The Bare Soul - Heavenly Hospitality - October 30, 2011

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Heavenly Hospitality" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on October 27, 2011.

Heavenly Hospitality - October 27, 2011

Hebrews 13:2 - Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

I read a story recently about a little girl who grew up in the deep south during the 1930s. This family, as most in the depression-era south, had little and eked out an existence rivaling many of those in third-world countries of our present time. One day, this little girl was playing outside her rural home when she heard the clank of steel across the road. It was a chain gang of workers finding a place to rest under a large oak tree across from the family's property. Her mother kindly allowed the men, one by one, to drink as much as they wanted from the water pump outside the house. She remembers her mother busily preparing tuna sandwiches in the kitchen, which was to be her family's supper that night. The little girl recalls carrying lemonade out to the men as her mother went to each man on the chain gang, serving them individually. They were all appreciative, but what one man said resonated with the little girl for decades to come. He said all his life he wondered if he'd ever see an angel, and now he was face to face with one! The mother and daughter went into the house with an empty tray and empty lemonade pitchers. The only explanation her mother gave her for her kindness was out of Hebrews 13:2: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. She concluded her story by saying she doesn't remember what they ended up having for supper that evening, but she would always remember what they didn't have, and that made all the difference in the world.

The Online Dictionary defines hospitality as "the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way." In scripture, the transliteration of the Greek word hospitality is philoxenos which means "love to strangers." Our present day word derives from the Latin word hospes, where we get our word "hospital." Those in the Middle Ages used this word to describe places where the infirmed and sick could find rest and solace while they healed. (A common name for a hospital in France during this time was the Hotel-Dieu, which literally mans "the hotel of God.") These "oases of love" later became institutionalized into our present day hospitals. However, the adjective of hospitality never lost its significance to the counterpart of the noun, hospital. One might imply a place of healing, where the other signifies the act of bringing healing to those infirmed in both body and soul. Understanding the meaning of both are important concerning how God desires us to operate in this regard. Our Western culture seems to have lost something with doctors secluding themselves in offices rather than making house calls as was the case several decades ago. Our society has allowed institutions, such as these offices or clinics or hospitals themselves, to take the place of taking medical hospitality to others. In like manner, the church at large seems to have lost this attitude of bringing philoxenes or hospes to others who are hurting, both within the Body of Christ and more importantly, to strangers. While many churches certainly concern themselves with hospice and outreach to those hurting within the body, how many go out of their way to seek out strangers who are hurting? It is one thing to bring flowers to a sanitized hospital or hospice environment as an act of kindness. It is quite another to seek out those on the highways and byways of life and to sit with someone hurting on a crumbling piece of sidewalk, listening to their cry for help (Luke 14:23).

While seeking out the "undesirables of society" is certainly something we can all do as committed believers of Jesus Christ, there are far simpler things which can also mean so much to others. When was the last time we smiled at a total stranger, expecting nothing in return? If we do it on a regular basis then my next question would be whether it was toward one of the "beautiful people." By this I mean, was it someone in which we relate to rather than someone we might berate in judgment regarding their looks or social strata? I understand that women need to be careful in this regard, however there are always safe opportunities if one seeks to find them. Jesus tells us the one who offers a cold drink of water to one of these "little ones" will surely never lose their reward (Matthew 10:42). I believe that a cold drink of water may come in many forms of refreshment to a haggard soul needing encouragement on life's journey. When we are hospitable to people, regardless of their demographics, then we are behaving as our Savior ministered while upon this earth. And who knows? Possibly we have interacted with God's angels in our everyday encounters. The writer of Hebrews would not have mentioned the probability if it were not a possibility. Nonetheless, whether it is angels or mere mortals we deal with on a daily basis, Jesus told us through His New Testament writers to show hospitality to all men (Romans 12:13; I Timothy 5:10; I Peter 4:9). In so doing, we do it as unto the Lord which is Whom we serve in the spirit of hospitality (Matthew 25:40).

The question should be asked: Why are we not hospitable when it is in our power to do so? In many cases it comes down to fear -- the fear we will lose something. Years later, the little girl who witnessed her mother's hospitality to a chain gang of men couldn't remember what they ate that night for dinner. The loss was not important. What was of greatest importance is how much she gained through her apparent loss of a few tuna fish sandwiches. Decades later her acquired insight into what it means to show godly love to strangers becomes apparent to all. When we seek to hang onto something out of fear of losing it, then it is often torn from our grasp by an irresistible force which we can't control. Conversely, when we allow ourselves to become servants of all, showing hospitality and brotherly love to others, we find we gain so much more. As we lay down our lives both for our Savior and others, may we all be living "hospitals", bringing hospitality to those most needful of a touch of God's grace!

O Gracious Father, thank you for the example of Your Son! He truly brought hospice to many as He healed some physically, and far more emotionally and spiritually. May we learn from His example, making many "house calls" as we bring the Gospel to those whom You direct. Allow us to give sacrificially until we realize we gained far more than we could ever lose. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick



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An Expanding Universe - October 23, 2011

Job 9:8 - He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

On October 4, 2011 Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt, and Adam Riess won the Nobel Prize in physics for a relatively new theory claiming the universe is expanding, rather than shrinking, as physicists once believed. For nearly a decade since their initial discovery, the idea of an expanding universe went against the status quo belief of a shrinking cosmos, suggesting gravity pulled everything back together whereby creating a reductive effect. These three men, with Perlmutter working independently from the other two, discovered instead how the universe continues to expand. They came to their conclusions by measuring how light travels from exploding stars. The so-called repulsive force of "dark matter" causes a reaction making the light expand beyond its source, according to these scientists. They conclude this is the dynamic which causes the universe to expand. Of course, scripture has stated their conclusion for millennia. As our lead verse states, Yahweh has been stretching out the heavens through time and eternity. Rather than a static universe (the position most scientists have historically taken), the suggestion from this recent secular discovery is of a dynamic force compelling the universe to enlarge. As already mentioned, they refer to this power as the dark matter of the universe. This unexplainable power tends to shape and enlarge our universe, yet these physicists can only speculate regarding what it is or its origin. Of course, those who know and believe God's word understand how He not only continues to shape our world, but also all the created elements in existence.

Similarly, many pre-Columbus scholars mocked the Bible and its clear statement regarding a circular earth (Job 26:10). In Isaiah 40:22, the phobia of a flat earth is dispelled and the revelation of an expanding universe is stated clearly. Isaiah writes:

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

The misconceptions of many early astronomers and scientists created an unfounded fear in those who might dare to sail beyond the known limits. With this example and the present shift from a static to a dynamic universe, the scientific world must once again do obeisance to God's holy word. However, for many of the academic and scientific world to give credit where it is due would mean an acknowledgement of a Creator that is continually granting life and growth to all His creation. By their admission regarding the dynamicity of the universe, they have inadvertently done what many of them vehemently oppose, which is to suggest there is a power greater than themselves. However, admitting to a changing universe is a far cry from them publicly stating an eternal being is the cause of this universal progression. However, what other explanation might suffice? To suggest an eternal universe is one thing, but to say that this universe is growing is another. This mysterious dark matter must have its source in something inconceivable to modern science. And, if the truth be known, it does.

I will present my own theory, based on scripture, what this force is which continues to enlarge our universe. The psalmist wrote in the eighty-ninth psalm that God's mercy will be built up forever. The New American Standard version makes it clearer to our understanding by stating the following: For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.” (Psalm 89:2) On the basis of this scripture (including many others stating God is eternal and without limits), I believe the power which is unexplainable to these astral-physicists and scientists is the very nature of God -- LOVE. This dark matter, as they call it, is possibly the temporal manifestation of an eternal power of love expanding the universe. As the Apostle John states, God is love (I John 4:8). Why then should we doubt the eternal God, who is immeasurable in His love for His creation, is not demonstrating this by allowing His lovingkindness to expand the heavens? The psalmist states quite clearly that "... lovingkindness will be built up forever." If we believe the Scriptures, then we must conclude that His love will continue to expand throughout eternity. It is an unstoppable, immeasurable eternal substance that continues to push both time and eternity beyond our mortal understanding. If Jesus is the one in which all things hold together (Colossians 1:17), surely the Triune God is also the One causing all things to grow and expand through His love.

Mortal man with his finite understanding will never comprehend why the universe grows through this suspected repulsion of dark matter. However, for those of us who believe God's word, the knowledge that God does so is enough for those who choose a life of faith. Jeremiah stated: He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding (Jeremiah 51:15). It may not be ours to know in this lifetime, how or why God does what He does regarding His expansive love. However, there will come a day when more will be revealed. At that moment in our history, when time gives way to eternity, we will know more perfectly and stand in amazement of a God who continues to expand Himself through His love in all of His creation. The greatness of His power will only be eclipsed by the wonder of His love for those who accept Him by faith. May His love continue to expand in all our hearts as we accept Him as the Creator of all.

Heavenly Father, Great Almighty Yahweh, thank you for revealing Yourself through Your great power and expansive love. May we look to the heavens and realize how You created an eternal cosmos to reflect Your greatness. And, beyond this, how Your universe continues to grow through Your lovingkindness for all You've created. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

God's Name - October 16, 2011

Psalm 75:1 - We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, for Your Name is near; Men declare Your wondrous works.

Years ago, a young lady who attended our church wore a button from time to time out in public which caused quite a stir. I guess you could say it was a campaign button of sorts. In large block letters it read: CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, GOD'S LAST NAME IS NOT DAMN! She was on a crusade to make people realize how flippant the vast majority of folks are with God's Name. Of all people, she understood the power of the Name. In the mid-1970s, her husband was within days of succumbing to cancer. All of his hair was gone from chemotherapy and radiation treatments and he was emaciated from the long struggle. Simply, he was a mere shell of a man after cancer had its way with him. A group of believers, led by a faith-filled preacher, stood around his bed and prayed for his healing. Miraculously, he was healed instantly. Within days, his strength had returned and his hair began to grow back. That is about the time I met this beautiful couple. We were all new Christians and were energized by this move of God upon this young man's life. (This healing was documented by The 700 Club and confirmed by his doctors in 1977.) Through this ordeal and subsequent healing, I believe the Lord gave his wife a revelation of the Name of Jesus. That blessed, wonderful Name healed her husband of the cancer that almost destroyed him. Her "campaign button" was merely her tongue-in-cheek way of telling others that God's Name means so much more than a glib expression uttered in anger or exclaim.

Today, OMG is touted by many as one of the most used abbreviations in text messaging. Every generation, including this one, seems to find new ways to marginalize God's Name. Using the Lord's Name in a curse word, or to glibly say " Oh My God!" or "Jesus Christ!" is definitely taking the Lord's Name in vain. However, these often just scratch the proverbial surface. There are much more serious instances of breaking the third commandment (Exodus 20:7). The Lord God Almighty gave Moses this instruction on Mount Sinai over 1400 years before the birth of Christ. But, even then, it was in the heart of the Father for His Son to present a similar commandment on a different mount early in His Son's ministry. When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, he taught his disciples to pray in the sixth chapter of Matthew. The Lord began His instruction by first acknowledging the greatness of His Father's eminence by His location in the eternal heavens -- Our Father who is in heaven. Of great importance is His next statement: Hallowed (or holy) be Your Name! (Matthew 6:9). Jesus not only declared His Father's omnipotence by His preeminence, ruling over heaven and earth, but He also instructed humankind to regard the Name as holy. We might read or hear this and the significance might not really sink into our understanding. However, the holiness of the Name implies that it is set apart for everything beholden to the nature of the Most High.

The Name not only characterizes God, but it explains His attributes or His way He interacts with His creation. Even as Yeshua's (Jesus') Name means "Jehovah is Salvation", the Son of God understood the significance of both His Name and that of His Father's. Their Names were inextricably linked through their relationship of the Godhead, thus allowing the Name to have the same power on earth, as it did in heaven. So, if God the Father's nature meant love, salvation, mercy, healing, wisdom, and many more, than the Name would also be synonymous with His nature. That's why Jesus proclaimed the importance in John 16:23 of us asking in His Name, because then the Father would release the answers to our prayers. However, there is one provision. We must "hallow" His Name, regarding the Name as holy and not trivialized by vain requests. A religious mind-set devoid of any true relationship with God may often be guilty of taking the Lord's Name in vain in ways we may not have considered. If we don't regard Him truly as "Father" by faith, then we seek Him through our own works. When we approach God in this manner, we hold to a form of godliness, although we have denied its power (II Timothy 3:5).

Taking the Lord's Name in vain is a travesty. If we call ourselves Christians and we don't cringe when we hear someone damn something by the Beautiful Name, then we should question our faith and whom we've believed. If we don't consider Yahweh or His Son Yeshua's Name as holy, we won't hold it with reverence concerning how we invoke His Name in our supposed relationship with Him. As Psalm 75:1 states, when the Name of God (whether Jehovah, Yahweh, or Yeshua [Jesus]) is near to us, we will declare the goodness of that Name with all its "wondrous works". Our thanksgiving for God revealing His glorious Name to us will fill us with awe and reverence. Never more will we regard the Name to be used in a vain way, whether through flippant text-messaging or through a life that vainly seeks God in such a way denying the very power of the Name which wrought salvation for all. Much like my friend from years ago, we will recoil from those who would objectify the Name as a vanity upon the lips of mankind, where it means nothing but a curse. For those spiritually in tune with the Spirit of the Lord, we will further understand when we or others are living vain lives that purport God but which deny Him and the power of His Name. The rapturous beauty of the revealed Son within our lives will provoke relationship rather than a vain pursuit that leads to emptiness. May we all seek the Lord until He would reveal Himself to each of us, showing us the holy power that transforms us all through the revelation of the Name.

Heavenly Father, Great Jehovah, we humbly bow before Your throne of grace, asking You to reveal Your Name and the power thereof. We ask to understand, by Your great wisdom, all You desire for us to experience in this relationship with You and Your Son. May we never take Your Name in vain, either by word or by deed. Help us to hallow Your Name everyday, in everyway. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

Children of the Wind - October 9, 2011

John 3:8 - The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

As a runner, I am possibly more in tune with my surroundings than a lot of people. Since I've never ran with "contraptions" in my ears, blaring out music or some other distraction, I like to believe I appreciate the sights and sounds around me. Whether its children laughing, people chatting, or just the sound of a bicycle passing me on a running path, I enjoy experiencing life in close proximity. Often, I can hear the wind as it blows steadily through large elms and cottonwoods, going where it wills. Runners or bicyclists can usually find their pace quicken when the wind is at our respective backs. It pushes us along, as we may not even consider it blowing us on our way. We're often thinking about other things. However, the wind may change directions on us rather suddenly, or we might be the ones to initiate the adjustment of course. If we are moving sideways to its direction, its usually not too bad. If, however, we find ourselves running directly against the wind, then a struggle often ensues. No longer are we thinking about this or that, but our minds are concentrated on the resistance we've suddenly encountered. Our energy is now directed to what assails us. Moments before we experienced a thoughtlessness of the wind, because it was seemingly helping us on our way. Now, it seems to defy us as we fight our way against its strength.

Many of us have probably heard the line in the old Irish blessing that states, "May the wind always be at your back." Of course, the implication of this figure of speech is to wish for someone to possess few struggles -- that the wind would push them through life, allowing them to accomplish all their goals. While some would say that's an impossible accomplishment, I am of the belief that it could be more of a reality if we listened a bit closer to God's leadings in our lives, obeying what He commands. In the book of John the third chapter, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit in the eighth verse, comparing Him to the wind. Clearly, Jesus is speaking of the Spirit in this context, as John uses the Greek word pneuma when referring to the wind in the opening phrase. A synonymous usage of the word is also used at the end of the verse when Jesus states: "so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Of equal importance is what Jesus states in the middle of this verse. He declares the mystery of the Spirit, by stating He is like the wind and no one knows His next move. Then, Jesus claims something extraordinary. He says those who are born of the Spirit are likened to this same behavior as their spiritual Father! Which leads to a thought provoking question for those of us who claim to be born of God's Spirit: Is our behavior like the Wind of God that created us? Do we move with freedom in the Spirit, allowing Him at our backs, propelling us on our way in the things of God? Or, do we resist the Holy Spirit and continue on in ways we know deep down are contrary to His leadings? In the past, many of us can attest to God leading us by His Spirit as He pushed us onward toward our goal of pleasing the Son and the Father. However, possibly we no longer feel that strength behind our backs, pushing us closer to Yahweh. Instead, we feel a resistance, like we are running against the Wind of God. This direction earlier in our Christian walk was very possibly the right way to go. However, some of us have undoubtedly ignored the direction of God's Wind and have insisted on going an old, familiar way. As children of the Wind, we will not know His peace in our lives until we can once again know He is literally behind us.

The Apostle Paul warned the early church there would be other "winds" that would seek to trick us into following their course. Winds often deceive seasoned sailors who understand a bit less than they sometimes profess. A good example is when those transporting Paul and his companions to Rome supposed they had attained their purpose of a "moderate south wind" suddenly found themselves in a hurricane of epic proportions. For over two weeks, they were buffeted about in the Mediterranean Sea until finally shipwrecked on the island of Malta (see Acts 27:9-44). Paul possessed the wisdom from the Wind Himself to know their journey would end just as it did. However, those who were supposedly "seasoned sailors" did not heed the wisdom of Paul or of the Spirit who led him. Very possibly, when Paul wrote to the Ephesians later from Rome while he awaited trial, he was reflecting on those tempestuous two weeks. He tells them to beware of false teaching that comes in the form of other winds that would seek to deceive. He states in Ephesians 4:14: As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming. Paul admonished the Ephesians to no longer be as children. It was time to grow up and to attune themselves with the doctrine of God, and to be led by the Holy Spirit. The winds of the doctrines of men and devils may push us along for a season, and we may believe we've "attained our purpose." However, they will always turn on us and ultimately cause our faith to shipwreck (I Timothy 1:19).

God is calling us all to grow up in the faith, and yet we will always be His children. As children of our Father, we will always know we are His if we are led by His Wind. Do you sense God at your back today, pushing you toward your goal of the upward call in Christ Jesus? Or, do You feel like you're running against the wind. Possibly worse, do you sense another wind at your back, yet there is not the joy and peace as you once possessed? Is it a dry wind that is sucking the life out of your Christian walk? If there is not a clear sense of the Wind of God in our lives, it is time to stop until we can once again discern which way He is blowing. Then, may we all start down that new direction He provides. In a short time, the joy will once again return, confirming we are children of the Wind, always strengthened by His power that empowers us.

Holy Father, blow upon us through the Wind of Your Spirit. Lead us, guide us as children of the Wind. May we always discern Your leading and joyously comply to wherever Your Spirit takes us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

Divine Rescue - October 2, 2011

Colossians 1:13-14 - For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Ever wonder why super-heroes are such a popular genre? While we trudge through our daily "grinds", it is often refreshing to know that we can escape into another reality where mortals take on a sense of immortality. As a child, I remember the old Batman series on prime time television. Both in comic book print and on TV, I was fascinated with the Caped Crusader and how he always managed to set things right in the end. Others, such as Superman, took on an other "worldliness" characteristic of phenomenal power and strength. No matter the character, publishers such as DC Comics and Marvel created larger-than-life characters that transcended human effort when all seemed lost. Regarding mankind's frailty, it would appear the human psyche is wired to understand we desperately need something greater than ourselves to believe in. We know our inherent weaknesses all too well, so we are able to rejoice when a true hero saves the proverbial day. With all reverence I suggest that Jesus Christ is the ultimate Super-hero that will always rescue us, if we will but call upon Him. Though transcendent in all power, He is still intimately involved with each of us in a personal way.

In our lead verse, Paul describes Satan's stronghold over humanity as the "domain of darkness." I can think of no better description to describe Satan's syndicate of evil. Imagine with me, if you will, any number of arch villains or "foils" that have sought to rule society in the aforementioned super-hero genres. Often, we would find a damsel in distress (such as a Lois Lane) being held hostage by powers that sought the overthrow of their righteous nemesis. These wicked gangsters, mad scientists, or all-around evil geniuses often sought to lure their foe into some type of trap. They believed if they could somehow orchestrate the "show down", then they would have the upper hand. Of course, any of us who have ever watched a Superman or Batman movie know this isn't the case. Good always triumphs over evil in the end. As previously mentioned, these sort of outcomes are hard-wired into human beings. We seek redemption, in one way or another. If we can't find it in our religion, we will seek it in other ways.

While I see a lot of movies with my wife, I am particularly selective about what I put before my eyes. I generally want to know there is some type of redemption in the end for the protagonist (or, in some cases the antagonist). It seems less than gratifying when movies or books or any genre of entertainment leave us with an "open ending", not providing closure for anyone, including the audience. Fortunately, those who believe the scriptures and have read to the end of the book of Revelation know we win. This is the greatest redemptive story in the history of the world, and yet many discard it as archaic and unrealistic for our times. They put the Bible in the same genre as comic books or ancient myths which do little to assuage the problems of contemporary living. What they don't understand is that their great inner need for redemption will not be satisfied by any other than the thing they regard as ridiculous. The devils in the domain of darkness have lied to them so they don't understand that they are in need of ransom. If they only knew that Jesus Christ had already paid the price for their release many years ago. The lies that these "evil geniuses" continue to perpetrate over their unknowing slaves continue to be unchallenged. Therefore, the vast majority of the world who are held in these gangsters' grips are unaware of their freedom. If only they would accept this eternal gift from the greatest Super-hero who ever existed, or ever will exist. Then, they would find true freedom from the evil that plagues them everyday.

Many will continue to look up to these super-hero characters we've created out of our need for something bigger than ourselves. I personally believe these are healthy examples to emulate and to look up to, especially for youngsters. However, these are merely to point us to the greatest hero of all time and eternity, who transferred all mankind from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of "His beloved Son." It's time for us all to accept His saving power in our respective lives, and to understand the price has been paid. May we all know that Jesus Christ has rescued us, and will continue to save us as we trust in Him.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus. We thank You that You sent Him as the Divine Rescuer to redeem us for Your good pleasure. May we always look to Him and know that we have been transported by His grace into the kingdom of God, always to be with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

Godly Perception - September 25, 2011

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Godly Perception" delivered to the Teaching God's Infinite Wisdom (TGIW) Men's Bible Study Group in Parkville, MO on September 21, 2011.

Godly Perception - September 21, 2011

Numbers 13:33 - "... and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

As a child, I remember this massive oak tree in the vacant lot where we would often play. Underneath its towering height, we dug a large hole and called it our fort. We stocked it with all the things important to seven and eight year old boys -- comic books, plastic army men, and silver cap pistols. I recall looking up into the large branches thinking it looked at least a mile to the top. None of us dared climb this tree. It was just too intimidating. Many years later, I was visiting this town where I spent my elementary school years and took a drive through the old neighborhood. Where the vacant lot stood, was a house with a tidy yard. There with lush green grass growing under its shade was the old oak. Somehow, when I stopped in front of the house, it looked remarkably smaller than what I remembered. Actually, I couldn't believe how dwarfed it was compared to my memory. It was still large as ever, but not gargantuan like I recollected. Reflecting on this incident, I understand how its often possible to see and yet not see. We can get one idea in our heads and find out later that our perception was way off. Objectivity is often the arbiter between imagination and reality. Only when we can honestly perceive the truth can we objectively understand where we have allowed ourselves to be subjectively influenced.

In many ways, the newly formed nation of Israel operated in a subjective manner regarding their situation in the wilderness of Sinai and Kadesh-barnea. This man Moses had led them out into one of the hottest places on the planet, telling them that God was bringing them into a land "flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8). However, there was a catch. No longer were they to watch God destroy their enemies as He did at the Red Sea. Now Yahweh wanted them to get actively involved by dispossessing those who lived in their promised land before they could move in! We read in the thirteenth chapter of Numbers that the Lord told Moses to send out spies into the occupied country, to get a lay of the land and the people living there. As many of us know, the spies returned ecstatic about the land but terrified of the people. "Thus they told him, and said, ...

We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan." - Numbers 13:27-29

Caleb's insistence that they could take the land and its inhabitants fell on deaf ears as they declared to Moses and the congregation that they were too small and weak to overcome the pagan nations. In addition, they said that the Nephilim the descendents of Anak, the giant clan, was living there also. What comes out of their mouths next truly revealed their perceived reality. By stating that "... we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight," they were stating three important things regarding their understanding of the situation. First of all, their "sight" or their perception of themselves was a selfish, self-centered, fear-driven understanding with no consideration of who they were in the Lord. Second, by seeing themselves as weak and without a Savior, they increased the size of their enemies in their own imaginations. Lastly, they projected their own perception of how they believed about themselves onto their enemies. Whether or not the Anak even saw the Israelite spies or not is moot. They had become convinced that the enemy saw the Israelites exactly as they perceived themselves. For the timid, this had become their reality. The battle was lost even before it began.

As most of us know, God pronounced a judgment of 40 years exile upon the nation of Israel from their desired destination. They would wander aimlessly through the wilderness until the rebellious generation that refused to go in, perished. Their children would be the ones to enter the Promised Land and take possession by defeating these so-called formidable tribes with their unassailable walls. The difference between their parents and the children who took possession was evident. The children grew up, becoming strong and mature in the Lord, with the ability to hear the voice of the Lord and to obey it. They saw themselves as the chosen of God and understood that nothing could keep them from their destiny as long as the Lord was on their side. Similarly, they operated in three ways that were diametric to that of their parents reaction 40 years earlier. First of all, they knew who they were and where they were going in the Lord. Second, they saw themselves as strong in the power of God's might to defeat any enemy that would defy the chosen people of God. And lastly, they projected this perception upon every foe they encountered, eventually dispossessing all the pagan nations, including the Anak clan.

Paul stated poignantly in his first letter to the Corinthians that ... When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things (I Corinthians 13:11). Just as an entire generation of Israelites had to die off before God could take them into the Promised Land, there needs to be a similar death in us before He can take us into that place of complete rest. We have to die to our preconceptions about what we can or can't handle. If we take the time to think about all the times God has rescued us in the past, it's not hard to believe that He will always be there for us in the future. Our thoughts, words, and actions will reveal who we are, proving to God that we either understand who He is, what He has done for us, and what He will do for us or that we don't we don't have a clue. We must be vigilant to allow God to grow us up and to remove any doubt that He can do far more than we've ever thought or imagined. Will there be seemingly unassailable walls and giants in our future? Without a doubt. It's our choice to either die in the wilderness and to stumble about in an aimless manner the rest of our lives, or to die to self and to grow up in our perceptions regarding who we are in God. If we choose the latter, we have only begun to understand the peace and victory in the days ahead.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You give us everything we need to live godly lives in Your Son. Grant us the ability to seize the day, to die to self and our selfish perceptions and to see as You see us. As we do so, may we enter into Your rest through Your victory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

Obtaining the Witness - September 18, 2011

Hebrews 11:5 - By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

Years ago, there was a saying that when a person felt smitten over someone special, that they were "taken" for that guy or gal. It is more a colloquialism, I suppose, from simpler days when a young man fell "head over heels" for a young woman, or vice versa. We may have heard it put like this: "I sure am taken with her!" The implication is an abandonment of all sense, that somehow the object of their affection has stolen their heart in a romantic sort of way. This might appear to happen unexpectedly and without design by either party. Or does it? Often, there is a drawing or a wooing that causes this sudden "taking" of emotions. The taken may feel like they are coaxed into this romantic interlude, having merely responded to the taker's attention. In a very real sense, the one being wooed has received the proverbial nod that they are pleasing to the other. The dynamics of our encounters on this earth are merely natural expressions of how God woos us to that place of communion and fellowship with Him. Like Enoch in our lead verse, it is possible while on this earth and living in sinful flesh to "obtain the witness" that we are pleasing to God. It would serve us well to look at the makeup of this man and others in the Bible of similar character to better understand how we might obtain a similar witness from our Heavenly Father.

The first mention of Enoch is in Genesis 5:18 where it states: Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch. The next three verses tell us seemingly little about this man of God, except that he becomes the father of Methuselah at the relatively young age of 65. Remarkably, however, verse 22 tells us that ... Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah. This simple statement of protracted worship by a mortal is not to be rivaled anywhere else in scripture. Even Noah, who lived hundreds of years like his predecessors, did not obtain a witness such as Enoch received. Did Enoch suddenly turn toward God after the birth of his son, or was he a committed follower of the Lord before? All the scripture tells us is that for 300 years after the birth of Methuselah, this man walked with God. To walk with his Maker in undisturbed fellowship for three centuries must have thrilled the heart of the Father. Only a few generations prior, God walked with the original couple in that garden called Eden. Before the Fall, God was taken with Adam and Eve as He fellowshipped with them continually. Now, He had found a man that desired a similar reciprocal relationship of unbroken love. They were quite literally taken with each other. However, there was a difference. The first couple were in that place of innocence as they trusted God as their Father. Enoch, on the other hand, was born of sinful flesh yet walked in humility and brokenness before the Lord. He undoubtedly knew that a Savior would come someday to redeem Him from the predicament of sin. However, the one thing this man of God had on his side was time. Three hundred sixty five years is a long time in our minds to live upon this earth, but maybe it seemed like nothing to Enoch and it certainly wasn't a factor for Yahweh. We know from reading verse 24 that a quite remarkable thing happened. It states that God quite literally took him! This is extraordinary if one considers the significance of this event. If the implication is not certain in the Genesis verse, that suddenly Enoch ... was not, for God took him, it becomes very clear by the text in Hebrews that the man of God disappeared because ... he was not found. How or why this happened, we can only speculate. Did Enoch receive a resurrected body? Quite possibly, since we know that no sinful flesh can dwell in God's presence. Regardless, the point the scripture makes here is that Enoch was pleasing to God and he obtained the witness of God's pleasure by God drawing him home to Glory.

Appropriately, the transliteration of Enoch's name in the original Aramaic text is "dedicated." We might say that this early descendent of the first man was only the first of many throughout the scriptures who likewise obtained the witness through their dedication to the Lord. While none walked in the manner of Enoch, we know that Noah (previously mentioned) along with Job and Daniel were witnessed to by God Himself as being upright men. In Ezekiel 14:14 the Lord mentions through the prophet that these men were righteous before their Maker. Both Samson and Samuel were dedicated to the Lord as infants with a Nazirite vow, obtaining the witness of God's pleasure as judges of Israel (Judges 13:7; I Samuel 1:11). Of course, the greatest example of someone walking this earth with God and obtaining the witness was Jesus Christ Himself. As Peter declared to the house of Cornelius, all the prophets bore witness of the coming Messiah and the forgiveness of sins through His redemption (Acts 10:43). Remarkably, the Holy Spirit appears to have borne witness to the words that He was uttering through the apostle's mouth that He indwelt all those present as a result. They too, obtained the witness of the Father (John 5:37) and were taken by God to fulfill His purposes through the spreading of the Gospel to the "uttermost parts of the earth." Unlike the Old Testament saints, all believers in Jesus Christ had the opportunity to be taken for the purposes of God. There was nothing separating men and women from sharing in the presence of God except unbelief. The message to us through this chapter of Acts and the rest of the New Testament is that God desires to take as many as who would believe in His Son. Whoever would believe in the Son will share in the Holy Spirit and thereby obtain the witness.

Heaven looks on this very day to see what our response might be in regard to His wooing. There is loving relationship waiting to be born within us all by the One who created us. As that great "cloud of witnesses" surrounds us, urging us to commit to His care, may we allow Him to take us with abandon (Hebrews 12:1). Our only requirement is to walk with Him, even as Enoch walked with undeniable humility and understanding of our great need for Jesus Christ. And then, like Enoch, we can be taken by our God to live an extraordinary life. Are we smitten with God? Are we free to relinquish our life of unfulfilled desire and walk with Him forevermore? If so, don't be surprised how he takes you, for He most certainly will. It is the promise of obtaining the witness of His pleasure.

Lord, may we obtain the witness by obediently walking with You, day in and day out. May we believe that by the blood of Jesus we are worthy to receive Your Holy Spirit who bears witness of Your eternal love for us all. As we give ourselves more and more to You, everyday, may You draw us irresistibly to Your presence. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives