The Year of Decision - December 30, 2018

Isaiah 6:1 - In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

What will this new year bring for us? Many I talk to are cautiously optimistic about their future. Others are feeling the coming year looks to offer no more hope then they experienced in the previous year. Things many have counted on in the past to offer them security  have suddenly shifted in their present situations. Stock portfolios are not as robust as they once were and housing values struggle to maintain a semblance of their former value. Whether we wring our hands in despair, or lift them toward heaven in loving trust, God sees and knows all. No matter what goes on around us, we will only experience true hope and security through the Hope-giver. That means abandoning our expectations in anything except Christ and dying to ourselves and our ambitions. Retiring to any possibility less than this is futile in the light of eternity and prone for disappointment.

In his youth, Isaiah the prophet probably held similarly high hopes for his future as many do today. Born into a wealthy family, he was educated and trained in the priesthood. His imminent expectations undoubtedly looked good. However, Isaiah would have an encounter with God that would change his life forever. In this turning point of Isaiah's life we see a progression of "NO, WOE, and GO." Before this fateful day -- when the prophet saw the vision of the Lord "high and lifted up" -- he was what we today might consider a "good" Christian. However, in the year of King Uzziah's death, the paradigm of faith shifted in Isaiah's life forever. Uzziah's reign will always be symbolic of rebellion, pride, and arrogance as he tried to act like a priest and God smote him with leprosy (II Chronicles 26:18-20). This dreaded disease of ancient Israel is a metaphor in the word of God for sin and all its consequences. Isaiah deliberately tells us that he was diametrically changed in the year Uzziah died. Allegorically, it was the year of his death to what he thought a good follower of God should be.

Before the death of "king self" typified by Uzziah's death, he said, "NO, not me Lord!" He was probably happy with his life as a well-educated priest. But now something changed. He saw the Lord high and lifted up in the subsequent verses of this chapter and said, "WOE is me!" seeing himself in the light of God's knowledge. With godly understanding now guiding him, he accepted the role as prophet when God told him to "GO." His total disregard for his own life and total concern for God's mission became his prophetic legacy. Because of his obedience, we have his writings which have lasted more than 2700 years. God's influence on an obedient man will last well beyond his lifespan as  was the case with Isaiah.

We are not told when this epiphany came to the prophet that redefined his life, but only that it came "in the year" of the king's death. Often, we will not know exactly the time or place of God's moving in our lives. We may only know it happened in a certain season, possibly over a period of time. Isaiah did not associate his vision with a particular day, because that was not important. What was critical was to know how he allowed the juxtaposition of his sin and rebellion (typified by the king) with the holiness of God and his mission as a prophet. The result was a deputation empowered by the zeal of the Lord. This was not to be just a casual prophetic word, but years of prophecy that would eventually result in Isaiah's physical death (Isaiah 6:8-13)(Hebrews 11:37). 

How many of us need to come to the "year of King Uzziah's death" in our lives? How many of us need to quit being "good" Christians and see our flesh for what it is? Seeing our badness is step one. Then, it is imperative we then see His greatness which cleanses us. We must understand how the Lord has made us the righteousness of Christ in God. This, beloved, is what truly sets us free. Revelation of this sort can only result in a desire to go, say, and do whatever the Lord might lead. Is this the year of our death to any and all of our own ambitions? Will this coming year be the year we rid ourselves of the flesh and see the Lord "high and lifted up" in our lives? If we ask, He will reveal Himself. It is the great desire of His heart to reveal the truth of ourselves and of His awesome majesty!

Lord God, Holy Father, will You reveal Yourself to us in this upcoming year? Will You show Yourself to us in Your mercy, revealing our hearts while showing us Your great love? Grant us wisdom, Lord. Give us understanding according to Your Holy Spirit. Allow us to walk in great faith as we see You in Your majesty in this coming year. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Christmas Star - December 23, 2018

Matthew 2:2 - Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

The heavens have long held a fascination for humankind. For millennia, man has looked to the skies for both direction and hope. King David wisely stated in Psalm 19:1-2: The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Arguably, the greatest manifestation the world has ever seen of the manifestation of the glory of God in the heavenlies is the Christmas star that appeared over the eastern skies at the time of Jesus' birth. By this glorious light, the Magi from modern day Iraq traveled to a non-descript city south of Jerusalem named Bethlehem. Through this beacon shining in the night, the wise men were able to ascertain the birth of a mighty king in Israel. Very possibly these holy men from the once mighty Persian Empire understood through the writings of Daniel more than 500 years earlier, that a future ruler who would ultimately save His people would be born at this very time in Judea (see Daniel 9:24-27). They understood the signs of the times and they took heed, traveling hundreds of miles to confirm that truly a ruler had been born in Israel that would be the Eternal King.

Throughout scripture, God uses stars as metaphors for his heavenly beings. Job refers to the morning stars singing together, and all the sons of God shouting for joy (Job 38:7). The psalmist tells us that God numbers and gives name to all the stars, implying that His angelic host is finite yet even so an assembly of myriads (Psalm 147:4). And Isaiah states that not all the "stars" in the heavenlies are good (Isaiah 14:13). As the prophet speaks about Satan's prideful rise and self-assertion toward God, John the Revelator tells us how a third of the wicked "stars" or rather the devil's mutinous collaborators fell to earth at the fateful time when the angels rebelled (Revelation 12:4). The greatest Star of them all is first prophesied (centuries before Daniel) to appear by a Mesopotamian prophet named Balaam. (This fellow is a good example of someone that started out right and ended up seriously wrong!) In the book of Numbers, Balaam is hired by the king of Moab to curse the nation of Israel, but instead he pronounces a blessing over the Hebrews. During his prophetic utterance, Balaam speaks about a Star that will arise in Israel and will reign forever: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth (Numbers 24:17). The prophet was declaring a dichotomous fulfillment to his prophecy. First of all, he stated that this part of his prophetic word was not for the present but was for a later date. Undoubtedly, this was the revealing of the star that would herald the Morning Star (II Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16) to be born in Bethlehem several millennia from his utterance. Secondly, it was a prophecy speaking of the return of Christ to be revealed at His second coming as He takes captive the nations of Moab (present day Jordan) and others that have raised their hand against His beloved Israel (see Jeremiah 25). Balaam's prophecy, as well as others, only confirm the inevitable in God's plan of redemption for both Israel and the Gentile nations.

Jesus tells us that in the same way as he departed the earth in the same way He will return (Acts 1:11). Even so, in the same way as he came the first time, so also will the heavens herald His return. Jesus both foretold and warned us of the great and terrible day of the Lord in the book of Matthew:

But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. - Matthew 24:29-30

This will truly be a day of great rejoicing for those who have believed, but a day of terrible reckoning for those who have despised His appearing. Just as the Son of Man appeared under the twinkling herald of a great light in the sky, so His coming will be in the twinkling of the eye and it will be a great light that will consume the darkness. The Morning Star will have arisen to create a new day where only He shall reign and no wickedness will stand before Him. For even as His coming was heralded two millennia past, so the sky will once again proclaim His glory as He sweeps the stars from the sky and He alone will remain to shine bright.

Throughout time, the heavens have been the place for man to turn his gaze to learn of God's glory. David knew this, Daniel also, and most assuredly the Magi. Now, it is our turn. Will we allow the Christmas Star to captivate our hearts until the Morning Star rises first within our spirits, and ultimately on a new earth in the age to come? It has always been and will continue to be our choice. Like the wise men, we must seek Him, traversing whatever distance is necessary to find Him. For only as we allow the Christmas Star to abide within, will we then know the Morning Star who desires to reveal His life to us all. Come, Lord Jesus, and reveal the very Star of David as we celebrate the birth of Christ in us all!

O Holy God, thank you for the Christmas Star that lives within all who call You Lord. Allow the bright and Morning Star to increase His brilliance in all of our lives until He returns in splendor. We thank You and praise You for Your wonderful gift to the world! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Scourging Sin - December 16, 2018

John 2:15 - And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;

Picture a beautiful spring day in Jerusalem in approximately the year 30 A.D. If one would enter the large outer area of the temple, commonly referred to as the Court of the Gentiles, they would undoubtedly see a bustling "marketplace." In probably a smaller area, one would find an assortment of livestock---sheep, lamps, doves---all which were available to purchase for the various sacrifices mandated in the Pentateuch (or the Torah), the first five books of the Old Testament. (For instance, Mary and Joseph probably purchased two young pigeons or turtledoves when their Son Jesus was dedicated in the temple three decades earlier [Luke 2:22]). However, in order to purchase animals from the dealers, money would often need exchanging. Roman currency was no good within the temple walls, but only Hebrew currency such as the shekel or denarius. Animals for sacrifice could not be brought into the temple, but had to be purchased from the dealers. Not only were "temple animals" the only acceptable sacrifices, but as previously mentioned, only Hebrew money was acceptable for treasury tithes or for paying the temple tax. Then, the money collected would need to be turned back into Roman money to support the priests and the temple. Moneychangers would often charge exorbitant rates to exchange Roman to Hebrew currency (and vice versa)---sometimes as much as 300 percent! This covetous monopoly angered many of the Jews, including an itinerant rabbi who would visit the temple on that fateful Passover.

For those of us either raised on a farm or possibly others of us who have frequented county or state fairs, we understand the unintentional consequences of animals habitating in close proximity. The early springtime rains in Jerusalem undoubtedly made a swampy mess as the ill-attended animals awaited slaughter. A common animal bedding material used in ancient Palestine, as well as an absorbent for rain and feces, was the common papyrus rush brought in from the Jordan Valley and from areas in the south. There was probably a layer of papyrus rushes or reeds paving the normally dusty ground to absorb the aforementioned unpleasantries, plus additional surplus for the animals' bedding. When Jesus came into the outer court of the temple that day during the Passover, it was probably an overwhelming sight. Stepping through a sloppy, unsanitary mess where the smells were as bad as the sights, Jesus grieved demonstrably through his subsequent actions. We are told in our lead verse "that He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple ... ." Many scholars believe "cords" in this context consisted of a scourge or a "whip" of rushes twisted together, making an instrument that could ultimately herd both man and beast. With a little imagination, we can picture our Lord slogging through the sewage, overturning tables where the money became part of the filth underfoot. While it's not mentioned that Christ hit man or beast, we can only surmise that His zeal was enough to hurry both four- and two-legged creatures on their way. The very rushes that were intended to give comfort to both the animals and those traversing that area became the tool used to eradicate them from God's holy temple. With holy boldness, Jesus declared: “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.” (John 2:16)

How can we apply this story of Jesus' zeal to our lives today? If we think about the temple as a metaphor for our body, soul, and spirit, we can likewise apply the same understanding that Jesus tried to convey about His Father's house. In general, Herod's Temple consisted of an outer court which was for the Gentiles and women. The inner court, or the sanctuary, was the location where Jewish men worshipped. The innermost area was the Holy of Holies where the priest entered once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer the Passover lamb for the sins of the people. If we consider the outer court (or the temple porch) our body, the sanctuary (or the holy place) our soul, and the Holy of Holies our spirit, this will help us understand Jesus' passion to keep His Father's house free of defilement. Through these metaphors, I believe Jesus was showing us how to fervently protect the "temple of the Lord" within all who know Him. Jesus knew if the outer court (the body) was defiled with filth, then it corrupted all of the temple. Jesus understood in order to keep the heart clean, there must be an act of consecration to purify the entire being. This has everything to do with both salvation and sanctification, beloved. Just as Jesus' zeal was an act of love to protect His Father's house, there may be something lacking in our spiritual lives if there is not a similar repulsion to "the sin that would so easily beset us." (Hebrews 12:1) If we do not come to a place of holy anger over sin within, and if we are not scourging sin from our lives in a zealous way, then we may want to question if indeed we are of the Light.

It really comes down to the following question whether or not we are zealous for our Father's house within: Do we loathe the sin within or have we become complacent and comfortable with our transgressions? If Jesus were to come visit us today, would we be embarrassed to show Him around our "outer court?" Have we sold out to the moneychangers and the profiteers, or have we sold out to God? If we have given our bodies to this world, beloved, we have also given our sanctuary and our "Holy of Holies", our very spirit and soul, to the flesh and the devil. There is only one choice if we are to follow God---that is to burn with zeal for the house of God within us. If we are not scourging sin then we are savoring and salivating over our transgressions. It is time to rise up and overturn every table of sin and falseness in our lives and chase the filth from the temple within. If not, we may be surprised someday regarding whose house we were actually caring for. May we all scourge the sin with cords of zeal, consecrating a holy habitation for the Holy One to abide always.

Heavenly Father, may we drive sin from our lives as Your Son drove sin from Your temple. May we experience Your zeal and passion for holiness, denying worldly gain and embracing Your godliness that only You can give. We praise You for Your goodness and love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Heart Wisdom - December 9, 2018

Proverbs 4:23 - Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

What is the heart of a man? Some might suggest it is the inward person as manifested by the workings of the mind, emotion, and will. These are often equated as the soul of a man, which give definition to individual character. However, the soul left to its own devices will always defer to its natural inclinations which is carnality. For when Adam sinned, the spirit within man died, no longer providing guidance to the soul (Ephesians 2:1). The great story of Christ's redemption is how He once again quickened the spirit of man with His Spirit, making us born again through His eternal life (I Corinthians 15:22; I Peter 1:3). Therefore, the heart of man could once again be led by the regenerated spirit within the man---empowered by the Holy Spirit. When Christ is allowed to reign supreme in the heart of a man, He thereby drives the mind, emotion, and will to do according to His will. This "holy bridle" causes the body to be turned in whatever direction the Lord so desires, much like a horse is turned by the reins and bridle of its rider. The degree of submissiveness, much like a horse, will depend on its brokenness toward its master.

Solomon tells us in our lead verse to put a "watch" over our hearts to protect it with all diligence. As suggested previously, this is impossible without the spirit of a man knowing the regeneration of the Holy Spirit of God. The spirit of man is dead without Christ and incapable of supporting the man in any measure. However, once the spirit is enlivened by God, then the understanding to set a watch over the heart is possible. So, in practical terms, what does this mean to the Christian believer? I believe the ability to set a guard over our hearts is grounded in surrender and humility of mind and spirit. Just as the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), so this reverent brokenness toward the Lord invokes the spirit of wisdom to direct our lives according to His great purpose. While Proverbs 4:23 commands us to watch over our heart, verses 24 through 27 provide the process or the mechanics on how to successfully protect the treasure within. The impossibility of this task by the unregenerate man is only juxtaposed by those born of God's spirit and equipped with His power.

Consecration is only possible with God's help. In the following verses, the Lord shows us through Solomon's wisdom how to achieve the carnally impossible with the help of His Spirit of wisdom.

24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.

In verse 24, we are told we must surrender our speech to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. No man can tame the tongue, according to James the brother of our Lord (James 3:8). Only the Lord through His Spirit can make our speech, as it were, full of grace and edification for the hearer (Ephesians 4:29). However, we must submit our spirits to allow Him to control our mouths in all instances, not allowing our words to tear down but to build up through His direction. With our mouths muzzled only for His bridled bidding, we then direct our attention to verse 25 where we are told to be careful what we behold with our eyes. It is true that whatever we continue to behold, we will eventually become. Just as David declared, "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes" (Psalm 101:3), so we must also consciously and willingly submit our gaze to the Lord rather than on the world and its lusts. As we command our soul to return its gaze to the Lord within, then we are renewed in the spirit of our mind, causing us to grow in maturity (Ephesians 4:23). Finally, we see how the direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make, or the paths we take. Verses 26 and 27 teach us how to discern our choices through the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17-19). By choosing the "straight and narrow" path before us, we ensure salvation both for us and also those whom God has appointed to benefit from our obedience.

Simply put, if we will but yield our members (Romans 6:19) according to God's wisdom through the power of the Holy Spirit in our inner man, we will be watching over our hearts with all diligence. This, beloved, is consecration empowered by the Spirit of Christ within. A marvelous outcome is the eventual result. A deepening sanctification will overtake the man or woman who would continue to surrender their spirit in this manner, allowing God's wisdom to flood their inner person. The glorious manifestation is an individual becoming more and more like their Savior. They are being revealed as the righteousness of God in Christ---not only positionally but now conditionally by God's sanctifying power.

If it seems hard to "watch over your heart with all diligence," I would suggest that we must surrender to Christ before we can procure His help. We cannot do this in our own power, beloved. We must draw upon His wisdom through brokenness and humility. It is imperative that we protect our "springs of life" through His strength. For without the Lord enabling us to consecrate ourselves for His purposes, we will never know the joy of His sanctifying grace. May we all experience His holiness in this lifetime which ensures us entrance in the life to come! (Hebrews 12:14)

Heavenly Father, grant us the wisdom to watch over our hearts with the diligence You provide. Allow us the power to consecrate ourselves to You, thereby granting us the holiness of Your grace through sanctification. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Prophetic Evangelism - December 2, 2018

Revelation 19:10 - Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Have you ever considered how each of us can move in the prophetic according to scripture? Regardless of our denominational affiliation or dispensational beliefs, we all have the opportunity to function in a prophetic manner. I'm not talking about the gift of prophecy (I Corinthians 12:10) or the office of a prophet (Ephesians 4:11). I am referring to our lead verse and how the angel declared to John the Revelator how testifying about Jesus is synonymous with the spirit of prophecy. So, how do we testify concerning Jesus and what exactly is the spirit of prophecy? These are important distinctions to make in order to understand the intent of this verse. Possibly our paradigm needs to change in order to comprehend what exactly it means to give a "testimony" or to testify about Jesus and also the difference between the "spirit of prophecy" and prophecy, itself.

Let's first look at the difference between prophecy and the spirit thereof. Prophecy, we are told in Paul's letters to both the Romans the Corinthians is a gift manifestation of the Holy Spirit, given discriminately as He chooses. It appears this gift works as the Holy Spirit determines how best to manifest it for God's glory. In Revelation 5:6, we see the seven spirits of God which are sent out into all the earth, presumably to bring God's glory to earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Some believe these seven spirits are those mentioned in Isaiah 11:2 in regard to Jesus Christ. These are the Holy Spirit, and the spirits of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. This seems plausible as the aforementioned are certainly characteristic of the attributes of God the Father and His Son. So, it is important to distinguish while the Holy Spirit may speak through an individual through the gift of prophecy, the testimony that proceeds from Jesus Christ encompasses the seven-fold manifestation of God's spirits. For instance, Jesus certainly moved in the gift of prophecy when he spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end-times in Matthew 24. According to the model of gift manifestation, we can assume from scripture that Jesus was granted this insight from the Father through the Holy Spirit. However, in day to day living, Jesus moved in the seven-fold spirit as prophesied by Isaiah the prophet. His testimony, if you will, embodied wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord as directed by the Holy Spirit within His Person. This indwelling resulted in Christ's life as a constant embodiment of testimony through the Spirit at work in and through Him. This prophetic or "testified" expression of Christ's life resulted in the evangelization of many in ancient Palestine.

Just as the Holy Spirit testified through Jesus about the Father, in the same manner the Holy Spirit desires to bear witness about Jesus through us to the glory of the Father. This "prophetic testimony" is not the gift of prophecy but a manifestation of the seven-fold spirit as foretold by the prophet. Whenever we testify about God's great gift of salvation through Jesus His Son, we invoke the spirit of prophecy and the seven-fold manifestation to those with whom we share. It is important to note at this point how not all testimony regarding our Savior has to be verbal. We may very well speak and testify with our mouths concerning God's goodness. However, what about how we live? Our lives are often pouring forth a witness of Jesus much more so than our lips. How we live our lives may be the strongest and most convincing witness regarding the life of Christ within. Is this the spirit of prophecy as we testify to others regarding our surrendered (or otherwise) life to God? I believe it is. In fact, God may cause our everyday pursuits to bring glory to His Name. In my case, as a barefoot runner, I believe God uses the witness of my "feet" to shame the conventional knowledge of this world in bringing further understanding regarding God's wisdom for me to run sans shoes. Whether people agree with my "wisdom" to do so is inconsequential. What is important is to first be obedient and then to be in agreement with God, allowing Him to use whatever "testimony" He desires---whether from mouths, feet, hands, or lives to testify of His Son's love. When we offer up ourselves as a "living sacrifice" to be used in whatever manner to glorify Jesus, then we are moving in the spirit of prophecy regarding the testimony of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1).

How has God challenged us to testify of His Son? We cannot shrink from speaking about Him with our lips, for hearing and believing will often come by us speaking the word of God (Romans 10:17). However, we can often set up the perfect opportunity of speaking God's word by living it first in obedience to Him. God has called us all to be "prophetic evangelists" through the testimony of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit may or may not give us the gift of prophecy so we can speak the secrets of men's hearts (I Corinthians 14:25). However, He does give us the manifestation of the seven-fold spirit that allows us to testify of our Lord through our "living sacrifice." May we all give Jesus the glory through surrendered lives that prophesy of Him through our respective testimonies.

Father, may we may glorify Your Son by speaking through the spirit of prophecy, testifying of His love and greatness. May the glory He receives through our obedience come back to You to make You all in all. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit and His manifestation in our lives to bring praise to the Godhead. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick