The Way I See It - Pastor Bob Engelhardt

Beyond Sowing & Reaping, Part I

2009-11-07T11:09:00.004-05:00

Sowing and reaping is a popular subject of modern Bible teachers. We hear a lot about the importance of sowing the right seed and believing for the harvest and these teachings are altogether appropriate because the principle illuminates a great promise clearly seen in God’s Word. But this article looks at another principle we’ll call ‘beyond sowing and reaping.’ Again, this does not, in any way, diminish insight on sowing and reaping. But, careful examination of God’s Word reveals certain instances when people experience blessing of unmerited and unearned favor; a place beyond sowing and reaping.

Perfect Sowing & Reaping: Not so Good

If we lived in a perfect sowing and reaping world, most of us would not fare so well in the long run because it would be a world of perfect justice. If we only reap good fruit from the good we sow and then reap bad fruit for the bad we sow—that’s not so good. There are honestly some seeds that I’ve planted that I don’t want to harvest. And there are some other places where I haven’t sown as diligently as I ought to, but I’d still love to get some kind of good outcome. I really do not want to live in a perfect sowing and reaping world.

Again it is important to respect the Word and emphasize an important spiritual law: Galatians Chapter six from verse six says, “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

Sowing to the Spirit through Prayer

When a veritable tornado picked me up and thrust me into the Kingdom of God 27 years ago I’m fortunate that I didn’t instantly end up in a church where people attempted to temper my enthusiasm. I’ve discovered over the years that often among long-time Christians there is a cynical sense of apathy toward new on-fire believers—almost a union mentality. This voice says, “Take it easy and pace yourself; don’t work so hard.” I’m glad I didn’t come into the Kingdom with people like that around me.

Upon my initial entrance into God’s Kingdom the only guidance I had was from Sunday TV preachers saying that if I didn’t give absolutely everything I had to God I probably wasn’t even really saved. In particular, Kenneth Copeland was on TV teaching at the time that all committed Spirit-filled Christians should spend at least an hour every day praying in the Holy Spirit. I just believed him and obeyed. I honestly didn’t know any better so I assumed that everyone who was baptized in the Holy Spirit prayed in the Spirit for an hour every single day. I took off like a rocket, feverishly sowing to the Spirit because I knew I had a lot of catching up to do.

Within a few months after my entrance into the Kingdom we moved to a new town and had access to the TBN television network—more preachers saying the same thing. Kenneth Hagin quickly became one of my favorite Bible teachers on TBN and he taught that praying in the Spirit an hour a day is really good… if you want average. Hagin claimed sometimes he prayed in the Spirit two or three hours a day. Meanwhile I was, during this time, voraciously devouring my Bible and learned that on occasion Jesus prayed all night. Wow, I thought, I want to do that!

These teachings on the heels of a profound salvation/baptism-in-the-Spirit experience thrust me into a very consistent and devoted life of prayer: sowing to the Spirit. It is important to note that none of this was dry lifeless prayer. True interaction with a living God engages the mind as sure as a good book or intimate conversation with a friend or lover. There is a sense of His presence that permeates your mind the longer you spend time in the Spirit speaking in His language.

Beyond Sowing and Reaping: My Story of God’s Glory

In the late autumn of 1982 when I was twenty six years old, my wife Nancy and her parents went out one night to a Christian meeting and they came back with an incredible story. At this time in my life, I had no living relationship with God and was not into all of this charismatic jazz. The story they told that night, however, really caught my interest. A women at the meeting said that Jesus Christ recently came into her bedroom one night, sat on the edge of her bed and spoke to her for a couple hours while her husband slept through the whole thing.

Having been raised in a church I knew about Jesus and believed in him like one knows about and believes in George Washington. He’s a guy from a history book that I knew ‘about.’ But there was something in the way they told this story—especially coming from my father-in-law, a man I respected—that deeply affected me. They actually believed this lady was credible; they weren’t calling her a raving nut. I thought to myself, “Can Jesus Christ do that? Can He actually visit a person?” It completely blew out my theological circuits!

Just considering this premise made me feel instantly very spiritually hungry; a sensation I’d never known before. Apparently, this short-circuit of my established materialistic God-logic completely fried my fuses of resistance. So, with freshly fried logic, I quickly devised an experiment to test this new spiritual possibility and because I was a prideful son-of-a-gun I did not tell anyone what I was planning to do. I decided to go to a secret place and pray to see if Jesus would come to me if I asked Him. I figured if Jesus came to that lady he might come to me.

At ten o’clock PM two days later I left my house and went to the empty print shop where I worked as manager by day. I placed a wooden pallet on the floor as a kneeler, knelt down and said, “God… Jesus… Will you fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me your gifts?” It was the most informal, unreligious sort of prayer you can imagine and… POW! God hit me with a million Holy-Spirit-volts of His love and changed the trajectory of my life forever. I was, most importantly, electrified with a love for Him and undeniably sensed His love for me. I, who had always been the consummate average Joe, suddenly felt special, important and favored by the God of the whole universe.

Events like this highlight the realization that when engaging God we are encountering a person, not an impersonal force or a cold solution to some spiritual equation. I did not sow even one small seed into that magnificent event—I was simply an object of God’s unmerited love and I reaped a harvest for which I had done nothing.

One Who Reaps Where He has not Sown

This brings us to the parable of the unprofitable servant in Matthew 25:14-30. In the story, the master returns from his long journey and calls the first servant who says (my paraphrase), “You gave me five million bucks to invest and I made you five million more bucks.” And, the next servant says, “You gave me two million bucks to invest and I made you two million more bucks.” And, the third servant says, “You gave me a million bucks and here’s your million bucks back. I was afraid of losing it so I safely hid it because I know about you, “You are a hard man, you’ve reaped where you haven’t sown and you’ve gathered where you haven’t scattered seed.”

And the lord says back to him, “You know, you’re right—I do reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.” Obviously the point of the parable is to reveal the lazy and wicked servant’s excuse as pale and illegitimate but it also reveals, almost accidentally, an important characteristic about God: He is able to do anything, including reaping where He hasn’t sown and gathering where He has not scattered seed.

Favor: The Promised Land

God can harvest where he hasn’t scattered seed and so in Him is an ability beyond sowing and reaping—the place of favor. Favor is the place where God will overlook my weaknesses, give me multiple chances to succeed, love me under every circumstance, give me special gifts, riches and glory, just because he loves and favors me. Favor is the root of the word favorite! Imagine being a heavenly ‘teacher’s pet’ or God’s favorite child.

To Be Continued…

God: Venture Capitalist

2009-10-16T17:19:00.008-04:00

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 "He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Matthew 25:14-30

Jesus: The Nice-Machine?

I have never been able to understand the preachers who paint Jesus as a one dimensional ‘nice-machine.’ In fact, there is not even a hint of warmth or forgiveness offered to the unprofitable servant in this parable. This guy is not going to be depicted by an artist as a lamb nestled in Jesus’ arms by the cool water anytime soon. Some might even accuse Jesus of coming across as harsh here.

God: The Original Venture Capitalist

I think the contemporary job title best describing God’s role as the lord in this parable is venture capitalist, or ‘one who invests funds for start-up firms with exceptional growth potential.’ God is the original venture capitalist and He invests in His servants as part of a business plan designed to grow His Son’s company, the Church. Jesus Christ set up a proven model to recruit and compensate workers for the purpose of the profitable expansion of His trans-dimensional company. His eventual goal is global market domination, and he makes no bones about it. The Father has invested 6,000 years, the blood of His Son, innumerable angels, the lives of the martyrs, the written Word and the Holy Spirit—and now He expects full participation and profit from every servant.

In the parable, the unprofitable servant tries to be so smooth when he patronizes his lord with empty words and false respect. In modern Christian vernacular, the words might sound more like this: “Gee whiz, Lord, I know how scary and awesome you are but every group had a different teaching about what I was supposed to do for you… How could I really know? In fact, some say I do not have to work at all, just believe… and besides, I’m not smart enough to understand what you really want from me… Everyone has their own interpretation… I’m afraid I might do something wrong… I could never do anything good enough for you… who can really understand the mind of God, anyway? You harvest where you want even where you haven’t scattered seed so I know you don’t need me… That is why I hid salvation in my heart so I wouldn’t lose it… besides; faith is such a personal thing.”

On top of that, I’m sure the unprofitable servant had many other wicked and lazy people agreeing with him so he planned on hiding in the crowd and maybe the lord would forget to call on him. This guy loved democracy… the power of the people to decide for themselves. “Look lord, I didn’t lose my salvation…. I have believed in you for years and they said all you have to do is have faith and, see, Jesus is in my heart. I have my ticket to Heaven. I just kept it safe to myself!”

But the lord is onto him. He says, “Wrong—you are lying. That is not why you didn’t make a profit for me. You did not make a profit for me because you are both wicked and lazy and refused to act on my behalf. You loved the world but you didn’t love Me and you don’t love your neighbors” People commonly cite all kinds of rhetorical excuses to use God in order to secure their own salvation and spend their lives making a profit for themselves but never do make a profit for the Lord. Many believers just do not really care that much about Him.

College Degree and Ordination Ceremonies are Not Necessary

When I washed up on God’s shores at 26 years old in 1982, on one hand, I was walking pretty ugly because I was saved from a very bad place. On the other hand however, I was like an on-fire missile for God, and just crazy enough to start working the crowd for Jesus without a formal education or some impressive pedigree. I obtained some basic coaching from TV preachers, prayed hours each day and began telling family, friends and co-workers what I knew of the Gospel from the day I was born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. I did not wait for someone to ordain me to begin ministering. I became a minister the moment I got saved.

Education and ordination are not necessary to make a profit for God. Both of those things can be helpful but lack of them should never be offered as an excuse for lack of personal investment in God’s business. Nobody should stall in a fantasy, waiting for a ceremony with apostles and prophets to start working for God. A ceremony may or may not ever happen but I guarantee if a person is not producing for the Kingdom before ordination, they will not after. Don’t forget our parable—God is a venture capitalist coming back soon and expecting a profit from every servant.

Simply Holding Your Own is Not Enough

God didn’t give the life of his Son because any of us are that much of a prize on our own. I’m sorry, is that harsh? I’m probably not talking about you; I’m talking to the other people reading this. I know you’re probably truly a prize. Kidding aside, the truth is, He does want you… and more.

Let me illustrate: Bill Brown is a venture capitalist and Mary Smith comes to him with an idea for a web design business needing $100,000 to get started. Bill agrees to back her after looking at her education, experience, credit-history, business plan and then negotiating terms of interest and repayment. He then transfers $100,000 of his personal money to Mary. There is only one reason Bill is investing this money—profit. He is not going to be happy if she only gives him his investment money back.

Imagine five years later, Mary thanking Bill as she gives him $100,000 payment in full saying, “Boy, wasn’t that a great investment. See, you got all you money back, I didn’t lose a dime!” I’m sure Bill’s response would be similar to the lord of the unprofitable servant. He would be outraged lamenting, “I could have made more profit if my money was in the bank.” So, the Father says to His Church—I’ve given you the life of my Son and I’ve invested in you and I’ve given you everything you need; every spiritual blessing in heavenly places has been given into your hands. Now go make me a profit. Just giving God back the salvation He gave you is not profit!

We Have All the Investment Capital We Need

Jesus Himself promised adequate available investment capital to pray mountains into the sea and He set up an account of power and grace with a potentially unlimited balance; with more becoming available as needed to the faithful servant. That’s how much spiritual capital God has put up for this venture. But make no mistake: God wants a profit. God is looking for a profit.

The Unprofitable Servant’s Dilemma

So often Christians mope around like, “Oh well, nobody is giving me a ministry so I guess I’ll just wait here and try my best to resist sin until Jesus comes back.” Resisting sin out of will power alone is like a little boy trying to see if he can stay awake all night. Sooner or later, no matter how hard he tries, sleep takes over and he succumbs to the inevitable. There is no stopping nature for long.
Sin is the same. If a believer is not busy actively handling grace, then sooner or later he is going to get into trouble because only contact with fresh grace relieves the sin urge. Without fresh grace the growing impulse becomes too great and the sin virus inside will battle with the mind until the sin manifests. Human willpower is no long-term match for sin and Adam’s children always get themselves into trouble apart from fresh blood-bought grace. Profitable servants are actively investing so when they do sin they are quick to repent. The unprofitable servant keeps his faith mainly inside his heart so when he sins he does not repent and, like mushrooms, sin is free to grow in the darkness. God is looking for a profit.

Kingdom Profit

Under the direction of Apostle John Kelly, in 1991 my wife Nancy and I took a church plant here in rural Margaretville. The area had been, since frontier days, famous for being godless. In fact, a popular slogan from the old days still remembered by locals is: “There is no law west of Woodstock and no God west of Shandaken” (Margaretville is the town to the west of Woodstock and Shandaken). Suffice it to say, there was no Spirit-filled church in the tiny town.

We arrived fully secure in the Kingdom business plan and went to work with hearts full of faith. I had long understood that God provides adequate resources, both seen and unseen, and expects profit. Over the years our startup investment package consisting of our faith, 15 people and an abandoned gas station refitted as a church, has produced a profit for the Lord in the form of Catskill Mountain Christian Center.

Eighteen years later CMCC has become a veritable power plant of life and Kingdom productivity, providing hundreds of people the opportunity to invest their own talents for the benefit of the Master. Thousands of lives have been positively affected and Jesus Christ has become a living member of hundreds of homes through the influence of CMCC. Every life that has been affected, every good work rendered, every radio show broadcast, every soul converted, every cup of water given in His name; Every Bible study, Sunday service, marriage saved, child protected, book sold, conference held, missions dollar spent, minister supported, and church encouraged represent profit to the Kingdom through CMCC.

Profit Defined

In Luke chapter four, Jesus reads the scroll in the temple: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor and he sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive and recovery of sight to the blind and to set in liberty those who are oppressed.” So, ostensibly, this is where Christians come from. We are adopted by God through coming to terms with our malfunction and weakness, admittedly extracted from the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive, the blind, and the oppressed.

Now contrast this with 1 Peter 2:9 where Peter writes by the Holy Spirit: “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, called forth that you may proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light….”
The question is which group do we belong to now? Which one are you? Are you the poor, brokenhearted, captive, blind and oppressed or are you chosen, royal, holy and special? Which one? Are you sometimes both or maybe just confused?

Should I Stay or Should I Go

Some believers seem to want to stay poor, brokenhearted, captive, blind and oppressed. They learn to be comfortable in that identity. “I’m so poor, brokenhearted, oppressed, and blind,” they say, and ten years later they are still in the same church and they are still poor, brokenhearted, captive and blind. “I need mercy, God, I need your mercy,” and yet there is no growth and no profit. These people have gained no profit.

If you are a believer and God has said His people are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people called forth to proclaim His praises, that is who you are now. You’ve received your adoption papers. You are a new thing even though you sometimes feel like the old thing. That is the way of it. You still contain a lot of the old but you are supposed to be becoming new. You were the poor, the brokenhearted the captive, the blind and the oppressed and you are actually becoming chosen, royal, holy and special. This positive movement is profit on its own and increases the servant’s ability to gain more profit.

Profit begets profit; so as you become chosen, royal, holy and special you are becoming like Jesus because he is the perfect model of these qualities. You see, you have to believe you are chosen, royal, holy and special, and become used to living in that mindset; convinced that God has made you to be His favored child and nothing can take that away from you. Why… because He said so and He is God, and He expects profit from you.

The Other You – The Unprofitable Voice

Right about now, you’re unprofitable, deceitful and self-righteous voice is going to say, “But I don’t feel chosen, royal, holy or special and I do not want to be a hypocrite.” And on a deeper and even more devious level, the inner voice whispers, “If you blab all over the place about being God’s favored child, you know deep down inside that you are going to have to act like a full blown holy Christian all the time.” This is significant because like the wicked, lazy servant, we all know that there are some benefits in being less committed, especially if you do not want to get stuck with too much work or have to keep company with ‘uncomfortable’ people. There are advantages to having people keep their distance, such as lower expectations and fewer demands to perform. It takes a lot of faith-effort to produce a profit for the Kingdom.

But if you are sure about being chosen, royal, holy and special and you position yourself as God’s favored child there is a lot expected of you. So sometimes we’re a little unsure of exactly what we want. We like to sing songs in the sold-out camp but when the expectations of overcoming, victory, sacrifice and profit come on us, we’re like “whoa, slow down, I’m just a leper—a sinner saved by grace.”

The Joseph Connection – Profit Personified

The story of Joseph starting in Genesis 37 is a great example of someone who had a chosen, royal, holy and special mindset and created profit for each of his masters. He was raised as a favored child of his father, Jacob, and is considered, in many ways, a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus. Joseph, therefore, makes a perfect case study of a person who possessed the mindset of a profitable servant.

When someone is raised by parents who focus love, admiration, time and attention on him/her it creates a good self image. You feel valuable because you are valued by your parents. You know you can do things because you have been treated as a valuable treasure. When, like Joseph, you are raised by parents who love and train you in a biblical way, and your parents carry the blessing of God, you end up being an optimistic, well balanced person—a candidate for a dream and one who has a sense of destiny. Profitable people are creative people.

“Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors." (Gen 37:1-3)

Two things to note in this passage. Number one: Righteous Joseph was a snitch—an unpardonable sin in many respectable human institutions like prison and the mafia. He ran straight to his father when his brothers did wrong. A profitable servant is loyal to his leader even above his own brothers. Lazy and wicked servants always travel in packs and use group influence to corrupt others and restrain excellence. In order to bring profit to the Master, we must have His good in mind above all things.

Number two: Joseph’s daddy made him a special coat—he just loved that boy and it is very safe to say that Joseph grew confident underneath that love. In the same way, a recently adopted child of God transitions from a person who was in captivity and is now expected to wear a new cover identifying him/her as favored child of God. A child of God’s coat separates him/her from the pack. Jesus Christ is the beautiful coat of the Christian.

This new coat feels strange at first but soon becomes comfortable giving a sense of confidence, and the child of God grows more and more secure as the love and admiration shines from the Father. Your Father loves seeing the new coat He made for you on your shoulders. The coat declares, “I am chosen, royal, holy and special. My coat was made by my Father’s own hand… I believe it because He said it.” I become very confident in my self-image to the degree that I believe it true. I become comfortable in this new coat because my Father made it for me.

One Thousand Years of God’s Love Today

When I think about how great the Father’s love is toward me, I’m reminded of the Scripture, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). Because God is not constrained by time and space He has one thousand years (or more) of His God-time to invest in my day today. One thousand years of His love, one thousand years of His concentration and one thousand years of His concern for me all concentrated in each single day I live. He really loves me… He has every hair numbered… He knows every detail.

Like Jacob loved Joseph, my Father loves me and dotes on me watching my every move with admiration as I grow up in his love. When he looks at me he sees two things that make Him smile: 1. He sees the coat which He, himself made for me. 2. He sees me joyfully and publicly wearing my new coat and He sees the great desire I have to please Him.

“Now Joseph had a dream…” Genesis 37:5

When I openly wear Jesus, I feel very special and important, growing confident under the adoring eye of my Father. Soon, this faith and love creates the perfect spiritual environment for receiving a dream from God. When a person is secure in the knowledge that God absolutely adores them, they are given the gift of a dream.

Today many Christians are doing circles. These are people without God-dreams because they are not sure if they are poor, brokenhearted, captive, blind and oppressed or chosen, royal, holy and special. As long as there is ambivalence in terms of identity, people will be devoid of God-inspired vision. Many confuse God-dreams with natural goals and end up with a product of their self-life. But when someone is content in the Father’s love, like Joseph, they’ll get a dream from God—a dream connected with destiny. The accomplishment of this dream is purest Kingdom profit!

So, first, one must believe in the Father’s love above all things. Jesus said this in Mark 16, “in that day you will ask my name and I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you for the Father himself loves you.” This is truth we can embrace with complete confidence because the Word of God says it—feelings aside—if the Word of God says it, you have to believe it. God has the power to make a person into what He says… but believing in His love and present day power is mandatory—that’s faith.

God Creates Profit through Faith Words

Genesis chapter one, the beginning, sets forth some of the most important precedents in the Bible. In this chapter of Scripture the words ‘God said’ occurs ten times and everything He says happens within the respective day. The heavens and earth are created by God speaking things into existence in time and space. When God’s Word says something it indicates His will to do it. He now partners with faith-filled human servants to vocalize His words in time and space, thus releasing His power on earth to create and arrange Kingdom profit.

Visible and Invisible Profit

The Father himself loves you. Relax; you are a child of God. Remember the paralyzed man in Luke 5 who was lowered down before Jesus? His friends carry him to the house where Jesus is healing people and it is too crowded to get in the door. They finally hoist him up onto the roof of the house, remove the tiles and lower him down into the room where Jesus looks up and says to him, “Man, you’re sins are forgiven.”

This begs the question, why would Jesus accuse a poor paralyzed man of being a sinner without even meeting the guy? What has he done wrong? His friends did not bring him to Jesus for absolution of sins but healing. Why would Jesus hurt his feelings by calling him a sinner? Didn’t He have compassion on the poor guy?

“Your sins are forgiven,” – one, two, three… I think Jesus was counting in His head as the Pharisees were starting to fume in anger… “How dare he say your sins are forgiven.” Jesus finally confronts their dilemma with a question, “Which is easier to do, say your sins are forgiven or to say rise up and walk?” This is the question for all of us. Which is easier to do, say your sins are forgiven or rise up and walk? They are both equally impossible. Natural men cannot do either one of them, however, Jesus says, “Just so you know that I have power to forgive sins, rise up and walk.” Jesus performed visible miracles to validate His power to forgive man’s invisible sin debt to God.

No Profit in Pirates

If you have received your Jesus coat, your sins are forgiven. Many Christians walk around with a negative self image, feeling like a stowaway pirate hiding out in a church; always grappling with a haunting feeling of being an outsider. Some dear folks actually think they are the only real Christians and everyone else is a pirate so they begin to secretly organize a mutiny. A child of God is not a rebel pirate. The old pirate nature has been amputated in Christ and all that remains are phantom pains.

God’s Investment – Your Security

A child of God is a child of God: chosen, royal, holy and special. Faith in that premise must be the first and foremost building block of the new life. Even in your paralysis “Your sins are forgiven.” But, your inner voice argues, “I have not done anything good to earn God’s love and favor.” BINGO. He did it all for you and you get it like the gift of a new coat from a loving father. This coat of God’s favor is His investment in you, akin to the talents left with the three servants in our original Scripture.

Likewise the Bible does not indicate that Joseph did anything to earn the favor of his father or merit Jacob’s special love. He was chosen, royal, holy and special… just like the Word of God says you are. In fact, you today have more love being lavished on you right at this very moment from God than Joseph ever had in his life from Jacob. Joseph would go on in his life to be reduced to nothing, several times, but his dream and the favor of God kept him earning profit for every master he served.

The Price of Profit: Rejection

But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. Genesis 37:4

When you’re confident in the love of God that you are chosen, royal, holy and special, some people will hate you for it. The people closest to you are often first to resent God’s favor on you and be offended by your confidence. They will try to pull you back down into the small and competitive place where people are measured by their physical characteristics and accomplishments. The day you decide you’re going to believe God with all your heart, as in Joseph’s story, some people are going to react badly.

Not infrequently the most troublesome are the closest. Parents, siblings, spouse, children, long time friends, church members and co-workers… certain people will hate you when you hide your old self underneath the coat your Father made for you and start boldly wearing Jesus Christ.

Very often the closest have their feathers ruffled most because your holiness and commitment reveals the spirit of compromise in them. They do not want to go where you are going. Remember Job’s wife couldn’t stand his righteous commitment when things got hard. She said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job 2:9

There is a quality about someone who is holy that makes someone who isn’t holy really upset. Sometimes it is people in your church or family members. Honestly, Joseph’s father wasn’t too crazy about his son’s big dreams of family domination. Sometimes maybe even your pastor or home group leader will not think much of your dream; but it’s not for them to think much of—it’s for you to believe your dream.

Human Nature at its Worst

Next, the brothers are out in the field and Joseph comes looking for them with his beautiful new coat on his shoulders. By this time, these guys are just ripping mad: Then they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming!” Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him.' We shall see what will become of his dreams!" (Genesis 37:19-20)

When you walk with God’s favor covering you and start boldly talking about your big dream, a desire to strike you down rises up in people. This is a strange and mixed-up fallen world that we live in where someone else’s dream threatens us. How dare you have a dream? How dare you become more successful than me? How dare you elevate yourself above our collective wisdom?
When you are walking in your God-dream, certain people around you will purposely try to block your way in order to break your spirit. They want to snuff it out because your success makes them feel bad. Like the unprofitable servant, your profit coming from God reveals their laziness and wickedness. They want there to be no higher level of righteousness than what they are living. They want to believe that goodness and holiness do not matter in the real world.

This phenomenon happens very commonly in Christian circles. Somebody will turn over a new leaf and say, “today is the day that I’m going to renew my spiritual disciplines.” And, the people around them literally work against them. A husband wants to reclaim his prayer life and his wife works against him or vice versa. Be prepared for resistance in implementing your God-dream.

The hard heart in some people demands that others only achieve success within approved and accepted humanly controlled systems. If you work, fight, save, study, or invest your way to success the world will love you because the world loves its own. If you are chosen by God for his own reasons however, and He dotes on you and gives you a dream and coat, people hate you for it because you have special advantage they are not willing to pursue. It is why Cain killed Abel. People hate you when you have been accepted by God and are not a puppet of the prevailing political sway, leaving their corruption with no influence over you.

Joseph the Profiteer

In every situation where Joseph found himself, he brought a profit to his master. You see, no employer wants to pay you $10 an hour and get $10 revenue in return. If I pay you $10 an hour and don’t get $20 an hour return, I’m not a very good businessman. That’s the point of doing business—making a profit. Every time Joseph worked for someone, he took his little measure of influence and he made a veritable garden out of a desert. Joseph profited his father by bringing him happiness. He profited his father’s business by sharing a bad report about his brothers’ care of the flocks. He was completely rejected, thrown into a pit by his brothers and sold into slavery, bringing financial profit to his brothers… even when he was being rejected he was bringing a profit! Joseph was profit waiting to happen.

In today’s modern church world a person who is that badly rejected by his own brothers in his youth would many times end up in counseling and deliverance sessions for forty years and still feel powerless. But not Joseph; every circumstance he found himself in resulted in profit for each respective human leader and finally for God. Potiphar bought Joseph as a slave and over time, gave his whole household into Joseph’s hands and Joseph served him and God blessed his household for Joseph’s sake (see Genesis 39 1-6). Joseph brought profit to his master.

As a leader, it’s one thing when you see someone really working hard under you and is committed to doing his job with excellence, but it is another thing when you see ambition in his heart because he’s just waiting for you to stumble so he can jump you and take your position. Why is it that every time Joseph had any position the people who were over him loved him and trusted him? Universally, his superiors, both human and God, wanted to give him more authority and power, because he was bringing a profit in every place he served. He was making a profit; a garden in the desert.

What kind of self-image does one possess to get falsely accused, thrown in jail and over time become the number one inmate, responsible for the whole prison? (Genesis 39; 20-23) Joseph had a dream from God… he was chosen, royal, holy and special… he made a profit everywhere he served. He was never a rebel. He served every master profitably, fulfilled his destiny, saved his family and found a home for God’s people for the next four hundred years.
Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold for a profit. He served and made a profit for Potiphar and was betrayed by Potiphar’s wife. He was thrown in prison and served and profited the jailer. He used his spiritual gifts to profit some inmates and was forgotten by them. He was discovered by Pharaoh and served and profited him and all of Egypt. Finally, he served God and fulfilled his original God-dream by rescuing and delivering his father and brothers and finding a home for God’s people.

God the Venture Capitalist Seeks Profitable Servants

The same destiny is offered to the child of God today. The one with the spirit of Joseph says, “I’m going through some hard times, but I’ve got a dream. “I am determined to turn this desert into a garden—give me any desert and I’m going to make a garden.” At which point most people come back to the leader (after whining and complaining behind his back) and say, “well, you didn’t give me any seeds… how can I be expected to make a garden?” Remember, even the wicked and lazy servant knew his lord is the one who, “reaps where you have not sown.”

The great sign of a child of God walking in faith is his ability to create profit: more results than natural resources invested. We serve the God who reaps where He has not sown; who feeds the multitudes with five loaves and two fish. “For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her wasted places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.” (Isaiah 51:3)

We’re not talking about a dollar invested and a dollar returned. We’re talking about working for God. We’re talking about coming to a community of 600 people and having an expansive ministry far beyond anyone’s expectations (except mine). It is about having a dream of becoming something that’s righteous, holy and pure and raising up people to be world changers and conquerors representing Jesus in this generation.

It is about taking a desert and making a garden by the power of God. Listen, child of God – every boss, every employer – ought to love you. Everywhere you go you should bring a Joseph spirit with you, into every area of your life. Don’t tell me you work for a heathen so you can’t be profitable. All Joseph ever worked for were heathens – except for his dad – and he made every heathen he ever worked for wealthier, more effective and more successful.

Children of God ought to be in government. We ought to be in business. We ought to be in every place bringing excellence – a Joseph spirit to everything. Why? Because God is looking for a profit. And here’s the whammy… Joseph starts out as just one of the brothers but by the time he’s transformed by all of the trials, work and ever increasing success they don’t even recognize him anymore! Like Jesus, Joseph was thrown into a pit and was transformed. The pathway to fulfilling your God-dream will have the same effect.

Back Up to Full Speed!

2009-09-29T10:56:00.006-04:00

Here we are at the end of September with leaves changing, school in motion, cooler days, mums in bloom, apple picking time, baseball season's waning as football season's gaining and everything here at CMCC back up to full speed after a long lazy, hazy, crazy summer. I'm lovin' it!

This is a great time of year to get involved in a home group if you are not already in one. Through home group participation we meet new friends, pray for one another and learn rich insight from God's Word. Have you attended Wednesday evening service lately? If not, come out and get a mid-week shot-in-the-arm with worship and Bible teaching by Nancy Engelhardt... very enjoyable.

We also have volunteer opportunities at CMCC to serve the poor in our Family Table store and to serve our neighbors through nursing home ministry or weekly senior fellowship dinner. Contact the church office for info on any of these. Through participation in church activities we serve and are served causing us to grow and flourish as children of God's household.

The story of the woman washing, anointing and kissing Jesus feet in Luke 7:36-50 reminds us that the right reaction to God's forgiveness of our sins is a self-emptying expression of love.

That's why CMCC is long regarded as a church that cares for our neighbors and our God. And thus our motto: With our hands we serve our neighbors, with our mouths we speak of God's Kingdom. I encourage you to look for ways to pour out love on God and on others.

See you Sunday,
Pastor Bob Engelhardt
http://www.cmcconline.org/

A Letter to CMCC from Dr. Larry & Judi Keefauver

2009-09-28T11:12:00.002-04:00

Dear Saints at CMCC,

Judi and I are so thankful to the Lord for you. For over a decade we have witnessed your faithfulness to the gospel and experienced your love toward us. Pastor Bob and Nancy Engelhardt have encouraged and edified us in so many ways as we have partnered together in ministry and friendship. Relationships and friendships have grown as we have been serving Christ together in ministry, missions, equipping the saints and outreach.

In the beginning, we connected via phone interviews with Pastor Engelhardt on some of our books and then we moved into sharing together in conferences, retreats, seminars and worship services. We have worked together on marriage, parenting, men's and women's ministry, equipping leaders and seeking a deeper walk in the Lord through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And now... God has spoken to us to move to the Catskills to work apostolically with the Engelhardts and CMCC to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to pastor pastors, to network together and resource churches and ministries throughout the region. We have come home to CMCC as our church--a family of co-laborers with Christ. Wow, what a gift from God!

God has shown us a vision of this region ablaze with fires of the Holy Spirit in towns, villages and hamlets. A bonfire in Margaretville at CMCC spreading throughout the region to ignite the hearts of the saints to share the gospel and see people saved, healed, delivered and discipled throughout the Catskills and beyond. John the Baptist announced that Jesus would, "...baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11). Upon declaring His ministry to the lost, Jesus said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mt. 4:17).

Fire follows repentance. As saints repent of sins that hinder their daily walk with Christ and witness to others, they become salt and light in the world reaching the lost. As the lost are saved and discipled, they join God's army to possess the land. CMCC is part of the Joshua generation in advancing the Kingdom of God is this region and beyond. We must focus on the Great Commission given to us by Christ. We must repent of the sin that so easily besets us and fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. We must fight through any attacks of the enemy or the flesh recognizing that no matter how long or tough the battle, we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

Together, we must finish the work and assignments Jesus gives us so that every victory becomes the foundation for the next advancement of His Kingdom in families, business, media, the arts and entertainment, government, education and religion. We are called to convert the lost, renew and equip the saints, support the leaders of Christ's church, and transform every aspect of culture so that every knee bows to Jesus Christ as Lord.

One motto of a popular home improvement store is, "You can do it; we can help." Judi and I say that to you. We want to thank you for helping us move into our home, the wonderful flowers, food and gifts to help us get settled and even more, the gracious spirit from the Lord that has welcomed us here. We have come to serve, equip, edify, support and help. We want to be like Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:18-23) who were with Paul, even as we are with you and the Engelhardts, for the purpose of "strengthening all the disciples." To us you are a dear family. How we rejoice in this new season of being with you and praise God for you.

Jesus, ignite every believer here at CMCC and throughout this region so that the Holy Spirit and Fire will burn away every hindrance and wash away every sin so that we may win the lost to Jesus, equip the saints, strengthen families, heal the sick, mend broken hearts, set free the captives and transform culture. Empower us as a mighty army to possess this land in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dr. Larry & Judi Keefauver

CMCA Celebrates 15 Years

2009-08-30T20:02:00.003-04:00

CMCA Visits the MET in NYC. Photo by Bob Engelhardt

This Wednesday Catskill Mountain Christian Academy (CMCA) will begin its 15th year of academically excellent, intellectually stimulating and spiritually uplifting Christian education. Once again this year, a select group of parents will choose a more difficult road, sacrificing time and money, and acting contrary to their own personal comfort and the prevailing public opinion for the sake of their children. I honor all of those involved in CMCA, for their exceptional courage and commitment.

CMCA was formed to serve the purpose of helping parents to preserve their children's identities as Christians. It is our strategy to keep our children in a faith-filled environment while instituting a spirit of excellence in academic achievement. We at CMCA do not believe it is healthy for our children to be taught two versions of truth: one sacred and one secular. We believe that God should be completely integrated into the fabric of every area of our children's lives. Therefore CMCA is committed to educating children with a holistic view of all of life and truth being understood through the lens of Christian faith.

We do not deny other people the right to train their own children according to their values, but we feel it is a vital importance to give our children every chance to succeed in God's truth. Students of CMCA receive an unapologetic intermingling of biblical worldview with academics, something that understandably public schools cannot do. Separation of church and state is for the state to dispute, but it does not affect God's Word which instructs parents to "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

In short, public schools, in order to respect diverse beliefs, diminish the relevance of spiritual truth in the minds of students. CMCA unapologetically teaches that God joyfully expresses His will to the human race through the Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Holy Bible. This is the highest form of truth and should be celebrated in human life every second of every day. And that is why we happily open our doors next week to honor God by educating our CMCA children academically and 'in the Light'.

BTW: Our students continue to score above the national average on standardized testing including the all-important SATs.

Ministry Week in Walla Walla

2009-08-25T17:10:00.010-04:00

I had a great time of ministry last week with the Christian Life Center of Walla Walla, Washington. Led by Senior Pastor Bob Grimm and assisted by Pastor Lon Stokes and, my son, Pastor David Engelhardt, this growing church of 400 is a glowing example of a contemporary church committed to New Testament order, sound doctrine and the presence of the Holy Spirit. I was very impressed with the sense of expectation of growth and intelligent wisdom of their leadership team and the openness of the people (I was also impressed with the massive elk head mounted on the wall of Pastor Grimm's office).
Flying out from Albany early Tuesday, August 12th, I changed planes in Chicago and Denver before arriving in Pasco, Washington; and then after another hour on the road arrived at CLC in time to make their Tuesday night 'The Rising' youth service. CLC's expansive youth ministry, led by my son David, includes an 'off-the-hook' worship band and the hundred-or-so kids are as fired-up and expressive in worship as any I have seen. I shared the about the Tenth Leper (Luke 17) and the importance of lavishly expressing gratitude to God. Great time! Wednesday, David and I drove about three and a half hours out to Dworkshak State Park in Idaho to get settled in for CLC's annual Men's Camp. The scenic drive took us past the Clearwater and Snake Rivers, through many small and a few mid-sized towns in addition to some spectacular countryside of rolling hills covered with wheat fields. Notable were numerous historical landmarks of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition including the town of Lewiston, Idaho. At camp, I was provided with a nice camper-trailer that I affectionately dubbed the 'executive suite' while most of the other men stayed in cabins which were also pretty nice.

Thursday through Saturday was the Men's Camp. Several women of the church volunteer each year to come along and cook for this event, providing food that is just far too good to be called camp food. During the day the guys enjoyed recreation including swimming, boating and fishing on the forty-five mile-long Dworkshak Reservoir. Other activities included four-wheeling, archery, hiking and indoor ping pong, pool table and board games. Each evening after dinner was incredible worship led by David and his team and then I gave the teaching followed by prayer ministry. The younger late-night crew stayed up until the wee-hours playing cards and such.

On Thursday I had my first experience riding a four wheel ATV and quickly learned how this sport could easily become addictive. Literally riding over-the-river-and-through-the-woods, the feeling is sort of like a cross between a dirt bike and a snowmobile and is extremely fun. For awhile I felt like a kid again. I was also reminded what happens to men on motorized vehicles with no speed limit in place and no innocent bystander's safety to be concerned with-a race. No fighting it-it's just nature. As the newcomer to the sport (on Pastor Bob Grimm's personal machine), I really didn't stand a chance to win but I gave it a good go and enjoyed myself completely!

For my teaching series I started by sharing the theme Scripture for the week from 1 Peter 2: 9-10: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. From this scriptural base I shared through the three days:

1. My personal story of faith.
2. The significance of the anointing.
3. Blind Bartimaeus and the unseen realm.
4. The crisis of unemployed manliness.
5. Genesis chapter one and the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
6. Cutting free from sin traps.

The men were challenged and encouraged and CLC provided a competent and anointed payer team to pray for the men who desired it after the sessions. This resulted in numerous very encouraging reports telling of breakthroughs for several of the nearly 70 guys in attendance. A man named Tom shared at Sunday morning service how he received prayer to be filled with the Holy Spirit and felt like there was an empty hole filled inside of him enabling him to understand the Scripture that says, "...out of your belly will flow rivers of living water (John 7:38)."

I rode back to Walla Walla after camp ended on Saturday afternoon with CLC associate Pastor Lon Stokes. Pastor Stokes is a seasoned man of God with over thirty years in various ministry assignments from leading a foster-care ranch to functioning as a senior pastor for over twenty years. He is a very good and godly man, and is also an avid outdoorsman and conservationist.

On Sunday morning I preached at both of CLC's main services, telling of the good things God has done here at CMCC, and encouraging the church to continue fighting the good fight of faith. Finally I presented a teaching on the principles of authority specifically for the CLC leadership team on Sunday evening and off to the airport and home on Monday... whew.It was a joy to see what God is doing in another church clear across the country and it is a pleasure to come home to the Catskills and participate in what God is doing here. I am unbelievably privileged to serve the Lord Jesus Christ-I daily walk in the knowledge of being chosen, royal, holy and special along with all those who trust in the name of Jesus. Jesus rescued my soul from despair absorbed my poisonous past and called me His friend. In my darkest night I found the brightest light.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Bob Engelhardt
www.cmcconline.org

Holy, Chosen, Royal, Special

2009-08-08T13:22:00.005-04:00

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

I love this description proclaiming God's children: chosen, royal, holy and special. This is not simply feel-good apostolic lip service; it is a creative proclamation of the Word of God. It is the same technique God used creating the heavens and earth in Genesis; as if God is saying, "...let them be chosen, royal, holy and special." It is God speaking, "who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did." (Romans 4:17) In order to grow into God's purpose, all Christians should have this proclamation often on our lips and permanently tattooed on our minds: we are chosen, royal, holy, and special.

The Mystery of the Seed

In gardening, a seed packet may bear a photo of lovely red tomatoes but inside are crusty little pieces of grain that do not look anything like a tomato. Through faith we plant the odd looking particle in the ground and in time and under proper conditions, the seed will produce an amazing tomato factory. No one is surprised by this miracle, although to some alien not informed of the process it would have to seem absurd. How can such a thing be? An entire system for a reproductive tomato kingdom self contained in a tiny seed.

Faith as a Mustard Seed

That is how God's Word works. His words are spiritual seeds having the power to produce fruit in the lives of His people. The picture on the outside of God's seed packet is Jesus Christ, the perfect juicy red tomato we are to become like: chosen, holy, royal, special. His example and testimony serves as a vision and prophecy for our continuing growth and development.

Seeds and Sons

This scriptural proclamation correlates with John's Gospel where it says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God..." (John 1:12) The children of God take on the identity of our adopted Father. We, who were not a people but are now the people of God, have been pronounced chosen, royal, holy and special and now we are actually becoming chosen, royal, holy and special. It is not by our will power or positive mental attitude; it is a transformation through faith in the Word of God.

This Scripture also serves as a warning sign. If we see that our lives are, instead of tomatoes, producing spiritual fruit more like lemons, poison ivy, thorns, weeds, cacti or briars, we have a problem. Instead of chosen, holy, royal, and special we feel ignored, low class, dirty and common, we are missing the point of becoming children of God. Honestly, growing up in Jesus' tomato patch is not always easy but it always has the same objective... to grow into the master's image. "Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?9 "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." (Luke 13:18-19)

The Ten Lepers

2009-07-20T23:47:00.005-04:00

Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 "Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" 19 And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well." Luke 17:11-19 (NKJV)

As with all of the recorded testimony of Jesus’ life and ministry there is much insight on many levels that can be found in the story of the ten lepers. In this short reflection, however, let us focus on one particular aspect. That is, not what was special about the one (which we will briefly refer to at the end), but what was the problem with the nine. Looking backwards it seems that they really missed the point. In fact, Jesus was absolutely incredulous over their ungratefulness.

Now, because Scripture doesn’t specifically identify the issues of each of the hearts of the nine ungrateful lepers, we are left to speculate and consider the possibilities. Jesus makes it clear that the appropriate response by all of the ten should have been to do as the one righteous foreigner, but nine out of ten didn’t. That is a daunting indictment of our human condition. Only one in ten reacted to Jesus goodness in a way that pleased Him.

Let us now offer nine commonly observed human responses that might help us understand why each of the others missed the mark. Maybe if we can see some of these tendencies in our own lives it may help us to respond to Jesus’ goodness in a way that pleases Him better. No child of God wants to end up being perceived by Jesus as an ingrate.

1. Perhaps the first leper was struggling with unbelief. He walked away from Jesus not sure if he was really being permanently healed or if it was just his own excitement making him feel better. This is the guy who, after receiving evidence of a healing or deliverance, waits for the leprosy to come back rather than giving thanks to Jesus. He was not enjoying the moment but anticipating failure. His heart did not naturally respond with faith and thanksgiving but with suspicion, doubt and unbelief.

We are each called to fight the fight of faith! Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Mark 9:23-24.

When I was a twenty six year old spiritual leper, Jesus Christ blessed me with the cleansing power of His Holy Spirit. Even though it was a powerful, life altering baptism in God’s love and power, I recognized my responsibility to continue to believe His eternal work was done in me day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year. There was a constant knowledge that without intentional faith and expressed gratitude I could become distracted enough to lose the wonderful blessing.

Jesus says in Mark chapter eleven that when we pray, if we believe we received it, we will have it. The way Jesus expected to be treated by all ten lepers for this miracle was through passionate thanksgiving. A sure way to express unbelief is to withhold thanksgiving waiting to see if the blessing sticks like leper number one.

2. Maybe the second leper felt somewhat grateful but was too embarrassed to approach Jesus and His entourage. This is a second-class, timid spirit that says things like, “He’s too busy for me… I’m too embarrassed to ask to see him… What am I going to say? I’m afraid... I’m just a little person… I’m not important enough to interrupt His meeting… I don’t like speaking in front of crowds… I don’t want to be rude.”

Although this common ‘aw-shucks-it’s-only-me’ talk has an outward appearance of niceness and self-deprecation it is really false humility rooted in fear and pride. In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) the servant who, out of fear, buries the money his master entrusts to him instead of investing it invokes a similar strong reaction from his master (You wicked and lazy servant…) as our nine ungrateful lepers invoke from Jesus. There is no acceptable reason not to openly and publicly lavish gratitude on Jesus when God visits with His blessing.

When God makes an investment in a person, bringing healing, salvation, freedom, prosperity, inner wholeness or any other good thing, He expects an immediate, lavish, public display of gratitude… it is simply the right thing to do. Thank you, Jesus. Everyone get out of my way while I interrupt your ‘religion’ with my gratitude!

3. I think that at least one of the nine lepers was so excited that he went to tell his family and friends the good news and forgot all about Jesus. I’ve seen this happen many times when, after praying for someone in a difficult or desperate situation, God amazingly answers the prayer and the person runs to tell their family and forgets to give Jesus credit other than sometimes a little half-hearted nod.

In the book of Micah, the Lord’s heart is grieving because of this kind of attitude among people: Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. Micah 7:1 The Lord is longing; His soul desires in this scripture to harvest the ‘first-ripe fruit,’ which is that immediate burst of joy and thanksgiving that comes off the human heart when something good happens. He is so fulfilled by our genuine gratitude that the Bible says He is “enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalms 22:3). That means that the more we rightfully praise Him, the more He takes control as sovereign King of our lives. But like our leper friend, many of us run to tell our wife, children, friends, co-workers and neighbor the good news and neglect for days or weeks giving thanks to the only one who actually deserves it. What a shame.

Truth be known, many people will not really enter into your joy anyway… friends often react with insensitive remarks of unbelief, jealousy or bitterness at a miracle or even find a way to turn the conversation to themselves. Many people are not deep enough to grasp the gravity of a genuine blessing from God and refuse to correlate and credit the situation to Jesus. The ‘first-ripe fruit’ of your joy and thanksgiving ends up wasted on people without ears to hear rather than filling the heart of the One who planted and tends the vineyard.

4. Perhaps the problem with another one of our nine unappreciative lepers could be that he attributed the healing to the priest rather than Jesus. Because Jesus sent him to show himself to the priest, he easily could have misinterpreted the source of healing power as being the old religious system rather than the new move of the Spirit. He probably considered Jesus a spiritual guy but couldn’t break from his prejudiced idea of his parent’s structured religious system being the only source of God’s true power. To personally honor Jesus, in his mind, was to disrespect his inherited religion.

Many thousands of people today are trapped in old religious systems of worship that literally separate them from God and prevent them from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. A dear friend of mine was a member of a large denomination and even though she was blessed, more than once, by the Holy Spirit’s tangible presence outside her church, she always recoiled back into the limitations of her denomination. Like our theoretical leper number four, she cried out to Jesus from afar off and when God answered her prayer, her religious pride and fear of the unknown rose up and she regressed even deeper into a church that offered no real life; only convoluted theology, dry sermonizing and no real power.

In fact, many times, inherited religious systems can be a decoy, offering beautiful human stage props to cover the fact that God has left them long ago. In the Scripture, Moses placed a veil over his face to hide the glory that was departing (2 Corinthians 3:13). Likewise, expensive buildings, medieval robes, academic elitism, awe inspiring music, impressive programs, glorious stained glass and thousands in attendance can put on a convincing imitation of God’s presence. Church can become like the Wizard of Oz; a man behind a curtain controlling a false manufactured memory of God with no real presence or power.

Jesus said: "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:7-8). There is a time where God expects every Christian to respond based on inner conviction and not like a spiritual Serengeti wildebeest during the annual migration. This fourth leper should have returned to Jesus and shown the same gratitude as the foreigner.

5. Maybe leper number five did not connect Jesus with the miracle. This guy just took the blessing and ran, considering it his good fortune, luck, natural healing, yin and yang, or coincidence. Many people are stingy in their willingness to acknowledge gratitude or express appreciation and would rather attribute a freely received gift to luck or fortune rather than expressing heartfelt appreciation to any man and/or admitting their poverty apart from an undeserved act of God’s mercy.

Jesus’ perturbed response to the absence of the nine ungrateful lepers reveals that they all missed something that should have been obvious: the principle of ‘a debt of gratitude.’ That is, when good is received, the right response is expressed thankfulness toward the giver of the good thing. In fact, in our day of fear of litigation, social hostility, situational morality and the nanny state, the godly concept of thankfulness has been lost as a widely celebrated virtue. Too many people stubbornly expect to be cared for and are not thankful when they do receive something good.

Leper number five did not acknowledge that his healing cost somebody something. Although he cried out with the others, “son of David, have mercy on us,” when Jesus did have mercy, the leper rejoiced in his own good luck. How many people cry out to God in a moment of despair and then reward only themselves when something good happens.

6. Theoretical leper number six considered it ridiculous for God to expect an emotional show of gratefulness. This attitude is the idea that being expected to openly express gratitude, praise and worship to God is undignified and makes God look selfish and egocentric. This leper is thinking, “Why would God want me to praise Him, anyway… what is He some kind of narcissist?” This leper thinks he is equally grateful just quietly feeling thankful in his heart, after all, “You can’t judge me, God knows my heart.”

Only a humble, unselfish person can truly lavish thanksgiving on God and others. False lavish thanksgiving usually comes off either shallow or ostentatious. Genuine thanksgiving is humble, lovely, pure, holy and powerful. It draws the grace and power of God.Leper number six, in his assessment that God couldn’t possibly care how people praise Him, has mistakenly anthropomorphized God, wrongly attributing to God the selfish, sinful nature of man. God is not a man, which is why He sent His Son as a man, on assignment to build a bridge and restore the broken relationship between us. Jesus came to clearly teach God’s created beings how we should respond to our creator when our hearts are right. He was reinforcing what was already clearly taught in the Psalms about expressing praise and thanksgiving openly and passionately.

In an automobile manual, the manufacturer authoritatively describes how their product should function when properly cared for. Jesus was authoritatively identifying malfunctioned human beings in this event. He clearly showed that when nine lepers did not respond with immediate, open gratitude, they were flat wrong and he was completely unsympathetic in His harsh assessment of their behavior as unacceptable. Their ‘idiot lights’ were shining brightly.

7. Leper number seven noticed that only the foreigner returned to thank Jesus but none of the other Jewish lepers so he wasn’t going to risk looking like a fool. He examples the person who says, “Our church doesn’t do it that way,” or “I’m not going to look like a fool and praise expressively because everybody will look at me.” This leper fears what people think of him more than caring about what God thinks of him. Even though he was a known leper, after being cleansed of a hideous disease he was too prideful to humble himself before Jesus. This is a follower-leper, a spiritual lemming who will never do anything dubbed uncool by the in-crowd.

The inner condition of this leper is not the same as number four, who did not return to Jesus because of his loyalty to his parents’ church. This leper was just concerned with peer pressure. He thought that people would laugh at him and call him a fool for being a Jesus freak. In the modern Christianity, this is the kind of believer that cares more about what public opinion polls say about the church than what Jesus says about the church.

When our church moved from a quiet country road in a remote area into the heart of the Village of Margaretville there were a number of uncomfortable church members. Although all of our members love our church and modern worship style, the thought of being publicly seen with these ‘Charismatics’ was painful for some. How many believers care more about looking cool than truly thanking Jesus?

Jesus said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”

8. Leper number eight thought he wanted to be healed until it happened. He was crying out with the rest of the ten but never really expected to be cleansed because his life was built around his handicap, and therefore he perceived his healing as a burden rather than a blessing. He was content being unclean. He liked that people pitied him and did not expect him to grow, change, achieve or perform well. He was making a living and had social acceptance as part of a community of handicapped individuals. He was content at living in a sub-culture of lepers and the thought of being made whole was terrifying.

In John chapter five Jesus asks the infirmed man at the Pool of Bethesda if he wants to be made well. The question sounds odd until you realize that the man, lying on his bed, had been staying in his infirmed condition (at the healing pool) among a variety of other handicapped people for thirty eight years. How painfully revealing to think of how comfortable we can become with our own infirmities when we are accepted just the way we are.

Interestingly, the man does not quickly answer yes to Jesus’ question but explains that he’s waiting for an angel to stir the waters (a revival?) and there has been no one to help him in (an indictment against his local church?). Likewise, how many in the church claim to be waiting for a healing in their body, soul or circumstances but never hear the Holy Spirit through Jesus’ words to, “Rise, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8).

After joining Facebook I was disappointed at how many supposed Christians openly share off-color, unkind and inappropriate things. Unfortunately, like leper number eight, many do not really want to be cleansed. They do not fall at Jesus’ feet with thanksgiving because they do not really want to be that close to Him or adopt the purity, holiness and separation unto God’s purposes required. They think a dirty halo is kind of cool.

Leper number eight knew how to make a living as an unclean outsider but now had the new problem of learning how to function as a whole person. He defined his whole life based on his outer disease but it really masked his inner uncleanness, lack of motivation and laziness. After Jesus cleansed him, he no longer had this crutch or excuse for not accomplishing anything in life. “Oh great, now what am I supposed to do, go get a job?”

9. The ninth leper considered it against his personal code of conduct to bow before any man. This was the anti-organized church leper. He would give lip service to God as long as God stayed invisible but there was no way he was going to bow down before any human being. He would sound very pious and sanctimonious instructing people that it is wrong to give any man credit because, “After all, Jesus was just saying what God wanted Him to. As for me, I only worship God.” Whereas leper number five did not express gratitude to Jesus because he simply didn’t get the connection between the miracle and Jesus, this leper saw the connection but his personal theology (or bias) was against giving credit to man.

It is interesting that the righteous leper both glorified God and had no problem falling down at Jesus feet, giving Him thanks. Don’t forget, as the ‘Son of Man,’ Jesus was just as human as any member of our race. The good leper thanked the human whose voice spoke the power of God and Jesus affirmed his actions as right.

Prideful make-believers claim to love God but disrespect the Body of Christ, the Church. These modern lepers will not express thanks to Jesus by gratefully joining and submitting to His designated leadership team and the fountain head of His blessing. Jesus said to the human leaders that He had personally raised-up to establish His organized Church: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (John 20:23) Jesus gave the power of cleansing spiritual lepers to the Church. Withholding gratitude from those through whom God’s blessing flows is as wrong today as when Jesus walked.

10. We finally come to leper number ten, the righteous leper. He, “when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.”

When he saw... The good leper responded immediately. He did not wait for validation, confirmation or invitation. He was confident in his own personal assessment of the situation. He did not wait until tomorrow or until he had enough money to buy a gift or until he wrote a perfect speech. He instantly perceived, believed and embraced the miracle.
…that he was healed... His faith, powered by his anticipation after hearing of Jesus healing others, caused him to be absolutely certain he was healed. He was sure that God healed, completely and permanently.
…returned… He seemingly did not even make it to the priest to have the healing officially certified. He was inwardly compelled to return to Jesus and that was a higher, more urgent priority.
… and with a loud voice… No waiting to see how the Jewish lepers responded. No timidity, silent prayer, solemn worship, or embarrassment. No holding back or fear of looking uncool. On America’s Funniest Home Videos, among their collection of home movies there is a scenario where people give someone a fake winning lottery ticket as a gag. Almost universally the gagged person whoops and shouts when they think they’ve won a lot of money. Why is responding to God’s grace any different? Jesus indicated that all ten lepers should have known to respond boisterously and openly to this great blessing. That we would learn this lesson.
…glorified God… The healthy human heart accurately identifies God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). The pure hearted person can see God in the blessings and circumstances of life. The good leper recognized Jesus as an agent of God’s love and power. He glorified God and in doing so, testified of His life, goodness and power.
…and fell down on his face at His feet… The prostrate position is the position of utter humility, honor and submission. It is an expression of my leader’s superiority to me in every way and my utter loyalty to him and his kingdom. I am offering myself to you as a servant. I have nothing to bring but myself. The leper started out from afar but now boisterously barges into Jesus’ up-close presence, coming as near to the master as possible but humble enough to fall on his face at His feet. To stand while addressing Jesus would be to place himself on Jesus’ level, therefore he fell down before the Master in submission and bursting with gratitude.
…giving Him thanks… Thanking Jesus Christ is the self-evident, central, and natural activity of redeemed humanity. It is what all Christians who have been cleansed of spiritual leprosy should do all the time. It is the elders surrounding the throne in Revelation, falling down to worship over and over and over again. It is the only right thing to do given the gift we have received and the price that Jesus paid for it.
…and he was a Samaritan.” Everyone who cries out to Jesus is eligible for this blessing. Everyone, no matter how ‘far off’ they have been can be healed. Like our Samaritan leper, cry out to Jesus today.

CMCC's First YouTube Video!

2009-07-20T23:41:00.002-04:00

I video recorded my wife Nancy at our mid-week service a few weeks ago and I thought this sound bite was really awesome. It is strong stuff but really a true indictment of the modern church culture. I hope it speaks to you as it did to me. Don't forget to post your comments!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mIp4ddw5oY

Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-03T13:47:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday America! Let us never take our freedom for granted and let us always fight the fight of faith to keep America's Christian heritage burning brightly for all the world to see. I know that the founders of this great nation would be proud to be asssociated with godly men and women of character and conviction who refuse to roll over to any authority that calls evil good and good evil. They bled and died for an ideal that we must now contend for all over again. This fourth of July we must wake up as the church of Jesus Christ and begin to reassert the force of righteousness and call upon God almighty to deliver us from darkness. Let freedom ring!

Live Joyfully

2009-07-01T09:52:00.003-04:00

Terrible news last week as three American celebrities died; Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Not that these three lives were any more valuable than the rest of us, however, when someone dies who was rewarded by our culture with fame and fortune for their talents and charisma it captures our attention. We like our celebrities... we like their music, their acting, their beauty, their sense of humor, their style and pizazz. Many times, we'd like to meet them or we wish we could know them. Sometimes we feel bad that we are not one of them.

But the death of a celebrity also teaches us a very poignant lesson. No matter how popular, powerful, rich, attractive or talented a person is in life; in death all are equal. All opportunities to do good are over. All opportunities to make provision for the afterlife are over. Everyone's case file is sealed. Conviction, conscience or cause will never again move that one to action.

Only while living do we have an opportunity to store treasure in Heaven. Only while living do we have opportunity to mend a broken relationship. Only while alive can we right injustice, cry out for the poor or tell others of God's grace through Jesus Christ. Consider the words of King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes:
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they will die;
But the dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, their hatred,
and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.
Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. Ecclesiastes 9:3-10

I especially like the line, "for a living dog is better than a dead lion." Many of us waste our lives away wishing we were something that we are not. Ed, Farah and Michael are now dead lions and those of us who would have desired to be like them are now glad we're not. Living dogs truly are better than dead lions. There is much to be said for living in an attitude of gratitude for the blessings God has given in our today.

The New Testament says it like this: "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

With that in mind, it is important to remember during this season of economic and cultural stress to be content and grateful with what we have. Let's all enjoy God's gift to the living of summertime in the Catskill's. See you Sunday.

The Satan Temptation - Rebellion Against Authority

2009-04-22T14:37:00.004-04:00

How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
'I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.'
Isaiah 14:12-14

The Satan Temptation identified:
The Satan Temptation is named for Lucifer’s rebellion against God which resulted in his ejection from heaven and can be similarly applied to any rebellion against rightful authority motivated by pride. In everyday life, it typically begins with a personality conflict, offense or disagreement with a leader. Over time and fed with more perceived offences, it grows into a temperament of resentment and resistance. Eventually the subordinate begins to seek opportunities to undermine and inwardly wishes to see the leader removed or struck down.

Although it is almost always disguised as a justified issue with a particular leader, any rebellion against rightful authority is really just a repackaged version of the oldest attempted governmental overthrow in the universe.

The Satan Temptation originates with feelings of impatience, frustration or dissatisfaction against someone in charge. As they germinate, these feelings create an open wound and manifest by either knowingly or subconsciously resisting the leader rather than submitting from the heart and trusting God. If allowed to grow unhindered, these wounded emotions will develop into resistance, betrayal, stalling, subverting, sabotaging, contending against, second guessing, usurping and/or, inwardly or outwardly, mocking a leader’s decisions, policies, personality or direction.

Who is susceptible?
The Satan Temptation can poison any angry, weak or willing person who is required to yield to somebody else’s will. It can destroy harmony in any organization: family, government, school, business, church, civic organizations, sporting teams, military, or any other entity requiring leadership. It is biting the bait of inner discord felt when under authority.

Correlated with Isaiah 14:12-14
The Satan Temptation consists of a private individual resolution (For you have said in your heart, I will…) to tear down a rightfully seated leader of any organization with the ultimate goal to ascend to that position. It is a desire to be out from under authority (to be exalted above the stars of God). It ultimately longs to be the person in charge of the organization (sit on the mount of the congregation). It is the rebellious spirit of Satan, ‘the god of this age’ (2 Corinthians 4:4) reaching through his human puppets, in his attempt to: be like the Most High.

The Satan Temptation: A Contagious Disease
Satan Temptation rebels tend to attract others, gathering supporters either openly or unwittingly. This is part of Satan’s original pattern as evidenced by Revelation 12:4 referring to one third of the angels having followed the devil in his rebellion and being cast to earth becoming his demon hoard. It also explains why unity is such an important issue with God (Psalms 133, John 17), obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22), and God hates someone who sows dissension among brethren (Proverbs 6:19).

Common victims of the Satan Temptation:

If churches are fragmented today—ineffective in changing lives and introducing God’s Kingdom into society—it is largely because of our culture’s rejection of rightful authority and acceptance of the Satan Temptation. When church leaders realize that many so-called Christians will only obey Jesus within their own comfort zones and local church politics allow carnal people to gain influence through undermining spiritual leadership, the church cannot accomplish her mission. Therefore it is written, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).
If homes are contentious war zones instead of nurturing discipleship centers it is because of our culture’s love for the Satan Temptation. It is relevant to note here the seemingly forgotten fact that God addressed one of the Ten Commandments specifically to children. Number six, Honor thy father and thy mother (Exodus 20:12), clearly institutionalizes the importance of not only obeying but esteeming from the heart, parental leadership. This shows that learning to grow and prosper under (imperfect but legitimate) human leadership should begin at the earliest ages and become a life principle translating to success in every organized endeavor thereafter.

In our modern society which nurtures resentment and rebellion towards traditional parental authority, many parents fear their children’s rejection and refuse to dive into their God-given roles as righteous authority figures. This is mainly because parents have been brain-washed by the culture to have resentment and unforgiveness towards their own parents and do not appreciate the value of righteous authority and discipline. It is a small wonder, therefore, that so many Christian children are lost to the world.
The Satan Temptation can affect marriage. In fact, in marriage, husbands and wives each have certain established authorities over the other. For example: The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does (1 Corinthians 7:4). This shows why married couples, unwilling to yield to one another in kindness and tenderness, fall prey to hardened hearts towards each other.

The Satan Temptation always reveals a lack of love and/or a hard heart toward someone in authority. Jesus said, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8).
If companies lack productivity, sporting teams lack unity, armies are without morale, local, state or federal governments are corrupt and ineffective, it is many times, at least in part, because of the Satan Temptation.

A businessman recently shared about one of his employees who is a friend of mine: “Yes, Joe is the nicest guy in the world,” he said, “as long as he doesn’t work for you. He is a terrible employee because he is always bucking against my decisions as boss. Everyone seems to love the guy but he is my worst nightmare.” Rebellion against authority is the mark of the Satan Temptation.

In closing this section, it is a reliable general statement that any so-called Christian, not able to successfully follow a human leader is fooling himself if he thinks he can ever follow God. Truth is: God is much harder. That is why many Christians today prefer house churches, Christian TV, and informal fellowship where no one is in charge as opposed to true New Testament Church leadership. The Satan Temptation mindset ultimately desires freedom from any and all accountable authority.

Guidelines and balances for understanding authority:

Only God has Absolute Authority
Only God has absolute authority and therefore any leader who tries to force a subordinate to sin is directly opposing the only true authority in the universe. This leader is off target and God expects His people to ‘obey God rather than men’ (Acts 5:29). The book of Daniel gives wonderful insight into the way righteous people resist the unrighteous commands of a legitimate governmental leader.

Any leader who expects someone under his charge to lie, cheat, steal, mislead, participate in inappropriate conversation, look at inappropriate media, engage in illicit relations, or to break any clear principle of God’s Word, is set against God’s revealed authority.

Resentment of Authority is Nothing New
Many are suspicious and resentful of all authority. This is the devil’s character being projected through people and represents nothing new at all. In fact, essential disdain for God’s authority is the only plausible explanation of why one third of the angels apparently followed Lucifer in his original rebellion. Therefore our ability to honor and obey any human authority must first be rooted in our Holy Spirit-born commitment to trust God. Trusting God includes believing that He has the power to deliver His own from the abuse of harsh or unrighteous authority.

We are surrounded by reports and experiences of people who misuse their authority. That is why legitimate human authority exercised with good sense is a precious gift of God and followers must do everything in their power to support it. A righteous leader attempting to lead rebellious followers is a waste of a good leader but a perverse leader over righteous followers will be dealt with by God (see Pharaoh and Saul).

All Authority Besides God’s Authority is Limited.

Marital authority is limited. Acts 5:1-10 tells of Ananias and Sapphira, the husband and wife team who colluded to lie to God about an offering. Both the husband and wife were given separate opportunities to come clean but each of them was harshly judged based on his/her own lie. This is an important example because it is common for married people to feel that they must disobey God in order to keep peace in their home. God’s Word is the highest authority in life and sinning to keep peace with husband, wife, child, parent, boss, friend, teacher, professor, pastor, brother, sister or anyone else is unacceptable to God.
Parental authority is limited. An interesting New Testament verse says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). The qualification, ‘in the Lord’ is an important one, the inference being that parental authority, when exercised in opposition to God’s Word is contradicting God. Therefore, children should obey parents only so far as parents’ instructions are, ‘in the Lord.’ Again, all authority is limited to God’s revealed Word and any human authority, including parents, contradicting this constitutes a rogue use of legitimate authority and is rooted in the Satan Temptation.

If a parent enforces right authority over his young child, this is good and right. However, if the same parent is still trying to control the decisions of their grown offspring, this is inappropriate and illegitimate. Parental authority is limited to an appropriate age and maturity level of the child.

Actually, as the child begins to mature, his/her judgment needs to be trained, tested and tried time and time again and there is a long period when neither child nor parents have full authority. During this stage there should be an incremental movement towards the complete transition of authority to the young adult. The youth, during this phase, should be learning to look more closely to God as the main authority figure.

This is illustrated in Luke chapter two when twelve year old Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem at the temple for three days while his parents have headed home. Mary finally finds him: “So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (Luke 2:48-49).

Remember, parental authority is only a limited and temporary slice of God’s absolute authority. Jesus was already, at twelve years old, tending to God the Father’s business over Mary and Joseph’s authority. But He was still not done being obedient to His earthly mother and step-father. Immediately after this the Scripture says, “Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:50-52).

He returned home with them and was subject (obedient) to them. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, was obedient to two common, flawed, imperfect and limited human authority figures and, as a result of his obedient spirit, increased in wisdom and stature and favor with both God and with other people. His time under Mary and Joseph’s parental authority must have served some benefit and His obedience to the Father God was intimately connected to his obedience to His parents—they were not exclusive of each other.

Jesus’ being subject to Mary and Joseph was a legitimate but limited portion of God the Father’s authority, and part of His plan of preparation for the Son. As the Son was finally sent into His public ministry, the Father, said from heaven, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)

Also, Jesus even though submissive to His earthly parents and His heavenly Father clearly did not consider himself a doormat or puppet of some identity-stealing oppressive authority or over-parenting. He said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him" (John 8:28-29).

“I always do those things that please Him.” Children of God should thrive under both human and divine authority: It is our proving ground.
An employer’s authority is limited, sometimes a little more or less, depending on the level and contractual agreement of the position. It may be that an employer requires a dress code or particular protocol in phone etiquette when on the job. But when the employee is off the clock the employer does not have authority over what you wear or how you answer your phone. The authority is limited.
Church authority is limited. The Church leadership is limited to her scriptural definitions which include organizational oversight and administration, five-fold ministry activity and development, leadership training and Christian discipleship; plus providing Bible education, worship services, producing the vision of the church and confronting sin issues in her member’s lives. The authority is limited.

It is simply amazing how frequently people misunderstand church leadership. If I apply for work at McDonalds, they make it clear that I will be expected to wear certain clothes, say certain things to the customers, make the food in a very specific way, show up at a certain time and promise to pay me a certain wage. If a church, on the other hand, requires biblical criteria and ongoing accountability for membership, leadership involvement, ministry opportunities or ordination as deacon or elder, the church is frequently criticized as overly controlling.

Not infrequently, new believers will come into a church and be offended at the leadership in place. A good number, in fact, seem to become genuinely stunned and disillusioned when they find that churches actually have human leaders and that the leaders are in charge. Remember, Lucifer wanted to ‘sit on the mount of the congregation’ or in modern terms, speak from the pulpit, and therefore, he is always trying to replace God’s man with his own. Church is the prize of the great cosmic war for the soul of the universe.

A rule of thumb seems to be that a newly born again, formerly unchurched person who comes from a traditional loving healthy family will typically have no trouble acclimating to church life and understanding church authority. On the other hand, a formerly unchurched person or someone who has recently quit a church or who has had serious issues with his/her parents is far more likely to misunderstand, resent and rebel against church leadership.

Some people are famous for reminding church leaders that they are not infallible… a reference to the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility. However, legitimate leaders are leaders. Joseph and Mary were not infallible but it didn’t stop Jesus from being subject to them. John the Baptist was not infallible but Jesus submitted to his baptism. In fact when Pontius Pilate told Jesus he had the power to crucify Him or release Him, Jesus said "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11) Legitimate human authority is brought to you by God Almighty!
Governmental, political, cultural, military, police, tribal, family, school and higher educational authorities are limited.

Obedience or Sacrifice?

Any author has legal ownership over his literary work, including the setting and characters he creates. God authored the universe and everything in it with His words (Genesis 1), Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and He also clearly proclaimed that all authority has been given to Him both in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).

Therefore, God alone possesses all authority and no other. He has willed to release limited measures of legitimate authority to nations, families, churches, schools, armies, businesses and other human organizations in order to fulfill His will in time and space. Satan, the enemy of God, will always attempt to undermine, twist and destroy this.

God also loves obedience much more than sacrifice. The reason for this is that choosing sacrifice over simple obedience is filled with selfishness. It says, “I have made a decision when, where and how much I want to give. Nobody is going to tell me what to do. I feel good about myself because these people who run the organization do not know what they are doing. I want something with my own name on it. I am not going to obey anyone. I will be like the Most High”

Obedience, on the other hand, is the denial of self and the humble acknowledgment of a position as servant.

The Roman Centurion

In Matthew 8 the Roman Centurion impresses Jesus deeply with his faith, based not on a deep knowledge of spiritual doctrine, but on his understanding of the universality of authority. He said, “…only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Matthew 8:8-10)

Five thoughts on the Centurion’s faith:

The Centurion understood that Jesus was not a rebel but was covered under God’s authority carrying out orders. For I also am a man under authority…
The Centurion readily acknowledged that he was not himself the big boss but was under someone else’s authority making him a servant to his own leader. For I also am a man under authority…
The Centurion recognized that the way to properly exercise authority is to just speak a word to subordinates and a true leader should expect to see results. “…only speak a word, and my servant will be healed."
The Centurion understood that the essence of authority is directing subordinates to obey your will. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
The Centurion had no problem referring to subordinates as being under him. "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.

Legitimate authority is a universal force derived from God and flowing through Jesus Christ the King. It is used to build, establish, protect, produce great works, do awesome things and generally accomplish God’s will in heaven and on earth.

In closing: The Satan Temptation has weakened nations (Isaiah 14:12), destroyed families, torn churches to pieces and ruined companies, communities and armies. It originates from the hateful spirit of the original rebel and ignites selfish ambition, accuses the innocent, wins at all costs, hates authority, devises wickedness, trips up leaders, grumbles, complains, keeps accounts of wrongs and plants discord among brethren.

The Satan Temptation must be exposed and defeated because without right authority the Church will never have the unity necessary to please God. As long as the devil keeps marriage a sour institution, parents and children at odds, the Church afraid of her own people, schools teaching rebellion rather than humble obedience and communities divided, there cannot be the agreement needed to truly work together and usher in the Kingdom of God.

The unity necessary for the Scripture to be fulfilled requires not only obedience to God but the humble submission to legitimate human authority.

Psalms 23 - Part VII

2009-03-23T11:58:00.002-04:00

Psalms 23 verse 5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

One of the most distressing truths for many modern Christians to come to terms with is the idea that God has enemies. But as we reflect on Psalms 23 verse five as a prophecy of Jesus’ life, one event clearly jumps out: The Last Supper; a table prepared by the Father for the Son; a table eaten in the presence of His enemy: Judas, the son of perdition. (John 17:12)

Judas: The Enemy of God

Judas was one of the twelve Apostles. He was chosen by Jesus and served side by side with Peter, James, John and the others. He saw Jesus walk on water, heal the sick and raise the dead. But for all of that he either never really got it—or didn’t really want to get it. Apparently nobody, beside Jesus himself, ever caught on that Judas was of a different spirit than the rest.

Did Judas know he was Judas?

Did Judas know who he was? Did he imagine himself as the most infamous traitor in human history and the betrayer of God’s only begotten Son? What was going on inside of his head? Did he secretly think that Jesus was just another phony holy man, putting on a dog-and-pony show, or did he just not get the gravity of who Jesus really was? It certainly seems that Jesus was very clear in explaining Himself. So the question remains: Did Judas know that he was Judas?

I do not think he did. As a matter of fact, because of his remorse and resulting suicide, I am positive that Judas never had a clue how serious his betrayal was until after Jesus was crucified. I think he reacted to the events around him based on faulty values and carnal hidden ambitions, like many Christians do today.

How do I know if I am a Judas?

Therefore, if Judas did not know he was Judas, if he believed himself to be a ‘normal’ guy—perhaps a guy who was not really into all the hocus pocus or someone just holding back a little—the question every Christian deserves to ask ourselves is: How do I know I’m not a Judas?

Are there enemies at our table?

If the Lord prepares a table before His sheep in the very presence of their enemies; if Judas walked with comfort and ease beside Jesus and the disciples undetected by all but Jesus Himself; if the sacrament of Communion is the Lord’s Table for the Body of Christ today; is it possible, or probable, or even a promise of God, that God’s enemies are at the table (in the church) undetected today? If so, how can I tell who Judas is? And most importantly, how would I know if I were a Judas?

In looking up the Scriptures relating to Judas, a number of traits become apparent. Although there may not be an absolute litmus test, the best way to do an examination and take the edge off a bit for detecting the Judas bug is using a tool borrowed from comedian, Jeff Foxworthy.

You Might be a Judas, If…

Foxworthy is famous for his line of jokes, “You might be a redneck if...” For our purposes, let us slightly alter the wording and offer insights that believers can use to detect Judas-like tendencies in our own lives. Therefore, citing the Scripture references, consider the following series of observations indicating that, ‘You might be a Judas, if…’

Be forewarned – seeing Judas in one’s own life can be disconcerting, but knowing the truth will make us free. As long as we have the humility to repent, there is every reason to hope.

You might be a Judas if you really love money.

There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. (John 12:2-6)

Now jumping over to Matthew’s telling of this same story, it records the disciples accusing the woman of wasting money, and Jesus defending the woman’s act of extravagant kindness. As John’s Gospel just showed, it was Judas in particular who voiced his displeasure. Next, Matthew says, Judas immediately seeks out the chief priests: Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. (Matthew 26:14-16)

You might be a Judas if you really love money.

This incident exposes the love of money in Judas. He ‘kept the money box’, meaning he was clearly the ministry treasurer. He was a thief, taking money all along. He was so upset about this much money, in his mind, being wasted on the preacher’s personal use, that he became infuriated and literally betrayed Jesus for money.

Righteous outrage is not always what it seems.

Judas’ money-hungry heart was furious because he craved getting his hands on the funds from the sale of this perfume and saw it slip through his hands, so he put up a smoke-screen of phony sanctimonious outrage, pretending to care for the poor. Secretly, he was only mad because of the lost money for himself. Judas was not that deep in his evil; just shallow and greedy.

When selfish sinful flesh is offended it squeals and screams for retribution, craving an excuse to lash out. And if it discovers an unrelated moral point to protest, it will boldly rise up and demand satisfaction like Johnny Cochran defending a million dollar client. This is a decoy tactic used to divert attention from the true sinful issue of the heart and retaliate against the one who denied the lustful desire.

In the mind of the offended sinner, they can even go so far as to eventually deceive themselves, swearing on all that is holy that this objection is based on only the most pure of motives.

In today’s church, this Judas spirit might sound like this:

“We should keep the pastor poor so he doesn’t get a big head. If he’s too successful, we should knock him down. We’ll be doing God a favor by keeping him humble”

“Why did they buy the pastor a new motorcycle for his fifteenth anniversary at the Church? That money should have gone for the needy! I mean, I go to that church but I can’t really blame my family members who don’t. Sometimes I think that all they care about is money.”

“How much did that new church building cost? Shouldn’t we just meet from house to house like the early church and use all that money for the poor? What do we need pastors for anyway? Nobody is closer to God than anyone else. We’re all kings and priests.”
You might be a Judas if you are a spiritual chameleon.

“While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.” Matthew 26:47

When you can change loyalty due to the crowd that you’re with you might be a Judas. When you’re with your church friends, you have a presence of mind of being one of God’s people but when you’re at home, work or away from Christians you blend in and mix easily with those who despise and criticize God’s family, you might be a Judas.

Judas’ courage to betray Jesus was reinforced by the numbers, weapons and violent attitude of the crowd. Besides, how could he possibly turn back now with all these people watching? People who are chameleons seek strength in numbers.

This is the coward’s way of overriding righteous authority through the power of the mob—it is very common human fare. It is humans voting Jesus out of power. It is democratically led morality using brutal human intimidation. It is sheep teaching the shepherd a lesson. It is the essence of most church splits. It is Korah’s rebellion (Numbers 16).

This is the devil’s favorite disguise—a weak angry human, a chameleon—one who can look like a Christian among Christians but reveals his true nature at the perfect time to do the most destruction.
You might be a Judas even though you are one of the main disciples and a member of Jesus’ ministry team.

“Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.” Mark 3:14-19

Being in ministry doesn’t guarantee anyone an exemption from being Judas. If any person is not personally committed to Jesus the head and the visible Body of Christ—the Church, though you be an inner circle disciple does not guarantee you that you’re not a Judas. Character weaknesses and sin issues not dealt with are sure warning signs.
You might be a Judas if you succumb to an evil presence of mind.

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude. Luke 22:1-6 (NKJV)

Judas was a thief, stealing money all along (John 12). The sin ‘nest’ inside him gave Satan permission to enter and mastermind the betrayal of Jesus. This shows if anyone continues in sin, even though a church member, he is inviting the devil to come in. Eventually, Satan will exploit that sin weakness to enter and strike. When Satan does enter him through the open door of the sin practice, the host human’s mind is darkened and reasoning becomes clouded resulting in an evil presence of mind.

Satan is a spirit and when he enters, he brings an irresistible resolve to lash out in a vengeful or spiteful way. The sinful person now becomes single minded in his determination to fulfill his evil intention. Any inner voice of conscience is, at least temporarily, completely silenced because of the overwhelming evil presence of mind. The catalyst for Satan entering is usually through a perceived offence like the spikenard incident.

The Bible says that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). That is the presence of mind when one is filled with the Holy Spirit. That’s where the Holy Spirit dwells. On the other hand, when your mind is outside of holy counsel, if you succumb and give yourself over to an evil presence of mind, Satan enters in and results in a Judas mindset. I’m not saying that you are a Judas, but you might be.
You might be a Judas if you love Jesus on the outside, when your heart is turned to darkness on the inside.

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Luke 22:47-48

If you continue to serve Jesus on the outside, when your heart is turned to darkness on the inside, you might be a Judas. If you go to church but inwardly resent the pastor, his wife, the church people, the preaching, the music, the church in general, you might be a Judas.

If you kiss Jesus publicly but hate His church privately, you might be a Judas.

I’ve heard people say things like, “I love Jesus but hate the church.” That is what Judas did. In his mind I’m sure he believed that he loved God in heaven but was offended at Christ’s wasteful use of money. If you love Jesus on the outside and your heart is dark on the inside, you might be a Judas.
If you think that being chosen by Jesus guarantees that you are saved, you might be a Judas.

Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve. John 6:70-71

If you think an experience in the past means you are righteous today, you might be a Judas. Salvation is a marathon race and just because Jesus chose you and you answered a call once doesn’t mean that you’re living in the light today.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1
You might be a Judas if you rob God.

Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. John 12:4-6

Judas robbed God by taking the money from the box. The main way many Christians rob God today is by withholding tithes and offerings:

"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings." Malachi 3:8

People rob God by belonging to the church and refusing to pay their way. When someone has this knowledge but their heart continues to resist over time, they are no different than Judas. They are God robbers. People who begrudge God His portion and think they are equal with the other disciples are self-deceived.
Salvation is a free gift but when someone answers Jesus’ call, they are, like Judas, given the job holding the money box. The modern money box is the tenth part of our income that belongs to God. It is Jesus’ ministry fund and we do not have a right to take it for our own use. It is given to the local church—the storehouse.

It is uncanny that the people who complain the most about how church money is spent are overwhelmingly non-tithers. Judas was robbing God and his thievery poisoned his heart, causing him to protest the apparent wasteful use of the expensive ointment. Unless one tithes to his local church, like Judas, he cannot fully understand Jesus words.

Therefore, if you get upset frequently, thinking that more of the church money ought to be given to the poor, you might be a Judas. If you angrily rationalize in your mind that the church is wasting expensive ointment and you are just a poor person so how can they expect you to tithe… you might be a Judas. If you think you make too much money for your church to handle, you might be a Judas.
You might be a Judas if you are waiting and biding your time to get somebody back.

And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him. John 13:2

If you’ve already made a decision in your heart to put someone down or if you are holding an offence and simply looking for an opportunity to pay someone back for what they did to you, you might be a Judas.

If you keep an account of wrongs and have the capacity to plan to hurt someone or to settle a score, you might be a Judas.
If you rationalize ungodly decisions with “God told me to,” you might be a Judas.

Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." John 13:27

Jesus said to Judas, “What you do, do quickly.” Does that mean that Jesus occasionally tells His disciples to do evil? Absolutely not! However, when someone mulls over evil in their heart long enough, Jesus will eventually release them to their evil heart. He will release them and sometimes even seem to provide a Scripture to confirm.

Does that mean it was right for him to betray Jesus? No. In ministry, it is common to hear someone say “God told me” to do this or that, but many times it is how people justify decisions they have made on their own and do not want anyone’s interference. At times the Holy Spirit will try to resist through conscience but will eventually release a person to their plans.

This, ‘God told me’ device can be really dangerous when these plans are originally born, like with Judas, through a sin door in the person. This gives way for the devil himself to enter and mastermind the idea. These are events when people who think they are Christians become pawns of the devil and ultimately bring about God’s plan but by playing for the bad guys. Ouch! Sometimes Jesus will simply say, “Well, go ahead and do what you’ve got to do.”
You might be a Judas if you shut off your conscience and stick your fingers in your ears and do wrong.

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. Mark 14:10-11
You might be a Judas if you want to be near the money.

“For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him...” (John 13:29).
You might be a Judas if you look for a group to agree with your rebellious attitude against legitimate authority.

Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. (John 18:3)
You might be a Judas if you give phony Christian hugs and affection.

But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:48)
You might be a Judas if you stir up trouble in the Church.

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, 5 "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" John 12:3-5

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? 9 "For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor." Matthew 26:6-9

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 "For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." Mark 14:3-5

John records that it was specifically Judas, the son of perdition, who vocalized opposition to the anointing oil being used for Jesus personal use. But because the other accounts mention that a number of disciples disagreed, it is a fair conclusion that Judas stirred up the problem. The Bible has much to say about the danger of poisoning someone else’s heart. As a matter of fact, Proverbs 16:19 says that God hates one who sows discord among brethren.
You might be a Judas if you come to the point where you give up on the hope and love of Jesus—the hope of His forgiveness.

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" 5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5)

The Word of God is clear when it says: And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.' Acts 2:21

I am always convinced that Jesus is willing to forgive. Jesus’ forgiveness is eternal. His Word is truth. No matter how far we stray; how evil we act; how vicious we can be to one another; He is able to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we will repent and confess our sins.

Conclusion

The comparison of Judas to Peter in the few days after the last supper is remarkable. Judas led an angry mob and identified Jesus with a kiss and Peter in the midst of a mob denied Jesus with cursing (Matt. 26:74). Judas’ spirit was never right from the beginning so the devil swallowed him up with despair. Peter’s spirit was resilient and his heart was pure so when he heard of the empty tomb he sprinted toward Jesus.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. The sure way to know that we are not Judas is to confront and confess our own sin and mortify the deeds of the flesh by the Holy Spirit—it is to be transformed by the renewing of our mind by the Word of God and to desperately depend on His grace.

Psalms 23 - Part VI

2009-03-09T11:39:00.004-04:00

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23:4

The rod and staff are extensions of the shepherd. They are symbols of his position and tools of his trade. As a sheep passing through the valley of the shadow of death, I am not afraid because my shepherd is with me. I have seen him use his rod and staff, time and time again, to handle danger, correct me and the other sheep, keeping us all safe and together.

I am not an undisciplined sheep. I recognize the shepherd’s authority and I take comfort in knowing that when I begin to stray, my shepherd loves me enough to chastise me. I know the power of that rod and staff because I’ve seen him handle wolves with it. I also know that all I have to do is follow that staff and I will always be cared for, well fed, watered and protected from harm. His strength and authority comfort me.

My Dad was a Shepherd… sort of

As a child, my Dad loved his children enough to discipline us. I remember a time when I was a first grader my two older brothers and I got into trouble on the school bus. The driver, Mrs. Conrad, was so upset by our poor behavior that she made the three of us sit in the front seat as punishment and called my parents to report. We dreaded what would happen when Dad got home from work later that evening. But the shepherd is wiser than his sheep!

As we sat together that day, quarantined on the death row cell-block of that front seat, the bus crested the hill at Hotaling’s farm and began the final half mile down the country road to our house. As we got closer, I realized that something was out of place. There was something, no, someone, standing where our bus stopped. Slowly, like a magic-eye picture coming into focus, it became terrifyingly clear—it’s Dad… and he’s holding a strap in his hand. You see, Dad was never home from work this early… never!

The entire bus filled with local kids of all ages became eerily silent as the wheels screeched to a halt and we ‘sheepishly’ exited. The wise shepherd, rod in hand, marched us into the house and we lined up to take our ‘lickins.’ Chuck, the oldest, went first and took his medicine like a real trooper. Donald next—he was a great crier, beggar and screamer… no holding back for him.

Somewhere in the middle of all of this mayhem I had a brilliant desperate idea—my daily chore (which I usually fought) was walking three doors down to the Post Office to retrieve the mail.

“Mom,” I said already moving for the door, “I’ve got to go and get the mail.”

Miracle of miracles, it worked! I was out the door as I heard Mom say, “You’ll get your medicine when you get back.”

But the moment was over and I dodged the bullet. Now just lay low for a few days and avoid Dad and its clear sailing.

Truth be told, as the youngest of the three sheep, I was spared this time, although Chuck and Don—not so lucky—sorry guys.

But oddly enough that event had a profound effect on my soul. Here’s how:

I never got into trouble on the bus again. I didn’t get the strap that time but my earthly shepherd effectively communicated to me that he would go to any ends to ensure my conformity to the standards of the fold. Having the name Engelhardt demanded that we conduct our lives above public disgrace. Likewise, to God’s sheep it is written, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” 1 Peter 2:9
The fact that I had a real father, who took his role in my life very seriously, was scary but at the same time made me feel very secure as a kid. The boundaries he set were enforced.
In the same way, the rod and the staff of the Good Shepherd comfort me today. The Word of God says, “For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:12
As a kid, when my buddies got stupid attacks and wanted to do something really bad, I could always use the excuse, “I can’t do that, my father will kill me,” and the guys believed me. They had seen for themselves the commitment my shepherd had to his sheep.
Today, when people want to do ungodly things, most times they do not even let me know about it. They know that the Lord is my shepherd and that I follow the family standard. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Romans 11:22
Another advantage I received as a kid was that my friends were at times jealous because we had an old-school disciplinarian father. And believe it or not many of them looked at us in awe after that infamous day. It gave us a bit of a swagger simply because we had a higher standard than they.
As a child of God under the Good Shepherd, I am proud to be associated with the highest, toughest, strongest, coolest and wisest Father in the universe. He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Proverbs 13:24

The Cross

Another way to think of the rod and staff of the Good Shepherd is as the Cross—the wooden tool of the Good Shepherd’s trade used to defeat the enemy and save His sheep from death. The rod and/or staff are what the shepherd lifts up and the sheep follow. No matter where you are, eating your grass or frolicking around—whatever sheep do—out of the corner of their eye, you can always see that staff. You just know you are safe and secure. Such is the cross of Jesus Christ.

I was in Kenya, Africa many years ago, out in the bush, walking along with Bishop Julius Wafula, and we happened upon a shepherd out in the middle of nowhere. He was sitting on a rock, and he had his sheep around him. Those sheep were just as content as could be and this man had his staff in his hand and his full time job was the care of those couple dozen sheep.

The single most important element in all of our lives is the Cross of the Good Shepherd. If you don’t have your heart set on the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ as your salvation, if you don’t know for sure that He died for your sins, that everything’s going to be okay... If you don’t know positively that that Cross is the place where you transition into eternity, you will absolutely get lost.

Correction not Rejection

As we’ve seen, the shepherd sometimes uses his rod for correction. Modern people, however, frequently confuse correction with rejection and resent the prodding of the Good Shepherd. I have learned over many years to praise God that we have a shepherd who will correct us when we do wrong. For example, if I were a serious athlete, I would not want a coach who only told me how perfectly I played my sport, especially if I keep losing games. Elite coaches make huge salaries just to show people what they are doing wrong!

In the same way, I do not want a shepherd to tell me how good I am when my heart can hold so much darkness. If we are honest we know that what is inside of us is not always good. You see, there is only one thing in life that truly terrifies me. Losing Jesus.

Fearing God is the Beginning of Wisdom

Imagine waking up one day and feeling mixed up, disoriented and separated from the Good Shepherd. You look inside but cannot find Him anymore. Lee Strobel, in his book, The Case for Faith, tells of an old man who was a preacher in his youth and became disillusioned and left God. He eventually became an atheist and even wrote books against God.

And then, as a dying man with a terminal disease and with Alzheimer’s setting in, Strobel interviewed him and asked him what he thought about Jesus now that he had spent many decades away from God. The man began to cry, he said, “Oh, I miss Him terribly.”

You see, if you don’t know why we celebrate Christmas, if you don’t know why we celebrate Easter, if you don’t have a love affair with Jesus Christ, Himself, you don’t know the Good Shepherd.

My prayer: Please, Jesus, never let me stray from You, so that I don’t know where You are anymore. Please, let me keep that Cross in focus, where you paid for my sins. Please, Jesus, keep me close to You always!

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. The wonderful Cross of Jesus Christ is a comfort to me. I am a sinner. I need a savior. There is an ‘X’ on the timeline of history where my savior, the Good Shepherd, conquered death, hell and the grave and now He lives for evermore and waits for me beyond death’s door. I will fear no evil!

Psalms 23 - Part V

2009-02-27T20:00:00.006-05:00

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. Psalms 23:1-6 (NKJV)

THIS WEEK:

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;

The Valley of the Shadow of Death Redux

One of the funniest, most intense, amazing and revealing stories in the Gospels is when the Good Shepherd leads His sheep through the valley of the shadow of death—not literally, but certainly in principle.

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:23-27

The Boat is Like the Church

Jesus’ sheep found out that they were safe in the care of their shepherd even in the valley of the shadow of death. They had followed Him into the boat that night and suddenly a storm hit. Doesn’t that sound familiar? I have heard many people say things like, “My life used to be easy, but when I decided to follow Jesus, all hell broke loose.” Just like that night long ago, His present day sheep follow Jesus into the boat of the Church, (the vehicle designed by God to take us to the proverbial other side) and everyone outside seems to be safely on shore while we go through many fierce storms.

Waking the Shepherd

In the midst of a horrifying storm that night, on the brink of disaster, as the shadow of death had been cast over them, His sheep became gripped with fear and finally woke the shepherd. I’ll bet if they had a cell phone they would have called the Coast Guard first. It is a sad testimony how bad life has to get before many sheep wake the Good Shepherd. People are quick to blame God for their misfortune, shrugging their shoulders and glibly asserting that He works in mysterious ways, but never spend much energy crying out for Him to save them.

The importance of the raw energy of desperation aimed at waking Jesus like the disciples did that evening has much biblical precedence. Remember the following stories that show our need to appeal to the Good Shepherd in a gutsy, robust and consistent way:

Blind Bartimaeus. (Mark 10:46-52)
The parable of the woman with the unjust judge. (Luke 18: 1-8)
The woman with the issue of blood. (Matthew 9: 19-22)
The Syro-Phoenician woman. (Mark 7: 26-30)

Sheep Are Not Very Smart

Next, Jesus wakes up and banishes the storm like a shepherd chasing off a predator. Imagine the disciples as sheep, not understanding the intelligence, power, authority or the strength of a competent human shepherd. Jesus is as high above His disciples as Heaven is above earth, drawing his power from a source that these men cannot even grasp. They are bleating like confused and terrified lambs facing a lion and Jesus uses the power of his heavenly influence to silence the storm—it is a power his sheep do not yet comprehend.

Eternal truth: No sheep of the Good Shepherd ever needs to fear evil.

But here’s the rub… Jesus criticizes their fear. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me. He doesn’t comfort and coddle their fears; He confronts their fear and identifies their pitiful lack of faith as an unacceptable but correctable flaw. He is introducing them to a new reality that goes beyond human power to the realm of Divine authority. This is the invasion of the kingdoms of this world by the Kingdom of our God. Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" Revelation 11:15

For You Are With Me

The aspect of Jesus being present but asleep is what adds almost a comedic aspect to this story and gives the sense of a Divine set-up. First of all, why go to a sleeping preacher for help with a boating problem in the first place? At least a few of the disciples were fishermen by trade and Jesus as a rabbi/carpenter would really add nothing to their technical ability to navigate the storm. But still they cried out, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” When all else fails, pray.

I have been amazed in my ministry as a pastor how some people cling to self-sufficiency and resist asking for help even though they are not in the least bit equipped to handle the storms of life. In some cases a person may be entrusted with a brand new ministry assignment and then resent accountability and input as if it is interference by the covering leadership. Only this desperate life-threatening storm, suddenly and violently blowing up and catching the disciples off guard penetrated their pride and terrified them enough to wake Jesus. But God was proving that nobody in Jesus boat ever needs to be afraid.

And, even as Jesus was asleep in the boat, now we must accept His silent presence by faith and trust His ability to save us from life's storms. Consider the following Scriptures showing Jesus present power and presence:

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:23
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- John 14:16
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18

Psalms 23 - Part IV

2009-02-23T11:34:00.002-05:00

Next verse says, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalms 23:2b

The various paths of life have been contemplated by philosophers, theologians and poets throughout history and our universal desire to feel like we are traveling on a road that makes sense and has purpose is an important element to living with satisfaction. On the other hand, feeling lost, stuck or dissatisfied in life brings heartsickness and regret—these are the bitter pills swallowed when we realize how much time has been wasted walking down a wrong road.

In Dante Alighieri’s famous 14th century epic poem, The Divine Comedy, the opening tells of a Christian man who, in the middle of his life, realizes that he has strayed from the good path:
Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

Dante sounds like a sheep that has lost his shepherd.

He goes on to vividly describe the awful feelings of both terror and bitterness at the memory of finding himself in this place, and admits that he does not remember how he got there because he was slumbering when he abandoned the true way. He says that being lost in that place was as bitter as death.

This is an excellent description of the feeling of disorientation and almost dizzying groping for direction when life turns out badly. The flow of modern culture, peer pressure, personal preference, bad decisions, familial expectations and the path of least resistance can combine to create a tyranny of gravity that brings us downstream in life and dumps many of us into Dante’s forest. That’s why no decision is always a bad decision and courage is mandatory for a child of God.

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

If you feel lost and alone today, cry out to the Good Shepherd. He will wash your wounds, quiet your confusion, give you fresh hope and set your feet on a beautiful, sunlit path:

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth--Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. Psalms 40:1-3

The Shepherd leads His sheep in paths of righteousness ‘for His name’s sake.’ The great purpose of God is bigger than any one of us. It is ‘for His name’s sake’ that He actively watches over His Word to perform it. It is in God’s personal interest to safely lead His sheep because He has invested His Son’s life in ensuring the success of His plan. When you adopt God’s purpose you inherit the full resources of Heaven and all of the promises of God become your arsenal for success.

He is literally more committed to your success than you are because His name, His reputation and His success is the top priority, the most valuable substance and the highest authority in the universe. It is Almighty God’s central purpose to make a name on earth for His Son, Jesus Christ.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

There is no greater purpose, no greater cause and no greater reward promised to the children of men than to those who follow the Good Shepherd. When we follow the Good Shepherd, we look beyond the confines of this life into eternity itself and we join God the Father’s sworn purpose.

Further down, in the opening lines of the Inferno, while still in the forest Dante follows a dark valley to a mountain foot and then looks up and can see the sun shining far away up on the mountaintop. Just the sight of the sunlight begins to immediately quiet his fears.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8:12

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World, will lead you in the paths of righteousness if you put your life in His hands. But remember, it is not primarily for the personal fame or aggrandizement of any sheep that Jesus promises paths of righteousness; it is for His name’s sake.

God bless you, I wish you the best. I want only good things for God’s entire household; however God did not’t send Jesus primarily for our personal gain. He came for His own name’s sake. And, the sooner a child of God can come to terms and their ego can live with that, it is a wonderful liberating place to dwell.

Also important to our perspective is the fact that a shepherd is not of the same mind as his sheep. The shepherd, in fact, is a different species and has his own higher agenda than his sheep. The main responsibility of sheep is to learn to trust the shepherd whether they understand his agenda or not.

The Good Shepherd’s agenda, by the way, is destroying His enemies and so exalting His name. When we accept this, it is infinitely liberating because we realize that life is not all about self. Life lived for self is slavery in the despotic kingdom of Me. It’s all about my self esteem: the greatness I can attain, the fame I can gain, the wealth I can amass, the power I can garner, the comfort I can pad myself with—it is the kingdom of Me.

The pressure is great in the kingdom of Me because each person only has several decades at the most to reach the top of the mountain and after that, it is all down hill. In the kingdom of Me I have to measure myself by everyone around me to know if I am doing well or not. When I am following the Good Shepherd, He leads me in paths of righteousness that He has chosen for me and He rewards me for my simple obedience even more than my self-glorifying sacrifice or my relative success in comparison to others.

When it is about Jesus, I live as His servant—I love Him, follow Him, I get to work for His good and for the good of His kingdom all the days of my life. And it doesn’t matter where He asks me to serve. I’ll serve with all vigilance, and I’ll serve with a heart of gusto, praise and joy.

Why? Because it’s for His name’s sake and I am but His humble servant. This is a purpose bigger than me! Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). As I follow the Good Shepherd, I become part of the inner circle of eternity—and there is no higher thing to desire in all the universe.

Psalms 23 - Part III

2009-02-13T14:21:00.003-05:00

The first part of Psalms 23, verse three says, “He restores my soul”

Compare with Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

In Psalms 23:3 the word restores, in the original language, means “movement back to the point of departure.”[1] The Good Shepherd restores your soul back to a place of rest in the confidence of being loved, protected, forgiven and eternally secure. He cleanses your conscience, quiets your fears, accepts you, blesses you, encourages you and gives you His righteousness as a free gift. He lifts off your heavy burdens and gives you rest from the pressure of self sufficiency. He brings your soul back into peaceful fellowship with God.

There are a lot of people who need rest for their souls. Someone might be in the midstream of life; problems seem insurmountable, relationships unfulfilling, hope is dim, life is either hard or just not fun, your friends are boring, the economy is scary or you’re stuck in some no-win job. This soul-stress can happen to you if you’re a student, young adult, grown-up or ancient of days... it doesn’t matter. Many in our world today labor and are exceedingly burdened with their own problems, the problems of their children, the problems of the world.

Even keeping track of our political landscape and reading the newspapers can be gut-wrenching. For example, we’re recently told that if we do not pass a trillion dollar Federal spending plan (of money we don’t have) we are facing a national catastrophe. The stock market melts down, jobless rates soar, the new president blames every problem on his predecessor and the opposition party screams bloody murder.

And so we march on and continue to labor and bear the heavy burden of our own lives and feel the pressure of the world around us. So many people walk around with a great heaviness upon them, and yet the promise offered is that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will restore your soul. You will find rest for your soul.

Jesus can do this because He rules eternity (Matthew 28:18) which gives Him the power to protect His own (Luke 10:19). He is able to supernaturally provide peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7), to quiet your storm (Matthew 8:23-27), to heal, bless, cleanse and purify your heart. He can break the chains that bind you and break you out of jail (Acts 16: 25-26). He is the Good Shepherd. “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Therefore, no matter what happens on planet earth—with your children, your job, your career, your marriage or with the world around you—the Good Shepherd is able to restore your soul. If you are tired of the pain and burden of life: come to Jesus today.

There is a famous evangelist and TV preacher named James Robison who, in his book entitled Thank God, I’m Free, tells a story about a time in his life that, even while he preached the gospel, there was evil and lust in his heart. He describes a feeling of having a claw in his brain and a deep unhappiness in his soul. Through a trusted friend he finally submitted himself, reluctantly, to a man who prayed and rebuked the devil. Robison said he felt no immediate change so he politely thanked the man and showed him the door. Three days later, however, he woke up in the morning with his soul completely restored and the glory of God filling his heart. He restores my soul.

One quick sidebar: The way that many Christians veer off course and end up with battered souls in the first place is from neglecting the commandment to love. Some people start out strong in the faith and receive the free gift of God’s love but never purposely invest love back into others. Because of this, their love-tank is not refilled and they end up empty of love. Failure to consistently put any heartfelt effort into loving God, their spouse, parents, children, neighbors, or the poor and needy, results in an unhappy existence, devoid of the true riches of Christianity. This is a great paradox: Christians who do not sow love into others but expect to reap love from life. These are people who do not feed the hungry, help the poor, comfort the fatherless or even put effort into prayer and worship. They are loveless. And, loveless people will eventually seek cheap substitute pleasures from the flesh unless they come to their senses and yield to the Good Shepherd.

How to have your soul restored:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

The instruction is to Come, Take, and Learn:

Come – Bring all of your cares and burdens to Jesus with the confident expectation that He has the power to give you rest. Jesus represents absolute security and has absolute power. He is: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Nothing can penetrate the safety of His resting place—this is a promise of God’s Word and therefore, absolute truth.

Psalms 91 speaks of abiding in the secret place of the Most High and says: “though a thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked” (Psalms 91:7-8). Come to Jesus and He will give you rest.

Take – Taking Jesus’ yoke is allowing His burden to be your burden. It is to love what He loves and hate what He hates. It is to involve yourself in His business and to leave the worry of your business to His care. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”1 John 2:15-17

Learn – I’ve heard preachers say that one way to look at this passage is through the idea of a two-yoke team of oxen pulling together, the younger learning from the elder. Jesus, the elder, offers to personally yoke Himself together with His student. Be forewarned, however, that this is humble work. “I am gentle and lowly in heart” In other words, the one you are yoked with is not by nature a party animal or a trouble maker. You cannot race ahead of Him or follow some other path of your own choosing. He values peace over contention, humility over prowess. He is extremely strong, very consistent, loving and protective. If you take His yoke and learn from Him, He will restore your soul. His yoke is easy and His burden is light because He does all the hard work and it is His good pleasure to share the victory with you. Learn from Jesus—adopt His values, care about what He cares about and love what He loves and you will find rest for your soul.

If your soul is restored you can dream, think clearly, love, keep promises, plan, hope and see God in the fabric of life. Your heart is not eaten up with anger, fear, anxiety, lust or inappropriate ambitions. If your soul is restored you can believe, and "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Mark 9:23

Psalms 23 - Part II

2009-02-06T22:18:00.002-05:00

Psalms 23 - Part I

2009-01-30T13:50:00.003-05:00

"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names’ sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalms 23 is one of the most famous passages in the Bible. It is commonly read at funerals and frequently depended on whenever someone needs comfort from God. The references to green pastures, still waters, comfort for the soul and having no fear in the valley of the shadow of death have strengthened the hearts of many over the centuries.

But is there more to this famous piece of literature than meets the eye? Certainly Jesus referring to Himself as the Good Shepherd immediately hearkens our mind back Psalms 23. However, comparing the individual verses to specific events recorded in the Gospels holds amazing discoveries. We find, embedded in this most famous Psalm, incredible insight into our Christian lives.

The first and most obvious truth to embrace from the start is that Jesus would love to personally be your shepherd. We are each called to be sheep in His pasture and because of that, every once in awhile we must take perspective and ask ourselves, “Am I presently being led, protected and comforted by the Good Shepherd?”

Truthfully, we can be committed Christians and easily fall into false religion or pseudo-faith instead of maintaining relationship based faith. In fact, religion has got an insidious ability to cause us to think we’re doing righteousness, but in reality we’ve actually walked away from the true path and are missing the mark. We typically will be attracted to some facet or portion of work or some cause that will consume our attention and keep us from focusing on the Good Shepherd.

Therefore, the essential relationship that we need to look to continue to cultivate and refocus on in our lives is our relationship with Jesus. Who is Jesus to you? Who is Jesus to you, personally? I’m not referring to what part of Christianity you like or what it is about Jesus that you relate to. What about you and Jesus?

In fact, there are hundreds of different agendas in our hearts and we are all just trying to gain ground, obtain satisfaction, achieve upward movement, and feel acceptance or some sense of true north. Many times this can lead to some pretty incredible double mindedness and confusion.

You’ll never be confused, however, if Jesus is your Shepherd. If you’ll spend a life eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6), looking to Him, focusing on Him and bringing your spirit back into orientation with the teachings and the person of the Good Shepherd, you’ll never be confused, distracted, led away or deceived. Your life must focus on the Good Shepherd.

Psalm 23, the first half of verse number two says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.”

Consider Jesus’ earthly ministry in direct correlation with this verse:

Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. Matthew 14:19

Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. Mark 6:39

Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. John 6:10

Three Gospel accounts specifically note that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, made His sheep to lie down in a grassy place. The original Greek meaning of the words used in the Gospels to describe this grassy place is “the place where the grass grows and animals graze,” in other words, a pasture.

“He makes us to lie down in green pastures.” When He was ready to feed the multitudes who had come to Him, Jesus asked them to lie down in green pastures. That should hit something in our prophetic mind. A flag should go up alerting us that this is a prophetic correlation that hooks Jesus directly to Psalms 23.

To the Christian, this teaches the responsibility of gathering in a calm place in a group to be fed by the Shepherd. Sounds like church! Our lives sometimes get filled with so much busyness and so much turmoil and so much confusion that we wouldn’t ever think about going and sitting down in a grassy place to be fed by the Shepherd.

Imagine, just sitting in a meadow somewhere quietly and allowing Jesus to feed your soul. Many consider themselves far too busy to gather together for a Sunday Church or a special meeting just to have their souls nourished from Jesus’ word. It is also interesting that Jesus fed the multitudes through the hands of His disciples indicating the correlation to the church as His means of legitimate ministry.

Remember the sisters Mary and Martha? They had a problem. Jesus was visiting their house and Mary simply sat at Jesus’ feet listening to Him speak. At the same time, Martha was acting responsibly. She was concerned about so many things; serving the guests and tidying up; she was doing the things that had to be done. After all, doesn’t God help those who help themselves?

But good-old ‘too-spiritual-to-be-earthly-good’ Mary over there, all she wanted to do was get out of the work. She wouldn’t move from Jesus feet. But when Martha finally complains about her sister, Jesus judges that it was Mary who chose the better part. Mary chose to be fed by the Good Shepherd.

You see, if Jesus is going to restore your soul, you have to sit at His feet. You have to sit down with the sheep. You have to see yourself as a sheep. Unfortunately, we tend to see ourselves, as John Kelly used to say, as ‘Lambo:’ the sole warrior sheep for God. We are part lamb and part Rambo; the lonely wounded warrior; never truly part of the flock.

Actually, we Americans don’t like to be a part of the flock at all. We think that people who follow a leader are mindless, weak and gullible. The Good Shepherd says goodbye Lambo and welcome to ‘sheepdom.’

The multitudes that Jesus fed in that pasture were following Him, one Gospel says, for three days. They were tired. They were worn. They had been following after Jesus, and Jesus, in effect said, “I want to refresh you now.” Some people do not feel refreshed in church because they are not following Jesus in between Sundays. I don’t refuel my car if I haven’t run the engine since last week. In the same way, I am not hungry for the Word of God if my faith motor is not running, motivating me each day to follow Jesus.

Psalm 23 prophesies of Jesus, the Good Shepherd saying, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Do you think God wants to send a message today? There is a time set aside each week for you to stop striving, sit down in the green pastures of the Church and be fed by His disciples so that the Good Shepherd can restore your soul. That is why it is important to be in a church where there is green, fresh grass growing.

You do not want lite-grass, diet-grass, or user friendly grass. You want fresh green grass and you want to eat it in church among the other sheep.

Gratitude for Your Support in 2008

2009-01-22T08:26:00.003-05:00

Please accept my sincere thanks for your generous giving to the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ in 2008. In May of 1987 a small group of feisty Holy Spirit-filled Christians meeting in each other’s homes, borrowed churches and community halls, chartered their growing Bible study, naming it Christ Community Church of the Catskills. Twenty two years and a name change later, Catskill Mountain Christian Center stands in our region as a magnificent, living and vibrant beacon of God’s love and evidence of the power and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. CMCC is arguably the most active church in Delaware County, touching literally thousands of lives each year both spiritually and through works of service.

The book of James says, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:14-18

Through your giving, 2008 was a year of unprecedented productivity for CMCC on every level. Most notably, our average Sunday attendance was significantly higher and our Family Table food program distributed a record amount of food valued at $450,000 to over one thousand local low income families.

Further evidence of the great faith of CMCC members is as follows: services every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, nursery care, Sunday school, Power Kids, home groups, nursing home ministry, senior citizen’s dinner fellowship, regular women’s meetings, men’s meetings, leadership training, pastoral counseling, Bible studies, True Beauties, CMCC Rangers, youth group, CMCC School of Ministry, music ministry, prayer ministry, usher team, financial counseling, personal discipleship, building maintenance and cleaning, snow removal/lawns and grounds, altar/prayer ministry team, after church coffee hour, hospitality, missions support, administration, financial team, web site administration and crisis counseling.

A major program of CMCC is Catskill Mountain Christian Academy, a full pre-k through twelfth grade school in its fourteenth year of providing an excellent education for children whose parents value the integration of Christian faith with academics. Led by my wife Nancy with an incredible staff of holy and dedicated professionals, in 2008 CMCA graduated four college-ready seniors. The school is a tremendous responsibility and a true labor of love.

Our website: www.cmcconline.org has become a powerful communication tool, enabling CMCC to touch thousands of people. 2008 saw over 9,000 total page visits and almost 5,000 different computer addresses logging in; 2,000 of them were first time visitors. 14 different states from the U.S. and 10 countries from five different continents visited our website in 2008.

In 2008 we worked towards two separate potential new church plants, six of our youth went off to study for a year at Elim Bible Institute, two groups took trips to the Lakeland, Florida revival, and 10 CMCC members took a two week mission trip to a remote village in Mexico. Besides what I just mentioned, here’s a rundown of special events in 2008 from my calendar:

Evangelist and strongman Steve Carrier with 100 decisions for Christ
CMCA spelling bee
Family game nights
Coffee house
Men’s breakfast meetings
30 attended Battlecry, a major youth event in New Jersey
Andes Hotel Valentine’s dinner
Evangelist Randy Goodeau
Caryl Mallory from Wycliff Bible Translators
Pastor Mark and Mary Meyers ministry weekend
Good Friday Passion of the Christ movie
Easter sunrise service
Rev. Paul Moore from CitiHope International
24 hour prayer vigil
Former NFL star Paul Costa ministry weekend
60th Anniversary of Israel celebration at United Nations in New York City
Joint motorcycle ride with a New Jersey Christian motorcycle club
Alight Care Center of Troy, New York annual support banquet
Pastor Bob and Cara Grimm ministry weekend
Lakeland Outpouring trip
Susan Brown, Arising to Excellence Ministries, women’s meeting
Pastor Alan Babcock, CMCA commencement speaker
Four seniors graduate Catskill Mountain Christian Academy
Trooper David Brinkerhoff Memorial dedication
Dr. Larry Keefauver ministry weekend
Mexico mission trip for 10 members
After Edmund concert
CMCA youth conference
Ron Depriest ministry weekend including men’s breakfast with Christian Motorcycle Association
Bishop Julius Wafula Macheusi from Kenya arrives for eight weeks
Winner’s Circle Business Institute
Pastor David Engelhardt Ministry weekend
Harvest party
Naomi Dowdy ministry week
CMCC women’s conference in Kingston with Apostle Naomi Dowdy
Margaretville community Christmas celebration, parade float, live Nativity
Family Table children’s Christmas party
Various church Christmas parties
Christmas Eve candlelight service
New Years Eve fellowship and prayer.

And on top of all of the above our pastoral staff visits the sick, prays for the discouraged, responds to emergencies. We hold weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby dedications and conduct marriage and family ministry. My second nationally published book came out in 2008 (The Sovereignty of God revision) and I am on the ecclesiastical council of the International Christian Wealth Builders Foundation and CitiHope International. I also represented CMCC at various regional and national ministry related conferences and Pastor Kevin Beutel represents CMCC at the local Greater Margaretville Area Interfaith Council. Pastor Randall Johnson serves on the board of the Ulster County Pregnancy Distress Centers and Pastor Renard Barto and his wife, Gina are active as foster parents and involved in the foster care community.

CMCC is affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals, the International Coalition of Apostles, Open Bible Faith Fellowship of Canada, Your Ministry Consultation Services, the International Christian Wealth Builders Foundation, LEAD – Leadership Education for Apostolic Development, CitiHope International, Eagles Wings Ministries, Bethesda Missionary Fellowship of Kenya, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, Central Catskill’s Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Margaretville Area Interfaith Council.

In closing, I am very grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ for His faithfulness and to you for your generosity to His Kingdom. I look forward to what the future holds as we continue to serve Him together in 2009 and beyond.
Blessings,
Pastor Bob Engelhardt

Fresh Offerings

2009-01-14T16:14:00.006-05:00

When sharing your faith, it is sometimes humbling to honestly tell others how much God has done for you. When you are transparent, however, your personal witness is a powerful tool to open people's hearts. Consider the power of the personal testimonies at this link: http://www.rhchurch.org/pages/cardboard-testimonies/

We really have a lot of good things going on this January to keep your heart warm and your mind active. I believe that the winter is the very best time to focus on your faith and make important adjustments in habits and attitudes, moving forward in the most important things in life. "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:8-9

In addition to all of our regular activities, here a few fresh offerings:
1. CALLING ALL MEN: Driven by Eternity
Saturday mornings at 9:00 am with Pastor Renard Barto.

Driven by Eternity offers a compelling look at what it means to truly live a life that counts. Many people today are building their lives on cultural thinking, emotional feelings, tradition and assumptions of who God is rather than basing their beliefs on the permanent truth of God’s Word. In this video series, John Bevere argues that these people have been deceived and will one day face God for His laws that they have overlooked, ignored or chosen to disobey. Driven by Eternity tackles the notion that it really doesn’t matter how you live or what you do once you’ve become a Christian. Bevere reminds readers that once you make a decision to follow Jesus, everything matters - even more.

2. Fire in the Winter
LEARN TO BURN at this mid-week service series with Pastor Bob Engelhardt. Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.

Fire warms the cold heart! Fire burns away the impurities! Fire lights the way! Fire bakes the fresh bread! Fire ignites the soul with passion! "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11

3. CMCC School of Ministry
Achieving Transformation through Education
Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm with instructors Dean Malaxos and Ross Gill providing two classes of college level learning: God’s Design for the New Testament Church and The Making of a Godly Leader.

4. A.L.I.V.E. - Abundant Life Intersects Vital Empowerment
Saturday mornings, 9:00-10:30am. A fun Bible study series & breakfast club led by Sharon Engelhardt for girls ages 11—16. Define yourself—find your voice—fulfill God’s purposes for you!

5. Special Guest Ministry
Pastor Jim Jorgensen. One of our favorites! January 25, Sunday Service, 10:00 am

6. W.O.W. - 2009 is Mine!

Women of the Word - 2009 Kickoff Meeting Sunday evening, January 25, 6:00 pm, The Chapel - Ladies, this is YOUR year, for victory, strength, peace, purpose, Holy Spirit power. Come, be encouraged, be refreshed by the presence of God.

I hope everyone can make a number of these happenings. As you can see, at CMCC we work double-overtime to ensure a full plate of regular and special activities to keep the Christian heart well cared for. It is our honor to serve you, the King's children.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Bob Engelhardt
http://www.cmcconline.org/

The Harvest

2009-01-09T11:28:00.007-05:00

Have you shared your faith with anyone lately? 2009 is the year of harvest and harvesting requires God's entire family working in the fields and bringing in the proverbial sheaves. Your friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members are waiting for you to share Jesus' love with them, and winter is the perfect time to do it. Here are a few ideas:

-Invite someone to church.
-Invite someone to your home to share a meal.
-Write a letter to a loved one.
-Bake some cookies and surprise your neighbor, including a note that says, 'Jesus loves you.'
-Send personal notes to friends via email.
-Invite someone to church.
-Buy someone a book (like 'The Case for Christ' by Lee Strobel).
-Bring a friend to home group.
-Begin praying for everyone in your neighborhood and look for opportunities to serve them.
-Buy a friend a large print, easy-reading version of the Bible.
-Volunteer at CMCC's Family Table as a prayer minister.
-Serve at the Wednesday evening Senior Citizen’s Dinner.
-Invite someone to come to church with you. Meet them outside, stay with them through the service and then take them to lunch afterwards.

The nice thing about sharing your faith is that you can be fun and creative doing it. If you look around your world and pray about it, God will show you all kinds of opportunities. Here are two ideas of what other people are doing:

I was very inspired last night to see the winning quarterback of the college football championship game, Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators, with John 3:16 written so the cameras couldn't miss it. You gotta love this:

And then I came to work this morning and watched the linked clip below, sent to me by Jim Kiley of Word of Jesus in Holbrook, NY. I really hope you take a couple of minutes to watch because it will definitely elevate your day and inspire you to use whatever God has given you to share His love:

http://www.4marks.com/videos/details.html?video_id=723

"God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NLT)

See You Sunday,
Pastor Bob Engelhardt
http://www.cmcconline.org/

Matthew Jacob Beutel

2009-01-02T14:31:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry to have to report that Matthew Beutel, 10 year old son of our own Pastor Kevin and Michelle Beutel, has passed away from complications related to his severe cerebral palsy. Matty's short life was a glorious gift to everyone in CMCC. Please hold the Beutel family up in prayer including Matthew's brothers, Noah and Cameron. I will notify you of arrangements.

The Power of Christmas Traditions

2008-12-17T10:41:00.004-05:00

The power of tradition is to memorialize something considered exceptionally important or sacred to a culture and to function as a vehicle to pass down important values from ancestors to their descendants. For example, old European and early American culture gave us many of our most wonderful Christmas traditions, mixing the biblical accounts of the Nativity with other beloved practices. These are the familiar images of baby Jesus in a manger, the wise men, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, Christmas trees, church services, seasonal songs, traditional carols, giving gifts, spreading good will, sharing fictional stories like A Christmas Carol and even old St. Nick. These are all traditions our Christian ancestors initiated and handed down so that future generations might know how much they loved their most valuable treasure; God's original Christmas present: Jesus Christ.

Although our mixed-up world has largely moved away from the true heart and soul of the holiday, Christmas traditions were intentionally designed to stir feelings of goodwill and love among people because the one celebrated is an expression of good will and love from God. What a great idea; to rejoice at God’s gift to the world by transforming an entire home, village, town or city with colorful lights, garland, the sounds of heartwarming songs and celebrating by giving gifts to one another in a common expression of Christmas joy. I believe that we must never forget the main message communicated through our beloved holiday traditions, contending vigorously and reminding the world boldly of their original meaning.

We surely know that God is never far away regardless of how far many have drifted and the great hope for our generation is, as always, in the tireless, timeless work of bringing the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ back into the center of human life. Our ancestors knew this and memorialized it in our Christmas traditions. Therefore this year as we turn our hearts towards Christmas once again, I encourage everyone to keep Christmas as Christmas; a day when we memorialize and celebrate God’s gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, to the world.

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:8-14

And echoing the words of the immortal Linus, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

It's A Wonderful Life

2008-12-12T14:08:00.001-05:00