Learning

I was sitting in a prayer gathering for the city of Toronto as we were asking God to open up windows of calling for workers to begin ministry in our city for the Navigators. When we finished and were having conversation, one of our seasoned staff shared that being a disciple is being a learner. While I may not have thought that this represented the definition fully, as I pondered the expression, I found myself appreciating it more and more.

We all learn somewhere – parents, siblings, coworkers, leaders, media, culture and others around us. What I do believe is that all attempts that do not begin with God will eventually betray me.

It would be the voices that point away from Jesus that provide me with a foundation that would be inadequate for my life. In fact, these voices cannot provide me with a foundation – they cannot teach me how to live.

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? – 1 Corinthians 1:17-20 ESV

I know this does not mean I should not learn or critically think through things – it just means that I need to live by the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God is a bit inverted to the ways of the world – dying in order to live, being last in order to be first. God’s way is like folly in our world. I need to remember, the voices of this world will be heard, but they ultimately lead to death.

Principle of sacrifice

In my reading this morning of Leviticus, I came across the burnt offering in chapter 1. It illustrates sacrifice in its purest form. A very valuable animal is given up wholly to God. Neither the offerer nor the priest gains much from the offering, other than the benefit of being found acceptable to God, which, in the final analysis, is the ultimate benefit.

This kind of sacrifice is looked at, from the outside, a waste. Just like the widow who gave all her money to the Lord would be looked at as failing to plan and prepare for the future. No different from the woman who broke the bottle of the most expensive perfume, anointing the feet of Jesus, and she was accused of wastefulness. This kind of talk and this kind of thinking I have seen. I have seen us give our worn out old things to God while we keep what is new and best for ourselves. I have seen some give their best to God, especially in the Navigator ministry, but most know little, including myself, of giving my best to God, with no hope of anything beyond His approval.

My heart resonates with the idea that this is the kind of sacrifice that God calls for from those who would be a disciple of Jesus – those who give up all to follow Christ. There is a cost, it is counted and have gladly paid it. When I give myself to God, as a living sacrifice, I am to do it totally, without reserve – that is pleasing to Him. I pray that God may enable me to practice this kind of sacrifice in my own life.

You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. – Leviticus 2:13 ESV

The very next chapter gives a little something extra. With all offerings there should be salt added, not honey, salt. Is it fair to say that salt embodies truth? Jesus told us to have salt in ourselves and Paul wrote advising us to let our speech be seasoned with salt. Is that the secret ingredient that makes sacrifice work? Having a healthy regard for truth preserves from having a compromising attitude. I think so, especially when I read the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Rebecca talks about this a little more in Sixty-six Books in a Year

Acts 5 actually has another great reference on a principle of sacrifice.

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. – Acts 5:41-42 ESV

I believe this chapter opened up the scene of physical suffering for the name of Christ for the first time. What was their reaction – joy! It is a reaction I believe I will see throughout this book – the history of the church. They responded to suffering and persecution just as Jesus taught them. Father, may I do the same.

Entrance to God’s presence

Greg X Volz – In God’s Presence

As I finish off my reading in Exodus and come to the construction of the altar, I am reminded of a New Testament reading in Hebrews where it states that there is no entrance to God’s presence except by blood. While the altar was a key component of worship, when Jesus came, He offered, once and for all, Himself as the sacrifice and His blood was spilled, once and for all, so that we may enter God’s presence anytime we desired. This is the good news that we were sent into the world to share with everyone.

Prayer is introduced right away in the Book of Acts to describe how the early followers of Jesus came to present their needs to Jesus and how they asked Him to be involved in their lives. Not so much a prayer of vengeance against their enemies, but a prayer that asked God to so something good out of the circumstances, something constructive to be the final outcome. In their case, God’s presence showed up with healings and miracles to confirm the word so that people would believe it.

Act 4 is the first time we see persecution and opposition. Here I see an example of how to pray to a God who is all-powerful and how I have the same privilege in prayer. Jesus will walk with me through my trials.

Ultimately, I need to come to a place where I understand that even my enemies are under God’s control – God is always in charge. I love this section of the prayer most:

For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. – Acts 4:27-28 ESV

Free will and predestination are brought together without any attempt to reconcile them. I used to pray like this and then stopped. Need to start again.

Very often I pray for people knowing that God allows them to make their own choices. So I wonder whether or not God is in control. I know that God sets the stage and sends His Spirit to persuade people to do His will. As a result, many people do yield to the will of God. Sometimes they do not. However, I know that, no matter what decision they make, God will weave all things together for good.

I also need to pray so that I can speak the Word with confidence. While I speak the Word, I need to believe that God will extend His hand to heal and work signs and wonders. A promise that God gave me many years ago and here I read it today as if I had never seen it before. It is God’s Word that penetrates the hearts of people. When proclaimed, the Word brings changes in lives and transforms those who hear.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. – Acts 4:31 ESV

Love reading how God continues to fill the disciples with His Spirit, with a purpose of course – to be bold in our witness. Can you imagine praying for boldness and the Holy Spirit shows up in such a tangible expression! The Holy Spirit enables our spirits to soar and He inspires all who hear. He is the one who stands in the pulpit with us to proclaim the Word of God.

What comes of such a walk in God’s presence? Do I not come to a place where we love one another? Was that not Jesus’ prayer for us? Does that not in fact make me dead to the world? Look at the early followers of Jesus – they did not take anyone’s property, they were indifferent to it. They did not call it their own because that gave everything up to follow Jesus. One heart and one soul because they chose to lose everything in this world. This is our introduction to Barnabas at the end of the chapter. As one designed to be a preacher of the gospel, he disentangled himself from the affairs of this life. What a testimony!

The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above^[a] proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
Their voice^[b] goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world. – Psalm 19:1-4 ESV

God’s message has crossed every culture and broken every language barrier. God wants everyone to enter into His presence – He is concerned for this world of ours. Lord, as I enter freely into Your presence, may I be concerned for this world too. I am challenged today – thank you!

Leaders, coaches, mentors

Was reading this morning about the building of the articles for the tabernacle and ran across this incredible statement about two men – Bezalel and Oholiab. Both of these men were qualified to do the work – by themselves – but God inspired them to teach!

Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer. – Exodus 35:30-35 ESV

Another thought I had from the same portion of reading is this – it is not God’s will for us to be untaught – He wants us not to remain small in our faith but to become coaches and mentors of others. The body of Christ continually needs leaders, coaches and mentors in order to disciple and send out labourers into the harvest and equip and instruct others for the work of service.

What does that look like – having a mature faith? One characteristic of God is generosity. I was reading another post in Sixty-six books in a year, and the author brought up some key points on the same subject.

And said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. – Exodus 36:5-7 ESV

I love the way Moses brought the subject of giving up. The people were not motivated by the perception of need, but by a grateful heart willing to participate in what God was doing. The most generous offerings are not motivated by guilt but by grace.

I have seen others present God as a poor, little God who needs our help and is depending on us to save the world. It creates a little sense of guilt and there may be a response, but trust me, that guilt will go away quickly or at least it will paralyze us from responding.

However, when we declare the graciousness of God, and His invitation to us to be part of His plan, that creates joyful, lifelong generosity. God does not need my money. God wants my heart.

There is a boldness to being mature in our faith. Remember Peter and John in the temple speaking to the crowds after the lame man was healed? The humble fisherman had been filled with the Spirit, our Strengthener, and the fear of people was dead in him. Pentecost transformed these timid followers of Christ into heroes. A dead Christ, lying in an unknown grave, could never have inspired His crushed followers with such courage, insight and elastic confidence and gladness in the face of a frowning world.

I am challenged once again today to be a follower of Christ and show the world what Jesus looks like and I will take some time to walk with others so that they may do the same.

Intercede

Kirk Franklin “Intercession”

Reading in Exodus today and there are so many different takeaways on what God is calling me to be as a disciple-maker. Here are three and they all have to do with interceding.

Disciple-makers are to intercede, even when individuals have not acted in a worthy manner.
I intercede on the basis of God’s promises. Therefore, must know the Word. I must know intimately the promises of God.
I intercede on the basis of my personal relationship with God, forged in prayer. There is no substitute for getting to know God in prayer, so that He is a personal friend.

I am to develop a “face-to-face” relationship with God in prayer, an intimacy. Only as I become intimately acquainted with God and His ways can I do my job as a disciple-maker, especially when there is a crisis.

But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.”

Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.

Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” – Exodus 32:11-13, 30-35; 33:12-17 ESV

To intercede effectively before God, I believe I need to know both His character and His promises.

As a bit of a side note, is it not true that there are two events going on at the same time while we are living here on this earth? There is the mountain top experience and there is a valley experience all happening at the same time. There is popular rabble, connivance of those in spiritual leadership and unfortunately those who are stuck in celebrating traditions. At the same time, on the mountain, there is light, and salvation, and God revealing something new and mysterious and He is ready to manifest that in the voice and life of a spokesperson for Him – a prophet if you will. It probably will come as a voice calling for repentance and it will be a voice offering deliverance.

If this is true, Jesus coming has put those two worlds together. He came to live among us, suffer with us and die for us but He lives in us through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you Lord for the power of the Holy Spirit as shared with us by Luke in Acts 2. Amazing how much King David was quoted from in Acts from Psalm 16 in reference to Christ’s death and resurrection.

To intercede well, my prayer needs to be – Holy Spirit fill me today so I continue in prayer interceding for others.