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

The Cross, Part II - April 20, 2014

I Peter 2:24 - and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Peter's humanity is a gift to the reader of the gospels, and even later in the apostle's letters to the various churches in Asia. Through these pages, we are allowed the opportunity to see a man affected by the extraordinary events that changed the world. We are first introduced to Peter as a rough-cut individual that was undoubtedly a raucous, working man of his day that did not darken the door of the local synagogue except for the occasional wedding, dedication, or other familial-social event. After three years of being Christ's right-hand man, we see a passionate man undone over his denial of Jesus (Matthew 26:75). The gospels don't record that Peter actually witnessed the crucifixion, however, one can conjecture that he was lurking at the back of the crowd and saw with horror the suffering his Lord went through on that Black Friday. Not only did Jesus suffer the physical torments of His scourging and crucifixion, but He also bore the sin of the world in His broken body. (His pain undoubtedly climaxed when His Father withdrew His presence for the first time in eternity.) Peter knew that he loved His Master as he saw Him hanging and dying on that cross. While he may not have understood all that was happening that day, in time the Lord opened his understanding to appreciate all that He had suffered. One can only imagine that tears of love and gratitude flowed from the aged apostle's eyes as he penned the words: He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross. For Peter fully understood the implications of why His Lord suffered more than any man -- that He might rescue us all from the penalty of sin and give us life evermore.

The Greek word hamartia that Peter uses twice in our lead verse literally means "offenses" or "sins". However, it goes much deeper than that. The implication by the apostle is that Jesus not only bore all of our sins in his body on Calvary, but that he destroyed the "factory" which creates the sin in the first place, our sin nature which we all inherited from our father, Adam. Jesus Christ took on Himself not only all the sins ever committed or would be thereafter, but He also took upon Himself the very sin nature of every human in past, present, and future history. For as through one man sin entered into the world, even so through one Man, the Last Adam, sin and the power thereof was forever vanquished (Romans 5:12; I Corinthians 15:45). The translators of the New American Standard Bible got it right when they interpreted the second instance of hamartia as inclusive of both "sins" and "sin". For truly Peter understood that it was not good enough for Jesus Christ to take upon Himself all of our "sins" but that He MUST destroy the source or the "production plant". Only then, could we die to SIN. For now, no longer was the factory operational once we believed Jesus Christ for His salvation. As believers, we were now free from both our "sins" and our "sin".

Many have quoted the last part of I Peter 2:24 as referring to physical healing. While that is certainly true, it is a huge misconception to make the leap from the atonement of Christ in the beginning of this scripture and settle for just physical healing at the end. No, Peter's conclusion was that through Christ's death on the cross we are justified (just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned) before the courtroom of heaven, sanctified (set apart to live holy for the Lord) because the power of sin has been dealt with, and finally glorified (transfigured by His power) in both this life and the life to come. Many teach that glorification is just for the other side of the veil, when we all get to heaven and receive new bodies. Some will argue that justification from our sins and sanctification from our sin is our birthright on this earth as children of God. Beloved, God desires that we live glorified lives even in our present state as He so wills. Romans 3:23 sets the standards for the normal Christian life -- that we would not fall short of the "glory" of God. No matter how God desires to glorify Himself in our mortal bodies, it is His business as we walk this earth. He is the One who said through Paul the Apostle that if the Spirit of God lives in us that he would give LIFE to our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11). In context, Paul is talking about sin and its lack of dominion over a believer that is yielded to the Lord. In the following verses of Romans, he writes that when surrendered to God we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh and allowing God to give life to our mortal bodies. This is the healing that Peter speaks of when stating that we are healed by Christ's wounds. The brutality of Christ's suffering through both His scourging and then through His death on Golgotha allowed the full power of the atonement to make us alive to the uttermost, both in this life and the one to come. Eternal life began when a believer first gave his life to Jesus. Life will continue to grow and to build momentum in the child of God as we surrender daily to His life-giving righteousness (Proverbs 4:18).

Both Peter and Paul would most certainly attest that ALL was accomplished on the cross, and was fully testified by the resurrection. The cross is the very power which made Christ's risen life a reality. Without the cross, there would be no power for any of us to live a resurrected life. Life everlasting for His chosen can only be realized by believing the Son of God died for both our "sins" and our "sin". There is no other way to salvation than by accepting and identifying ourselves with first His broken body and then His life raised in victory. Like Peter, we can then understand that His life spent on Calvary's cross meant total justification, sanctification, and glorification over sin, death, and sickness. We can lift our faces heavenward with tears of gratitude and joyous hearts knowing that His love and desire to redeem us was made possible by that glorious crucifixion. May we all embrace the cross for its true significance, thereby living in the life that the Son of God has given us all!

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus ... the Perfect Man who became the Perfect Lamb that spared not His life for us all. May as many as who are ordained for eternal life believe in Him, that You would have many sons and daughters in glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Cross, Part I - April 13, 2014

Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

What is the meaning of the cross? While most of the world will never truly know its profound significance, it is generally agreed upon as the most universally recognized symbol. For devout followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, it has much more meaning than merely a "symbol". For in the cross, there is the true identification for every believer with the Lord's death. And, if identified in His death, than also partakers in His resurrection. As declared in our opening scripture, Paul as well as all humankind died with Christ in that most momentous event nearly 2,000 years ago . However, the scripture states that only few in comparison with the totality of mankind will ever accept the Savior and know the power of the cross through His resurrected life. Christ shedding His blood for the forgiveness of our sins was truly the way into the Most Holy Place where His blood made that "new and living way" possible (Hebrews 10:19-21). Through His forgiveness of sins, we can go beyond that simple understanding into the realization that we have been crucified with our Savior -- that He has dealt a death blow to our old nature through the work of the cross. Like Paul, we can acknowledge our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Only when we know this fact by the revelation of the Holy Spirit may we live the life that Christ bought for us all with His spent, mortal life.

While the cross is the most universally recognized symbol throughout the world, it is also the most despised. While the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) uses our court systems to remove symbols such as the cross from all public and government institutions, many Muslim nations threaten and impose imprisonment on their own countrymen and women for wearing a crucifix. The cross is a direct affront to secular, atheistic organizations such as the ACLU and likewise to Satanically-inspired religions such as radical Islam. Most Muslims will tell you that Jesus was one prophet of many that the Qur'an embraces. Then why do radical Muslims persecute Christians? I believe it is because they are filled with the spirit of hate and divisiveness -- they are sons and daughters of their father the devil! And, as sons and daughters of darkness, they hate the cross of Christ as much as their father! They may not consciously understand why they hate Christians as they do, yet they do just the same. The same can be said for radical Secular Humanists. Their hate comes across as mocking the so-called uneducated "rubes" that continue to believe in a resurrected Lord. They act in a more "civilized" approach, seeking to convince others of the sheer implausibility and lunacy of Christian belief. While Muslims and Secular Humanists seem worlds apart, both of these example groups are working toward one end and that is to exterminate the cross and its influence over all spheres of public AND private life. However, it is impossible to eradicate the cross's power by removing its symbolism, whether it is worn around a believer's neck or it is sculpted into a courthouse facade. In either case, if the devil can't get rid of the power of the cross, he will just as determinably attempt to remove any reminder thereof. For truly, if the prince of darkness had known ... the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (I Corinthians 2:8). Just as the devil is incapable of destroying the power of the cross, he will seek every opportunity to weaken its influence.

Paul spoke to both the hyper-religious and to the Secular Humanists of his day when he wrote to the Corinthians. In some ways, the Jews of Paul's day were as rabid and zealous as today's radical Muslims concerning their religion, that it ultimately filled them with hate for all others. Likewise, there was an arrogance and intolerance by the Greek stoics of Paul's day that resonates with today's Secular Humanist believers. Paul states in I Corinthians 1:22-24: For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. First century Jews sought continually to stone Paul because of their demonic hate toward his devotion towards Christ. Likewise, the Greeks scoffed at Paul (as on Mars Hill during his visit Athens [Acts 17:18]) much the same way as many secular liberals do today toward the Christian faith. Regardless, both groups possessed the underlying hate of the finished work of the cross. The devil continues to rage and will so until he is thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Until that time, he will do his best to incite murderous "riot" in some of his followers toward those who cling to the cross and to its power. In others, he will continue to wage a "civilized" war, hammering away at the very foundation of Christianity through mockery and a dismissive attitude by trivializing the Christian faith. Either way, Satan is determined to make the cross impotent because he hates that it is the symbol of his defeat.

Whether we choose to believe that the cross of Calvary defeated Satan and the power of sin is irrelevant to its reality. Christ died for everyone who has ever been born or will ever be born into this world. As Paul states in Galatians 2:20 and also in Romans 6:6, all of humankind was crucified with Christ. Therefore, it is our choice as individuals whether to identify ourselves with this historical fact and to believe that we have been crucified and resurrected with our Lord, or to deny the power of his appearing to render sin of no effect (Romans 6:11). The explosive power that was able to defeat all darkness is the reason the world hates the cross! Whether it is the religion of Secular Humanism or Satanic radical Islam, the enemy of Calvary will either seek to discredit the cross through absorption into the world's intellectual compromises, or to destroy it though a false religion in the "name of God'. While the cross may be marginalized by the enemy of our souls in his end time push to enslave as many souls as possible, for many its revelation will continue to usher new believers into God's kingdom. While some may refer to us as "infidels" and others may view us as "uneducated fools", the power of the cross continues to empower true believers in the Risen Lord to live resurrected lives. May we all know the power of the cross as we triumph in Christ's victory, once and for all, over sin!

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to be nailed to a cross -- to bleed and die for our sins and to remove the power of sin from our lives. No longer must we walk in the power of the enemy for we have been raised into newness of life with Your Son. Thank you, Lord, for the cross. Thank You that You have defeated our foes -- sin and Satan! No power on earth can overwhelm us for we are more than conquerors through Your Son. We praise You! In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick