The Fear of the Lord, Part I - June 8, 2014

Proverbs 8:13 - The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.

What does it mean to hate evil? Much of the world has lost the ability to discern this most basic, God-given knowledge. Sadly, when we hear of some debating whether Muslim extremists blowing up innocent people are evil terrorists or "freedom fighters" then there is cause for alarm regarding basic discernment. This is just one example in a world racked with evil. Unfortunately, the majority of mankind has likewise diminished the definition of wickedness to the point where it is unidentifiable. And, if you can't put a tag on it and call something what it is, then you surely can't hate it. Conversely, by ignoring evil in all its forms, the world has inadvertently embraced it and loved it. Modern society accepts all lifestyles without placing judgment on any. To do so, in their mind, would perpetuate a world of intolerance. Instead, it has created a world of relativity minus any absolutes which is a passive yet powerful strategy of the enemy to entrap the souls of humankind. Unless there is a violent reaction to evil in this world, it is impossible for collective mankind to draw near to God. Those who would go to church on Sunday and fulfill all their worldly desires the rest of the week are wasting both their time and God's. What He seeks is a people that would fear Him in all of His splendor and omnipotent power, for in so doing it expresses a love for his majesty. As we come to the Father through Jesus Christ, then we will begin to hate sin that separates all men from eternal salvation. We will grow in hatred toward iniquity by simply growing closer to God, much in the same way that the majority of the world grows closer to the evil they love and inevitably to the one who hates their souls with an eternal hatred.

Some might say, "God is not to be feared for He is a God of love". Often, these are folks that somehow equate a God of judgment as related by their Sunday pastor. They have never known God, so they seek to justify their own shortcomings by stating that God is some mushy, feel-good deity that is only interested in wrapping His big powerful arms of love around all humankind. However, the Father would not be a loving God if He betrayed His nature and compromised who He is. They fail to realize that without the judgment of God there can be no mercy. These juxtapose one another making their counterpart possible. What these naysayers are really stating is they have never experienced the mercy of God and all they know is the guilt of their own soul, which they rightly equate to God's anger. And, probably for good reason as these have probably never submitted themselves to God to allow His Majesty to have His way in their lives. Therefore, they could not know that God is an awesome God, full of power and might, that upholds them by the word of His mouth (Colossians 1:17). When we begin to grasp God's totality and our own insignificance, we start to see and understand the Holy One for who He is. Another way to state this is that we come into agreement with the character of the Sovereign Lord. Once we see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for who they are, we can begin to stand in agreement regarding those He loves and that which He hates. Most of us have undoubtedly heard the expression "Hate the sin but love the sinner". The catalyst for this is the fear of the Lord, for He tells us that this is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). It catapults us into a new dimension of understanding because we begin to see with His eyes and feel with His heart. Likewise, fools are educated in folly by their continual dismissal of the fear of the Lord and accepting His life. As their foolish hearts become more darkened to the truth (Romans 1:21), they earn lower degrees of depravity until they graduate with dishonor to hell itself.

The standard, or the plumb line if you will, whether we truly fear the Lord is quite straightforward according to the second part of our lead verse. Solomon mentions pride and arrogance, the evil way and the perverted mouth as those which the Lord hates (Proverbs 8:13). The first two, pride and arrogance, are the condition of the unregenerate heart. The evil way is the outworking of the same (Proverbs 1:16), and the perverted mouth speaks from what fills the heart (Matthew 12:34). Just as the mouth speaks and testifies of God leading a soul to salvation (Romans 10:10), so also it confirms what is in a wicked heart leading to destruction. Are our lives filled with pride and arrogance? If so, we will be manifesting "evil ways" of anger, lust, deceit, hatred toward men, gossip, or any other lawless expression against God's holy way. Beyond that, we will be testifying of these evil ways by our arrogant speech that disregards God's order. However, if we are fearing the Lord and walking in His ways, we will be testifying of His goodness and love. Both our behavior and speech will markedly hate evil by our love for the Lord.

Beloved, if we are truly hating evil in our lives and the world at large, then we are fearing God. And, with that fear there is no judgment because the one who seeks to bring a charge against God's elect has been cast down (Revelation 12:10). Mercy will always triumph over judgment if we will but yield (James 2:13). Once we understand from a place of humility who God is, and what He truly loves and hates, then we too will share in His passion. The determiner will be whether we dare to give ourselves to Him, fearing Him as the all-powerful One that holds the universe in His hands. In all of His splendor and awesome wonder, He still desires to share His life with you and me. We must only answer one question: Whom shall we fear? Shall we fear God out of respect and love, thereby hating sin? Or, shall we fear and bow down to the world and embrace evil? Friends, we shall either fear Him with love in this lifetime, or fear Him in the one to come as vessels of wrath. The choice is ours this day.

Heavenly Father, help us to loathe evil by loving You. Help us to draw near to You, thereby driving evil far from our hearts and our lips. Give us the desire to fear You, to love You, and to worship You always. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Leading Others to Jesus - June 1, 2014

Mark 7:33a - Jesus took him aside from the crowd ...

So often, Jesus' dealings with people were enigmatic to say the least. The dynamic of conflict seemed to generally be the rule when the Lord taught and healed. When Jesus instructed the people, He often brought tension by stating the way the Pharisees instructed and then disavowing it by the way of God. Many instances support this, however Jesus does a rapid succession in the Sermon on the Mount that countermands in short order what most thought a righteous man was in Jesus' day (see Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:27; Matthew 5:33; Matthew 5:43). Healing was no different in ancient Palestine, both from Christ's and the religious order's perspective. Most healing in Christ's time was done by priests in a temple setting or by those that would go to the home of those sick. Usually sums of money were paid in order to buy favor and to thereby expect a healing. When Christ healed in a synagogue, it usually brought the ire of the religious folk because Jesus made a point to heal (non gratis) on the Sabbath. However, we also see Jesus moving in the miraculous outside the confines of the institutional religious setting. These were usually marked by a lack of confrontation by the Pharisees, but also a freedom and simplicity as Jesus was able to move unrestrained as others would follow His bidding.

In two separate instances in the book of Mark, we see Jesus dealing with a deaf and blind man, respectively. What is so remarkable about these two encounters is how Jesus chooses to administer God's healing.

• Mark 7:33-35 - Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, 'Ephphatha!' that is, "Be opened!" And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.


• Mark 8:23-25 - Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around." Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.

One might read these scriptures and get side-tracked how Jesus Christ healed the deaf and dumb man and the blind man. We might think this is rather unorthodox how the Lord uses His own saliva as the catalyst for these men's healings. While this is extraordinary in itself, it is quite easy to miss how these men came to their place of respective healing. In both cases, Mark tells us that Jesus led them away from the clamor of the crowd. Why is this significant? Because Jesus wants us to know that his salvation is personal. It is not an uncompassionate act of "hocus pocus" on a wholesale manner. No, it is much different than that. It is the Living God taking a man by the hand or leading another who cannot hear or speak to a place of solitude in order for Him to administer His love as He sees fit. The healings of these two individuals is momentous, to be sure. But how they came to a place of healing is of much greater importance. It was from nothing they had done, but from the care of others. If we read the prelude to both healings, it mentions that others brought these men to Jesus for healing. These were obviously those who cared a great deal about these men and desired to see them healed. Through their faith and desire to see these men healed, they led them to the Great Physician who was more than able to administer His love and grace and to ultimately restore them to perfect health.

Too often we might forget that Jesus is still in the business of restoring lives. It is quite easy to believe that if we have brought someone to the Lord in prayer that we need not do it again. However, those who have "prayed through" and have known when God has lifted a burden for someone that has been on their heart, know when a release comes and their prayer subject has been placed in the hand of Jesus. This is a glorious understanding when an intercessor knows that their prayers have allowed those they have prayed for to be released to the Lord's care. Then, comes that phone call or that email confirming indeed that the Lord has taken that soul by the hand and has led them to that quiet place where He has ministered His grace. Beloved, I am assured that whenever God moves upon a man, woman, or child in a special way it's because others have spent the time praying for this to happen. Just as they brought the infirmed to Jesus in His day, so we must also continue to bring those that are spiritually lost or physically stricken to the Lord Jesus Himself. There is no other way that they will get there. And if we don't bring them, they will not know the wonderful touch of His hand.

Has Jesus ever taken you aside from the crowd of religious folk to create in you something new and living? If He has you will never be the same! And, if He has it is without a doubt a result of the intercession of others that have prepared the way for God to come take you by the hand to experience that wonderful encounter. No one comes to Christ on their own accord, whether it is salvation or healing or whatever. It is always through the burdens of others as they have borne the prayers to bring these close to the Savior. Are we bringing others to Jesus? They will never get the chance to be led aside by our wonderful Lord if we do not bring them before Him in petition and prayers. But once we do, we shall see the wonderful works of God demonstrated time and time again. God's ways are not our ways -- He will continue to save and to heal in what we often consider enigmatic manners. However, He will always do so in a loving, caring, compassionate manner that will only be manifested as we give Him the opportunity through our leading of others to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the example that Your Son gave us to lead others to Him. You are desirous to save and to heal. Allow us the privilege to draw others to Your Throne of Grace that they too might know Your consummate salvation for body, soul, and spirit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Kingdom Integrity - May 25, 2014

Ezekiel 22:27 - Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain.

If you interviewed a dozen or so random folks on whether they trust church leadership, you would get a variety of answers. Many in the Catholic faith have experienced an inquisition of sorts in recent decades regarding parishioners accusing their clergy of heinous sexual crimes. In evangelical circles, marital infidelity is too often a common occurrence. We hear of men and women in ministry leaving marriages that once seemed joined together in love and harmony, but now are made irreconcilable by the contempt they have toward one another. Opposite sex and more increasingly same sex attraction are the cause for many to leave their families and abandon their ministries. Then, there are those who have heaped up the riches of this world while they beg for more in order to add another television station to their worldwide outreach. I once heard a fellow make a wise statement, "Beware of preachers who plead for missions with hands cluttered with gold rings". Many use such examples to lump all church leaders into the same proverbial basket while they judge them accordingly. They do so, often to condemn the guilty but then also to justify their own integrity or circumspectly their lack thereof. (Paul stated that if we judge others, we often do those same things [Romans 2:1]). Those who have placed themselves in the seat of judgment might say that they have never cheated on their spouse and that they have lived free of corruption. Likewise, they expect those in spiritual leadership to do the same. However, disillusionment with those who minister the gospel is a trap that the enemy of our souls hopes we will fall into. It is the final blow in a one-two punch that the devil has set up to scatter and confuse the church as a whole. It is an ancient ploy which he most notably demonstrated in the Garden of Gethsemane on that fateful night when our Lord was unlawfully taken into custody. If Satan can strike the shepherd, then his hopes are that the sheep will also scatter (Matthew 26:31).

At the time of the prophet Ezekiel, the nation of Judah was a displaced nation with a large deported population and a small remnant left in Jerusalem. Judeans from their own nation whom the Babylonians had put in control were dealing irrespective of the common good of the Jews. They were only interested in what was in it for them and whatever sordid gain they could milk out of their own countrymen. The situation might be compared to tax-gatherers appointed by the Roman government in Jesus' day. Extortion and dishonest gain were the assumed standard for these who were paid off by their respective occupiers. The Jews of Ezekiel's day hated their turn-coat rulers as much as those on the Roman dole in first century Palestine. The indictment does not stop at her "princes" as noted in our lead verse, but the prophet also exercised condemnation on the priests and the false prophets of the day who did not keep the law and who prophesy false visions. They continued to operate much in the same manner as their forefathers did before them, resulting in their captivity. For when blind men and women seek to lead others who are blind, the result is inevitable (Luke 6:39).

What is to be done with those who would seek authority over our lives yet their own lives are full of self-driven, destructive agendas? In many regards, we are giving over many of our individual liberties both nationally and spiritually in the United States. We have allowed many "princes" to tear out the heart of this great nation by their greed for personal power rather than national servitude. We too often turn a blind eye while politicians continue to exercise their rights rather than the rights of the people. We have the power to stand up as individual citizens and demand representation that is marked by integrity. We can and should exercise our right to vote and demand such people to rule over us. Regarding ministers and church leadership that have sought their own will rather than that of their flock, they have the right and the freedom in this great land to make those choices. However, the Body of Christ should not become an accomplice of their self-centeredness and thereby turn away from the truth. We must not be complicit in the deceit that Satan hopes to generate by awarding him the prize of his deception. Each man, woman, and child will have to stand before God on their own merits -- first of all by accepting or rejecting the Lord Jesus as their Savior. But second of all and of paramount importance is how they choose to live out the life that God has entrusted to them. We cannot function individually as the Body. It is ludicrous for someone to say that they will worship God in their own way, divorced from God's church. We must rise up, together, and follow men and women of integrity. The only way we will begin to know whom we are following is by knowing what standard we place on those whom we follow. Jesus said, My sheep know my voice (John 10:27). How much more should we know the voice of integrity in those whom we seek to follow?

Beloved, days are quickly approaching when men and women will need to know whom they have believed and whom they will follow. Perilous days ahead will mean that the Body of Christ will need to come together and to rely on the kingdom integrity that He has given us all to live out. Only as we are living it, will we see it in those whom He has appointed to lead us. Both political and spiritual leader will continue to disappoint us in these end-times as we careen toward the end of the age. However, we do not need to submit ourselves or our loved ones to those who would live lives anything less than with the kingdom integrity that God has bestowed for us all to live in as we hasten the Lord's return. I pray that none would be deceived by the evil one to dismiss the hope that lies ahead for all who would but believe; that God would gives us all hearts to reject anything that smacks of self service and dishonest gain and would grant us hearts of integrity that would cry, Thy Kingdom Come!

Lord, give us hearts of integrity to follow you no matter the circumstance. Give our leaders both in the church house and the White House the integrity to lead with a clear vision of Your will. Have mercy on these who simply will not follow you, raising up others who will carry Your banner into the war that wages for our souls in these last days. Lead us and guide us with Your wisdom. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Idolatry - May 18, 2014

Ezekiel 14:7a - For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, ...

Many today might consider a casual understanding of God suitable for their lifestyle. Some of these will go to church on a regular (or irregular) basis and believe that their relationship with God meets their need. Others that wouldn't darken the door of a church building believe they have "spirituality" and that organized religion has nothing to offer them. Then, there are those who will not or cannot believe in God. Agnostics say prove there is a God and atheists say there is nothing to prove -- that God simply does not exist. Anyone of these various groups of "believers" have established their faith on the basis of their own experience, rather than what the scripture states. While most of the world believes emphatically in themselves, giving God only a small corner of their heart, the scripture is just as dogmatic regarding the place God should have in their lives. When asked what was the foremost commandment, Jesus answered: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). This leaves no room for hearts to be separated for their own desires. The God of the universe is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) and He will have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). To the Almighty, the very act of separating oneself from divine pursuits is an act of treason and idolatry. Nonetheless, the majority of humankind does just that on a daily basis while His mercy and love continues to bless their lives with good things everyday.

Not many today would be comfortable with the notion that they worshipped idols. Many would be offended, thinking that this was an archaic practice attributed to weak-minded, superstitious tribal people. However, to truly understand the meaning of idolatry, one has to look no further than our lead verse. Any act of separation from God is a form of idolatry. The prophet Ezekiel was quick to point out the many instances of Israel and Judah's failings as they worshipped the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the Queen of Heaven, or the fire god, Moloch. However, of more importance than outward devotion, the seer saw that his nation had lost their inner devotion to their Creator and had drawn themselves away by their selfish desires. Just as the word sanctification means to set oneself apart for God, in the same way they had defiled themselves by setting themselves apart for their own evil desires. A previous instance in Israel's history is when Samuel the prophet rebuked King Saul for disobeying the Lord's command to utterly destroy Amalek. Instead they kept back some of the choice spoil, the prime livestock, and spared Agag, king of the Amalekites. Samuel testified against Saul by stating that ... rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry (I Samuel 15:23). By setting his own agenda and separating himself from God's desires, he had given himself over to a spirit of witchcraft and idolatry that he would never recover from throughout his reign. His idol became the god of pride and self, the very sin that banished Lucifer from the presence of God (Isaiah 14:13-15).

As in both Ezekiel and Saul's eras, there are countless individuals even today that make similar attestations to God of their idolatrous intent. Some may make these declarations with overt verbosity much like our example of the devil's pride. Others do it in more subtle ways through a simple but destructive act called compromise. Whenever we mindfully seek to marginalize the word of God, both in scripture and His spoken word to our hearts, then we have enthroned an idol of justification that has NOTHING to do with Christ's redemption. Christ certainly justified us by his blood that He shed on the cross. However, when we compromise His word in our lives then we have justified ourselves and have thereby made the cross of no effect. We have separated ourselves from God by our willful thinking, installing the idol of self-sufficiency on the throne of our heart. There is no longer room for God, and the Spirit within is grieved as He retreats in sorrow over the loss of fellowship with His beloved. Only one thing can restore this communion and that is a broken and a contrite spirit that confesses the sin of idolatry. Only then, as we draw near to God in honesty and humility will He then be able to draw near to us (James 4:8). God's desire is that we would never be separate from His fellowship. It was a horrific ordeal for the Son to be separated from the Father as He bore our sins on the cross of Calvary (Mark 15:34). However, that is the ONLY way that we can experience apartness from the the Lord, if we allow our sin to come between us. If we allow our idolatrous hearts to compromise with this world, then that will certainly be our experience. However, once the idol is smashed, then we will once again know His presence. He will never share our heart with another.

Beloved, we must never forget that a heart divided is a heart that is separated not unto God but for our own desires. God will either have all of us or He will have none of us. It is not enough to say that I worship God in my own way, or that I attend a church service here or there. No, God is looking for that man or that woman who's heart would be completely His (II Chronicles 16:9). Many will say in that day, Lord did we not do this and that for You but He will say, depart from Me for I never knew you (Luke 13:27). To know God is to allow Him to have ALL of our heart. There can be no idols that we would allow to separate us from His love. He is coming with the clouds (Revelation 1:7) and He is coming for those who have set themselves apart and have longed for His appearing. May we not shrink away and separate ourselves from His loving ways in this present life in order to stand with boldness before Him in the life to come. May His name be praised forevermore!

Heavenly Father, help us to separate ourselves unto You and not to separate ourselves for our own desires. We long for Your life and Your goodness. We know not what's best for us so we trust that You will continue to draw us closer. Help us when we fail, and allow us to come to You in humility, drawing us close by Your grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Endurance - May 11, 2014

Hebrews 10:36 - For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

In our present age, few are heralded with celebrity status more than sports figures. The days when most professional athletes need to hold "another" job to support themselves are long gone. Today, the multi-million dollar contracts that many athletes receive would make a Ty Cobb or a Jim Thorpe blush with embarrassment regarding their yearly salaries. However, many look to present day "all stars" with an idolization characteristic of Hollywood super-stardom. Unfortunately, some grab the spotlight for their less than moral behavior which is often a huge disappointment to those who desire to emulate their status (I speak of adoring youth). Some athletes that have broken trust with their marital partner, or have succumbed to abusing drugs or alcohol, have only revealed their lack of moral character. They have somehow lost themselves in an ocean of gratuitous forgetfulness. Through this mental surrendering, they have given away their drive to be the role model that so many look to them to emulate. Their endurance both on and off the field has been exchanged for passion or lust of the wrong kind. Ultimately, they have sold out.

Most of us will never be of super-stardom, either in sports or in life in general. However, there is a selling one's self short when we lose the desire to persevere in our faith. Simply put, desire to endure comes from a personal relationship with God. Many will say, "I have a faith in God and Jesus Christ, but it just seems like I am going through the motions many days". If a person feels this way, it is probably true. Many Christians today are living OUTSIDE of the will of God and that is why they have no drive to endure. Our lead scripture states that we have a need for endurance. How does that come? The writer of Hebrews tells us when he states: ... when you have done the will of God. God is not desirous that we persevere for perseverance's sake, or to endure for endurance sake. Many have put themselves into a rut -- believing that the Lord wants them doing this or that, yet He has not called them to do any of those things they deem so important. If we are lacking the pleasure of His presence on a consistent basis, meaning the joy of the Lord (Psalm 16:11), then we should look to ourselves and ask, "Am I running out of spiritual gas because I am not drawing upon the Source?

Jesus believed that endurance was so important, that He mentioned it in reference to eternal salvation. In Luke 21:19 He states: By your endurance you will gain your lives. In context, the Lord is talking about the end times and the perseverance and endurance that will be needed in the last days. However, eternal life does not begin when we all get to Glory, but it begins when we trust in the Savior and begin to draw from His springs of life. From these wells of refreshment we find the fuel of endurance needed to see our journeys to their end. Jesus knew that our faith would be tested, but if we continue in faith and trust in His will, then we will find that our endurance will never languish as James the brother of our Lord states (James 1:3). He goes on to say that not only will endurance get us to the finish line, but it will achieve a righteous outcome: And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:4). According to this verse and others, sanctification is directly tied to our ability to endure. And, the only way to endure is by living in the will of God. There is no other way to make it, beloved. God promises victory if we listen to Him, obeying His voice day by day, and allowing His endurance to push us toward the goal. Just as certain, if we are living self-absorbed lives, quenching the wooing of His Spirit, then it is questionable whether we will truly finish the race that He has marked out for us all to run (Hebrews 12:1).

Endurance is not something just for the super-spiritual man or woman. Just as professional athletes are in need of endurance in their vocations, so too it is vital in their day to day existence in order to live moral, upstanding lives. How much more so as believers must we ask for God's spiritual fuel that will certainly help us rise above the worries and cares of this life? Jesus said that without it, we stand to lose. With it, however, we will be made perfect men and women of God, both in this life and the one to come. Do we have what it takes to finish? If we are in His will, listening and obeying the Father's voice, then we will have the strength to complete the course. May we all find the endurance we need to make us holy and righteous, both now and for eternity.

Lord, give us hearts of faith, creating a well of endurance to draw upon for the race before us. Help us, guide us into Your will. For in that place is the joy and strength to finish in Your pleasure. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Fearlessness - May 4, 2014

Psalm 118:6 - The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?

Fears and phobias seem to plague our modern day society as at no other time in history. A random sampling of what people are frightened of might catalog a variety of answers. One example, for instance, is that approximately 5.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54 ( about 3.7 percent), have what is called social phobia. Social phobia is defined as a persistent and irrational fear of situations that may involve scrutiny or judgment by others, such as parties and other social events. Many who believe that we are in the last days see this as symptomatic to the words of Jesus in the book of Luke: men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken (Luke 21:26). Fear is epidemic and our 24-hour news cycle seems to feed the anxiety. We watch the stock market crumble, and then are momentarily encouraged by an act of bravery on the same news outlet. While some may equate fearlessness with courage, they do so wrongly. Courage is not devoid of fear, but it has merely overcome the present terror temporarily in order to seize the moment and rise triumphant in a dire situation. Make Twain stated this in a more eloquent manner: Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--- not absence of fear. Some would argue that fear is a God-given emotion and that it must be accepted for what it is. Others, including myself, would say that fear or reverential respect born out of relationship with God will dispel every other fear known to mankind. It is first understanding this awe-inspired revelation of the Most High and then allowing this power to destroy all ungodly fear created by the flesh and the devil.

In an obvious place of godly strength, the psalmist in our opening verse asks the rhetorical question: what can man do to me? To come to this position of fearlessness it is important to realize the pre-conditions in this short line of scripture that supports this place of spiritual prowess. The outcome of position all depends on one foundational truth -- God's promise! The writer of this Psalm first declares: The LORD is for me. This is not wishful thinking but a rock-solid conviction conceived in distress and born by the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17-19). This is a Godward vision! We find in the previous verse that the psalmist is at a critical point of "distress", where his convictions reveal his true character. Verse 5 states: From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. From this point of helplessness, the Almighty is able to reveal Himself to this contrite penitent, allowing him to UNDERSTAND the promise of God which is simply ... God is on his side! To stand on a promise that is not born in humility and suffering is certainly more difficult for it lacks the power that only contriteness can deliver. However, when one has been lifted from the pit of despair by God's loving kindness, one knows that the Lord rejoices over His beloved (Zephaniah 3:17). Likewise, Jesus promised us in various scriptures that He would always be there for us, no matter the circumstances if we would but trust in Him (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:15).

While understanding God's intentions and desires in our lives is a great beginning, we will fall well short of His will unless we take the promises He gives and STAND on them. The psalmist knew by revelation that God was on his side, but now there was something he needed to do and that was stand resolutely against any fear or imagination that would attempt to rise up against the truth of God's promise (II Corinthians 10:5). By making the declaration, I will not fear, he was drawing a line in the sand. This is inward vision! How hard it is to merely name a promise in God's name and claim it if we don't believe He has truly done so for us. That is why it is paramount that the word of God -- the living, breathing word as spoken to our hearts (rhema in Greek) -- becomes real and alive within. Let me use two campsites for example where the weather is cold and blustery. At one, there are several people huddled around a circle of stones and confessing to one another (as they are shivering from the frigid temperatures) that the fire they are visualizing is keeping them warm, yet they have done nothing to change their present reality. Then, there is the other group who are warm, experiencing the heat of a roaring fire because they surrendered themselves to the work of gathering firewood that provided them their comfort. Oftentimes, many believers will try to set around their own dead campsites and see the glow of others at a distance and attempt to live vicariously through their experience. However, until they are obedient to the due diligence needed for their own "fire" in their walk with the Lord, they will continue to delude themselves.

Only as one has this inward understanding of who God is and His promises can one say with confidence: What can man do to me? This is outward vision as it relates to everything pertaining to life and godliness (II Peter 1:3). With an outward vision that is born from both a Godward and inward position, one can truly concur with the psalmist and say that nothing can shake them from their unflinching faith. Like Paul, one might say: Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35). Just like the psalmist, Paul's use of rhetorical questioning leads to only one true answer ... that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 8:37). All fear has been abolished through the understanding of who we are in the fear in the Lord. Through the purity of God's fear comes a life filled with love and contentment, a life not growing with inner fears and introspection, but a life that is lost in loving Him and others.

The solution to the fear epidemic in our world is really quite simple, but also difficult for most to comprehend. Only in losing one's life in humility will one find it. Only by telling God that we are truly terrified of life can He then give us the courage to walk hand in hand with Him. For most of us, it is a frightening idea to turn our lives over to another. However, if truly honest, we will declare that they we failed miserably at living a peaceful, joyous existence free of fear. God's remedy will always be surrender. Without it, there can be no godly understanding. And, without understanding there can be no true freedom. May God give us all hearts of courage that would fearlessly abandon ourselves to Him. Oh, the glory that awaits those who would but fear Him in reverential awe, laying all at His feet. May we all find the courage to do so!

Heavenly Father, help us to trust you as a loving Father, knowing that you will never desert us in our time of need. Give us fearlessness to surrender to you, enduing us with courage to live out Your life from within. Give us confidence to walk out this life in the fear of the Lord, never succumbing to the fears born of this world. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

He is Risen! Now What? - April 27, 2014

When I was a boy, some of my fondest memories were of my father and I “casting a line” together. Fishing has probably brought more fathers and sons together than most any activity. For us, it was no different. My earliest memory was as a four-year old and sitting with my father on a cement embankment along the Arkansas River in Wichita Kansas. He would be patiently fishing for catfish while I dangled a line with a chicken neck as I caught crawdads. This was great fun, especially since it involved spending time with my dad.

Guys are like that, I guess. Most of us aren’t much for sitting and chatting across the table as the fairer gender can do with much grace. However, give us some fishing poles and let us be busy with something like fishing and we can generally have some pretty good conversations. The more I understand this dynamic with men, the more I understand what happened with Peter and six of the disciples after the Lord’s resurrection. Sometimes, there is comfort in doing something familiar when there are more questions than answers.

It is important to understand how the disciples came to this place after Jesus’ resurrection that day by the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). How the seven disciples got to Galilee and why the other four were not there is not revealed in scripture. In many regards, the circumstances and setting of the 40 days that Christ interacted with His disciples is not much clearer, either. Matthew tells us in his gospel that the journey to Galilee was a command of Jesus directly after the resurrection,

And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (Matthew 28:8-10)

Mark and Luke do not mention a trip to Galilee. Apparently, they did not believe this was important to the story they were trying to tell. Mark, as we know, dealt with a quick summation of the gospel events purely by the sixteen chapter length of his narrative—the shortest of all the Gospels. Possibly he felt that this diversion to Galilee was not important to tell to his Gentile audience. Luke also wrote his gospel to a non-Jewish readership. Possibly he did not feel that the trip to Galilee was something he needed to relate. However, Matthew wrote to a largely Jewish audience and John wrote to both Greeks and Diaspora Jews (Jews dispersed throughout the Roman Empire). These apparently believed this to be an important detail of their stories.

Very possibly they hesitated in going to Galilee and that is why Jesus appeared to them in Jerusalem. Then, after Jesus tells them to remain in Jerusalem they decide to go to Galilee where Jesus gives them the Great Commission in Matthew 28. Rather than returning to Jerusalem immediately, seven of the disciples may have very well tarried in Galilee rather than returning to Jerusalem and to wait in the city as they were told until they were clothed with power from on high. We know from Acts 1:3 that Jesus appeared to His disciples for 40 days. After this, the disciples waited for 10 days for the promise of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. (Acts 2:1)

It is important to understand that the Gospels show a disjointed set of events for a reason. It is clear there were some definite commands from Jesus yet there was questionable obedience. By the time Peter and the disciples had decided to go fishing in John 21, one can surmise they should have probably been back in Jerusalem, in obedience to the Lord’s word. Luke tells us in his gospel that the disciples had an appointment with destiny in the holy city. He writes,

"And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

Instead, we hear by John’s account, how he along with his brother James and the other five disciples were instead fishing. Why were they fishing, of all things, when they had just been part of the greatest miracle of all time and eternity? One might easily assume that they fell back into what they were comfortable doing. The sons of Zebedee -- John and James -- along with Peter are those we know from scripture who were present that day who were by trade fishermen. John’s account is as follows,

After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. (John 21:1-3)

We know from the subsequent verses of this uneventful night of fishing that the Lord appears to them on the seashore the next morning. He then instructs them on where to cast their nets and fill their boats with a large catch. After they were all on shore and having eaten breakfast, the Lord Jesus asks Peter a series of poignant questions regarding his love toward Him. The implication of Jesus’ three questions is compelling and remonstrative of Peter’s denying His Savior three times. One can imagine after this meeting on the shores of Galilee how Peter and the others reset their faces toward Jerusalem to join their brethren and to obey Christ’s command to wait in Jerusalem until they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Some skeptics will take the seemingly disjointed chain of events in Matthew, Luke, and John and seek to show contradictions in the scriptures. However, as I have alluded, these work in concert with one another if one understands how the world of the disciples was turned upside down after the resurrection. Did the disciples go immediately to Galilee after the resurrection as put forth in Matthew’s gospel? One can only assume they did not go immediately to Galilee since Jesus appeared to the disciples the same evening that those who encountered Him on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. That very night and in the same chapter of Luke, Jesus tells them to remain in Jerusalem until they are clothed with power from on high. Scripture makes it clear from the other gospels that they do not “remain” in Jerusalem as they are commanded. Thomas we are told was not at this first appearing in the gospel of John. However, in John 20:26 we read that eight days later the Lord appears to all 11 disciples including Thomas. Were they still in Jerusalem, or had they ventured back to Galilee when the Lord revealed Himself? The answer is not clear in scripture.

One thing is clear; the disciples were leaderless. They very possibly may have understood from the instructions they received from the angels that they were to return to Galilee at some point (Matthew 28:7), yet the Lord had told them to remain in Jerusalem. The point is that the disciples were lost without Jesus and His guidance. They had yet to receive the true power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to give them the guidance they sorely needed. So, when they did resort to fishing, this was the most logical thing they could do in their own minds at the time. It took a divine appointment of Jesus redirecting Peter on that day by the sea for them to once again get their spiritual bearings.

I often think the same things about many who give their lives to the Lord, and experience the wonder of His saving power in their lives. They see and understand what God has done by saving them, yet they lack the wherewithal to live it out. They have yet to come into the power of the Holy Spirit through obedient living. Therefore, they are running on emotions or what this preacher says or some other well-meaning Christian might suggest. Some might be saying to go and meet Jesus in their respective “Galilee,” when all Jesus is really saying is to wait in their personal “Jerusalem” until they are endued with the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Christian life is so much simpler when we are being led by the Spirit. The forty days of Christ’s appearing to the disciples after His resurrection may have been more confusing than comforting in many respects. Finally, when the Comforter came in the Person of the Holy Spirit, then the disciples truly understood their “Great Commission” and how Christ desired them to help build His church first in Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria, and finally to the entire world. But are we not the same way? Until the Holy Spirit truly has His way with us, are we not confused about our destiny as Christians? Do we not go hither and thither when all He requires of us is to wait on Him and heed His direction? Even as the Gospels have apparent contradictions, we also will have striking contradictions in our lives until we allow the Holy Spirit to rule and reign through us for Christ’s sake. Then, we like the disciples, will fulfill all that He desires for His good pleasure. We will no longer be “fishing” for a feeling of security in our uneasiness, but we will be fulfilling His desire to make us fishers of those around us who He has called for His own.

Heavenly Father, take the confusion that we may sometimes experience and replace it with Your wisdom. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and let Him lead and guide us. No longer do we want to be going "hither and thither" unless You are the One telling us to go. And, if You are telling us to wait and to be still until Your power comes, give us the insight to understand. We pray this in Your Son Jesus' Name and for His sake, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick