Forsaking Forgetfulness

Why is it that people are so prone to forget what others have done for them?  Perhaps you have not thought of it that way, but you must acknowledge that there is a sad lack of gratefulness in our world.  It may be a modern problem, but as I look at Scripture I see that it was an ancient one as well.  Here are a few suggestions for the causes of our sinful forgetfulness:

Pride is a common root of sin, we need to be wary of how it crops up and causes trouble in many different ways.  Gratitude is an admission that what we have was or at least helped along by someone else.  If think about it we realize that we are not at all self-sufficient.  That is especially true in the most important things like our country, our freedoms and our salvation.  We ought to remember and never forget that these are precious gifts.  God is to be praised for them and some men also ought to be remembered and thanked.

a gift, a sacrifice

Busyness may be an excuse for a lot of things (which means that it is usually a lie) but it is a real reason for our lack of thoughtfulness.  We endeavor to fill every moment with some kind of activity, entertainment, or noise, and the world has a constant stream of things to keep us from having a quiet moment.  Have you noticed that our society thinks it is a high tribute to have a minute of silence for someone?  That may be the right idea, but it is hardly enough time for a true memorial.  We need to schedule quiet times into every day and make them a priority or we will never be thoughtful people!

Inadequacy is a complicated way of describing our simplicity.  Some of us may not know how to express our gratitude well, so we fail to do it at all!  I have enjoyed visiting memorials to Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln and being reminded of their gratefulness for their God and country.  The best examples, though, are found in the Psalms.  Read and study them, or even pray them back to God if you are at a loss for words.  Forsake forgetfulness and be grateful!

Keeping On       

I’ve dreamed many a dream that never came true

         I’ve seen them vanish at dawn

But I've realized enough of my dreams, thank God,

         To make me want to dream on.

I’ve prayed many prayers when no answer came

         Though I waited patient and long.

But answers have come to enough of my prayers

         To make me want to keep praying on.

I’ve trusted many a friend that failed

         And left me to weep alone

But I’ve found enough of my friends to be true

         To make me keep trusting on.

I’ve sown much seed that fell by the way

         For the birds to feed upon,

But I’ve held enough golden sheaves in my hands

         To make me keep sowing on.

I’ve drained the cup of disappointment and pain,

         And gone many days without a song.

But I’ve sipped enough nectar from the roses of life,

         To make me want to live on!

- anonymous                

So Near to a Mother’s Heart

By G.S. Jones

Who knows us best,
Who ever loved us more,
Than our Creator, Savior,
      and Lord?

What is His plan for us,
Long ago made, now being unfurled,
To bring us to life,
      and into this world?

Could He have been more tender
In giving us a start,
By placing us so near
      to a mother’s heart?

Could there be on the Earth
A better glimpse of above
Than what the Father has given us,
      in a mother’s love?

"Inter-Denominational" Oxymoron?

Two very different approaches to the value of being identified as a “Baptist” ministry have come to my attention recently.  The particulars are not important, my opinions about the two institutions are of little interest to anyone, but there is a principle involved which is worthy of some careful thought.  One church involved has the kind of name which could just as well be a group of dentists, their name says nothing about their identity, so I dug a little deeper and found that they are an “inter-denominational” church.  The founder came from a Baptist school which says that it has not changed its doctrine over the years, but has not hesitated to be associated with this mystery church.

Let me be positive in describing the importance that I see in being identified by what I believe and where I stand.  My favorite illustration for the importance of denominations is found in our pockets.  Our money has specific “denominations” which represent specific values.  What if nickels dimes and quarters could be used interchangeably?  That would result in chaos and an inevitable loss of value.  There is nothing magical about the names of church denominations, some put more emphasis on baptism than “Baptists” do.  However, the names of churches have come to represent values, not just traditions, but differences in doctrine.  There are plenty of churches which use the name “Baptist” that are nothing like my church, but I believe that mine holds to the historical Baptist values.  The other churches are free to change their name, and likely they will.

Some people confuse a denomination with a church hierarchy.  We believe that a New Testament church should be autonomous in every way.  We call ourselves “Independent Baptists” but the designation should be unnecessary because Baptists have always stood for autonomy even if there is some compromise on that value in the large conferences.

Back to my fellow alumni at the mystery church, I could understand if he saw the values of our denomination as being corrupted and the names having human rather than divine origin.  In that case, though I would disagree with him, I could see him calling his fellowship a “NONdenominational” church.  If language means anything then an Interdenominational church is a mixture, conglomeration, and certainly a compromise of the various church traditions, doctrines, and values.  Which ones do they mean to include?  Which do they mean to exclude, if any?  Why are they not telling folks which five or six or more denominations they like?  Why are they unwilling to be identified with something identifiable?  I call the term “Interdenominational” an oxymoron because it speaks of an indistinct distinction, a non-specific specification, an unidentified identity.

At the same time that I learned of the previous church, I heard about a well-established institution making a strong statement about its Baptist identity.  Many of the marketing types would say that this is a risk, but that school has a solid history of trusting God to provide for them, and He has a long history of meeting their needs and blessing them beyond expectation.

That institution stepped even further out onto the ledge when it went on to say that its Baptist identity was causing it to limit its associations.  Some would call this “second-degree separation.”  I will not try to exhaust that subject, but “second-degree separation” seems like another oxymoron because it refers to separating from people who are not separating from others.  If someone is not being obedient to the clear commands of Scripture to be separate (Romans 16:17, II Corinthians 6:17), my choice not to link my ministry with them should be first degree separation.

It takes great courage to stand one’s ground while the battlefront seems to be moving quickly past, and the danger of being outflanked and left with little or no earthly support is very real.  In my view it is worthwhile to make that stand, even while I recognize my brother’s liberty to retreat.  I choose to stand even with a denominational name, because I believe that it expresses my values.  Above all else I stand because I want my ministry to mean something and, ultimately, to count for something.

Easter’s Exchange
G S Jones

What a difference
Everything new
Eternity begun
When it was through.

A darkened sun
A brilliant dawn
Groans of agony
A brand new song.

Precious bruises
A million wounds healed
The Creator humbled
A soldier kneeled.

A crowed jeered
A mother wept
A friend betrayed
A promise kept.

A broken body
And one made whole
A broken seal
And a mended soul.

A sleepless night
No answer to give
A cold stone tomb
A reason to live.

The earth cracked open
The Holies revealed
The stone rolled away
Salvation sealed.

An old cross
A new day
An awful loss
An infinite gain.

“God is Light”

There are a great many descriptions of God's wonderful qualities and attributes in Scripture, but there are very few references to God equations, “God is...”  I have settled upon three:  “God is a consuming fire,” Hebrews 12:29, and “God is love,” I John 4:8,16, and “God is light.”  I John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

First of all, it seems interesting that there are so few God equations, but Pastor Ron Harrison has observed that some equations would tend to limit God.  For instance, there are times when we are comforted with the thought of God as our Rock, but He does not have a whole lot in common with a rock!  With light there are many points of comparison, and light is such a wonderful creation that it does not give any appearance of limitation.

I John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  In First John light is presented in opposition to the darkness of sin and man's spiritual ignorance. Just as we cannot approach a light without being illuminated, men cannot have fellowship with God without exposing themselves and submitting themselves to His light.  That light is purity and holiness without any compromise.  It was embodied by Jesus Christ, “The Light of the world,” His death on the cross provided the only way to life and light for us.

Several examples of God’s light from Scripture could be discussed, but my favorite is the light of Heaven.  God Himself, through His glory and His Son, provides the light of heaven.  This is a thought that makes it a place of hope and joy, especially in comparison to what the world has to offer.  We cannot imagine darkness in Heaven, but it is certainly part of the curse of Hell where there is no fellowship with God or man.  The truth that “God is light” fuels our reverence for Him as He is so far above us in power and purity.  The opportunity for us to be “children of light” (John 12:36) ought to move us to appreciate our fellowship with God and to make the most of it.  That means that we will constantly seek to reflect God’s light rather than obstruct it!  What are you giving to the world, a shine or a shadow?

Hopefully articles on the next two “God Equations” are coming.  Look ahead for yourself, if you wish, but by all means endeavor to appreciate Who and what God is and so improve your fellowship with Him.

Casting and Catching the Mantle

“Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”  What an honor for the Creator and Lord of the universe to be known by anyone as my God!  If He is known as your God does anyone want Him for themselves?  Do they want to join you in His service?

Like Elisha, you and I stand in a field in need of plowing, planting, and harvesting.  There is a mantle of ministry to be passed from this generation to the next, but who will cast it? and who will catch it?

I Kings 19:19-21 “So he (Elijah) departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.  And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?  And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

Recently I heard a great speaker describe the introduction to his message as a large porch leading into a great house.  I am afraid that I just have a tiny step going into my house, perhaps it is more like a cement block in front of a shack!

The “Future Prophet” program is an early fore-runner of the “Future Preacher” program.  While we do not find the church or the pastoral ministry in these passages, we do see how servants of God gave, received, and followed the calling of God to ministry.

I.  The Called

A.  Wealthy  The twelve yoke of oxen were mentioned because that was some impressive farm machinery!  You had to have a lot of land under cultivation and a lot of servants under your command to run that kind of operation.  We know that the things of this world present a temptation and a distraction, but Elisha’s wealth had not gone to his head or his heart.

As we present the ministry as a life calling we know that the compensation package is not going to be the draw for prospective preachers.  As they say, “the benefits are out of this world!”  Of course, if preachers complain about their economic status, and act unfulfilled or even cursed to be called, we do harm to the cause of Christ and the propagation of the gospel ministry.

B.  Working  It is significant that Elisha was found plowing!  With all of his servants, he could have just been “supervising.”  I understand that working a field with a good tractor can be enjoyable, but walking slow and steady behind two oxen cannot be that much fun!  Someone has noted that there are a lot of prancers in the ministry, but God needs more plowers!

As preachers we should give everyone an example of the “good work” that is to be desired in the pastorate.  I have found this to be true and magnified overseas where some men line up to become pastors because they think it and easy and well-paid job.  Every believer ought to be diligent in their ministry, and pastors ought to be examples to everyone, and especially to their disciples.

C.  Willing  It has been noted that since Elijah and Elisha seem to have recognized each other, and since Elisha understood the symbolism of having a coat thrown at him, perhaps Elisha had already attended one of the prophets’ schools.  Anyhow, he did not hesitate to leave his oxen and run after Elijah to accept his calling.  He seemed anxious to serve, but Elijah did not make that assumption.

When Elisha slew his oxen (probably those which had been designated as his inheritance to work his own land some day) he was burning the bridge behind him.  Just as Matthew left his job with the IRS when Jesus called, and as the occultists of Ephesus burned their magic books when they accepted Christ, there was no going back.  Elisha’s kissing his parents was not an act of vacillation but of dedication.  If he had not gone back to settle things, the temptation to do that would have been strong and constant in years to come, especially in the hard times.  It brings to mind the way Peter and some of the disciples went back to their fishing nets.  Perhaps if they had burned them it would have spared them the temptation.

Elisha kept in constant motion and did not delay in answering the call.  Many of us can point to times when we had a delay in the preparation for ministry, usually due to finances.  In my case, I married a wife, while we were still teenagers!  You must be assured though, that your delay is part of God’s calling for you and not you getting side-tracked.  I managed to do an early pastoral internship during the semester after I was married and had to sit out of school.  For you it may be cooking oxen down at McDonalds, but just be sure to get godly counsel and peace that you are in the Lord’s will.

 II.  The Calling

A.  Godly  When Elijah said, “What have I done to thee?” (v. 20) he was asking “Who is keeping you from doing what you want?”  This was not a calling of Elijah, but of God.  Preachers learn before long that they can lead horses to water but they cannot make them drink, or serve, or sit still, or even stay awake while we preach!  It is because we care deeply for the Lord and the people He has put in front of us that we try to create a thirst for the living water, but we still must leave the heart-work and the people’s response to their God!

When we consider the calling to ministry, that is even more definitely a work of the Lord, rather than any man.  I appreciate several men who encouraged me toward surrender to the ministry even when that seemed less likely than my being, say… a cat-burglar.  It was a good thing that no one pressured me into being a pastor for two reasons, first, they did not want to be responsible for any mess I might make in the Lord’s work.  Secondly, when things became difficult, when the work got to be hard and seemingly unrewarding, and the ministry lost its shine, I had no basis to say that some man had made a mistake in calling me.  “Perhaps he was aiming his mantle at the guy behind the next ox over!”  No, I have always been convinced that I have answered God’s calling, and He is the One with Whom I must speak if I want to re-negotiate!  Wish me luck with that!

B.  Going  We noticed already the willing sacrifice that Elisha made of his oxen.  He did not even stay around to eat the left-overs, but gave it all away.  Nothing was holding him back from following his new calling.  He also demonstrated the generosity of spirit which must characterize a man of God.

This was a calling to action.  Elisha’s steady progress demonstrated that he realized and accepted that.  This was not a “someday” thing, it called for an immediate response, even though it would be years before he actually took Elijah’s mantle as his own, and “filled his room.”  I believe that the call to the work of the ministry is something to which a man should respond and dedicate himself from the moment he receives the calling.  Not everyone is given a lot of time to prepare, but some are given years.  I was twenty-one when I became a Senior Pastor, and was still finishing college, but the Lord had been preparing me since I was twelve!  Much of that work was done directly through my church and my pastor who had a vision for getting God’s called off to a good, early start.

C.  Great  Elisha’s immediate task was to “minister” (v. 21) to Elijah for an unspecified period of time.  A nice thing about college and seminary is that they have graduations, there is a finish line towards which a man can work.  Many have learned, though, that a degree does not necessarily mean that they are immediately ready for full-time service in God’s plan.

Elisha’s “ministry” was probably just doing little helpful things.  Most of us are familiar with the Greek terms for servant, “duloV and diakonoV,” which suggest different levels of trust and responsibility for the worker.  There is a correlation in the Hebrew, “abad” being the word for a menial servant, and “sharat” the term for a confidant, a trusted steward.  Like Joseph and Joshua before him, Elisha’s office and ministry to Elijah was described by the word “sharat.”

Especially in the course of preparation, but also throughout our years of ministry, we are tempted to ask, “how important is this task?”  If our calling seems like a small and insignificant thing to us, we battle our pride and suppose we ought to be doing something more worthy of our gifts.  We would do much better to ask of each assignment, “How important is my master?”  For Elisha it was a privilege to minister to Elijah, but it was much greater for him, and for us as well, to minister for Jesus Christ!

III.  The Test

II Kings 2:1-6  "And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.  And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.  And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.  And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.  And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.  And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on."

A.  Pride  Effectively, Elisha was the prince of the prophets in the years after his calling, as the “heir apparent” to Elijah.  This is an interesting account then, and it seems to be a final exam for Elisha.  Was he willing to chase his old mentor around the countryside while being treated like an unwanted tag-along?  Perhaps Elijah was visiting the prophet-schools which he had started and taking the opportunity to say “goodbye” while he put Elisha through this dissertation work in the Lord’s service.

We are all tempted with pride, and those who have the least cause to be proud may be the first to fall.  So I had better beware, and perhaps you should also.  Pride is a leaven which will seep through the whole loaf, and it can quickly spoil that which is supposed to be dedicated to God.  When we become impressed with ourselves we should go back to that vision of the greatness of our Master.  That ought to keep us humbly working at our simple tasks, as well as those things which receive recognition. 

B.  Perseverance  Three times Elisha is asked to stay behind, but he proves that he had the discernment to know that was not God’s will for him.  He may have expected a death-bed blessing, or just have been ready to mark the place of Elijah’s passing and bury him. 

That reminds me of my visit to the springs of Gideon, in Israel, which is supposed to be the actual place where his men stooped to drink.  We had already seen a hundred tombs of the historically famous and we were poised to see a thousand more.  Our guide, a somewhat sarcastic man, pointed to the top of a high cliff above us where there were some flags and there was a mausoleum of sorts.  We could see people climbing up there on a steep, narrow staircase and the guide told us that it was a revered spot, especially by the Muslims, as the burial place of Elijah.  We let out an “oooh” and prepared to climb, when someone pointed out, “wait a minute, Elijah wasn’t buried!”  And our guide said with a grin, “Yes, and that is where he was not buried.”

I see an illustration here of the need for disciples to be persistent in following their mentors and even reminding them that they need training in all aspects of ministry.  Elisha was annoyingly faithful in following his master.  He seemed to be looking to wring the last drop of prophet-wisdom out of him.

IV.  The Request

A.  Asked  vv. 7-9  “And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.  And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.  And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.”

As a spiritual son, and having abandoned his earthly inheritance, Elisha was offered a choice of what he would receive from his mentor.  Considering the great things that Elijah had done, our imaginations might have run wild with things that could be asked of him.  What he did ask, though, was extraordinary.  He demonstrated faith both in the Lord’s power and in His generosity, and he honored the great man by asking something great from him.  Like this one, our greatest requests are for works which only God can do and for which He will receive great glory.

“A double portion” was far beyond the status quo, it was a term used to refer to the inheritance that a first-born son would receive which was twice as much as the other children.  A simple examination of the miracles of the two men recorded in Scripture seems to bear out that Elisha did twice as many.

What he asked for though, was not twice as many miracles, but twice as much “spirit.”  This is usually a reference to the part of a man which comprises his mind, desires, and passion.  He was not asking for twice as much of the Holy Spirit, but twice the ministry spirit.  Bible history bears out that in addition to the miracles that he performed, Elisha was not plagued with discouragement like his mentor.

I must admit that it did not occur to me as a pastoral apprentice to ask the Lord if I could be twice the man of God that my mentor was.  It takes a great deal of faith to see that we could be used beyond those who are ahead and above us, but it is not a false faith, it is trust in our omnipotent God.

B.  Answered  vv. 10-11  “And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

Since it was not within Elijah’s personal power to grant Elisha’s request, he made a provision which left his blessing in God’s hands.  Ever the pessimist, or realist (as pessimists call themselves), Elijah noted that his apprentice had asked “a hard thing.”  After all Elijah had seen, he still thought that some things were hard for God!  He probably thought that the age of miracles was coming to an end rather than just warming up to a climax.

Of course, there are many who think that the organized church and the ministry have outlived their usefulness, and that it is time for a new de-centralized model for leadership accountability and for “doing worship.”  Why would you want to be a student of an outdated job like this one?  You might as well go join up with a blacksmith!  Actually, where my church is there are more horses than people, and the smithies are doing quite well.  Prophet or not, we do not know the future other than what God has revealed, but we can see that the Lord still has wonderful things in store for the church, and it will continue to have a great need for leadership throughout this age.

vv. 12-14  “And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.  He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”

If Elisha needed more encouragement, to see his mentor so honored of God would have supplied it.  He did not pause long, though.  He only observed a brief time of mourning, in which he acknowledged that the nation’s defense was in its godly men not its fighting men.  When it was Elisha’s time to die, King Joash knelt by his bed and made the same cry.

Conclusion: 

“Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”  What an honor for the Creator and Lord of the universe to be known by anyone as my God!  If He is known as your God does anyone want Him for themselves?  Do they want to join you in His service?

Like Elisha, you and I stand in a field in need of plowing, planting, and harvesting.  There is a mantle of ministry to be passed from this generation to the next, but who will cast it? and who will catch it?

Despair

G S Jones 8/25/1998

How far am I from despair?

God knows my brink,

And will keep me from it.

How long can I last like this?

Each new day a discovery of my endurance,

A test of my long-suffering,

A gift of His mercy.

Can it be much more that I can take?

No, I think not.

The brink must be in sight,

The turning point quite near.

Can it be much longer that I will withstand?

Not much.

The time must be at hand,

Perhaps today!

Despair is sin, a lack of faith,

I know that I must not.

If it is a temptation,

(It seems a powerful one now!)

Then God has promised an escape.

Its boney hands and yellowed nails

Are clutching for me,

There must be a way to turn,

To shake off its grip,

And rest in God’s.

My Call to Christ and His Service

This is the testimony and challenge that I shared at a seminary chapel in Crato, Brazil, in September 2005:

John 15:7  “If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.”

Early in my life I realized that receiving whatever I asked of God would happen as I accepted His desires as my own.  The desires that He gave to me were to be a pastor and to be a missionary.  My testimony is that God’s Word is true, God gave me these desires and He has been fulfilling them.  Being allowed to be here with my dear brothers and sisters in Brazil today is part of that.  Although I have believed God to be good for a long time, every day I am more certain!

I was brought up in a family with Christian parents who were away from the Lord for several years but had come back to Him at about the time I was born.  This meant that I had parents who loved the Lord sincerely with a realization of how desperate life can be without Him.  They also had, and still have today, a burden for lost souls that is contagious.

With that kind of a family it is not entirely surprising, but it is still wonderful, that I came to trust Christ as my Savior at the age of four.  Someone here asked me how I could understand salvation at the age of four, my answer is that I understood it very simply, the only way that anyone can receive it.  I was taken to church every time the doors were open since I was born, and we had devotions as a family almost every day of my childhood, but there was no question that I was a sinner.  I had a pastor who was not afraid to preach about hell, and he put it on a level that I could understand.  It was after a church service on September 16, 1973, that I knelt beside my bed to beg the Lord to save me.  The next day I told my father what I had done and he took me through the Scriptures to be sure that I understood my decision.  I was baptized a few years later at the same time as my newly-saved grandmother!

Now, about this verse, notice that there are conditions set for having our prayers answered.  They are that we abide in God and have His Word abide in us.  That has never come easily for me.  I was a disobedient rascal as a child and especially as a teenager.  I would have times of repentance, though, and I always knew that the Lord wanted to use me.  At the age of 11 I formally surrendered my life to the Lord’s service.  Even while I was a sneaky, selfish, trouble-making youth I was involved in many ways in my church and went on several missions trips.  I worked in AWANA, a bus ministry, and Children’s Church.  We ministered with American Indians, Haitian refugees in Miami, retired missionaries, a new church plant, and at a Christian camp.  The Lord was giving me valuable experience even before I had fully surrendered to Him.  A new pastor that came to my church took me in as an apprentice and taught me a great deal.

In my last year of High School I had begun dating the girl who would be my wife, and I began to get serious about preparing for the ministry.  The Lord still did not have my dedication on a consistent basis though, until I got into Bible College and began to faithfully have personal devotions.  You see, I had not been abiding in God because His Word was not abiding in me!

While in college I was given the opportunity to serve as a youth leader in a church and remained with that ministry for three and a half years.   Seeing how much I needed the Lord’s help in His service taught me to apply myself to my studies like I never had before.  I also grew more mature as I got married while in college and carried the financial responsibility for my education and that of my wife as well.  She trained as a teacher and put me to shame with her almost perfect grades.

I started school with very little money and a small scholarship which I lost when I married.  I learned then to work hard at several jobs and to earn an academic scholarship to pay our way through school.  I often worked more than 40 hours a week, carried a full class load, and spent the entire weekend at our church ministry 150 kilometers away.  Yet it was the Lord Who carried us through and we did it with great joy, still finding time to make good friends and play Volleyball and Ping Pong!

During our last year of school I took on a new ministry as an interim pastor, and that led us to the planting of a new church just before we graduated.  Because I had a burden to be used of the Lord in training missionaries in America and visiting foreign fields I continued to study after receiving my Bachelor’s Degree.  I wanted to come to places like this and be something more than a tourist.  The Lord was calling me to make myself more useful to Him through further training.  I just kept at it, not really stopping until last year when I had all of the degrees that my school had to offer for pastors.

As I have said, I count it a great privilege and a fulfillment of God’s promise to be here in Brasil today.  I did not ask Him to take me to a certain country, but to use me wherever there were precious souls that needed to be saved, and willing workers with a burden to reach them.  My church in Wild Rose is honored to have a small part in the ministry of the Willsons, and if the Lord is willing we will keep the church alive and make it grow.  Then it can do more yet to further the work here, and in Mexico, and in Italy, and in Tanzania, and in Cuiaba Brasil, in New York City, and in Wisconsin.

I have spoken of my calling specifically, let me say a few words about the calling which we all share.  Acts 5:17-20 "Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,  And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.  But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,  Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life."

That passage can serve as an illustration of what the Lord is asking of each of His children.  This passage illustrates my ministry calling, and perhaps it will be a challenge to you as well.  The apostles had been imprisoned by the high priest and Sanhedrin for doing God’s work, but the Lord did not want them out of service for long, in fact they did not even get the whole night off!

An angel was sent to break them out of jail and give them God’s orders.  First he said that they were to “Go.”  They had no cause to feel sorry for themselves or permission to take it easy and lie low for a while.

The angel also said that they were to “stand.”  That meant that their ministry would be open, and particularly that they were being sent out into the court of the temple even though that was very near to the men who had commanded their arrest!  “If our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost.”  The people needed to see their determination and conviction and they needed to hear their message.

That brings us to the angel’s third command, for God’s men to “speak.”  They had something to say and they refused to be made quiet by any threat.  It is hard to keep good news to yourself, but when it may be dangerous or uncomfortable for us to speak up we can often find excuses for silence.  Now let us apply these three commands to Christian life and ministry.  I particularly want to point out how important it is that we obey all three together and do not leave any one undone.

What if we are willing to stand and speak but do not go anywhere?  I am afraid we will be like a great many of the Lord’s people today.  Sometimes we treat our churches like traps, we are just waiting for the lost to come in so that we can spring upon them with the gospel.  That is great, we should do that, but let us make that our Sunday strategy, the rest of the week is hunting season and we need to go out to where the game is, wherever the Lord sends us, near or far away.

What if we are willing to go and speak but we do not really stand for anything?  We are not only disobedient, we will be totally ineffective. The Lord has designed His work to be done as a harmony of sound doctrine, pure testimony, and compassionate outreach.  Too many have gone to a mission field or church ministry and have become so much like the lost that they are no good to them.

Let me say one more thing about standing firm in the ministry, and illustrate it.  I used to push the limits of Christianity with things that were new and exciting which I felt that I had liberty to do.  During college the Lord impressed upon me the necessity of standing “fast,” or “firm” which He commands many times.  Remember this: the way you lean is the way you will fall.  Are you technically standing in obedience, but beginning to lean?  The world the flesh and the devil will push us at every opportunity and often right in the direction that we are leaning.  We will have a much better chance of staying true and straight if we are not leaning.  Are you conservative, but leaning contemporary?  Are you standing pure but leaning toward worldliness?  Are you standing in what is right but leaning toward compromise?  The way you lean is the way you will fall.  The safest stance is the straightest one!

Lastly I ask you, what good will we do for the lost if we go to them and stand faithfully, but do not speak the gospel?  A silent witness is no witness at all, the truth must be spoken or it is not rightly lived.  We cannot take this for granted among God’s people.  Sadly, there are many evangelistic efforts that never get to a clear presentation of the gospel!

I am so glad that a pastor answered his calling to go to Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.  I am so glad that he stood for pure living to remain in the ministry, and that he stood for the truth of God’s Word.  I am also very glad that he spoke the whole gospel, the terrible penalty of sin and the hope of salvation.  His obedience made all the difference of eternity for me!

"Lift Up Thine Eyes"

Isaiah 60:1-5

As illustrated by Isaiah 59:9,10, there are many types of blindness.  Sometimes the environment is just so dark that we are unable to see until we get some light.  Another kind of blindness comes with something that happens suddenly, like a flash, which causes temporary blindness.  In other situations there may be a disease or injury of the eye which has caused a loss of vision, and we are blind.  When Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth, and I guess that congenital blindness would be a fourth type, He introduced Himself as the Light of the World.

What does it take for us to see?  We can use three elements of physical, natural, vision to illustrate the message that Isaiah was given.  If we have spiritual vision as he describes it, then we will also have the hope that he is giving to God’s people who anxiously anticipated Christ’s coming. 

Isaiah 60:1-5  “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.  Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.”

1. Sight

A.  Who Can See  Isaiah is delivering a prophecy of the coming Messiah which is somewhat like the famous one in chapter 9.  Both prophecies speak of His Second Coming but they are previewed by the wonderful things that He would do upon His first coming.  The purpose of these prophecies is also similar, it was to encourage God’s people of the present with His power, and His plan to exercise it.  He will do that first on behalf of Israel, and then as blessing to all who will come.

We are given this book full of promises to Israel so that we too will be encouraged with the fact that God knows what He is doing, and He is doing it well.  Would you agree that not everybody sees that?  Spiritual blindness is an epidemic today, and even Christians, who have been cured, often seem to suffer the symptoms of their old disease.

Isaiah had a certain hope of a day when this disease would be eradicated.  It is common for prophets to speak of the future in the past tense because God’s Word is so certain.  I have described it as being “as good as done.”  More eloquently, J. Vernon Magee put it this way:  “Prophecy is the mold into which History is poured.”

B.  How We See  When Isaiah speaks of “gentiles” and “kings” coming to the light, he was referring to how they would receive sight, they would be saved.  The classic passage on this is John 3:3 “...Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  This is a part of how “all things are become new” for a believer according to II Corinthians 5. 

Verse three reminds us of how the Wise Men came to see Jesus in Bethlehem, and that may be a glimpse of what Isaiah was talking about.  Yet as He looked to Christ’s Kingdom established after the Second Coming, it reminds us that coming to Jesus has always been the only means of salvation.

2. Light

A.  Who’s to Shine  “Dayspring” is one of the beautiful titles given to the Messiah.  He always has and always will bring light to this world because He is the Light!  John tells us that when He came the first time He truly shined into the darkness of the world, but for the most part the world did not get it.  They “comprehended it not.”

      Isaiah was writing to people who had rejected God’s revelation over and again.  It occurs to me, though, that the people paying the most attention to this prophecy were the ones who did see and love God’s light.  The heart’s desire of a precious few among God’s people was to reflect God’s light from the heavens into the darkness of their times.  The world will never “get it,” but we can, and we certainly ought to receive Him wholly for ourselves.

B.  How to Shine  We always ought to search out the commands or responsibilities as we look into Scripture.  Those who were listening were commanded to “shine,” “behold,” and “see.”  With God’s light we too can scatter the darkness and in that way give glory to God and hope to the world.  The command of Jesus from Matthew 5:16 that we have etched on our front windows is, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”  If Jesus is the Light, and He is, then we are not the source of Light but reflectors of it. 

Our cleanliness or personal holiness will make a great difference in how well we reflect Jesus Christ in the world.  For someone to look at this old sinner and somehow see the Light of the World is a fantastic miracle, and only He makes it possible.  He does that by washing away our past sins and supplying all that we need for victory over sin in the present and future.

Jesus also commanded that we not hide our light under a bushel, because our courage is the other main factor in shining for Jesus.  I thought that maybe it is just apathy that keeps us from shining, and maybe that is part of it, but that will be answered if we come clean with God and take courage from Him.  He made us and saved us to be meek for ourselves but bold in speaking out for Him.

A simple example of this is the way that we are seen on Facebook.  If we are to shine for Christ everywhere we are, then that must include everywhere we are on the internet.  We know that it does not take much courage just to re-post someone’s religious cliché or picture, but it does take courage to share your personal walk with God, and to give Him glory for everything in your timeline.  That takes courage because it will also put your cleanliness under a lot more scrutiny.  So, you “like” Jesus, what else or who else do you “like?”  What kind of attitude do you display?  What kind of language and humor do you use?  God’s light is needed everywhere.

To see as God wants us to see we need sight, light, and-

3. Height

A.  Where We Are  v. 2 “gross darkness”  In the one sense darkness is darkness, and if you cannot see, it does not matter how dark it is.  On the other hand, darkness is often described as “thick,” “total,” or “pitch black.”  The Egyptians suffered a plague of darkness “which could be felt.”  The “gross darkness” here refers to a thick cloud. 

Especially when we are away from man-made lights and have snow on the ground, the little lights of the heavens can make a big difference.  When there are heavy clouds, though, everything is obscured.  Have you seen pictures of places that are overcome by clouds of volcanic ash?  My favorite view of scenes like that comes from satellites which show us how the world can be blanketed and the sun totally obscured.  Heaven always has the ultimate perspective on Earth!

Spiritually, we live in a world of tall buildings, smog, and light pollution.  Like city-dwellers we have a hard time getting a view of the horizon or even the clear sky.  The sun is obscured and heavenly lights are unseen in the night.  Yet it seems that we do not know what we are missing.  We just go on from day to day, without guidance, bearing, or perspective.

Jesus said, “Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world” John 8:23.  Paul described Him as being “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:” Ephesians 1:21.  When we see where the Lord is in the events of our world and of our lives, then we will begin to see where we need to be!

B.  How to Rise Above  I said that the commands in this passage were, “shine,” “behold,” and “see,” but I left out two commands.  The first word in verse one is “arise” and in verse four begins with, “Lift up thine eyes.”  In their distress, God’s people were hanging their heads and it seemed that they would miss out on God’s working if they did not raise their heads and their gaze.

It should always be a comfort to us when God gives us a command.  First because then we know what to do, and we are not left clueless.  Secondly, a responsibility from God means that we also have an ability from Him, and we are not left powerless.  Apparently, God’s people can “arise, shine,” and “lift up” their eyes and “see!”  We need not hang our heads in this life, because God hung His Son on a cross to give us eternal life.  Even more, He gave us eternal vision!  We can rise above and see forever, “round about,” in every direction.

Do not let this world, the daily hassles of this life, get you down or keep you down.  Some great philosopher said, “It is hard to soar with the eagles when you are in a flock of turkeys.”  If you are saved you are in a world of different creatures.  As a new creature, “behold, all things are become new” so do not go about your life the same old way!  Live on a higher plane, by higher standards, with a higher purpose for living.  Trust me, that will not give you a higher view of yourself, but it will give you a higher view of our infinite God.  Life on a higher plane will give you a right view of yourself and your responsibilities to God.

Conclusion:

What is there to see around here?  Do you think of the local attractions, the lighthouse, the museums, the lake, the Jelly-Belly factory?  Or, are their souls around here that we have yet to truly see?

If we have spiritual sight, if we have the Light of the World, and if we have the perspective of the high moral ground, what are we supposed to see?  Isaiah was given a vision of all kinds of people coming to Christ.  He mentions their scattered families coming and their mortal enemies coming as well.  Perhaps we should begin with our family and friends, at least we do not need to be convinced to love them.  Hopefully we care for their souls already, but what are we doing for them?  If they are in the dark and we have the light, what are we doing to make a connection with them?  Do you have a vision of the glory and the goodness of your Savior, how He loves your loved ones, and how He wants to use you to reach them? 

I would like to challenge you to make a promise and make a plan.  Tell God you will do what He wants you to do to bring your loved ones into the kingdom, God’s family.  Then start earnestly, honestly figuring out what exactly He wants you to do.  Begin with prayer, make a list of those who God wants you to see, then plan to write a letter, have a meal, have a talk, get to the point, extend an invitation!  Make a plan of action, pray about it for a few days (not years or decades!), then put the plan into action!

Do you recall that Jesus also told God’s people, His disciples, to “lift up” their eyes?  He was pointing out the opportunity for ministry among the needy souls of Samaria.  They hated the Samaritans!  However, the disciples had just been in the town of Sychar buying lunch and rubbing shoulders with those lost souls.  What had the disciples seen there?  A Value Meal?  Had they given the slightest consideration to what God wanted for those people and how He could use His disciples to reach them?

Here is how a church family is supposed to work together.  We are to encourage one-another toward obedience, and we help one-another fulfill our responsibilities.  Do not be a spiritual deadbeat and expect someone else to do your work for you!

I will give you the same challenge for folks you do not know or hardly know as I did for your loved ones.  Pray that God will lay some souls on your heart, it may well be that He will burden you for people on a distant mission field, make a promise and make a plan to do your part.  Look to get personally involved in correspondence, prayer, spreading information and meeting specific needs.

If you are looking for a burden for souls, it will likely be a neighbor or an acquaintance at work whom God wants you to reach.  Make a promise and make a plan.  Pray for that person and ask God how He would have you to make a connection.  Perhaps you will see someone as you have never seen them before, perhaps hatred or annoyance will even turn into a heavenly love!  It all begins when you lift up your eyes!