The Bare Soul - The Beatitudes - Poor in Spirit - August 30, 2009

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "The Beatitudes - Poor in Spirit" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on August 27, 2009.

The Beatitudes - Poor in Spirit - August 27, 2009

Matthew 5:3 - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus was a master orator, regardless whether He meant to use a "grabber" (as He did) in His opening remarks on the Sermon on the Mount. With a just few short words, He was about to turn all the Pharisaical teaching of the last 400 years on its ear by blowing the minds of His audience. Christ did not say "Blessed are those with impressive knowledge of the Law of Moses, because they are the ones who will be heralded into Paradise". No, He spoke diametrically to everything the common people had heard up to this point regarding what it meant to be right with God. Jesus stated in a matter of fact way that one must be poor or poverty-stricken in spirit. And, if this was the case, then they would be ensured entrance into the heavenly realms. This was a mind-boggling proposition to the masses that crowded about to hear the teachings of this itinerant preacher from Galilee! Jesus was saying that the arrogance and pride of the religious order of the day not only hindered them entry to heaven but that it would ultimately disqualify them. Jesus' saying must have spoken to many of their hearts with the razor sharpness of a surgeon's scalpel. Those with ears to hear understood that those who were crushed under the realization of their own sin and their inability to justify themselves before a holy and just God -- this is the very thing that provided an open door to the heavenly realm. However, not everyone was willing to embrace Christ's teaching of humility of soul. To many, this was a subservient attitude that many sought to relinquish in their oppressed lives.

Poverty in spirit in Jesus' day had a bad connotation with many in first-century Palestine. The land of Israel had known its share of oppressors throughout its history -- from the slavery of Pharaoh and the Egyptians to their present occupier, Rome. To some gathered that day listening to Jesus on the Mount, the implication that one must be "poor in spirit" must have smacked of anti-Semitism and downright betrayal of everything it meant to be a Jew. However, Jesus was not interested in tickling the ears of the radical zealots and Zionists of his day by telling them to be resistant against the oppressors, past and present. The Lord was concerned with redeeming a people for His own possession that were not suited for the kingdoms of this earth, but for the heavenly realms. Jesus taught that to be totally emptied of the spiritual pride that was so symptomatic of the religious ruling class of His day was the admission price for Glory. Not only did Jesus preach this radical message, but He also lived it out with perfect humility. Christ, by word and deed, established the impossible standard for mortal humans to live up to in order to be accepted by the Father. Paul stated in Philippians 2:5-11 (please read these scriptures for context) the metamorphosis that Jesus underwent in order to redeem humankind and to empower us to live as He lived while on this earth. The apostle tells us to "Have this attitude in ourselves which was also in Christ ...", which was a poverty of spirit bereft of anything except the Father's will. Paul's command to us would be nothing short of insanity if we did not have the power to complete it. The inability for humankind to live as Jesus Christ lived was resolved by the cross. The Lord's death, burial, and resurrection resulted in closing the huge chasm of separation caused by sin. By the Lord's sacrifice, we all could finally live as poverty-stricken creatures regarding the things of this earth. Ironically, this ALWAYS produces a joy of living that is lived out in this life, preparing us for the one to come.

Pure joy is the benchmark of this emptied life as typified by Christ. David wrote in Psalm 16:11: You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Beloved, God the Father and the Lord Jesus' desire for us is to yield to the Holy Spirit as He empties our lives of all pride, selfishness, and all sin which ultimately keeps us from living a life of overcoming victory. God through His Holy Spirit is a joyful Being that desires to express Himself through us in this remarkable way. Do you seek to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might? Allow yourself to be emptied of the world, and He will be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10)! Or, to be so filled with His presence that His joy becomes something so wonderful that words can't describe it (I Peter 1:8)? To the degree that we relinquish our own desires and wants and walk in His Spirit daily confessing -- Your will be done -- to that degree will we live in a place of eternal joy both now and for eternity.

As in Jesus' day, there are many who would say that the Lord requires too much of us in this beatitude. To empty our lives before Him, becoming destitute of who we are is a frightening prospect to many. Just as those in ancient Palestine had the breath knocked out of them by Jesus' sayings, so it is true in our present world. There are those today who are so mired in the selfishness of their own lives, whether it be wealth or prestige or merely thinking of themselves as the god of their own destiny. However, Jesus Christ's promise to all is to fill us to overflowing with His "streams of rejoicing" if we will but yield to Him (Psalm 36:8). This is not a ruse that He has concocted to try to get us to live some burdensome life filled with perpetual moans of "woe is me"! On the contrary, this is the life set free from worry, doubt, fear, and depression because Christ has first of all fill granted the willing heart the love and desire to obey Him, and secondly His fullness of joy as we live continually in His presence. To be a pauper in God's economy means that we are far richer than any that might seek to put their faith in their own "richness of spirit". The latter will never know true wealth, either in this lifetime or the one to come. Only as we become poor in spirit will we be filled to overflowing with the riches from above!

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus and how He gave His life for us so that we too might walk as paupers in the eyes of this world. Through His wonderful gift, we can truly live as heirs of Your kingdom, far richer than anything we could ask or think. We rejoice in our poverty of spirit because by this we experience the indwelling of You through Your Spirit. Thank you O Holy God. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - Profit and Loss - August 23, 2009

Isaiah 48:17 - Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go."

Many years ago my great-uncle pulled me aside and gave me some advice that I wouldn't fully understand until years later. I was a young man barely out of my teens when he told me: It's not how much you make in life that matters, it's what you save. This native Texan was a self-made man that grew up during the depression and later put himself through college at Texas A&M University. During the 1960s, he amassed a great deal of wealth in real estate. However, even today he is an unassuming man in his 90s that lives modestly and with a frugality characteristic of his years of want. At the time when he shared this tidbit of wisdom, my finances were in shambles and money went through my hands like a sieve. Years later, I would understand that creating a lifestyle of first giving back to God and secondly of providing for my family and others unselfishly would provide the bedrock where a foundation of "saving" might be laid. I am not talking merely about saving in respect to money. I am talking about a lifestyle conducive to both material and spiritual wealth. For Jesus said: Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? (Luke 16:11).

To those who know the Lord, saving does not necessarily imply laying aside wealth for future retirement. It implies a heart of wisdom that has been instructed for years by the Lord regarding His insights on how to make a profit and to make it continue to grow. The irony of making a profit in God's economy means little about earthly wealth. This is merely a tool to help us progress to the real treasure. In Isaiah 48:17, the prophet spoke one thing yet was most likely misunderstood in his day much like he has been misunderstood in this generation. During the "Name it and Claim it" phenomenon of the 1970s and 80s, many preachers were telling us that in order to be successful in this life a person just needed to believe. They would tell their listeners on radio or television that whatever they confessed, they could possess if they just had faith. Do you want a new house? Then believe God and He will bless you with a mansion! After all, aren't we all "King's Kids"? And how about a new Cadillac? Surely, God will not withhold any good thing from those who would believe in Him, will He? Oh, but there was that one little caveat. Unless a believer sows finances into the Kingdom then they wouldn't receive back ten- or a hundred-fold for their faithfulness, as told by these soothsayers. In other words, you had to give to get -- you had to sow richly so you could reap a harvest of material blessings. Most of this so-called biblical instruction instructing many to "sow into the Kingdom" was directed back to their ministries to provide for their lavish lifestyles. Beloved, I am convinced that God wept then and He still weeps when we try to take His word and make it formulaic to increase wealth in a selfish, carnal way.

In order to understand what God wants to teach us about true profit, we should first look to Jesus and His Sermon on the Mount. The Lord's teaching is diametrically opposed to any thought of gaining material wealth BEFORE attaining spiritual treasure. Too often, we have tried to measure our success by how much material "blessings" we have attained -- how large our portfolios might be, or how much real estate we own. While there is certainly nothing wrong with having treasure on this earth, there is a problem if it is not founded on God's instruction on how to make and keep wealth. It is very much like trying to make a sidewalk without any forms or rebar. The wet concrete will never set up right because it has no foundation, lacking the boards or metal forms to rest on. It will crack easily because there is no inner structure for the concrete to cling to if there is no rebar . Concrete forms are comparable to the wisdom that God gives us to create wealth and then use it wisely. There are established, certain ways to create sidewalks in the same way as there are to create wealth according to God's guidance. Many, however, have attempted to produce material security before creating spiritual security. Jesus' teaching to the common man on the mount stated that to live in pursuit of riches was a life of chasing folly. The true riches were to be laid up in heaven through a heart given to God and to His Kingdom (Matthew 5:16-19). Christ summed it up concisely in regard to how much or how little wealth one should make when comparing the "birds of the air" and the "lilies of the field" with our earthly pursuits for material happiness. How much more does God care to feed and clothe us than these? (Matthew 6:25-30). Anything that God desires to give above and beyond this is according to His wisdom and how He might deal with each of us. Jesus concludes His teaching on how to profit in God's economy with this simple statement: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

Years later, I have taken my uncle's advice and turned it in such a way as he might not have expected. I still believe there is great wisdom in what he said, regardless whether he meant it as merely saving every nickel and dime to attain material security. Today, I know that the Lord has great things in store for those who will but let Him instruct them on the meaning of making a true profit. Today, the concept of "saving" means to turn ALL my affections and intentions to profit over to Him, allowing God by His grace to instruct me on the meaning of true gain. With this type of savings plan, there truly is a heavenly salvation that does not lack a high rate of return. If we get the proverbial cart before the horse, then we will just be creating a profit-scheme that will eventually be bankrupt in loss because it was built on self-serving motives. However, if we surrender all our ambition and desire to the Lord Jesus to create His wealth through us (spiritual, then material), then we will be delighted to see not only spiritual blessings but also the material blessings that He has laid up for us on this earth. They may not be mansions and Cadillacs here in this world, but they will be EXACTLY what we need to fulfill our respective missions and to prepare us for our heavenly home filled with splendor.

Heavenly Father, teach us and guide us regarding what true profit means while we traverse through this life. Help us to turn the gains you produce in us into heavenly riches that ultimately builds your church on earth and produces treasure for eternity. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - God's Mountain Men - Part II - August 16, 2009

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "God's Mountain Men" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on August 13, 2009.

God's Mountain Men - August 13, 2009

Genesis 22:2 - He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

As a boy, some of my favorite reading were biographies. In particular, I very much enjoyed stories of the western expansion in America. Tales of mountain men such as Jedediah Smith and Jim Bridger would make me dream of running away to the mountains to live as a hermit amongst the savages, selling my fur pelts to the highest bidder. The proverbial call of the mountains can be just as strong as the call of the sea, setting in motion these "dreamers" of a bygone era with hopes to live independently and at the same time strike it rich with the wealth the streams and rivers would offer. Their goals were often to remain fiercely independent with no one telling them how to live their lives. This isolation more often ended up badly for the majority of mountain trappers as they were either killed by Indians, avalanches, rockslides, or an assortment of other tragedies that were symptomatic of their aloneness.

In comparison, we see another "mountain man" who millenniums before heard the voice of God and chose to give up his own agenda for that of the Lord's. Abraham's 600 mile trek from Mesopotamia along with his nephew Lot in chapter 12 of the book of Genesis came to a parting of ways for the two in chapter 13. Abraham saw the wisdom of them separating since their herds had become too large for them to dwell together. The scripture states: So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom (Genesis 13:11-12). The land of Canaan referred to is a rugged area full of hills and mountains far less habitable than the Jordan valley which his nephew had chosen. Water was not in abundance for the flocks and herds in the hills and the mountains, yet God's promise to Abraham was that He would bless him and make him a mighty nation (Genesis13:14-17). While Lot chose the "easier, softer way" of the valley, Abraham chose the more difficult life knowing that God would bless him regardless.

Abraham was unmoved by mountains because he lived amongst them by choice. Later, when God told Abraham to ascend Mount Moriah to sacrifice his son Isaac, there is no mention of the patriarch arguing with God but he set off with his son in obedience. As we know from this familiar story, God was merely testing Abraham's faith to see if he would truly obey Him in all things. Conversely, we read in Genesis 19:17 that Lot was moved to retreat and hide in the mountains as he fled for his life due to his compromising lifestyle: When they had brought them outside, one [of the angels] said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away. God has juxtaposed two characters in this lesson from His word, showing us that those two different embraces -- one of obedience resulting in blessing, the other in compromise resulting in a flight of fear of God's judgment. The end of Lot's compromised state is a sad tale of loneliness and incest while hiding out in the depths of the mountains that he once shunned (Genesis 19:30-38).

As believers, we are continually bombarded with choices in our sensual, sin-soaked western culture. Many of those that would seek to follow the Lord might think that living in the proverbial mountains of faith is a hard life fraught with isolation from the glitz and the glamour of our 21st century living. That would be true. However, once we separate ourselves from the compromise and the allure of the world, then God takes us aside as He did Abraham and He promises His blessings upon our lives. While some might believe this is the life of loneliness, it is ironically the life filled with fellowship and the camaraderie of all those who have likewise chosen a mountain man lifestyle. The striking truth regarding those who seek to live in the comfort and compromise of this world find that they are the ones who will one day, like Lot, seek the shelter of the mountains that could have formed the character they so desperately needed. Unfortunately, for many it will be too late at this juncture. May we all, like Abraham, seek to live as God's mountain man -- not compromising with the world but joyously submitting to God in all instances and watching as His marvelous life blesses not only us and our families but all those whom we would encounter. The choice is ours today.

Heavenly Father, make us true children of Abraham, unwavering in our decision for you. Allow us to shun the pleasures of the rich valleys of this earth and let us learn character by living with You in the mountains of your choosing, producing character and obedience and finding favor in Your presence. For without faith and obedience it is impossible to please You. Allow us Your grace in this endeavor. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - God's Mountain Men - Part I - August 9, 2009

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "God's Power" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on August 13, 2009.

God's Mountain Men - August 13, 2009

Matthew 17:1-2 - Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

Mountains have a way of capturing our imagination. The Psalmist refers to mountains, comparing them to the righteousness of God -- stately in majesty (Psalm 36:6). Many of us that have climbed mountains, either with equipment or as "free-climbers" know the exhilaration of reaching the top. It is truly an awe-inspiring moment. I vividly remember the first of many summits that I ascended. It was November 1976 in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) outside of Estes Park Colorado. Four of us from a local bible college decided to take on Twin Sisters, an 11,428 foot peak. During the late 1970s, the Front Range of the Rockies was in the midst of a drought. Comparatively, little snow had fallen that fall season, so we decided to free-climb the switchbacks to the peak. Bob, our guide, had hiked up to the summit just weeks before with no problems. However, as we progressed we found the snow deepening in various sections shielded by the trees. As we sank knee deep in snow, our thoughts raced back and forth from wishing we had snow shoes and turning around and retreating for the trailhead and the warmth of the car. However Bob was determined to push onward and upward. Once above treeline, we found very little snow on the boulder fields that were swept free by the wind. From there it was a short climb to the top and to the breathtaking view. There was such a feeling of accomplishment that we all shouted with enthusiasm as our voices echoed in the valley below. Twenty-three years later, I would be back in RMNP ascending my first "fourteener" with my brother-in-law Tim as my guide. He had summitted Long's Peak (14,259 ft.) before and led me to the peak, guiding me through the boulder field, the Keyhole, around the Trough and the Narrows and finally to the top. In both my first and latter summits, I was grateful for determined, experienced guides that helped me find my way.

Mountain climbing is not for the faint-hearted. I would compare some of the peaks I have summitted with running some of my faster marathon times. Both demanded a great deal of stamina and fortitude to finish as I raced against either the clock or against the weather to ascend and then descend the mountain, respectively. Matthew tells us nothing of Jesus' motive when leading Peter, James, and John to the top of this high mountain, as described by the author in chapter 17. Six days earlier, they had been given a lesson regarding the cost of discipleship (Matthew 16:24-28). Jesus told them that if they wished to follow Him that they must obey Him implicitly or, as Christ stated, to deny one's self and take up the cross. Undoubtedly, the disciples were perplexed where the Lord might be taking them. Historically, the Mount of Transfiguration is considered to be Mount Tabor which is an 1,800 ft. summit. While this would not be considered a high mountain by many of our standards, it is the second tallest peak in Israel. The journey to the top was without a doubt arduous even as it is today for Christian pilgrims to ascend. Possibly the disciples were muttering on their way up, trying to figure out where their Lord might be leading? After all, there surely weren't any opportunities to minister on the peak of Mount Tabor? It just didn't make sense as it appeared that Jesus seemed to be isolating them from their calling as "holy evangelists". Or, maybe the Lord wanted to "pray" again. (That would mean some "snooze" time for the disciples!) However, once they arrived at the pinnacle they were in for quite a surprise! It was God's will that Jesus be transfigured in their midst that the disciples might see Jesus in His glory. Undoubtedly, all thoughts of a wasted climb to the top of Mt. Tabor vanished as they saw Jesus, Moses, and Elijah in glorious radiance along with hearing the awesome voice of God the Father. Their lives would be forever altered after ascending this famous mount.

As the disciples obeyed Jesus' leading, they were blessed with the wonder of His glory. However, this was merely a token of what God had in store for the apostles. As they would soon find out, it's one thing to climb mountains while following the Lord in obedience -- it's quite another thing to move them! Through their obedient pursuit of their Holy Master, Jesus was preparing them to be true "mountain men". The Lord had previously modeled to his followers the need for seclusion and prayer on the mountaintop (Matthew 14:23). Now, He had brought them to the top of Tabor to show them their respective callings. It was not an accident that three mortal beings ascended that mountain, yet three supernatural manifestations occurred in three persons.

• James the brother of John, became instrumental as a leader of the early church in Jerusalem where he helped shepherd thousands of believers as they were added to the church through the work of the Holy Spirit. Similarly, Moses was an Old Covenant archetype of the shepherd that led the flock of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land via Mount Sinai. Both men had hearts for God and His people. While Moses was the Law Giver that came down from the mountain, James helped shepherd with the Law of Liberty from Mount Jerusalem, the site of the early church.


• John the brother of James, later to be known as "John the Revelator" became the greatest prophet of the new dispensation. The book of Revelation is still being played out even today as the end-time book of Acts. The Elijah of Mount Carmel similarly was a prophet embroiled in persecution much like John experienced under the Roman emperors. Elijah's zeal for the Lord God made him God's choice to both preserve and reveal the word of the Lord in ancient Israel against King Ahab and Queen Jezebel's idolatrous government (I Kings 17).


• Peter, the great evangelist, would be instrumental in leading more souls to His Savior than Jesus did in the time of His short ministry. In the space of a few weeks after Pentecost, the church added over 8,000 souls through the preaching of Peter as endued by the Holy Spirit. Peter had certainly become the soul-winner that Jesus the Great Evangelist modeled for him during His three years with the apostle (Acts 2:41; Acts 4:4).

Beloved, at some point in our Christian walk Jesus will desire to lead every one of us up our own Mount Tabor to manifest Himself in a miraculous way. If we are faithful and resolute to follow Him, no matter how hard the climb, we will be delighted upon reaching the apex. We may not see a transfiguration in the same way as the disciples, however we can be sure that He will show us His glory in the way He sees fit if we will but trust and follow. With the revelation He provides will come the responsibility to partner with Him until He completes His work in and through us (Philippians 1:6). Much in the same way that we behold the beauty of a mountaintop, those of us who are called by His Name must become mountain men and women for God and dare to move mountains once we have climbed them with our Lord. As the apostles later understood, the Transfiguration meant nothing until they too were transfigured to shake the earth for Jesus. Are you a mountain man or woman for Jesus? For only as we follow Him implicitly to the top of our respective Mount Tabor will we truly understand His calling for our lives.

Heavenly Father, make us all desire to be mountain men and women for You. Help us to follow Your Son up and over those pinnacles that may seem daunting and without common sense to traverse. Yet, through Jesus' wisdom may we see the final outcome and the transfiguration that You desire to complete in all your sons and daughters. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

God's Mountain Men - July 13, 2009

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - God's Longing - August 2, 2009

Isaiah 30:18 - Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.

Few things captivate a child's desire as longing for the first day of summer vacation. Once April gives way to May, an anxious girl or boy knows they can make it through those last few weeks to finally experience the bliss of June, July, and August. The only other time that might come close to the anticipation of summer vacation anticipation is Christmas vacation. This, however, is just a short recess in comparison to the eternity of summertime fun that lay ahead of a young child once the school year has ended. I vividly remember one particular last day of school. It was at the end of my 6th grade year. The bell sounded to excuse us from the interminably long last day. I raced out of the building and through the play ground to the grassy hillside leading me through the park to our house four blocks away. On that day I must have been feeling a bit too exuberant because I took a tumble down the hill and realized when I had quit falling that my hand was bloodied by a busted soda bottle. I anxiously ran home where I was rushed to the emergency room for several stitches. My desire and longing for summer and the fun I would have took a turn for the worse that day. While my buddies were joyously refreshing themselves for the next several days at the local pool, I was sulking and feeling like I had been cheated. More than anything, I was angry at myself for not controlling myself and my joyous desire. Within a week, however, my hand was healed and I was resuming my unfettered summer fun, albeit a bit more cautiously.

God has wired all of us to have desires and longings. It might be for a simple childhood wish as the end of school, or possibly a long awaited trip to an exotic destination as an adult. Of even greater importance is the innate longings that we have for one another in our relationships when we are apart. Having been created in God's image, we are merely displaying a bit of His DNA when we have godly desires. The prophet Isaiah wrote in both a poetic and visual manner when describing how the Heavenly Father desires to bestow his compassion on His children. The New American Standard (NAS) version captures chapter 30, and the beginning of verse 18 with poignant drama regarding the original Hebrew. While several versions translate this text as ... the LORD waits to be gracious to you..., the NAS beautifully states ... the LORD longs to be gracious to you ... . The Hebrew word in this instance is chakah (khaw-kaw') which literally means "to adhere to, or to await for with longing". Beloved, if we are in Christ Jesus and have been born again of His Spirit, then we have been welcomed into the family of God. As a loving father that desires nothing but love and goodness for his children, so the Heavenly Father is watching over us with an anxiousness to bestow upon us His eternal compassions. However, there is an important caveat to God's longings -- He desires us to long for Him with a passionate desire that provokes Him to action. When my children were small, they would often get excited when they saw me come through the door after a day at work. Nothing provoked me more to want to sweep them up in my arms when I saw their delight that I was home. Similarly, I see that today in my year old grandson. We have grown very close and I know that there is a longing and desire on both our parts to spend time together. When I enter a room where he might be playing and he sees me, he often squeals with joy and comes crawling toward me with abandonment.

Nothing gives God more joy than when we long for His company. However, life often has a way of keeping us from His presence. Whether it be the necessity of school or work or any number of daily tasks that require our utmost attention, a believer can many times sense a distance between them and God. The Lord understands that we have earthly responsibilities that we must attend to. He merely wants us to long for Him when we sense His absence much the same way that He is constantly longing for us. Everyday, He stretches forth His hands of compassion toward all humankind. His delight is when we reach upward toward Him. James, the brother of Jesus wrote in chapter 4, and verse 8 of his letter: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you ... (James 4:8). It is a spiritual axiom that God will suffer the heartbreak of rejection rather than moving with impunity on a soul that continues to rebuff His love. His greatest desire is for a man or a woman that will desperately seek Him out, longing for His appearing in their respective lives (II Chronicles 16:9). The prophet Isaiah states that we are "blessed" if we have this type of desire for His presence, for God will speedily bring about the justice of His compassion if we will but continue to seek Him (Luke 18:7).

It is within both our carnal and spiritual natures to long or to desire after any number of things. God's desire is of course that we would long for Him and the things of His kingdom. As the nature of man is corrupt by sin, the flesh desires a plethora of unholy lusts. Likewise, the regenerate man or woman who is born of the Spirit of God has been given the blessed opportunity to long for and pursue His grace and compassion. Sometimes, in our youthful exuberance we may rush headlong and "bloody" ourselves with our own pursuits as we fall momentarily from grace. Other times, we will experience the Father sweeping us up into His arms as we delight in His presence. The more we long for and pursue Him, the more He will make known His compassion and demonstrative grace within our lives. May we all long for His appearing, both now and at the end of this present age.

Heavenly Father, may we long for You with a passion and a fury not born on earth, but one that is imparted from Your Divine Life. Fill us with desire for your presence. For as we long for You, surely you will reveal the longings of Your eternal grace toward us who would but trust and believe. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - A Firmer Foundation - July 26, 2009

Matthew 7:25 - And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

Colorado is one of my favorite places on earth. Our recent visit allowed me to spend some "quality time" casting artificial bugs and flies in some of the state's pristine waters. It's an invigorating experience standing knee deep in the middle of the Big Thompson River in Estes Park Colorado as it flows from Olympus Dam, fly fishing rod and reel in hand. One feels the power of the river as every attempt is made of keeping one's feet firmly planted so as not to be carried away by the current. The power of the moving water regards nothing in its path as it makes its winding journey down through Big Thompson Canyon as it has for millennia. I somberly respect the power of water as I have seen its devastation in this locale first-hand.

The date was July 31, 1976. On that day, Colorado experienced its worst natural disaster when 145 people lost their lives in what would come to be known as "The Big Thompson Canyon Flood". The water came with such ferocity after record rains that residents and visitors to the canyon could not escape. Hundreds of homes were either lost or damaged along with the incalculable loss of life. It would take months and years before folks would recover from the devastation. I arrived in Estes Park in October 1976 to attend Capernwray Bible School at Ravencrest Chalet. Perched high above Estes Park, the school was not in any danger of flooding yet the impact of the flood was inescapable to many of us attending classes that fall term. There was still much needed assistance in clean-up in the canyon, so several of us volunteered with a grass roots effort sponsored by the local churches of Estes Park - the Inter-faith Task Force of Big Thompson Canyon. During my volunteer trips into the canyon to assist, I was dumb-founded by the magnitude of destruction. Often, we would show up to help someone stack debris and the homeowner was just so overwhelmed they didn't know where we should start. It was a frightening scene even four months after the disaster. It made us tender-hearted toward those we were helping and gave us all a deeper appreciation for how life can be swept away in but a moment of time.

Quite often, it was evident which structures survived the flood by looking at their foundations. There were three foundations primarily used in the canyon -- masonry foundation walls consisting of either block or stone and concrete foundations. A third was timber. Of the two masonry foundations, the concrete or "solid" foundation had less failures than the cinder block or stone masonry. This was due to the density of concrete versus the pieced together mason work (masonry is only as strong as the mortar which holds it together). Of the three, timber foundations were overwhelmingly those which experienced the most devastation. As many of these were built on the sandy soil of the canyons basin, they were crushed under the overwhelming power of the torrent that rolled through the canyon.

In Jesus' parable of the two foundations in Matthew chapter 7, He tells us the familiar story of a man who built on sandy soil and one who built on the rock. As those in the Big Thompson understood after the flood the prudence of a dense, concrete foundation, so Jesus understood that one must build one's life on a depth of character typified by the solid rock. In doing so, one would be assured that the floods of life would not cause the irreparable damage caused by life's torrents. Flooding is quick and sudden and is not a respecter of anyone or anything in its path. Jesus warned us that the floods will come. As those in the canyon, many are given the opportunity in this lifetime to rebuild on a better foundation. Often, lives may be ravaged in both the physical and the spiritual sense. However, as long as we are still alive to rebuild there is always hope of recovery if we will but put our faith into action. Just as those in the Big Thompson pieced their lives back together little by little, so Jesus has given us all the opportunity to rebuild if we have built on faulty foundations. Some of us may take pride in our church membership, yet Jesus told the Pharisees that belonging to a religious order would never take the place of a relationship with the Living God. To build on anything other than Jesus' sacrificed life is to build on a foundation that will one day fail. Have we put our trust in money? This foundation also will fail us. Jesus said that to gain the whole world without Him in its center is the equivalent to building a foundation of timbers on sandy soil. It's not a matter of if it will fail but when.

While many of us may never experience the disastrous affects of a flood such as the Big Thompson in 1976, it is a guarantee that all of us will be buffeted by spiritual storms that will test our respective foundations. Jesus wants to "wreck" our lives spiritually if we are not founded upon Him. For while we are alive, there is hope of rebuilding upon a firmer foundation that will one day reveal to all our true character. Are we trusting in shoddy construction that is not reliant on the life of Christ that desires to dwell within? Or have we given over our lives to the Master Builder who desires to form in us a depth of character that only can come from Him? The storms of life, beloved, will reveal our true foundations. May we all rejoice in the strength of the Rock of our salvation, for there is salvation from life's floods in no other!

Lord Jesus, we thank you that you are the Solid Rock. In You, there is no firmer foundation in heaven or on earth. May we look to You to build our foundations according to Your will, trusting in no other but You. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul - Fools Rush In - July 19, 2009

John 18:10 - Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus.

English poet Alexander Pope once stated: For fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Quite possibly the 17th century poet was referring to a juxtaposition between fear and faith. For with the spiritual eye of an angelic or supernatural being comes an eternal perspective, while a mortal fool can only grit his teeth, close his eyes and charge ahead not knowing the outcome. Impulsive behavior is not characteristically thought of as faith-driven, as demonstrated by Peter when he went into defense-mode for the Lord Jesus. While Peter's sudden burst of zeal to protect his Lord might look courageous and full of faith in the moment, we soon find that his supposed show of strength was nothing more than his own fear of accepting the stark reality of this dark hour in time. Jesus' admonitions to His disciples about His betrayal and death had become more emphatic and pronounced the weeks leading up to this fateful night. However, the true horror of the moment had not gripped any of Jesus' companions until that evening in the garden when they came for the Savior with torches and weapons. As the co-leader of this band of followers, Peter somehow must have felt a responsibility to "act", for certainly to do nothing would be a denial of the Lord Himself. Or would it? Oftentimes, the very act of impulsiveness or the need to "work for the Lord" can betray the very faith that we might claim in knowing Him. Actions often times speak louder than words, but not in this case. Peter's faith was aborted that night not by merely an impulsive act, but more poignantly by denying his Lord three times.

It is much easier to die for Christ than to live for Him, day after day. Death brings about a sense of the heroic sentimentality where our sympathies are drawn out toward those who would give their lives in the spirit of a martyr. Yet, giving one's life is final and complete whereas living daily for Christ requires a fortitude of courage and will that is uncharacteristic of the drama of this type of death. Jesus Christ did not dramatize His impending demise to His disciples, but merely stated its certainty. However, Peter conceived in his own mind that Christ's death could not be divorced from an earthly struggle, hence he took impetuous action against those who had come to arrest Jesus, in particular Malchus. (It's ironic that Peter lacked the "ears to hear" the Master's plan regarding His betrayal and death, and this is what the apostle took from the high priest's slave in his zeal.) Peter could only imagine dying for the Lord and not living without Him beyond that night. However, Jesus had planned that Peter would come to the end of himself that evening and to be stripped of his fear of abandonment by His Friend and Lord.

Impulsive actions and reactions often have their roots in fear. In personalities such as Peter, they manifest with a sense of bravado yet they are very much selfish in their origin. Often times, the desire is to "fix" something that might be broke or as in this case to reconcile a situation that has gone askew. Insecurity and fear of losing something becomes the touch point of this inward struggle that manifests in impetuous ways. As leaders in our homes, many men often feel powerless in the face of what seem to be overwhelming situations. We grow accustomed to making decisions and acting abruptly because we often feel that is what the situation warrants. However, there are other times when we need to step back and reassess. What if one of our teenage children becomes involved in something illegal and gets arrested, whether it be for underage drinking or drug use or any number of other things? Or, what if our unmarried daughter comes to us and announces that she is pregnant? How do we react, or better yet, act in such a situation. Oftentimes, as parents, we know it is best not to react or pass judgment in the moment. As a father raising teenage children, I came to a point where I would often defer "decisions" until the next day or possibly later. This was against my nature because I am not a procrastinator but I like to keep my proverbial plate clean at all times regarding life's decisions. By deferring action, the Lord was teaching me important lessons regarding self-control while I was not rashly saying or doing something that I would later regret. Death of self was coming in daily doses when I had to deal with such situations. It would have been much easier for me to rush in and appear that I had the whole affair under control, but this would have been merely a ruse and a dramatic flourish. Like Peter, I needed to learn that the drama of Gethsemane was not to be played out with weapons to inflict harm, but that the garden scene needed to be waited out until the perspective of the morning.

Beloved, we all have our areas of influence whether they be over our homes, our businesses or merely over our own souls. We must train ourselves through the Holy Spirit to not move impulsively but to wait on the Lord and His guidance. For some of us, that will be easier said than done. We must control the temptation of "fixing" something that very possibly might have a different perspective the following day. A night's rest has a remarkable ability to restore perspective as well as give us the grace to proceed in a spiritual way (Lamentations 3:22-23). While Peter's grief of acting rashly and denying the Lord was profound and life-changing in the end for the disciple, we can learn from his misplaced loyalty to his own self-centered agenda. We, as followers of Christ, must stop and reassess the situation when the "darkness of Gethsemane" surrounds us. For truly, the light of dawn will come which will give us new eyes to see what He desires. Then, and only then can we move forth with stalwart wisdom rather than the impulsiveness that is the hallmark of the foolish.

Lord Jesus, thank You for your wisdom and that we don't need to foolishly rush into life's problems that come our way. Help us to step back, take a breath, and come at the problem with Your faith and grace. If we must defer to the wisdom of the following day, Lord, give us the patience to do so. For only in your will shall we be successful and full of victory in any given situation. We thank you and glorify You. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick