The Bare Soul - Born of Water and the Spirit - February 1, 2009

John 3:1-5 - Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

The first four verses of John chapter three helps set up Jesus' answer to Nicodemus in verse five. The aged teacher is perplexed regarding how one can be born again when one is old. Nicodemus had come to Jesus in a conciliatory manner, first stating that he and his Pharisee peers knew that He was from God. The learned rabbi wanted to establish a rapport with Jesus right from the beginning. He literally wanted to take control of the conversation, acknowledging that they were both spiritual brothers, or on equal footing since they were both striving after the same things. Jesus' first comment to Nicodemus was not "Well, thank you Nicodemus that you recognize that I am sent from God and that we are DEFINITELY laboring after the same goals." No, Jesus decided that the rabbi needed broad-sided with the truth, so He let him have it in verse three: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. This answer so be-fuddled Nicodemus that he found himself speaking out loud his utter confusion about what Jesus had just said, How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he? Although Nicodemus thought he understood that Jesus was merely just another teacher of the law and the prophets, he did not yet understand that Jesus was indeed their fulfillment. Jesus was provoked to answer the aged teacher with the most mind-blowing prophetic fulfillment yet to be heard: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus undoubtedly knew the scriptures. He assuredly studied exhaustively with his Sanhedrin brethren the Torah and the Law of Moses. Yet, when Jesus spoke of being "born of water and the Spirit" it totally escaped his comprehension. Jesus was not speaking of an outward or physical work, but plainly about an inner work within the heart and spirit of a man or woman as explained in the book of Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 36:24-27 - For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

What escaped Nicodemus, is that Jesus was indeed explaining salvation. However, He was more importantly stating that He was the cleansing power and Life-force behind the promised salvation of Israel and the world. So how does Jesus cleanse us from all filthiness and all of our "idols" that usurp his Lordship? He does so by the washing of the water of His word (Ephesians 5:26). When a man or a woman is truly open to God's words and invites Him in for a thorough "housecleaning", that is when the Holy Spirit can indeed begin to make our temple (our body, soul, spirit) a worthy place for His Spirit to abide. Once someone invites the Holy Spirit in for an "inspection", that person will never be the same. I am not saying that they have been born again once the Holy Spirit begins His work, but their minds and hearts are beginning a conversion to the thinking of God. They are beginning to realize that they indeed are filthy and without hope of salvation unless God decides to take up residence within and grant unto them the gift of rebirth.

It is not enough to be cleansed by the washing of the water of the word. There are many who have dipped their foot into the water of his cleansing only to withdraw it once again because the total immersion into the revelation of who He is frightens them. Just because someone knows the scripture and is titillated by its implications doesn't mean that one is born again, as was the case of Nicodemus. It would be as ludicrous as saying that if someone read and comprehended space flight that they were then an astronaut! In a very real sense, the demons of hell understand and comprehend the scripture yet they are doomed to their fate. To truly become born again, one must first be baptized or totally immersed into God's word and then be changed by it. Not that a person needs to know a volume of scriptures, but they must know the living and active word of the Lord being spoken to their wicked hearts -- that they are lost and doomed for eternity without knowing the Lord Jesus Christ and the work of Calvary. One must know the TRUE meaning of His blood shed for our sins by receiving the word implanted in the heart with humility which is able to save a man's soul (James 1:21). Once the word has cleansed the heart, making it contrite and humble, then the Holy Spirit can take up residence within the spirit. Then, and only then can a man be born of the Spirit of God!

Lord Jesus Christ, I confess to you my sin. My mind and heart have been converted to know that your word is true and there is salvation in no other. Come, live within me and cause me to be born again. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - Love Your Enemies - January 25, 2009

Luke 6:26-28 - Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Jesus' statement to love our enemies precludes that all of us who are believers should HAVE enemies. If we don't, there is a problem. It most likely means that we have never stood up for the Gospel that we espouse to believe. In this age of "political correctness" we are often terrified to say or do the wrong thing in fear that we will upset someone. Far be it that we might voice our objection regarding someone's mores or life values that smack of ungodliness and wickedness. As we have discussed in previous weeks, it is often a way for folks with questionable behavior to get a "pass" by throwing up in our faces that we should "judge not" any lifestyle choice. In so doing, the mass majority of society will acquiesce to those who scream foul when someone points the finger of objection their way. These have politely turned the other cheek, pretending tolerance in order to "get along". Jesus stated a particular "woe" for these sorts -- for he said that these folks were those who spoke falsely into others lives for the sake of unilateral peace. In so doing, these that would surrender without a voice forfeit their would-be enemies that would rise up to eventually help perfect their faith.

Jesus qualifies in Luke 6 that we will indeed have enemies if we live the life of a true Christ-like believer. He then says something that is totally revolutionary and diametric to conventional thinking. He tells us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who live to mistreat us. Loving those who disagree with us is not an easy undertaking. It is one thing to love those who disagree with us and an entirely different thing to love those who are actively trying to do us physical harm. In many parts of the world, believers are continually persecuted because they have stood up for their faith with a resoluteness that baffles their tormenters. Their persecutors can't understand how someone would give up their property, their liberty, or even their lives for the sake of the Gospel. Yet often these speak not a word in their defense, but they willingly offer their lives as a sacrifice to His glory to the outrage of those who would seek to destroy them. The irony is that when men and women are at their least defensible, then the power of God is there to fortify their weakness and to confound their oppressors.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a master at addressing the subject of loving your enemies, for he truly made it a life vocation. The following is an excerpt from a sermon that he delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama, on 17 November 1957 on the subject of loving your enemies:

And this is what Jesus means, I think, in this very passage when he says, "Love your enemy." And it’s significant that he does not say, "Like your enemy." Like is a sentimental something, an affectionate something. There are a lot of people that I find it difficult to like. I don’t like what they do to me. I don’t like what they say about me and other people. I don’t like their attitudes. I don’t like some of the things they’re doing. I don’t like them. But Jesus says love them. And love is greater than like. Love is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men, so that you love everybody, because God loves them. You refuse to do anything that will defeat an individual, because you have agape in your soul. And here you come to the point that you love the individual who does the evil deed, while hating the deed that the person does. This is what Jesus means when he says, "Love your enemy." This is the way to do it. When the opportunity presents itself when you can defeat your enemy, you must not do it.

Dr. King's admonition still rings true over 50 years later. There will always be those who don't agree with us or dislike us or even hate us for what we believe. We must not cower or bow down to anyone's beliefs or their lack of moral fiber in the face of the Gospel. Yet, we must always counter their hostility with the love of Christ, or as Dr. King puts it, the "agape (God's love) in your soul". The only way to perfect this love in our dealing with others is to practice it. One does not get to a place of "judgmental love" toward someone unless it is flowing out of them from the Holy Spirit. For truly, judgments are a part of life and we make them all day long. What a lost world is looking for are men and women with Godly character to judge unrighteous behavior accordingly, yet with a Divine love that offers the other cheek with a joyful deliberateness. The political-correctness in our present world seeks to destroy Godly standards, thereby eliminating all our enemies that are essential to all of us who believe. Let none of us lack the opportunity to learn to love our enemies by having no enemies due to our own acquiescence. Let us all know that the enemies of the cross of Christ will always exist until His return. It is our responsibility to know them, to judge them righteously, and to love them with only the love that our Savior can bestow.

Lord Jesus, show us our enemies. Help us to know and to love our enemies, praying for these and telling them of the love of Jesus Christ. May they also become Friends of the Bridegroom by our words of truth bathed in love. In Your holy name we pray, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - Your Kingdom Come - January 18, 2009

Matthew 6:10 - Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

If there is one Christian prayer that most folks know, it is The Lord's Prayer. Many churches and denominations pray this prayer every week in their Sunday morning services. As with anything that is done repetitiously, this powerful prayer can lose all of its unction and meaning, becoming a rote monologue said without even thinking about the words spoken. However, once we establish whom we are addressing and His eminence as the Holy One of the universe, the pray-er can then seek to align themselves with the intent of their Maker. The next three lines of this prayer are probably the most powerful words that we can pray as the Body of Christ, yet they are truly symptomatic of prayer-words losing their impetus and meaning.

Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.

What does it REALLY mean to pray "Your kingdom come"? For some Christians, it would be a most upsetting and alarming situation if God truly did what we asked Him. Some undoubtedly have a faulty vision in their mind of what God's kingdom on earth will look like. Certainly, the kingdom of Jesus Christ and His rule on earth will be a blessed, joyous life full of His righteousness and justice. The key word here is ... justice. For in order for there to be a reign of God's love and joy and blessings, there will assuredly be a hostile takeover of the power and authorities currently occupying the earth and His prospective kingdom. In order for His kingdom to come, there will be a need to establish righteous rule as He judges the thoughts and intents of every soul on earth. Jesus Christ is coming again, and He is coming with the fire of His judgments that will purge the earth of anything that does not give glory to His name and to His Father's.

If we truly examine the words that the Lord Jesus taught us to pray, we will see that He desires an exact replication of what is in heaven to be on the earth. Does God tolerate sin in heaven? Does He "wink" at his angels or at the redeemed in glory that might want to experience a little vicarious pleasure by possibly gossiping about this one or that one? Does He allow watching movies or television that mocks the love that He put between a married man and woman with licentious abandon and lascivious aberrations between unmarried or same sex couples? Beloved, angels have fallen from the heavenly realms for the unholy act of pride and rebellion which are nothing less than what many of us do in contradiction to what God requires of us here on earth. If Jesus Christ came this very day in answer to our prayer to establish His kingdom on earth, would we meet Him with an uplifted, unashamed face? Or would we hide and cower because truly we were only mouthing our pretense that He should establish His holy residence upon the earth?

Without a doubt, Jesus Christ is coming once again to establish peace and righteousness upon the earth. The precursor to this tranquil realm is the bloody coup spoken of in numerous scriptures (see Isaiah 35:4, Isaiah 59:17-18, Isaiah 61:2-3). For those who can accept it, those who are called by His name have been given the awesome and heroic responsibility of preparing the way for His final vengeance before he will one day (soon) establish His peace. Psalm 149 is a testimony of spiritual warfare that is the heritage of every believer. Not only should the "high praises of God be on our lips and a two-edged sword in our hands" but we should know what to do with this spiritual sword of the Holy Spirit. Verses 7-9 state that we should take vengeance on the nations and upon spiritual principalities by welding our spiritual swords against wickedness and evil. Verse 9 concludes by stating that it is our "honor" to serve God in this wise. Beloved, are we truly pulling down wicked strongholds in our lives and the lives of those around us? Are we doing the work as a forerunner of Christ by evoking His vengeance on wickedness that would seek to usurp the holiness of the Most High God? The words of The Lord's Prayer are not glib, meaningless scripture meant for an offertory prayer on Sunday mornings. No, my brothers and sisters, they are powerful words meant to usher in the kingdom or our Lord and to establish His righteous reign on this earth as well as in heaven. Are we truly ready for His kingdom to come?

Lord Jesus, we pray ... "Your kingdom come" and all the implications that those words prescribe. Bring judgment upon this earth starting with us. Purge us of self and wickedness. Then, use us to lift up your standard of righteousness and love to a world that is dying all around us. In Jesus Christ's holy name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - God's Recompense, Part II - January 11, 2009

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "God's Recompense" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on January 8, 2009.

God's Recompense - January 8, 2009

Isaiah 26:9 - At night my soul longs for You, indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

No one likes to feel that they are being judged. Our initial response will often be one of anger. "How dare they!" "What gives them the right to judge me?" In many cases, this may be a totally warranted response. Oftentimes, people may have little regard for us, yet they attempt to speak into our lives as if they did. I once heard a preacher say, "You can't drive a two ton truck over a one ton bridge!" The message behind this analogy is that often "well-meaning" folks will try to tell us how to run our lives, yet these are often people that we have not forged a relationship of love and trust. It is quite easy to get angry when someone we don't know tries to tell us how to behave. Invariably, any "bridge" that is not constructed with love and trust between two persons is bound to come crashing down if there is overwhelming criticism that appears not to be grounded in genuine concern.

Then, there are those we love and trust, like our own family members. Many of us were brought up by a mother who brandished the verse "Judge not lest you be judged" with unequivocal, dogmatic zeal. Mom may not have known many verses, but that was one she could fire off with the unction of a full gospel preacher. It was the weapon she used, and taught her children as well, to silence the would-be assailant that might attempt a so-called "intervention". It is understandable and (as I stated) warranted to behave in this manner if a less than kind intender decides to speak obtrusively into our lives. However, how do we react when it is the "finger of God" placing His holy digit on our life, our family's, our nation, or our world? How does it make us feel when we know God is speaking into our personal lives and we feel that it is less about His love and more about His judgment and His seeming recompense for our questionable state?

Webster's Dictionary defines the verb "recompense" as to repay or to reward. With every action there will likewise be a reaction, either negative or positive as the situation dictates. While human judgments can often be unwarranted, God's judgments or "repayments" are always just and perfectly appropriate. The sad reality, however, is that we are often jaded in our perceptions regarding what are the kind intentions of God's judgments and recompense. Psalm 19:9-10 states: ...The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. When was the last time you actually desired the judgments of God on your life? Most folks shrink from the idea of God judging them and don't regard such workings as merciful acts. However, when one considers God's judgments and recompenses, they can certainly be positive as well as negative. What if God, through His benevolent character, wished to judge the merciful acts that we have shown others by affording us His mercy? What if He desired to judge our charitable giving by repaying us in a monetary way? There are just as many positive judgments as there are negative ones. Certainly, God will judge and repay those who deal with others in an ungodly way. However, even these are righteous and just, as the Lord seeks the best possible outcome by His righteous judgments. He does not deal out verdicts of condemnation while we are still living on this earth, but what He does is use these "kind" acts as vehicles of mercy toward repentance. Romans 2:4 states: Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Beloved, anytime that God puts forth His judgments while we are still on this earth and in these bodies, it is an act of kindness and benevolence of His longsuffering patience. He wishes none to perish but that all would come to repentance.

God will continue to use the "teaching tool" of judgment throughout our lives to show forth his righteous character. As Psalm 19 states, ALL the judgments of God are righteous and should be desired above and beyond anything here on earth. They will shape us, no matter if we receive them in a positive or negative context for they will always bring life if we will but allow them. We will always have two choices while we yet breathe air. When we see and experience the judgments of God all around us and in our lives, we can either get bitter or better -- we can either get haughty or humble -- we can ultimately curse Him or bless Him for His righteous understanding of what we need. As Isaiah states in the opening scripture, we must embrace the concept of God's judgments being life-giving events. Then, we can truly and wonderfully experience His righteous character that He so desirously wants to impart to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

God's Recompense - January 8, 2009

The Bare Soul - God's Recompense, Part I - January 4, 2009

Isaiah 35:4-6 - Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not, behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you." Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy ...

No one likes uncertainty. The past several months have been fraught with uncertain times as our economic situation has teetered on the brink of disaster. Most who have kept their jobs know that keeping employed in these present times is at the best, precarious. Many folks who have lost jobs along with their life savings have moved from a place of uncertainty to a place of near panic as the crisis deepens. Every day, one can look at the headlines as Wall Street heaves and sighs in cadence with the dismal financial forecast. Although we all hate to admit it, we were due for an "adjustment", as the economists have stated. Unfortunately, no one likes the adjustment to come to our own living rooms via lost jobs and shrunken portfolios.

There is a common dynamic that occurs when physical adjustments, such as our current financial meltdown are transpiring. When physical changes are evident, then often spiritual changes are being worked out by God "off stage", so to speak. In the same way as the physical life of a man or woman comes first, then comes their spiritual life as it is manifested whether good or evil (I Corinthians 15:46). In Alcoholics Anonymous, there is a saying: "Fake it til you make it!". The implication is that sometimes not drinking and doing the right things need to come first before the psychic change can occur. This is only one of a plethora of examples to support the idea that when something is happening in not only us but also in our material world, that there is a spiritual dynamic working behind the scenes. In the case of the current "meltdown", God is surely at work making the appropriate "adjustments".

Isaiah 35:4-6 states, first of all, that we should not be anxious and to fear not. The prophet begins with comforting words because he goes on to state something quite unnerving -- that God is coming with vengeance and with recompense. To many, this would seem alarming and full of dread. How could the loving God that we worship with all our hearts on Sunday mornings be out to get us with "vengeance and recompense"? Actually, those who worship him OTHER than just Sunday mornings will probably better understand why He must come in this seemingly fitful way. Those who know Him as their Lord and Savior 24X7 will see that the earth is long overdue for an "adjustment". Not only does our economy totter, but our nation and the world is dangerously close to utter and complete moral bankruptcy. The hearts of men and women have grown cold with their own desires. Approximately 50 million aborted children (probably on the low-side) have been murdered since the inception of Roe v. Wade in the U.S. Homosexuals are allowed to spurn the will of the people in states such as California and Massachusetts and rely on activist judges to define marriage. Human traffickers throughout the world are currently imprisoning 20 million children to be used as sex slaves (some say this number could be as high as 200 million!). Drug trafficking and addiction are at an all time high, worldwide. Without a doubt, God is shaking the earth because He is getting ready to shake the heavenlies with His desire for justice upon the earth.

Though the outlook might look bleak to the hopeless, Isaiah tells us in those same verses that we will be saved if we but look to Him and His salvation. Then, something truly remarkable can begin to happen. Not only will the Lord Jesus Christ establish justice on this earth through this "adjustment', but He will pour forth His Spirit in a way that is only seen in direct correlation with "light chasing away darkness". Romans 5:20 states that where sin abounds, grace does abound all the more. In times of great national upheaval, we have seen some of the greatest outpourings of God's Spirit on this land. Before and during the Revolutionary War in Britain and in this country, the Great Awakening led by George Whitefield and John and Charles Wesley spread through the civilized world like a torch. There was much civil and social upheaval at the time yet God's grace manifested itself in a profound way with demonstrative gifts of the Holy Spirit including remarkable, documented healings. Charles Finney, a leader of the Second Awakening in this country prior to the Civil War preached to tens of thousands who were swept under the power of God. God poured forth His Spirit with unction and conviction first in the Welsh Revival in 1904 and then with the demonstration of healing, prophecy, and speaking with tongues during the 1906 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles. All of these and many other movements not mentioned were associated with great social upheavals. Yet, even in the midst of seeming calamity, it was apparent that God was causing good to come out of seeming chaos.

Without a doubt, God is coming to shake up this world once again. Will this be the final adjustment, or will our children or our children's children see others before the end of days? (We have just begun to see the end time book of "Acts" [Book of Revelation] being played out before us!) Most certainly God will continue to make His corrections right along with our financial and social adjustments before the return of His Son. While we all must live through these distresses, those of us who know the Lord can rely on Him for a true outpouring of His Spirit that will once again right what is wrong, bringing not only manifestations of physical healings, but more importantly the healing of men's souls. For only as the earth experiences His judgments, can humanity truly experience the grace and love that He desires to bestow upon all flesh.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick