Discerning the False

I was always good at taking tests.  Even if I didn't know the subject matter, I could successfully guess my way through most questions.  No matter how tough the question, with a quick process of elimination, I could easily be down to two choices.  It's not always about finding out which choice is right.  Sometimes it's easier to just rule out the ones that are wrong.

My favorite questions are True/False statements.  The single most important rule in analyzing True/False statements is every part of a true statement must be true.  If any one part of the statement is false, the whole statement is false despite many other truths.  You don't always have to know what is true.  If you can recognize any part as being false, you can confidently mark the whole statement as false, and move on.

Often in life, we get inundated with problems that completely overwhelm us physically, mentally, and spiritually.  The reason is that problems by definition force us to make decisions on how will we respond to them.  Most problems don't just go away.  They stand there nagging, whispering, and tapping their foot waiting for you to reveal your strategy on dealing with it.  Like a crying baby needing to be fed, problems want attention, and they want to know what are you going to do about it.

You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked Proverbs 3:25

Problems don't wait until you've had 8 hours of sleep and 2 cups of coffee.  Most of our problems come upon us suddenly.  Suddenly, you lost a job.  Suddenly, you get a letter from your kid's school, your lawyer, or the IRS.  Suddenly, you have problems, and you need sudden solutions.  In the heat of the moment, when the pressure is on, what will you do?  What can you do?  Our immediate response would be to strategize, brainstorm, or grab at anything that looks like an answer.  But like the strategy for True/False statements, If any part of your solution isn't of faith, then the entire solution isn't of faith.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Any imagination, thought, or plan born out of fear, must be immediately arrested and investigated. If God never gave us fear, then anything born of our fear must NOT be from God. We may not know what the answer is, but there is a sure way to know what isn't. We make a lot of mistakes in the heat of the moment. Our survival instincts immediately kick in when our health, security, and peace is threatened. No matter how well we think we know how to fix the situation, most of the time, it does the opposite.

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12

Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is to circle False, then go to bed.

Be still, and know that I am God! Psalm 46:10


Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5

The Ambassador

As I watched the House of Representatives pass the Health Care Reform Bill, I felt like I had been in a car accident. For a brief second, I couldn't breathe. First came the feeling of shock., then a sense of confusion, followed by grief. My only relief, if you can call it that, was that no one was looking at me. All eyes were up front. I wasn't IN the accident, but I sure felt it. I wasn't behind the wheel. I didn't agree with the route. I didn't even vote for the hired driver. But that offered me no protection from my seat on the bus. The emotions were as real as the damage. I wasn't in the accident, I witnessed it. Had I been involved, I would have had to concern myself with the consequences. Like being immersed in a book or movie, I forgot who I was, or more accurately, whose I was.

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you. Luke 17:20-21

An ambassador is the highest ranking resident representative of a foreign nation. They are messengers sent to live in a foreign nation with the express purpose of communicating the interests and goals of their home country. They are ministers of the highest authority, with full power to represent their head of state. Ambassador's allow national leaders the ability to be in many places at once. If you are speaking to the ambassador of a nation, it is understood you are speaking to it's leader. It is the duty of an ambassador to speak ONLY on behalf of their home country, and not on behalf of the country they reside.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”  2 Corinthians 5:19-20

As an American, I couldn't help but feel the effects of the initial impact. But I am also an ambassador of Christ, a citizen of the substantial, superior, and spiritual Kingdom of God. The health care bill will have an economic and social affect on all Americans, but I'm not just an American. As an ambassador of Christ, my security is in a head of state that isn't bound by limitation, opinion polls, and economic trends. I am as passionate about politics as the next guy, but the difference is I know who is in control of my destiny. I may live in America, but I understand whom I answer to. Political activism is my responsibility as an American, but it's not my burden. It is one avenue in which I carry out my real job - being a diplomat for Christ. If Jesus didn't worry Himself with the decisions of an inferior government, why should I? The religious leaders of Jesus' day were notorious for asking Him political questions. On one occasion, they wanted to get his take on Caesar's tax increases. Jesus thought that question was so important, He responded with as much emotion had the question been about Parker Brothers' decision to increase the Luxury Tax on the Monopoly board from $75 to $100.

Jesus said, "Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a coin. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Matt. 22:19-21

It is undocumented, but I believe the follow-up question was whether or not he believed Caesar should sign "Climate Change" legislation, but I can't prove it. And just in case you didn't get the insult, God provided an object lesson. On another occasion, Peter was approached by the IRS and asked if Jesus paid taxes. Surprisingly, Jesus didn't respond by opening an account with H&R Block or scrambling to find all of his gas receipts.  Jesus let them know how serious he was about tax season and having to hand out more of Caesar's Monopoly money.

Jesus said, "Go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” Matt.17:27

Compared the the Kingdom of God, our system of government rivals a board game. God's authority is superior and nothing can float out of the sewers of Washington to change it. Ambassadors may live in their host country, but they are NOT exclusive citizens of it. Ambassadors may have to participate in it's commerce, but they are NOT slaves to it. As long as you are doing the work of an ambassador, you will always have your embassy, your provision, and the power and authority of Christ himself. Jesus is alive and he is busy preparing a new place for us.  When he left, who did He leave in charge of the store?  That would be me.

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.  John 17:14-18

After the signing of the health care bill, I prayed for the Americans. I then cited diplomatic immunity.

Days of Our Lives

One of the interesting aspects of creation is that God took six days to create everything. The Bible doesn't say that creation took six days. It says, God took six days. There is a huge difference. Creation taking six days, implies that God underestimated the scope of work, and finally finished on the sixth day. God could have done everything in an hour, but He chose to take six days.

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Genesis 2:2

The word 'rested' in Hebrew is "shabath". It literally means "to quit" or "to cease". God didn't quit because He ran out of nails. He didn't get tired, or realize that He had dinner plans. He chose to quit, and He knew exactly when it was going to happen. Most of us never choose when we quit. It is always the result of us running out of money, energy, or time. Most of us never to choose to rest. We work until we have to take a break. Have you ever heard someone say, "I need a vacation?" The problem is that we wait until it's needed.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. - Thomas Jefferson

Why not Mr. Jefferson? What's the hurry? God created birds and fish on Day 5, but "put off" beasts for Day 6. God could have created everything in the first day, but He strategically created the universe in a specific order. God started and stopped for a purpose. He rested for a purpose. Even in creation, God was speaking to us.

Creation tells us that rest is more important than completion. On Day 2, God created our atmosphere. He created our sky and what we call, the ozone. But He didn't create birds until Day 5. You would think that if God had all day to create something, He would have more to show for it than just more empty space. Unlike Us, God doesn't feel the pressure to stay late after work. God didn't feel like His sky was missing something. He didn't think the sky needed birds before He could punch out and call it a day. How often do we keep going because our work just isn't done yet? We do THIS, but it needs THAT. We have a picture in our mind of what it's "supposed" to look like. We spend days, months, and years "tweaking" our life, so that one day we can enjoy it. God didn't call His sky a "work in progress", He called it GOOD.

We will never enjoy our skies today, if we can't wait for our birds tomorrow. So many times, we miss opportunities of rest, because we aren't completely satisfied with our NOW. We can't enjoy our house NOW, because the carpets need to be replaced. We can't enjoy our job NOW, because I'm not in management yet. We can't relax NOW, because we still need to unload the dishwasher. God knew birds were going to be flying in His sky, but He was completely OK with waiting a few days.

The reason that I am in debt NOW, is because I can't wait until tomorrow. The credit card allows me to get my sky AND my birds all in the same day. It allows me to "never pay cash tomorrow what I can charge today". Debt and lusting for everything now, is a major reason most will never enter into financial rest. I know people who won't get a job NOW, because the job they could get today only pays minimum wage. In their mind, it is OK to earn nothing while they "hold out" for something else. If there house was flooded, they would rather let MasterCard, the government, or their parents sustain them on their rooftop until a yacht, and nothing less, is able to rescue them.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Zechariah 4:10

Creation also tells us that our rest is more important than our needs. On Day 3, God created the plants, but He didn't create the Sun until Day 4. How insensitive is God that He would allow His precious plants to be without sunlight for for a whole day. Obviously He doesn't understand how photosynthesis works. Have you ever left for vacation, and forgot to make arrangements for someone to feed your pets? Have you ever felt like God left for vacation, and forgot about YOU and your circumstances? It is easy to get excited, worried, and stressed out when you feel like you are all alone, and now one knows what your going through. We believe God takes care of us, but it sure seems like He's not in as much of a hurry as we are. I learned very quickly, God is NEVER in a hurry. If I think God is taking to long, then its because I don't really trust Him like I say I do.

No matter how good it is, you will never enjoy a meal, that you call your last. Have you ever had trouble going to sleep because you knew what would be sitting in the rocking chair when you woke up? Our rest is often stolen by the cares of tomorrow. God has the benefit of knowing the end AND the beginning. We don't. We may want look at our life NOW and say darkness, coldness, or hopelessness. But from God's perspective, it's still GOOD. The Sun WILL rise in your life. Even if he hasn't created it yet.

Give your burdens to the Lord , and he will take care of you. Psalms 55:22

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

God is in control. He wants us to rest. He wants us to trust Him. Our lives look unfinished for a reason. We're unfinished people. But that isn't a reason to get sweaty and nervous. He's on a schedule, and He's is enjoying every minute of your life. Your sky may be unfinished, but it's only Day 2 and there's a good reason. If he gave you the birds NOW, where would they build their nests? He doesn't create dry ground until Day 3.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

War of the Words

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Faultier words have never been spoken. Most of us are not walking around on crutches due to someone breaking our bones. However, we have been crippled at some point, because of the words of other people. The problem with words is that a lot of us don't understand its purpose. Most of us believe words are only used to communicate. We understand verbal and written words are used to share feelings and emotions as well as transfer knowledge and facts. But communication is the secondary purpose of words. Creation is its primary purpose.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:3

God spoke the very first words of our known universe. Notice, he wasn't talking to anyone. He spoke in order to create, not communicate. Words are the seeds of creation. God didn't create light by thinking about it. He didn't meditate on it. He didn't write it down and put it under his pillow or stick it on the bathroom mirror. He spoke it. God used the spoken word as the tool of choice to create and shape this world into existence.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3

Words not only have meaning, they have power. Words always create FIRST, and communicate second. When I give someone encouragement, I unknowingly create a feeling and emotion that translates into that person desiring to continue and exceed expectations. Even though my comment was meant to communicate praise or recognition, I ended up creating a positive and fertile environment for more fruit. The opposite happens when I give discouragement. My intention may be to communicate disapproval, but I am in danger of creating a negative environment that demotivates and causes that person to feel personal rejection.

It's not that hard a concept when you think about it. When someone receives a standing ovation or trophy, we don't expect them to stand there like their from Vulcan and acknowledge that they were just doing their job. Everyone takes it personal when they receive praise and recognition. We can't help it. So we shouldn't act surprised when people take it personally when we hit them with criticism or disapproval. We often defend ourselves by saying, "its just business." We say, "don't take it personal, here comes some constructive criticism". Constructive criticism is one of the most brainless terms in the English language. It basically means, I'm going to build up, BY TEARING DOWN! It's disingenuous, and it doesn't translate into the real world. There is no such thing as "constructive criticism" when your wife is trying on a new outfit.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

It's interesting that God said "death" before he said "life". Perhaps it is because He already knows what we are predisposed to. I've never had to excuse myself from a family meal because someone was being too kind. I've never had to turn off the television because the news was just too good. I've never kept what God was telling me, a secret, because I knew my friends would be too supportive. When we make our pros and cons list, we don't need help on the cons side. When we want to go back to school, we have plenty of reasons why we shouldn't, and only a couple of why we should. When couples are separated, they can talk for hours about the reasons they should get a divorce, but rarely do they mention reasons why they shouldn't. We have no problems justifying why we can't do things, and we will gladly help other come to the same conclusion.

You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. Proverbs 6:2

Thank God it doesn't say, you are snared by the thoughts of your mind. The Bible doesn't say that you are what you think. Most of my thoughts are not pure, honest, and good. But that doesn't mean that I am those things. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God judges our thoughts. It says that God judges our hearts. You can't control what comes into your brain, but you can control what you think and meditate on. And you can certainly control what comes out of your mouth. Your success, prosperity, and fulfillment in life hinges on what you believe about yourself. Do you believe what God says about you, or do you believe what other people say about you?

Words, like guns, are amoral. They can be used for good as well as evil. Words can build up, but they can also tear down. Words don't know motive or intent. Have you ever had to defend yourself because you said something, that you didn't mean? Most of us have had to go back and explain ourselves, because we used the wrong words. If only words knew our heart and intentions before they decided to fly off our tongues. We've all heard the expression, "think before you speak." We don't get any mulligans when we speak before thinking. The best we can do is get out the ketchup, because it makes the crow easier to swallow. You know, Microsoft Office had some annoyances, but their heart was in the right place.

Positive confession is not the same as positive thinking. Thinking positive causes you to face the right direction, but in reality, it gets you nowhere. Positive thinking is like believing in God. Most people believe in God, but wooptido, so what? Believing in God doesn't change your life, it just means you're not an idiot. Many people have said "I believe in God", but that's not the same as saying, "I agree with God". Our eternity isn't based on believing with our brain that the life we're living isn't an accident. Our eternity is based on confession. It is based on agreeing with God. Our salvation in Jesus is made manifest by us speaking God's light into our existence. It's not a head knowledge. It's a heart knowledge. We are not what we believe in our brains. We are, however, what we believe in our hearts. God existing in our brains doesn't change us, God existing in our heart does.

For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he will be. Proverbs 23:7

There exist among us, a 'war of the words'. Some words come straight from our brains and out of our mouth. Some originate from our hearts. When disciplining my son, I often have him repeat words back to me. I know that when he says them, they are not coming from his heart. My goal is to have him repeat them often enough so that they will eventually BE in his heart. Some of us have heard negative things repeated to us so often, that they are now part of who we believe ourselves to be. Some of us have been called losers so much that we believe in our hearts that we are, and we act accordingly.

The words of our hearts and the words of our mind are in constant battle. This is the same battle that causes a 80 pound woman to look into a mirror and believe she is fat. It doesn't matter that the eyes connected to her brain see bones poking through her skin. Her wounded heart is speaking louder than her brain. We are who we believe in our hearts. Whether or not our heart is telling us the truth, is irrelevant.

So how do we fight this battle? How do we know who to believe? Do we believe what our parents, friends, and teachers say about us? Do we believe "science" and our brains. Do we believe our feelings and our hearts? The answer is simple. We believe God. Everything else changes. Feelings, people, and science are always changing. We need to believe and confess something that never changes. We need to believe what He says about us. We need to confess with our mouth, what He already said.

Most of us are carrying around a lifetime of pain and guilt, created by the words of other people. The only remedy is to create a new life using the words of God. Positive thinking won't make it better, but positive confession will. If the words of other people and your own mind got you where you are today, just think about what the words of the living God will do for your life. Don't just stay positive. Don't just think positive. Speak positive! Words are not magical, they are powerful. So powerful, that heaven requires you to SPEAK them.

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Most people won't come over for dinner, unless you invite them first. Jesus is one of those people. He couldn't have made it any easier.

Only As Good As.....

There's an expression in the movie business that goes, 'you're only as good as your last picture'. Some have adopted the phrase and applied it to their own experiences. Athletes have learned, you're only as good as your last game. Models know, you're only as good as your last hairstyle. Writers are only as good as their last piece, and friends are only as good as their last piece of advice.

It is a reality of life. Humans are "now" people. We live moment to moment and poll to poll. We care little about adventure and cling to whats comfortable and popular. We are a society of microwaves, drive-thru windows, and 10 items or less(even if we have 11). We want what we want, and we want it now. It makes no difference if we've been friends since the fourth grade. So what that you helped pay my rent, put gas in my car, and bailed me out of jail 3 times. It doesn't even matter that we have the same momma. How are you helping me now and what are you bringing to my table? If you don't agree, count the friends you have, that are poorer than you. Friends with jet skis, time-shares, swimming pools, and four wheelers are on back order.

I like a good chase movie. It is especially funny to watch the ones involving a boat or plane. Almost always, is there a scene where the bad guy isn't going fast enough. He immediately begins dumping cargo, and sometimes people, to lighten the load. He needs to get somewhere fast, and he doesn't care who or what gets tossed out. Everything but the gold, will be thrown into the ocean, or sky, and he won't feel bad that you left without a parachute.

Have you ever felt so heavy with life, that you "lost" a few folks along the way? Have you ever wanted something so bad, it didn't matter who you had to throw overboard to get it? We have all had times in our life where the pressure of "the moment" has made us do things we wouldn't have normally done. Some of us have relatives we haven't spoken to in YEARS because of something stupid they said at Thanksgiving dinner 12 years ago. To us, it doesn't matter that they are a good person. Maybe they apologized, maybe they didn't. We forgot about their history, or what's really true about them. We made a quick decision and it has affected the course of the relationship. We wanted us to be right, and them to be wrong so bad, that when the opportunity presented itself, it was man overboard! I've already thrown them from the boat. To circle back now, would waste too much time.

I have heard many Christians say, "I'm mad at God." When I first heard those words, I was surprised to see them in church the following Sunday. Not because I wasn't expecting them to show up, but because I wasn't expecting them to be breathing. I thought for sure, God was gonna show them who's boss. I was afraid that IF I saw them, they would be in a hospital gown eating through a straw. I quickly learned that God isn't provoked like I am, nor does he need to prove himself. God does what He does, and says what He says. And He's not gonna get embarrassed because His kids are pitching fits in the toy aisle of the Wal-Mart. God doesn't have to prove he exists. God says that all of creation know and are without excuse. Everyone believes in God, but not everyone acknowledges Him. Early on, I believed I could manipulate my father, just like Michael and Anna can manipulate their father. Much to my chagrin, God isn't co-dependent.

Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! Exodus 14:21-22

When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. Exodus 14:26-28

When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Exodus 14:31

After one month, the Israelites heard Janet Jackson on the radio, and cried out to God, What have you done for me lately?! For you Oh God, are only as good as our last steak dinner, and we can't remember when that was.

If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death. Exodus 16:3

How quickly do we forget the greatness of God. The Israelites had just finished walking across a dry sea bed. Before their very eyes, God creates the worlds first aquarium, and then collapses it, killing the entire Egyptian army. And when they entered the wilderness, they complained that God delivered them just to make them starve in the desert.

For most of us, God is only as good as his last miracle. We are so consumed with our lack and limitation that we forgot that we were as good as dead before he found us in the first place. We never give God the benefit of the doubt. We throw Him and His kids under the bus because of stupid stuff. People have left churches because they thought the music was too loud, their name was misspelled in the bulletin, or because the Pastor didn't visit their mother in the hospital. We assume the worst, and take offenses based solely on our emotions.

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3

Could it be that our deserts are where God chooses to humble us and purge our whacked-out thinking? The Jews were willing to go BACK to making bricks and being slaves because Pharaoh fed them well. They were willing to suffer the oppression of Egypt and ignore their cuts and callouses, just so they could have the free jumbo shrimp at the casino. God took them out of Egypt, but used the wilderness to take Egypt out of them. You can never go into your promise carrying around your hopelessness. God won't allow you to enter into your new house carrying the curtains from your old. They won't match, so don't bother. You can't go into the level of abundance until you shed the level of just enough. God miraculously provided them food, but what they gathered every morning, only lasted for that day. If they tried to store it for later, it would rot. Sound familiar?

Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. Psalms 37:25

Have you had extra money, just to see it fly away with a car or home repair? I have lived all my life in the promise of God providing for all of my needs. God has always been faithful and provided on time. But that gets old pretty quick, especially when your desire is to have extra to give or invest. Abundance is ONLY a product of the Kingdom. It was God alone that brought the Israelites out of Egypt. It was His fault they were in the desert, and they were His responsibility. God, recognizing that fact, decided to feed them everyday. They didn't have to pray and obey God to get 3 hots and a cot. God was faithful to His kids in spite of their unbelief. God made sure they were warm and fed. God made sure they had just enough to survive the day. There was nothing extra for movie tickets, barbecues, or mission trips. It was in the desert, that the "fundraiser" was born. In the desert, churches "raise" money. In the Kingdom, churches "lower" it.

For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. Deuteronomy 31:20

Where the desert was full service, the promised land was self service. It was a land of abundance, but it was also a land that had to be plundered. For a long time, I sat in church and sang along with Janet Jackson - "What has God done for me lately?" I was always looking for God's next trick, miracle, or rescue. But the fact is, I was in the desert. There's no such thing as leftover mana, only enough to make the bills and only enough to get by. How did I bust out of the desert? That answer is too long for this post, but here is the first step. I stopped complaining. I stopped doubting God. I stopped feeling sorry for myself. I stopped wishing I would have majored in business after high school. I stopped thinking about what could have been. I stopped making God smaller, because I felt I deserved better. I stopped telling God what I needed, as if He didn't already know. God isn't moved by need. If that were true, India would be the most blessed country in the world. Need doesn't move God, faith does.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6

The Joshua Fast

In scripture, the act of fasting is as common as prayer. To understand fasting, one must first understand food. In God's original creation, everything was made perfect. Before the fall, Adam was a vegetarian. Judaism teaches that, prior to the original sin, there was no excretion because food had nothing negative to which the body couldn't use. Rabbis teach that this convenience resumed during the days of the Exodus. Because mana "came from heaven", it was also perfect, and thus potty breaks were not necessary.

I don't know if this is true, for these teachings are from extra-Biblical sources. But it does make sense, especially when considering the layout. The camp in the wilderness was very large, more than ten miles across. A trip to the bathroom would have been painful, since Jewish scholars agree that those "trips" had to be done outside the camp.

So what is food? We understand it as "fuel" for our body. But we get a better picture by understanding what happens when we stop eating. After a few days, we start to become weak and faint. If we continue long enough without food, our soul separates from our body. We call this death. We now understand that food is what is used to connect the soul to the body. It connects our minds with our flesh, the spiritual with the natural. It is no coincidence that God describes the sacrifices as "food".

Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. Numbers 28:2

God was connected with man before the fall. God and Adam walked together. It wasn't until Adam broke that connection that the sacrifices began. Adam needed an umbilical cord back to God, or he would be forever disconnected.

But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die. Genesis 2:16-17

Here's the good news. At the moment of sin, the connection between Adam's soul and God's spirit was broken, and a new connection (knowledge) of the world was born. Animal sacrifice was God's answer to a broken chain between himself and mankind - a feeding tube if you will. This continued until the ultimate sacrifice was made by Jesus Christ. Christ connected us back to God, removing the feeding tube and making the sacrifices of NO effect.

But here's the bad news. Jesus restored our connection with God, but we are still born into a sinful world. At the moment of birth, we are connected to sin. At the moment of salvation, we are connected to God. Paul talks about these two simultaneous connections when he wrote.

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 7 21-25

The purpose of the fasting isn't to remove the connection from my body to my soul. The purpose is to "weaken" it. If we can weaken the connection, we can weaken the influence. It is during this time that the flesh begins to take a protective stance instead of a destructive stance. Paul said that when he wants to do good, his FLESH wants to do the opposite. We already understand this problem. Everyone can relate to the reference of a good angel and a bad angel on our shoulders. Fasting is a way to prevent the bad angel from showing up because he is too busy looking for a sandwich.

While the flesh is screaming bloody murder, the connection to God through our "spirit" can flow uninterrupted. It is that continuous flow from God to our spirit that grows and begins to take majority share in our hearts and minds. Only when the "current" from God is stronger than our flesh, will we be able to run and NOT grow weary. Too often we focus on the lack of food or activity, but doing that misses the point. The goal of fasting isn't just to weaken the body, but to strengthen the spirit.

When Joshua was preparing for the battle at Jericho, he ordered a fast. But this wasn't a food fast. This was a speaking fast.

Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp. Joshua 6:10-11

For seven days Joshua commanded the army not to speak a word. Joshua knew that nothing kills opportunity and victory more than negativity. To march around a city with instruments that you can't play must have looked foolish. Joshua needed murmurers and complainers like he needed a hole in his head. Joshua didn't want his people to be defeated because of someone complaining it was too hot and how crazy they were for allowing God to embarrass them.

Sometimes in life, we just need to disconnect. Disconnect from the TV and it's blues. Disconnect from our "friends" and their half empty negative outlook on everything. Disconnect from family who only remember the wrong choices you've made. God's vision for your life needs to be protected and nurtured. There's always someone in line to steal it.

God told me to do something as embarrassing and stupid as walking around a city. So I went on a Joshua fast and decided not to talk about it. "Throwing it out there", when God already said it, will only invite the naysayers. When God says it, no need for a second opinion. Needless to say it worked. No one could talk me out of it. They didn't know.

A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on (mocked), and the birds ate it (digested in negativity and fear). Luke 8:5

When God tells you to go plant, don't tell the birds. It's hard enough that you know.

It's Harvest Crime!

Regardless of how strong and long Al Gore preaches global warming, God has already decided that the Earth will go through seasons and cycles. And there is nothing we can do to change it.

While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease. Gen 8:22

No one is arguing that it isn't warmer than it was 230 years ago. No one has crossed the frozen Delaware since George Washington. And the last Mexican who died of hypothermia trying to reach San Antonio, was on his way to The Alamo with Santa Anna. But It's nothing like it was during the 10th century. The Vikings didn't give Greenland THAT name to be sarcastic. The Earth has cycled through temperature variations for thousands of years. Politicians see a tax revenue and call it global warming. Humans feel warmer and call it weather. God creates "cold and heat" and calls it "good".

Just as sure as God's cycle of "hot and cold" is His cycle of cycle of "seedtime and harvest." Night is different than day, but they are related. Cold is different than heat, but both are needed to help define the other. Seedtime and harvest are related in the same way. You can't have harvest without seedtime. In fact, the definition of harvest relies on it. The dictionary defines harvest as "the result or consequence of an act, process, or event" You can't harvest corn unless it's been sown. You can't harvest grapes unless they've been planted.

There is nothing spiritual or supernatural about sowing and reaping. The Bible teaches that man sows and man reaps, but it's God who gives the increase. Jesus didn't say he would provide the mustard seed and plant it for you. He said if WE supplied the mustard seed and sowed it, we could harvest a product that would move mountains. But planting the seed and watching God increase it doesn't guarantee we'll get it.

So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. Then they would encamp against them and destroy the harvest as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. Judges 6:3-6

Thieves never come during planting season. They come during harvest time. Thieves don't care about seed, they want the finished product. A thief, by definition, throws away his own seed and takes the fruit of yours. Thieves will kill their own potential and wait patiently for yours to blossom. They will gladly watch Oprah and text on their cell phones as you water the ground and shoo the crows. Your seedtime will be a season of peace and you will feel close to God as He directs you to sow faith-filled seeds of blessing into your life. And then, right on schedule, they will arrive hungry, needy, and violent.

How many of us have spent hours, days, and years believing God for something and just when it was close enough to smell, it was gone forever? I know Christians who attend church every Sunday, give of their time, talents, and money, and never see a harvest. It's as if, out of nowhere, it was erased from their destiny. A pink slip, a divorce, a death, a deal gone bad, whatever it was, it had enough poison to disarm and dishearten. Wounded, we retreat, allow the enemy to plunder, and give the Christian response. "I guess it wasn't God's will." That wasn't the attitude of David's mighty men. When the entire Israelite army retreated, Shammah defended a lentil patch against an entire Philistine army. (2Samuel 23:11-12)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. John 10:10

Because the thief takes what he wants, and destroys the leftovers, we learn to sow sparingly. Why bother planting all summer when everything is stolen? Why give, pray, and offer up mustard seeds of faith when most of the time we get nothing? This is the strategy of the thief. If the thief can steal your harvest enough times, soon you'll stop planting so much.

I recently spoke with a Christian woman who was deeply discouraged. She complained that everyone around her was taking, taking, and taking from her. She is chronically depressed, and has nothing more to give. Everything she plants in the kingdom is stolen. This has caused her to be without hope, and she has become indifferent towards her church. Satan has stolen so much of her harvest, that she believes everyday of her life is a waste of time. "Why doesn't God just take me home?"

We must recognize that things of value always attract thieves. Your marriage, romance, family, and potential are always targeted. Jesus never promised us immunity from being targeted, but he did give us power over the thief.

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1John 4:4

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you James 4:7

We don't deserve what we don't pursue. God freely gave us Christ, and He will freely give us all things. But that has nothing to do with thieves. Everything God gives us is valuable, so you can expect every promise of God to be a target. If we don't prepare for it, we will be left with nothing. It does us no good to call the intercessors, listen to Hillsongs, and speak faith, if we just stand paralyzed during harvest time.

Seedtime and harvest are not automatic. We have to plow, fertilize, and plant. But the thief doesn't care about your seedtime. He's after your harvest. Trusting God is NOT walking away and believing God will harvest and serve it up to you for supper. Trusting God is walking away and believing He will bring the increase. It is during that time you walk away and put on your armor. Because you can be sure, your not the only one waiting for it.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

The Birth Canal

If God is "God", then why doesn't He know everything?

"And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Genesis 22:12

The omnipotent, omnipresent, and the sort of omniscient God we serve, has just acknowledged that He needed to test Abraham because He didn't know if Abraham really meant business. For all you scoffers who believe the Bible is just a fairy tale, you are dismissed. I don't want to bore you with hope, redemption, and purpose. Just memorize this verse and use it against those dumb Christians when they bother you with their mythology. We'll address God's lack of infinite knowledge later, but for now, a little context.

In Genesis 17, we read God telling Abraham that his barren wife Sarah will finally bear him a son, named Isaac. God declares that He will establish an everlasting covenant through Isaac and his descendants. If we fast forward "back" to chapter 22, we can see that one of the symptoms of being God is amnesia. After promising to bless his descendants through Isaac, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on a burning alter. Man, this silly God Christians believe in is such a hoot!

Will the real God please stand up? Either you are the God who wants to bless the world through Isaac's children, or you are the God who wants to kill Isaac. Fortunately, Abraham's faith doesn't see the contradiction. The Apostle Paul doesn't either.

'It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again.' Hebrews 11:17-19

It didn't matter to Abraham that God was commanding him to go "ALL IN". Because of Genesis 17, Abraham was already holding pocket aces. Abraham was pot, ahem, 'promise' committed. But God KNEW that. God already knew Abraham was going to go through with it. I don't serve a sorta omniscient God. God didn't pretend He was at "Medieval Times", sit down with some chicken, and wait to see how it was going to turn out. God knew that Abraham was gonna cut Isaac's throat, so why waste time?

The word 'know' is the Hebrew word 'yada'. This word is a lot more than just a collection of facts. Yada is an intimate word. The best way to grasp the meaning of the word is to give you another verse that uses it.

Now Adam knew (yada) Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. Gen 4:1

Knowledge is connecting with something so intimately, that it produces fruit. None of you would ever question the fact that my wife and I know each other. Some of you have baby sat the evidence. My history with Sarah has gone through many levels. When we were classmates, we knew each other on a certain level and that level had its own fruit. When we dated, that was another level, and that level added new fruit. When we got married and lived together, it seemed as though I jumped 50 levels. Then came the kid level. This level was so high, I sometimes needed oxygen and a tissue to wipe the blood from my nose. Some of you are even past that. You and your spouse are enjoying grand-kids and completing each other's sentences.

God's foresight, knowing that Abraham was going to walk up a mountain, gather firewood, tie his son to an altar, and plunge the knife wasn't 'yada'. What if I told you, that I would give you a million dollars if God gave me 100 million? That could be completely true. I could even sign a contract ensuring it would happen. But that doesn't change anything. Neither of us get to that level until it happens, and me saying it doesn't make you feel better. We've all heard the phrase, "It's the thought that counts", and we all know it's not true.

At the exact moment of surrender, Abraham connected to God and He knew(yada) Abraham's faith. That connection produced a ram "right before his very eyes". The ram wasn't there before. That is why James said faith without works is dead. Because faith without works produces nothing. It's not the thought that counts, it's what you do. Belief always produces action. You can't wish your way into a new level.

I can't even imagine the level Abraham was on. The level that God would ask him to sacrifice something so dear, and be so trusting to actually go through with it. Such thinking is so foreign to us. In fact, we think the complete opposite happens. It's because God knows I trust him, that I'll never have to trust him?? How many times have we told ourselves, "God knows my heart, so I'll never have to go through that!" How many times have you heard someone else say, "God knows my heart, so I think I'll be fine when I die."

Quit saying "God knows my heart." Of course he does, that's why he doesn't slap us upside the head every 2 minutes. It may be my nature to rebel against God and live like hell, but It isn't my heart. I thank God for his mercy and long suffering. He knows me more than I know myself.

You knowing the outcome of what you think you'll do has nothing to do with your graduation. He does know your heart. That is why it's test time. Abraham understood that. He knew the quicker he started the fire, the quicker God would show up with a "new level" pass.

"The tests in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the test to be more than you can stand." 1 Corinthians 10:13

God doesn't give you tests to see which ones you can pass. He gives you tests that he already knows you can pass. Taking the tests allow you to graduate and move on to bigger and deeper levels with him. God is intentional. He's not throwing you around and seeing what sticks. Paul said he thanked Christ for considering him 'trustworthy' and appointing him to serve. Do we respond with gratitude, or do we get mad because it seems like God has a trusting complex?

It took the Jews 40 years to get to the level where they entered the land. Some of them died in the desert. For them, not being in Egypt and doing what was familiar was as far as they wanted to go with God. When I complain and feel sorry for myself, I don't inherit another level. I inherit another day to get it right. Are you as far as you want to be? For me, I'm on this bus until the driver stops. Damn, I shouldn't have said that. I think I see a light, and some forceps.

Tandem Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Let's look at the first part. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The word 'substance' here is the Greek word 'hypostasis' and literally means "that which stands beneath". Translated, it literally means foundation, structure, or confidence. Notice that faith is not the same as hope. Hope is the expectation of something desired. It is a feeling, and has no structure or foundation to it. It is for this reason that anyone can hope for anything and not be required to believe or prove it will happen. One cannot have faith that they will win the lottery, one can only hope to. Unless of course, you have the power to control the lottery balls. We can have more than hope that the sun will rise tomorrow, we can have faith that it will. Because the sun has a perfect track record in that department, we have the assurance, confidence, and the foundation to believe it will. We have faith.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. The word 'evidence' is the Greek word 'elegchos' and it means "proof" or "conviction". Some of us will get up and go to work tomorrow because we have faith we will get a paycheck. Our time sheet is the proof that we actually believe there is money to be earned. I haven't seen it yet, but I know it's coming. The fact that I woke up early, got dressed, drove to work, and stayed there eight hours is the evidence that I actually believe I'll get a paycheck. My faith is not a statement, wish, or happy thought. I have backed it with 40 hours worth of evidence that I actually believe it will happen.

So by breaking apart this verse, we can see that faith is two things. Faith is something I can possess. I can watch people jump from an airplane and possess a knowledge that parachutes are able to save. But faith is also the "proof" of an outcome not yet known. I can also jump out of the plane and produce an experience that I would have never known possible had I just stayed on the ground. There is only one way to "prove" a parachute will work. All other ways are theoretical. Where is the evidence, I actually believe it? Geronimoooooooo!

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

God already has the track record of being all powerful. Most of us don't have a problem believing God is ABLE do something significant in our lives. We are just not sure if He is WILLING. We already know God CAN heal us. (We read that part in the Bible.) Our hang up is that we're not sure if He's willing to do it for us. And because we occasionally don't believe he's willing, we occasionally don't bother seeking. Believing that parachutes can save OTHERS is easily affirmed by watching others land safely. Believing that the parachute will save ME requires some action on my part.

We have all grounded ourselves in some way because we really didn't know or believe God was gonna come through for us. Have you ever prayed for "plan A", but after praying, lay-out the steps for "plan B"? I've lost count. There were times I prayed God would provide, but used my credit card because I thought he was taking too long. I didn't pray to God. I wished upon a star, and then proceeded to check my VISA balance. Is that faith?

Remember, faith has two parts. I have already received paychecks from my employer. Those pay stubs represent the "structure" that help me leave for work everyday. I don't blindly go. When I leave, that is the evidence that I actually believe I'm gonna get another one. Because of the history with my employer, I have faith that payday is coming. It is because of my history with God, that I have faith in my future. He has never let me down. And if for whatever reason, I become unemployed, It is my faith in God that will sustain me. Companies, churches, and people will fail you, but God never will.

For the Christian, pain, loneliness, and despair are temporary feelings we get when we jump from the plane. But remember this is a tandem jump. My only job is to go limp and trust him. The more jumps I do, the more my faith builds.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5

It is real believing faith that pleases God. And unlike hope, good thoughts, and positive thinking, faith requires belief. To please God you have to know that He is already God, and knows what to do. It is one thing to hope, pray, and wish God will provide, heal, and give you a purpose in life. But it completely different to jump like it's a done deal. Don't just expect it, let your life boldly express it.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? James 2:14

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17