highway that runs parallel to the majestic Wasatch Mountains. Their awesome presence is a reminder of how small human beings are compared to other aspects of God’s creation. I don’t believe the mountains thinks about us, but we are moved to ponder what a wonder they represent from the hand of the Almighty. It is clear that these speak about the sovereignty of God by their immovable presence.

I reflected as we were driving alongside them about how we are driving at a high rate of speed (the speed limit in Utah is 80 on the Interstate) and a half hour had past and it was as if we had not moved in reference to the mountains in view. The mountains just seemed to be standing still. It is often quoted in reference to Scripture (Matthew 17:20 NASB) that asking God to remove the mountain is really one finding a place to trust the Lord to do what only He can accomplish.

God places insurmountable obstacles and tasks in our way, I believe, in order to check us on how much we really believe in Him. For all that we are humanly capable of doing, moving the Wasatch is not a task to embark upon. But the One who put them there is certainly capable of doing so. 

The Psalmist in 125 writes, “Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people.” Oh that the Lord would cause us to trust in Him and be the people we ought to in accomplishing His work. What the Lord desires to stand will be. I pray that we would know His protection and find security in our assignment. The One who speaks from the Mountain is the same One who can move all mountains. Believe!

The Strange World We Live In

 A nation seemingly and irresponsibly mishandles a deadly virus that is carried around the globe, having a devastation effect upon human life.  The story of its impact upon a young generation is yet to be told with the disruption of what was once normal life for young minds. In the midst of this, the church suffers tremendous discontinuity with gathering fellowships and efforts to carry out the priority commission of the Lord.  It seems that the church was revealed to have much more density than spiritual substance. Many have found that cozying up to church media and messages from afar are more palatable than the gathering of the saints in person. In our country, subversive politics, virtue signaling, and media biases that mislead a nation seem to be accepted as long as your position of choice is more effective in gaining the upper hand. Who cares about what’s godly or even proper? Now, we are able to see what war and the thirst for power really produces on women and children and families in a place that is far away, without the thought that maybe the same might be suffered right where we live. A hollow trust is deceptive and the unthinkable is possible.

This strange world is not so strange after all. The problem and the results of sinful men are on full display while people relegate the idea of sin to a minority position of fanatical members of the church. It also begs the question of “Why don’t people see what’s really going on?” Well, many have banked on their comforts and financial resources to endure the threats of this strange world. But those things and others are no match for a virus, a war, or spiritual deception.  He who has ears, let him hear. The weapons of our warfare, the Christian calling, are not made by human hands nor forged by human wisdom (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Let those who follow Christ find that these times are the right and proper setting for us to be focused and committed to fundamentals of the faith (e.g. fellowship, prayer, God’s Word, serving, and witnessing to a world that is upside down). Finally Beloved, fight for the faith that was once for all given to us (Jude 3). The answer to this world’s problems and any throughout the history of man is a faithful obedience to the Lord and a trust in Him that is radical in this strange world that we live in.

Moving Beyond Opinion to Absolute Trust

The ability to evaluate, understand, and apply claims of truth to life is a necessary, priceless commodity in our current cultural and political climate. Chasing the storyline of the day and capturing its significance seems to be as easy as herding cats spooked by their environment which they are contained. The stability we seek and the comfort that we desire are found only in the words that remain true no matter the challenge or nature of the changing times.

Still today, the words of Jesus clash with the opinion of commentators who have never embraced the unique character and divine authority of Scripture. Consequently, the answers needed for problems in society escape the wisdom of the influential in our world and those having the primetime voice of our media outlets.

Those who hold the truth of Scripture and are gifted by the Spirit of God to apply the Word to Life find clarity and confidence in walking by faith.  In John 7:40-52, the conflicting opinions of Jesus’s authoritative and insightful word resulted in uncertainty among the unbelievers who were ever so close to the truth.  Finding confidence in the words of Jesus leads people through a sovereign corridor navigating through the darkness. The search for abundant life can only be found in Jesus Christ. Revisit your trust in His words so that you might know how to live in the midst of conflicting opinion - not only in the secular world, but even among those whose partial trust in the wisdom of men may be exposed and redirected by the Spirit of Truth.

Remember Where You Came From

I remember when I was growing up that there was a caution often repeated to those who left home to go to college or to a job that would take them to a place far away from where they grew up: “Remember where you came from!” It was a reminder to the young adult going out to experience and to learn how to navigate the world in pursuit of success. Many of those who had gone out into the world had firsthand experience that one’s character and person could be greatly affected by this new discovery of life. They knew that the core upbringing which was taught would endure the challenge and shape the young adult so that they would not lose themselves in the pursuit of success. If they returned back home with a taste of arrogance in their new found success, the people in that family or community would repeat, “Remember where you came from.” It would serve as a reminder to the young adult to check their pride and reclaim the principles of character by which they had been raised. There are times, especially in our youth, in which we can lose sight of the important matters of character we received in our upbringing. For many, the character they developed from their youth kept them from losing perspective and a way of life that is honorable was preserved. For others, the loss of principles that may have protected and kept them from the storms of life resulted in severe consequences. They had forgotten not only where they came from, but who they were as a person of good character.

All is not lost in the parent-child relationship, even when a young adult loses his or her way. A good parent is there to remind them and help them to return to the basics, so that the path may be clear and the potential for regaining character may be pursued. For those who belong to God, our Father is there. He reminds us of who He is and whose we are. He reminds us of the character that ought to govern our lives. We should reflect Him in the world. Our Father is an awesome parent. 

In Isaiah 1:2-3, the Lord reminds His people about where they came from.  He comes to them and reminds them of how He raised and parented them for blessing and success. The Lord pointed to the source of their problem. They fought against the One who loved them and they caused themselves pain by forgetting where they had come from.  Beloved, at all times, “Remember where you came from!” The Lord is always there. Turn to the Father.  He loves you no matter where you are.

Don’t Draw Your Confidence from the World around You

This phenomena does not escape people when it comes to Jesus Christ himself. In John’s Gospel, we see that the initial ministry of Jesus is fraught with awe and draws attention and acclaim from people in every place. Those who witnessed His extraordinary presence and activity began to have designs of their own about how He should implement a strategy of success for their own benefit and goals. His growing popularity was also an offense to the ones whom he replaced at the top, as their ratings and polling positions dropped significantly.

But, at the apex of attention at one of Jesus’ rallies (John 6), we begin to see the precipitous fall in his popularity as Jesus moved to highlight His words as far more important than fulfilling the appetites of men. In John 7:1-13, we see that not only has Jesus lost the crowds, found his polemic with Jewish teachers, and been dismissed by His disciples (except the Twelve), but that his own brothers are suspicious of him. Jesus remained in the will of His Father to do ministry.

Our desire to serve - and do - the will of God in our lives must embrace the path of Jesus. This includes not setting our sights on a numerical growth curve to measure our faithfulness. Otherwise, Jesus himself would have to be considered a failure in real-time ministry. Let us embrace the reality that we live in a world that is preconditioned toward the things that are in opposition to God. 

Always maintain a newness about how you have been called to serve the Lord. In this way, your joy will be complete, knowing that you are doing what the will of the Lord is. Do not be moved by the social ingenuity that moves ministries to adopt human activities that will never produce what only the Spirit of God alone can accomplish. What He makes new never grows old or out-of-date. It perseveres, endures, and will stand until the day of eternity.

Children Hear the Voice of the Father

We often make matters more complicated than they ought to be. In particular, I am speaking of the identity of people who claim that they know Jesus. Also, the other issue at hand is how we should engage those who perhaps do not know Him. Believing in God is directly tied to the initiative of the Father to bring believers to Jesus. What is key to this belief is the believers’ ability to gain knowledge from the Father to recognize the Word of Life that has come down from heaven.

Simply put, we know that children in both private and public settings respond distinctively to the voice of a parent. As a father, my children know my voice, and when they were young both their ears and their eyes were indicators of their recognition of who I was; they were keyed in to my voice. At times, they would come running to me when I got home from work and they would draw near to me in times of uncertainty and fear. Of all the voices of other men that may have been around, my voice was the one that they could pick up in an instant.

So it is with the word of God and Jesus. The Father is at work drawing His children to Him so that He may gift them with the right to become children of God (John 1:12). This is the reason that we must give people the word of God as clearly as possible. It is foolish to think - or worse, to say - that the exposition of God’s Word is unnecessary or ineffective in any society or at any time. We know even more about our Father as we understand Scripture. It is also the method by which the Father gains the attention of those who are to be His own (John 6:45). The same word that God uses to draw His children enables them to see, understand, and know. They are taught about the Savior, His Son. All who are drawn to Jesus are at the behest of the Father’s love.

Let God’s children hear God’s voice, His word. If they are His already, they will recognize the teaching and grow accordingly. If they are lost and need to find their way to Jesus, there is no better way than to make known God’s word. Expose people to the truth of Scripture. Other anecdotal methods of reaching people today are never to be compared with obedience to the mission of God to speak His words. After all, His children will pay attention to the familiar words of the Father and they will be drawn to His Son. If they do not hear, it is because the Father’s voice is unfamiliar and Jesus will ever be unrecognizable to them.

Do I Have to Ask God for It Every Day?

Why would a prayer for bread be one that must be addressed every 24 hours (Matt 6:11)? It is more than that thing we do over our food (A preemptive strike before we go in on our meal). While we like to prepare and plan for longer stretches of time, buying food that can last for a week, two weeks, or a month, we are led to recognize our needs on a daily basis. Perhaps there is something that we ought to learn from the past in God’s dealing with His people. God did not allow the children of Israel to gather more manna (bread) than they needed, and if they did it would produce a foul odor. Exodus 16:6 states, “…the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.”  It seems that the Lord wanted them to live out all that He taught them in obedience. This is a physical lesson to test the people concerning a spiritual matter: obedience to God.

I have come to learn that my spiritual life and success depends on Jesus. (Some would say, “Well, about time you got that point, Gilbert.”)  He is the everyday source and sustenance that has no end. He is also the table that I occasionally ignore in my hurriedness to conquer life out of my own strength. Let me be clear: I recognize Jesus every day, but at times I assume that I have had enough of Him to last me for a few days, testing my own ability to carry me through. So, I will pray, ‘Lord give me this day my daily bread.’ I need the Bread of life, Jesus Christ. All believers should acknowledge our need for Him on a daily basis. Otherwise, you just may have a religious life that has an odor apparent to those around you.

Beloved, trusting in religious practice can be a fatal flaw that exposes dependence upon the flesh.  That is why every day is a new day to ask God to supply our daily need. Yes, there is more than I will ever need in Christ Jesus.  But to keep Jesus as the priority in my life is a test of faith that I embark upon every day. Today Jesus, I need you more.