After These Things - February 4, 2018

Genesis 22:1 - Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am.”

Testing can be either a pleasant or unpleasant activity, depending on one's preparedness. As a student, I did not like the discomfort generated by not studying. So, I would usually give it my best shot to try to understand the exam material. Usually, I was satisfied with the outcome. However, there were those particular times when no amount of preparation seemed to help. After a setback such as a less than desirable grade, it was time to cut my losses and get ready for the next test, whatever that might be. It was usually not that important how I did with one grade, but rather the summation of the entire examination throughout the course material. The obvious bears worth mentioning, how one must continue to do the next right thing to accomplish the desired goal. Often, the next right thing is a series of tests that result in creating something much more important than any knowledge. That thing is often defined as character.

 

While the Patriarch Abraham is known for his great faith, one might not fully understand how he first obtained his godly trust. As with every effect, there is a cause (or a catalyst, if you will). Few take time to truly understand the causation or the context of Abraham's greatest test of faith. We look at Abraham's obedience to sacrifice Isaac and we shake our heads in wonder. However, a test of this colossal size only occurs "after these things." It is a decided moment in the heart of God and at a point in a man or woman's life when either heaven or hell is about to bend, respectively. However, this moment was also a series of faithful and not so faithful exercises throughout the life of the patriarch. Often, Abraham did as God desired and believed Him. At other times, we see him lying to save his own skin. Nonetheless, all of that was now moot in the light of the one great question; Could Abraham totally give away what he loved the most? The test in which Abraham became known for ultimately was the result of many previous tests of which no one will know of on this side of eternity other than he and God.

In the same way, how much was the Son of God tested upon this earth before His greatest test on Calvary's tree? We know of His temptation before His ministry in the Gospels, and His trial in the Garden of Gethsemane. But what about His other thirty-some odd years where we hear nothing in regard? Without question, He lived a continual life of testing, temptation, and trial that  culminated in the greatest triumph ever accomplished. He was examined in all areas throughout His life and, finally, on that fateful day was found perfect and complete. Jesus knew His life was predestined for that moment when---after all these things---He would lay down His life for all those before Him who had failed the test. Then, as our surrogate, He passed every exam the law could ever require from us. In a very real way, Jesus Christ "tested out" of every obligation the Father ever required of us and gained our entrance into God's eternal presence forever.

Both Abraham and Jesus knew all about "after these things." The former learned faith through obedience, while the Latter lived the perfect mortal life and showed us how to live, die, and then be raised into new life. While Jesus is our perfect reflection of the Father, Abraham is our imperfect model to show us how the journey is always preparing us for that moment when we can say, "Here I am!" We will not do everything perfectly, but we must continue on in faith. In time, we will come to that place in our journey which is "after these things." Then, may we like Abraham, be ready for anything the Lord would require of us.

Holy God, thank You for all the trials and tests you bring our way. Often, it is difficult to embrace what You are doing in the midst of the testing. But help us to see as You see regarding what You are doing. For we know it is a perfect result, and we desire to trust You for the outcome. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Real Zeal - January 28, 2018

Psalm 69:9 - For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

What are we passionate about? One does not need to look further than weekend sporting events, where collegiate and professional sports fans are bedecked in their teams colors. (Often, this may be in the form of body paint rather than conventional clothing, despite freezing conditions!) There is a loyalty that seems unrivaled when you get someone talking about their team allegiance. For nearly a century, we have had a "border war," of sorts between Tigers and Jayhawks where I live. Even though this rivalry is no longer played out in conference play, the enmity still simmers waiting only for a way to express itself. While some might chide at this type of good-spirited competition, passionate allegiance is hard-wired into every individual to some degree. If it does not find its expression through sports, it will find another way.

God probably cares little if we are passionate about sports, per se. He understands we need recreation as human beings and undoubtedly allows this as a form of escape from the anxiety of daily living. However, He does not want this to fulfill His divine plan for passionate pursuit of Him. Along with this pursuit comes our attitude and desire for Him and the things of the His Spirit. In this regard, I have sometimes heard people say that a person can become so heavenly-minded they are no earthly good. Personally, I have yet to find such a person. The opposite is usually the rule rather than the exception. We become so passionately wrapped up in our own lives and the pursuit of our own creature comforts that we do not even think of heaven.

King David understood passionate pursuit of God. We have scores of psalms attributed to this ancient Israelite in this regard. Possibly some of his contemporaries believed David was a bit "over the top" in his pursuit of Yahweh. What often appears as religious fanaticism to the world, can be the zeal and passion of a believer for the God who lives within. Certainly this was manifest a thousand years later when Jesus fulfilled this prophetic psalm as he cleansed the temple of His Father (John 2:17). Purity of the actual Davidic (constructed by Solomon) and Herodian temples is the literal application of this verse in Psalm 69:19. However, we know from Paul's writings how the temple of the Lord in the New Covenant is our body -- the vessel of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 3:16).

It is a wonderful ambition to keep our bodies pure, both in what we consume and what we allow it to do. As already mentioned, our lead verse speaks to us about the temple of the Lord and how He lives within -- not only in our bodies but also in our souls and spirits. In this regard, may we all be challenged with the following question: Are we consumed with what God thinks about His living quarters within us? Or, are we ashamed when we participate in some conversation, or watch some movie, or when we go somewhere He would not approve? He is our guest yet so many of us treat Him like a hobo in a flophouse! The great nineteenth century preacher Charles Spurgeon aptly stated, "yet it is no disgrace to any generous spirit that is regenerate, to have the zeal of God's house to eat him up. It is a slander to call it folly."

Do we sit on our hands at church on Sunday mornings and then raucously shout and dance when our team makes the big score that afternoon? When we have a zeal for the God who dwells within, then we will become partakers of the reproach of the world. Is no one reproaching us for our zeal? Then possibly we have none. May we all live passionately and fervently for the One who dwells within.

Father, help us to be passionate about living, yet not forget the One who we live for. May our passion for the things we love pale in respect for the zeal we have for You. Grant us hearts of fire and mouths that speak Your praise. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Following on Purpose - January 21, 2018

Ruth 1:16 - But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God."

A pastor friend of mine from Zimbabwe endured great hardship as a child refugee during the civil war in the 1980s. Listening to him recount the brutality of the opposing forces and how it affected his young life were shocking. (He tells one story how he faked his own death by smearing blood on himself and hiding in a pile of corpses until the militia had left.) However, the murder of his father and the forceful separation from his godly mother did not keep him from trusting in God. When he was finally brought to a Christian school where his education was sponsored by a wealthy American couple, he flourished with grateful attention to both his studies and to growing as a Christ follower. Today, he is a respected seminary professor, pastor, and a beloved example of what a survivor of extreme oppression needs to do in order to rise from the ashes. His understanding of where he has come from and his gratitude to his benefactors are testaments of his godly character.

This brief synopsis of a rather lengthy story is one that ends with great hope for the future. Similarly, the story of Ruth is possibly the most beloved story in God's word regarding self-sacrifice and love toward her benefactors. In this small book of only four chapters, we find a woman bereft of her husband with no visible hope of familial redemption. Her mother-in-law Naomi cannot promise her a husband, only a life of poverty as one who gleans behind the reapers in her home town of Bethlehem. (In comparison, this would be like those who are on welfare in our society today.) However, Ruth took every opportunity to submit to Naomi and obeying her advice to seek mercy in the fields of a close relative, Boaz (Ruth 3:12). This ultimately led to her redemption by this kinsmen redeemer which brought her in to the place of joint-wealth with her new husband (Ruth 4:10). From this union, King David himself would become the great, great grandson of Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 4:17).

Greatness often springs from lowly beginnings. We certainly see this typified from a manger, to the cross, to the empty tomb! Whether Jesus Christ Himself or Ruth or my pastor friend, obedience through humility was their key to rise from the proverbial ashes. Perfect, godly submission always results in extraordinary outcomes. These results will always be first for the benefit of God and others. My pastor's agenda in going to school was first to help his family out of poverty. Ruth's was to help her beloved mother-in-law with sustenance to live through her gleaning. Jesus' goal was to empty Himself of God and redeem mankind (Philippians 2:7). In all these instances, holiness (or setting ourselves apart for God) is never for our own edification. True holiness is never enthroned as a spectacle of grandeur, but it is lived out in mundane ways for others. The bi-product of sanctification truly is a life of peace and joy, but this was not God's main desire in making us holy. Like Ruth, our desire should be to cling to God at all cost. Then, He will reveal His grand plan as we follow.

Sanctification's ultimate result is to draw all our attention from ourselves to others. The only way that can happen is by first looking to Jesus who is passionate for mankind. In the beginning, we will find our focus to be firmly transfixed on the Savior, as Ruth was toward Naomi. In time, however, we find we begin to see the Savior in others as we minister (e.g. Boaz). Likewise with my pastor friend. His physical redemption from poverty and eventual death to self meant a way out, first for him, then his family and then for so many others which he has touched through Christ. Like Ruth, he said to the Lord, "your people shall be my people and your God my God." This attitude allowed him to follow on purpose with a clarity of mission and with deep gratitude. This afforded him as well as Ruth to see beyond what God could do for them and to recognize the image of God in others. Through this godly transformation of following the Savior, it created a godly heritage for many through selflessness. Hence, the world has become enlarged for God through their simple act of obedience by following on purpose.

Gracious God, may we all  understand that to follow You is to empty ourselves of our goals, agendas, plans, or expectations. Help us to give to You totally so that you can make us holy vessels to provide for others. Like Ruth and this pastor, may we live for You so that we might live for others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Bearing Fruit - January 14, 2018

Matthew 21:19 - Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered.

Like any type of cultivated plant, fruit trees require particular care in order to yield significant fruit. Fig trees, for instance, require regular mulching of organic or processed fertilizers around their trunks for the first three years after planting. Then, adequate pruning has to occur. After a few years, a fig tree can produce enough figs to feed a family of four. (This is all according to an arbor-centric website all about the care of fruit trees.) As with most living things, it only makes sense that if a plant such as a fig tree is cared for, it will produce fruit in its season and according to its care.

Fig trees are commonly referenced in biblical times as a source of sustenance for ancient Israelites. The earliest mention of any one particular type of tree in the Scriptures is the fig tree from which Adam and Eve sowed together leaves for makeshift coverings (Genesis 3:7). Figs were also some of the fruit brought back by the spies that Moses sent out (Numbers 13:23). Solomon mentions them in his garden (Song of Solomon 2:13), and Isaiah prescribes figs as a boil remedy for King Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:21). However, the fig's most common use was to complement the Middle Easterner's fruit diet, as our Lord depicts in the Gospels.

In our lead verse, did Jesus know this fig tree had no fruit? It seems obvious that He chose not to use His divinity to ascertain this particular instance. This, in a way, was added grace for this tree which was soon to be cursed and withered under His divine power. In the same respect, God gives us much grace until the time He comes looking for fruit on us. He allows us to grow wherever we are planted and appear to be "green" and useful for the kingdom. However, when He comes looking, we had best have produced more than spiritual leaves.

Are we a lone fig tree in our walk with God? We have far less chance of producing fruit if we are. The main benefit of fig tree groves rather than solitary fig trees is fertilization. A lone fig tree has far more likelihood to not be fertilized than a grove of trees. (A random insect or bird may cause fertilization to a lone tree, but don't count on it!) If we are indeed a lone fig tree, are we possibly only worthy of trying to produce a false covering like Adam and Eve tried to create? Our works will never save us, beloved. We must bear fruit, in season. There is no guarantee the Lord will continue to come looking once we have disappointed His initial desire to find fruit in us.

Are we all planted together for His glory? May we all look to the Lord and then to other believers for our strength. Then, may we produce fruit as we serve both for God's glory!

Heavenly Father, let none of us experience Your disappointment when you come looking for fruit on Your beloved. May we look to You and others to make us healthy spiritual trees that will bear fruit in season for Your glory.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Choosing Our Cross - January 7, 2018

Matthew 16:24-25 - Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

There are many "cross-bearers" in the world today. However, scripture tells us that many of these will be denied the heavenly prize and few instead will find it (Matthew 7:13-15). Some will bear their cross for a cause or a movement with no thought of God. These will reap what they sow, for God will not give a thought for them in the final outcome. While there are a plethora of noble "crosses" to bear in our sick world, the only one that truly matters is that of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we carry a cross to save the planet or to help dying AIDS children in Africa or to open an orphanage in Delhi and are not following Christ, it will mean nothing in regard to determining our eternal home. The best we can hope for are human accolades which are destined to perish one day along with this temporal earth.

The only cross we are to bear is the cross of Jesus Christ. The world will congratulate us if we carry another cross for a noble cause, and will diametrically hate us if we carry the cross of Jesus (John 15:18). The former smacks of humanistic endeavor and the ability of man to pull himself up by his proverbial bootstraps. The latter is a declaration of the total inability of mankind to save himself and our need of a Savior. Only when we come to Jesus are we able to come after Him as the scripture states. Denial of self will not then be a laborious chore, but instead an expression of love toward the One who gave us life. Denial of one thing without passion for another only results in disappointment. (Ask the addict who attempts to quit drugs with just determination.) If we first embrace Jesus by coming to Him, then coming after Him and bearing our own cross will seem the most natural thing. In reality, the expected will then become a supernatural empowering that will crucify our flesh daily as the aroma of Christ breaks forth in our souls.

Our only consideration when deciding who or what we will devote our lives to is what is to be gained or lost. Our decision should not be based on "wishing" as Jesus proclaimed, but instead it should be founded on the bedrock of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In order for a man or woman to move beyond the pipe dream of wishing, they must understand reality. The cross that many bear is superfluous or meaningless in the light of their eternal destiny. However, when the aforementioned give their lives to Jesus Christ, then the dynamic of hope fills their souls. And hope does not disappoint because of the love which Christ pours out within the soul of those who trusts in Him (Romans 5:5).

In this coming year, it is imperative we decide who or what we serve. Some might say, "I will serve none but myself and my family. I don't want any of this religious stuff." Of course the reality is that everyone is involved in this "religious stuff." Everyone worships in their own way. They either serve the god of self and human accomplishment, or they surrender to Jesus and come after Him, carrying their cross in joyous servitude. The former means eternal loss ... the latter equates to life eternal. Who will we trust to save our souls? If we trust in Jesus, may we all first deny ourselves and then take up our crosses and follow Him. There is salvation in no other manner!

Heavenly Father, the choice is before us all. Help us to choose to follow Your Son. Help us to decide that anything less than total devotion to Him is folly. Grant us eyes to see and ears to hear in order to come to Him and then to come after Him, bearing our cross. In our surrender comes true freedom. Thank you Lord for Your great plan. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Hand to the Plow - December 31, 2017

Luke 9:62 - But Jesus said to him, “ No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Some people might say that a new year is inconsequential. Many folks make and break resolutions with impunity. Like many, I haven't always considered a new year as significant. However, the longer I walk with the Lord, the more I see the importance for new beginnings. I like to think of a new year as an opportunity to turn over the soil of my heart and to prepare the ground for new seed. Often, this is a new area of my heart where God wants to do an expansive work. In other cases, this is possibly where He has produced a crop but now He wants to plant something different. And, sometimes there are areas that may have once yielded fruit, but have gone fallow due to indifference or disobedience. I have found the best thing to do is not argue with God, thinking I know what's best. Without fail, when He plants what He desires, it always bears forth the fruit He has ordained. That is, as long as I'm obedient and continue to till the land of my heart as He desires.

The use of the plow and fallow ground are simply metaphors for allowing God to use His word to instruct us. While some smaller plows may be pushed by manpower, God's plow can not be pushed by human strength. It is an impossibility to push a plow creating deep furrows in order to sow God's seed. For the sake of this analogy, God provides a mule or a team of oxen---servants to mankind in order to pull the plow through the unbroken earth. The strength of these animals are illustrated by the strength of God and how He empowers his word to accomplish what He sends it forth to accomplish (Isaiah 55:11). However, without man's hand on the plow, God's word will often NOT be sent forth due to lack of faith to lead and guide it. By putting our hand to God's plow and obeying Him, we allow His word to go forth.

Once we put our hand to the plow, Jesus tells us we should never look back. We should understand that while our past has often shaped our present, we cannot allow it to dictate our future. Obedience that cuts a straight furrow through life would be terribly impeded if we were constantly looking back and worried about where he have been rather than where we are going. Paul, a confessed murderer and persecutor of the church tells us in Philippians 3:13 to forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead. We can do NOTHING about the past, but only make corrections for the future by the experiences acquired in our brief histories. While Jesus' admonition in Luke 17:22-37 refers to His second coming, it is still an important lesson for us to understand in regard to obedience. If we refuse to allow the anxieties of this life to pull us off course, then we will remain stalwart to keep looking ahead. In verse 32, Jesus says, "Remember Lot's wife," a sobering lesson on looking back once we have our put our hands to the proverbial plow (Genesis 19;26).

Time is significant, or God would not have created it. Therefore, it is important to regard new beginnings in time as God-ordained opportunities to start afresh. While man-made resolutions are to the most part useless, we can be assured that God patiently awaits for us to recommit to Him on our spiritual journey. Some of us have taken our hands off the plow and have allowed acres of "heartland" to become fallow. It is time to once again take hold of God's plow, the word of God, and walk steadily and determinably after Him. If we will follow the plow He has given us to guide, He will provide the strength to pull it along. Will we do this perfectly? None of us have, nor will any succeed except One. Jesus Christ will walk along side and coach us the entire length of God's field if we will but allow Him to do so. Before long, the soil of our hearts will be fertile once again to take the seed of God and bear fruit the way He desires. May we all put our hands to God's plow this year, never wavering as the Holy Spirit strengthens us and the Son of God guides our hands. May we all know the blessing of obeying Him in all things this coming year as we put our hands in His hands each and every day.

Heavenly Father, thank you for enabling us to obey You in all things. However, when we fail or take our hands off the plow You have ordained for each of us, may you patiently guide us once again to continue our journey, pressing on toward the goal of the upward call. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Christ Child - December 24, 2017

Matthew 2:18 - A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.

When we read the story of Christ's birth, it is full of wonder and hope. Shepherds and wise men rejoice over the birth of the Savior. Yet, in the midst of this glorious event, tragedy taints the most important advent the world has ever known. Other families in Bethlehem and its environs had similarly celebrated the joyous coming of their babies in those days. However, they soon would see their children's lives ruthlessly taken from them. No one really knows for certain how many. The Martyrdom of Matthew states 3,000 babies were slaughtered by the command of Herod. The Byzantine liturgy claims more than 14,000 male children under the age of two were massacred, while Syrian tradition places the number at 64,000! Not to diminish the horror of this event, but the number was probably quite smaller. Biblical archaeologists believe from their findings that Bethlehem's population on May 14, 6 AD (the date claimed by Clement for Christ's birth) to be around 300 persons. If that is the case, then children under two years old would probably equal less than a dozen. However, no one really knows for sure. How far around Bethlehem did Herod's murderous edict extend? While it is doubtful 64,000 children lost their lives, it is equally as doubtful in my mind that just a handful of children were killed. Nevertheless, no matter the number, a life is precious and the heartache of those whose children were taken in such a cruel manner was no doubt heartbreaking beyond words.

As the Christ child escaped to Egypt with His parents, we read in Matthew's gospel how the innocents were slaughtered by a madman. Herod was one of a long line of megalomaniacal kings in Jewish history who sought to maintain his rule at any  cost. Since he was crowned ruler of Judea by the Roman government more than 40 years earlier, he had killed scores of persons he considered a threat to his throne. The slaughter of the innocents was merely the crowning achievement of his murderous ways in the twilight of his reign. This man schemed and connived his entire life to ensure his rule and that of his posterity. When he gave the command to destroy the male babies in Bethlehem, this was nothing horrendous in his eyes whatsoever. This was merely the last of a long series of murders to ensure his kingdom rule.

We often look at this event as appalling, but it was the most natural reaction of evil for this malevolent king to perpetrate. While this unspeakable evil was done, the Son of God was safe far to the south. Some might say, "Why did not God intervene on behalf of the innocents while He protected the Son of God? Isn't this hypocritical on God's part to show favoritism to His own Son, yet allow the innocent to perish?" The same questions have been asked of God throughout the millennia. While many believe He sits safely in the heavenlies while continual injustice occurs here on earth, some would suggest this proves He is an unjust God. However, those who would question God in this way do not understand He is not only a God of mercy but one of justice. His character demands that He allow mankind to go the way we have chosen since that fateful day in the Garden. God told Adam and Eve that death would be the result of disobedience, yet they chose to go their own way. Even so, we have chosen to go our own way and the result is carnage and death on a worldwide scale. Why does God allow children to die? Why does He allow babies in Uganda to suffer and die by the hands of cruel men and evil regimes? Why does God allow entire communities with thousands of children to starve to death in the Sudan? Why does He allow terrorists in Belarus to destroy an entire orphanage of children? Because evil exists in the world and we as a species have embraced it! The result of this prevalent evil will result in the death and exploitation of the innocent. It always will. The problem is compounded when we as the human race believe we are not all capable of this type of evil.

Whether we are saved by the Prince of Peace, or are joint-murderers with the prince of darkness is our choice today as it was on that infamous day in Eden. We will either join ourselves with God and look toward the day when He will once again make everything whole. Or, we will continue to join ourselves with the devil and blame God for all the woes of our world. The innocents will continually be the tragic victims of our foolish decision as a race. What we need to do is put the blame where it belongs -- on ourselves, and submit to the Christ Child who can make it all right once again. Instead of saying, "Why" to God over the calamity of this world, we should be praying "When will you come and set things right?" When we look to Him for the solutions, we will understand so much more than those without God. The evil will still be unacceptable. But we will understand its origin and its final demise as we trust in God to one day rid the earth of those who would prey on the innocent, much as Satan preyed on the innocent in Eden's garden. Then, the blameless will be righteous before Him, never to be exploited by evil again.

Holy Father, may we understand that the innocents will always be subjected to the worst kinds of evil. The hearts of men are given to do evil because they are children of their father the devil. They have chosen their parentage by their choice to follow him. There is a day, Father, when You will wipe the earth of this plague. Then, the innocents will be continually in Your presence, never to suffer again. May You come quickly, Lord Jesus. In Christ's Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick