The Meaning of the Stones

⁴ Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: ⁵ And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: ⁶ That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? ⁷ Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. ⁸ And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. ⁹ And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.  (Joshua 4:4-9).

I wonder if atheists ever gaze into the face of a baby and weep over the miracle of evolution.

I wonder if secular humanists ever drink in the wonders of a tree and marvel at the artistry of nobody in particular.

I wonder if a godless scientist ever admired the genius of the human brain and breathed a whisper of thanksgiving to the random molecules that collided in the primordial soup and caused it all to happen.

Whatever we look at is worthless unless we consider the meaning behind it.  What is a tree, a stone, a tiny baby, a human brain if we do not know where it came from and what its existence means?  The Psalmist etched in stone the reaction we ought to have when we consider the wonders of creation.  He said,

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. ² Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

³ When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; ⁴ What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? ⁵ For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. ⁶ Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: ⁷ All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; ⁸ The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. ⁹ O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”  (Psalm 8).

“The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons in the world.   It was a friendship gift from the people of France to the people of the United States, on the completion of 100 years of independence. The copper clad statue is of a robed woman, who holds a book in her one hand and a torch in the other.  It is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. Located on the Liberty Island of New York, occupying 12 acres of land, the monument welcomes all those who come to New York as tourists and also welcomes the inhabitants who are returning to their native place.”

Man lives in danger of forgetfulness.  How many of us have forgotten 90% of what we learned in school?  We forget birthdays, anniversaries and special events.  We forget the lessons of history.  There was a song written a few years after 9/ll, sung by Darryl Worley, asking “Have You Forgotten?” 

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn’t worry ‘bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

A shooting at the Holocaust Museum the other day turned our attention back to that terrible time in Europe.  There is a movement of anti-Semitism gathering speed in Europe because people have forgotten that six million Jews died in the Holocaust.  A newsletter article on the museum says:

“Quite often, donations are received from Holocaust survivors who are now in their seventies and eighties. They carry their personal treasures in shopping bags and shoe boxes retrieved from the back of their closets. These possessions are almost always presented with a story: the object takes on a significance beyond its physical state…There will come a time when it will not be possible to hear such first hand accounts.”

When you are full today, it is easy to forget that you were hungry yesterday.  When you feel good today, it is hard to remember the pain you felt yesterday. 

Let us not forget the price of our freedom.  Someone is missing from us today so that we could be here today.  The awful price of freedom took lives, limbs and families from them so that we could wake up this morning and breathe free.  You can’t taste it, smell it, see it or hear it, but don’t let that make us deny the reality of freedom.  It cost far more than your new car, your new home, your college education, your surgery or your retirement package.  I’ve walked between the white crosses and Stars of David in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Hawaii and the islands of the sea.  The price of our freedom lies beneath these somber markers.  Over 175 such cemeteries exist in twenty-two countries around the world.

Joshua knew that despite the incredible miracles that God performed for the nation of Israel, despite their deliverance from Egypt, despite their victory over Jericho and despite the fact that God gave them the promised land and their inheritance, that they would forget how it all happened.

    So, God instructed Joshua to take stones out of the Jordan River and put them where they were about to lodge for that first night.  Joshua probably had them put in a small circular pile that resembled a tower.  This was the first monument to the miracles of God that was built in the Promised Land. 

        Two Reasons:

        Joshua had two main reasons why he wanted this monument of stones. 

First, God performed a specific miracle.  And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. ²¹ And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? ²² Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. ²³ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

    This wasn’t a theory; a legend or a philosophy.  This was a real event.

    What you have in salvation needs to be known as a real experience.  That’s why we do not agree that Pentecost is a religion.  Religions come and go.  Religions are a dime a dozen.  People join religions, leave religions, change religions, start religions, debate religions, love religions and hate religions.  You can’t do that with an experience.  You know what God did for you.  You cannot be stripped of your experience with God.  The old song says it best:

There are some people, who say we cannot tell
Whether we are saved or, whether all is well;
They say we only can hope and, trust that it is so
But I was there when it happened and I guess I ought to know

Yes, I know when Jesus saved me

The very moment he forgave me;
He took away my heavy burdens, lord he gave me peace within;
Satan can’t make me doubt it,
It’s real and I’m gonna shout it;
I was there when it happened and I guess I ought to know

Now, I don’t care who tells me, salvation is not real
Though the world may argue, that we cannot feel;

The heavy burdens lifted and the vile sins goBut I was there when it happened and I guess I ought to know

The second reason for the monument was that there was a message to be proclaimed. 

“That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God forever.”  Joshua 4:20-24.

The popular wisdom in our culture is that faith is a private matter.  Keep it to yourself.  Nobody wants to hear about Jesus or church anymore.

The entire Bible speaks out against this view.

“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  Acts 1:8.

How will the world know about Christ if we don’t tell them?

How will we satisfy the heart of God if we don’t share the good news?

Someone asked me the other day why we aren’t seeing as many people getting baptized and getting the Holy Ghost as we should.  I heard someone say that the reason we see too many empty pews in church is that we have too many empty seats in the cars in the parking lot.  Here is the letter of a missionary who was killed in Iraq in March of 2004:

Dear Pastor,  You should only be opening this in the event of my death.

When God calls there are no regrets. I tried to share my heart with you as much as possible, my heart for the nations. I wasn’t called to a place; I was called to Him. To obey was my objective, to suffer was expected, His glory my reward, His glory my reward …The missionary heart:

 Cares more than some think is wise

 Risks more that some think is safe

 Dreams more than some think is practical

 Expects more than some think is possible.

I was called not to comfort or to success but to obedience… .There is no Joy outside of knowing Jesus and serving Him. I love you two and my church family.  In His care, Karen

And so, because God has performed some specific miracles for us and because we have a message to proclaim, let us look around at the stones that stand for monuments to us today.

What means this pulpit? 

Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. ²⁸ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Acts 20:25-28.

What means this baptistry?

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.  Acts 22:16.

What means this altar?

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;  Acts 3:19

What means these offering plates?

¹ Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. ² Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him,   1 Corinthians 16:1-2.

What means this prayer room?

¹⁶ Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.   James 5:16.

What means this modest appearance?

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  Romans 12:1-2.       

What means this disciplined life?

¹² All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. ¹³ Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. ¹⁵ Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? 1 Corinthians 6:12-15.

What means this Bible?

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; ² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. ⁵ But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. ⁶ For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: ⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.   2 Timothy 4:1-8

Give Me This Mountain

Joshua 14:9-12 (KJV)
¹⁰ And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. ¹¹ As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. ¹² Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

Before I begin to talk about Caleb, let me leave him in his mountain and get down in the valley with the real people.  It seems to me that the sermons I preach that are received with the greatest appreciation and commendation are sermons about sad stories, losses, failures and defeats.

Life is tough and then you die.  Where am I going and why am I in this handbasket?  Things are bad and getting worse.  Woe is me! 

We seem to identify more with…

• Cain and his murder.
• Abraham and his lying.
• Jacob and his deceitfulness.
• Samson and his unfaithfulness.
• Saul and his pride.
• David and his adultery.
• Ahab and his thievery.
• Peter and his denial.
• Judas and his betrayal.
• Mary Magdalene and her harlotry…than anyone else.

They say misery loves company; sit down here and commiserate with us.  Pastor, I’m glad you understand just how hard it is to make it these days.  I like realistic preaching, you know, none of this pie-in-the-ski stuff!  I’m so encouraged to know how discouraging things really are!

Well, there is no doubt that there is plenty to see if we look on the bleak side of life. We can enumerate the job losses, the sickness epidemics, the political unrest, the international turmoil, drug problems, the cheating, swindling, backstabbing, murmuring, complaining, ad infinitum, ad nauseum if we want to…but my question is WHY?

I can’t make the night any darker, I can’t paint sin any blacker, I can’t make the devil any meaner, no matter how long and hard I preach about these things.

It was quoted here recently, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”  Do you know what that means?  It means that today is bad enough.  Don’t make it any worse by borrowing tomorrow’s troubles.

If there are any mud-wallowers out there today, I have some advice for you.  If you have buried yourself in your troubles and traumas, if you have majored in self-defeating, self-loathing miseries, you are not doing yourself any favors by staying in that frame of mind.  When you ingest, digest and regurgitate trouble, you will dig yourself a hole so deep you will never get out. 

“Easy for you to say”, you say.  Right, it was easy for me to say…and it can be just as easy for you to say.

It is time for us to understand that the Bible…my Bible and your Bible…is not a doom and gloom book.  It is a book of faith.

Romans 8:26-28 (KJV)
²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Psalms 27:1-6 (KJV)
¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  ² When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.  ³ Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.  ⁴ One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.  ⁵ For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.  ⁶ And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

It is time that we started identifying with the heroes of the Bible, instead of the losers.  It is time for someone to crawl out from under their circumstances and declare victory and freedom.

Caleb

It is time to identify with someone like Caleb.

Time passed by - about 40 years.  Moses had been dead for over five years. He had led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and through the wilderness for forty years.  After Moses’ death it was his successor, Joshua, who led the people into their Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River, when God divided the waters, and conquering the city of Jericho. The fighting went on for five years.  Then the men of the tribe of Judah approached Joshua, Caleb of the tribe of Judah

Joshua 14:6b-12 (NIV) “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, `The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’  “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert.  So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this [mountain] that the LORD promised me that day.  You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Caleb knew what he wanted: ‘Give me this mountain.’  Caleb was seeking to claim what belonged to him by virtue of God’s promise. He asserted his right to this particular inheritance in Canaan for himself and his family. He was not asking for a favor.

He didn’t ask for an easy job. It was a very hilly area infested by giants. Israel’s enemies were strongest here - the most difficult part of the whole Promised Land to subdue and Caleb at 85 said ‘give me that.’ Caleb feared no foe and desired no rest. 

At age 85, this man had a right to sit down and take it easy - take off his army boots and put on his slippers. He’d survived 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and then the five year campaign taking Canaan. Of the thousands who left Egypt as slaves, he and Joshua were the only ones the Lord allowed to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land.  God helped Caleb take over his inheritance, but Caleb had to exert himself in order to do it.

Yes, there are times we should “let go and let God.”   Do you know when that is?  It is when we have done all we are capable of doing, using the strength and good sense God has given us as we confront life’s challenges.

I will say this; God isn’t into blessing laziness, cowardice, fear and capitulation to the enemy.  God won’t bless an evasive, pass-the-buck, non-committal kind of spirit.  If your feet get cold at the first sign of opposition, don’t think you are exercising some kind of superior faith. 

Life is a struggle, a warfare When you are faced with the mountain of adversity, the Apostle Paul tells us what to do:

Ephesians 6:10-18 (KJV)
¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Faith

He told Joshua, “The Lord helping me, I will drive them out …” (Joshua 14:12) That’s the key: “The Lord helping me.”

God doesn’t call us to claim our mountains alone. If God plans for you to face a mountain, remember He plans to help you conquer it! The question is whether or not you’re planning to let Him help you.

Jesus and the Mountain

I began thinking about Caleb’s mountain.  Then I remembered what Jesus said about the mountain in Matthew.

Matthew 21:21-22 (KJV)
²¹ Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.  ²² And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Many people don’t realize that this saying of Jesus was not meant to refer to a literal mountain.  There’s no point in picking up an actual mountain and throwing it into the ocean.  It was a Jewish idiom, or figure of speech.  They used it frequently to mean overcoming a difficulty.  It’s a great word picture.  Too many of us let the mountain do the talking.  “Who do you think you are to come up against me?  You don’t have a chance.  I will swallow you up.  You will fall to your death, you will starve on my rocks, and you will be ravaged by the wild beasts that live in me!”

When Caleb said, Give me this mountain, he was saying, Give me the adversity.  The mountain may be bigger than me, but it is not bigger than my God! 

Don’t say “Be thou removed” unless you are willing to be the instrument and tool in the hand of God to do the removal!  Some people are so worried about the process that they forget all about the outcome.  Don’t let the mountain talk to you; you have to talk to your mountain.

Yes, I would fast, but is it going to hurt me?  Yes, I would pray, but I get so tired and my knees really hurt!  Yes, I would say no to my flesh, but my flesh gets so upset when I do that.  “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” Proverbs 24:10.

May God give us a generation of people who will stand up to adversity, not wither in the face of it.  May God give us the fortitude to go on the offense against our challenges instead of playing defense and catch up all the time. 

Too often we approach a mountain of a challenge as if we were atheists. We don’t really figure God into the equation.  But, time and time again the Scriptures say that Caleb “wholeheartedly” served the Lord.

You cannot be halfheartedly committed to doing God’s will when facing a whole mountain of a challenge!  There are no half-hearted mountains! 

Caleb’s eulogy (Joshua 14:14): he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly (NIV) he ‘faithfully obeyed the Lord’ (GNB); he ‘wholly followed the Lord’ (RSV); or as the Jerusalem Bible translates it he ‘scrupulously obeyed the Lord’. I wonder if they’ll say that about me, about you?  Obedience means that when our Lord, our Master, our King asks us to do something there are no questions.  What mattered most was not his bravery but his daily walk with God.

Another Caleb?

Dr. Paul Brand, a doctor and author, was raised in India. His parents were missionaries there. In his book, “In His Image,” he writes about his mother. When she was 75 years old, she was still walking miles every day, visiting the villages in the southern part of India, teaching the people about Jesus.

One day, at age 75, she was travelling alone and fell and broke her hip. After two days of just lying there in pain, some workers found her and put her on a makeshift cot and loaded her into their jeep and drove 150 miles over deep rutted roads to find a doctor who could set the broken bones.But the very bumpy ride damaged her bones so badly that her hip never completely healed.

He said, “I visited my mother in her mud-covered hut several weeks after all of this happened. I watched as she took two bamboo crutches that she had made herself, and moved from one place to another with her feet just dragging behind because she had lost all feeling in them.”

He said, “At age 75, with a broken hip, unable to stand on her own two legs, I thought that I made a pretty intelligent suggestion. I suggested that she retire.” He said, “She turned around and looked at me and said, `What value is that? If we try to preserve this body just a few more years and it is not being used for God, of what value is that?’”

So she kept on working. She kept on riding her donkey to villages until she was 93 years old. At age 93 she couldn’t stay on her donkey anymore. She kept falling off. But she didn’t stop preaching. Indian men would carry her in hammocks from one village to another. And she continued to tell people about Jesus Christ until she died at age 95.

Paul Brand writes, “My most vivid memory of my mother is of her propped up against a stone wall as people are coming to her from their homes, schools, and places of work. I can still see the wrinkles in her face, and her skin so tanned by the weather and the heat.  “I saw her speaking to those people. I looked at them and saw the sparkle in their eyes, and the smiles on their faces. And I saw them deeply moved by the message of God’s love, spoken by this old woman. I knew what they saw was not an old woman who had passed her prime, but a beautiful person bringing tidings of love straight from heaven.”

This church is on an upward climb.  The leadership has embarked on a spiritual fitness course.  These men are praying every day, they are reading the Word of God.  They are reaching out in love to others in their families and their associates.  They are confronting major issues in their lives.

One of these men came to me last week and said, “Why didn’t you tell us how much the devil was going to fight against us by doing this?”  I guess I just assumed that they would know that.  You never take a step upward without opposition and resistance.  The “Prince and Power of the Air”, Satan, does not take kindly to losing ground.  But James tells us:

James 4:7-10 (KJV)
⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

El Shaddai

When doing some research on the bible use of the word mountain, I came across something powerful.  We are familiar with the Old Testament name of God, El Shaddai.  We believe it in the sense of God being omnipotent, the Almighty. 

El points to the power of God Himself. Shaddai seems to be derived from another word meaning nursing, which implies that Shaddai signifies one who nourishes, supplies, and satisfies. It is God as El who helps, but it is God as Shaddai who abundantly blesses with all manner of blessings.  God desires to bless man and provide in abundance all of mans needs. This name is indicative of a God who is powerful enough to do just that. Only an all powerful God can bless all mankind with all manner of blessings.

The God of the Mountains

But a secondary meaning of shaddai is shadah, or “mountain.”  It is equivalent to the Akkadian word, shadu, meaning “the mountain dweller”, or “God of the mountains.”

Do you understand what that means?  It means that you don’t serve the mountain, you serve the God of the Mountains! 

Zechariah 4:6-10 (KJV) ⁶ Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. ⁷ Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

When you run from your mountain, it will overwhelm you. 

Caleb did not just want to climb the mountain; he wanted to possess the mountain!  You need to tell the devil today that you are not just going to beat him, you are going to own him! 

I have some great news from someone today.  If you will embrace your mountain, you will find God is there. 

Genesis 22:14 (KJV)
¹⁴ And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Exodus 24:12-18 (KJV)
¹² And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
¹³ And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
¹⁴ And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
¹⁵ And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
¹⁶ And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
¹⁷ And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
¹⁸ And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Mount Calvary

Jesus had a mountain to possess.  Luke 12:49-50 (NIV) ⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!

Hebrews 12:1-3 (KJV) ¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  ² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Are you facing a mountain today?

Is it talking to you?  Is it threatening you?  Daring you?

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!”



The Limits of Love

Romans 5:5-8 (NIV)
⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This week, the world is filled with love.  Cupid is fluttering his wings everywhere you look; roses in a panoply of colors, chocolates, chocolate flowers, chocolate strawberries, extravagant cards, email messages, engagement rings…it’s a beautiful time of the year.  Love songs like these will make their way over the airwaves:

• ·  I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
• ·  Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
• ·  My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion -
• ·  Endless Love - Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
• ·  Your Song - Elton John -
• ·  I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith –
• ·  How Deep Is Your Love? - Boogie Disco Nights –
• ·  Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O’Connor
• ·  Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion
• ·  You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
• ·  When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge
• ·  (Everything I Do) I Do It for You - Bryan Adams
• ·  Crazy for You - Madonna
• ·  I’ll Be There for You - Bon Jovi
• ·  You’re Still the One - Shania Twain
• ·  I Would Die 4 U - Prince

The unfortunate thing about western culture, however, is that far too many of these expressions of love that float around are untested, untried, hyperboles.  Some may even be desperate attempts to put Band-Aids on shattered relationships.  Still, we don’t want to upset the proverbial applecart.  We want to believe that it is all true, that the rapturous words in the Hallmark card come from the heart, rather than a wordsmith somewhere writing poems for money.

It’s just that human love seems so fickle.  It seems so temporary, so manipulated.  Romantic love flashes its brilliance, drowns us in its syrupy sweetness, suffocates us in flowery prose, and then disappears so quickly, leaving only perfumed air in its wake.

But I do know a love that never fails.  It’s called divine love, God’s love, agape love.

John 3:16 (KJV)
¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

What about this song?  (It didn’t make the list.)

1.   Down from His glory,   Ever living story,
My God and Savior came,   And Jesus was His name.
Born in a manger,   To His own a stranger,
A Man of sorrows, tears and agony.

O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all!
The great Creator became my Savior,
  And all God’s fulness dwelleth in Him.

2.   What condescension,  Bringing us redemption;
That in the dead of night,   Not one faint hope in sight,
God, gracious, tender,   Laid aside His splendor,
Stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.

3.   Without reluctance,   Flesh and blood His substance
He took the form of man,   Revealed the hidden plan.
O glorious myst’ry,   Sacrifice of Calv’ry,
And now I know Thou art the great “I AM.”

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/82#ixzz1Dq6VEhbT

Someone has aptly said, “Jesus in not my boyfriend!”  His love is on a different plane.  Agape love is not “puppy love.”

        Ephesians 2:4-7  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,  5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

        Love must never be taken at one’s word.  It is too important, too dangerous of a concept, too powerful to be embraced without convincing proof that it is genuine. 

        Think, for example, of the intoxicating power of the symbols of love:  A dozen roses; an engagement ring; the simple expression of “I love you.”  These expressions can release the totality of a person’s emotions.  That’s why it is important to bring love into scrutiny to see whether or not it is real.

2 Cor 8:8  I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

2 Cor 8:24  Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

Love is the most powerful of all human emotions.

        Love will make you do what you had not planned to do.  It makes you go into debt.  It makes you give up freedom. 

        Look what Jesus did because he loved us.

Romans 5:6-8 “ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Love Lifts You Up

        Love will lift you into a higher realm than you have ever lived.  There is no higher virtue than love.  There is no greater attribute of God than love.

        I Jn 4:16-19    And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  19  We love him, because he first loved us.

        In the second commandment, Jesus stated that we should love our neighbor as ourselves.  In John 13, however, he talked about a new covenant.

John 13:34      A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

        In other words, Jesus takes the frame of reference out of the human realm and places it into the divine.  We do not look to ourselves, our feelings, emotions and sentiments to determine our love.  That keeps love on a human level.  Hatred, bitterness, jealousy, strife and hurt between people are out of the question when we have divine love. 

        Everything a Christian does is an outgrowth of love, not law.

        We pay our tithes because we love Jesus.

        We come to church because we love Jesus.

        We live holy lives because we love Jesus.

        We continually say no to the world because we love Jesus.

Love is Changes You

        Love will make you become what you have never been before.

        Love does not happen in a vacuum.  You will be changed by what or who you love. 

        This is why we are strongly warned about the influence of the world in our lives. 

        I Jn 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1 Tim 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

        This leads us to the source of our greatest hope:  the more we love God, the more like God we will become. 

I Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

The limits of love:

But the question I want to drive home to your hearts today is about the limits of love. 

“Jesus always befriended the misfortunate and the down-and-out.  When He ate dinner at Simon’s house, He signaled to the world that He would be a friend of sinners, regardless of the scorn heaped upon him by his prideful and falsely pious critics.

Captain Kenneth DeCelle who is with the United States Army, tells this story:

        “We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, Hi.” He pounded his fat baby hands on the highchair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.

        I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists.

        ‘Hi there, Baby. Hi there, Big Boy. I see ya, Buster,’ the man said to Erik.

        My husband and I exchanged looks. What do we do?

        Erik continued to laugh and answer, ‘Hi.’

        Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, ‘Do ya pattycake? Do you know peek-a-boo?  Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.’

        Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

        We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. ‘Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,’ I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing.

        As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s pick-me-up position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man’s.

        Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby held each other in a gesture of  love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s raged shoulder. The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain and hard labor, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back.

        No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck.

        The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms, and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, ‘You take care of this baby.’

        Somehow I managed, ‘I will,’ from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain.

        I received my baby, and the man said, ‘God bless you, Ma’am. You’ve given me my Christmas gift.’

        I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. (In the car) my husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, ‘My God, my God, forgive me.’

        I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, ‘Are you willing to share your son for a moment?’ He shared His for all eternity.

        The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me that to enter the Kingdom of God we must become as little children.’

        Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.”

Would your love extend to an old man like this?

Have you ever read the stories of people who believe they are unlovable?

Posted by Faction, 26-30 year old woman,
“Nobody has ever loved me. Not really. My father was an alcoholic. He loved drugs and booze more than me. He’d tell me that he loved me but then he’d disappear. And even when he got sober he never said he loved me. He got a new family. He left me behind.

“My mother tried to love me but she couldn’t. She told me that she tried to love me but that it was my fault. That no matter how much she tried it was never enough. That there was something wrong with me. Something broken.

“I’ve had two relationships. One lasted 7 years and then he called me up and told me that he couldn’t do it anymore. “You’re just not the type of girl someone like me marries.”

“Recently I met someone who said that I was perfect. That he loved and adored me. Then he dumped me via a facebook status update. No fight. No argument. Nothing had changed.

“Except maybe he’d finally seen the real me. I wonder if I walk around with the mask of a normal person but then it slips and people see what I really am and that’s why they leave.

“I almost hope that’s the answer. If I’m the problem then at least I know that I deserve this. At least then it would be fair.

“At what point do you just give up?”

What is your answer to this woman?

I shared this following piece with the LifeLines team a few weeks ago.  They won’t mind me sharing it with you.

WeLovePeople.Com

        Jesus Christ died to save people from their sins.  This we know.  What we often forget is why.  John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Romans 5:8 adds  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  The most important truth that must energize us is that God loves people!  In saving us, His love for us came first.  After that—-rather because of it—-he died to save us.  He did not save us and afterwards learn to love us.  He loved us first and devised a means to save us. 

        We must examine any obstacles that seem to block the love of God from flowing freely through us as individuals or congregations.  That’s why we must look closely, even critically, at who we are and what we are doing.  We must be willing to ask ourselves the question whether or not we truly love people to the same magnitude that Christ did.  In fact, the two greatest commandments of the law include loving God and loving others.

In projecting a strategy for future growth, we must begin from these starting blocks of God’s love for people. 

If we fail to show love for people in what we do, we must change. 

If we overlook opportunities to love people, we must change. 

If we love ourselves, our routines, our traditions or our personal friends more than people, we must change. 

Whether these failings are by design, default or delusion, we must change.  New evangelistic thrusts will truly work only if a congregation will make the changes to make it happen.  Our human targets ought to be as all-inclusive as we can make them:  new converts, former members, people who have come to church but never committed themselves, or people who have had an experience with God but have deep personal problems. 

        No solution is complete unless it involves every single person in the church in some way.  The paramount question must be:  “What can I and what will I do to start the positive change in making this church a church that loves people?”

        If we want people to believe that we love them, we must convince them of our sincerity. 

        They must sense that we mean it by giving them priority.

        They must hear it in our initial greeting.

        They must hear it in our worship.

        They must hear it in our teaching and preaching.

        They must read it in our literature.

        They must see it in our faces.

        They must feel it in our spirit.

        They must feel it in our handshakes and hugs.

        They must know it through the amount of time we are willing to spend with them.

        They must be treated to our message of love from the time they enter to the time they leave.

        People can be attracted to our churches by many things, but love alone will secure them.  Love for people stands as God’s primary motivation for every redemptive act.  Faith may move mountains and hope may start revolutions, but love outlives, outdoes, outreaches and outlasts them all. 

If love is limited to people you know, it is not big enough.

If your love is limited to your family, it is not big enough.

If your love cuts out people you don’t understand, it is too limited.

If your love leaves out people you think are strange, it is too limited.

If you cannot love the person who has sinned too much, your love is too limited.

If you were going to build an addition to your house, you wouldn’t just start digging or tearing down walls.  You would first go to the blueprints of the existing structure and find out where the footers or the foundation walls were located.  Likewise, if we want to add to the church, if we want to see real growth, we need to go to the blueprints of the church and see where the limits, the perimeters are established.  Where would that be?  The platform?  The four walls of your existing building?  Your family?  Your circle of friends?  The people who look like you?  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son…?”  The world?

Would your love be too limited for this woman?

Luke 7:36-50 (MSG)
³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table.
³⁷ Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume
³⁸ and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume.
³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.”
⁴⁰ Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Oh? Tell me.”
⁴¹ “Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty.
⁴² Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”
⁴³ Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.” “That’s right,” said Jesus.
⁴⁴ Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair.
⁴⁵ You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet.
⁴⁶ You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume.
⁴⁷ Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”
⁴⁸ Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”
⁴⁹ That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!”
⁵⁰ He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”



How Far to Bethany?

Luke 2:4-6 (KJV)
⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Luke 24:50-53 (KJV)
⁵⁰ And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. ⁵¹ And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
⁵² And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: ⁵³ And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

It all started at Bethlehem; it all ended at Bethany.

Both places witnessed miracles, angels, crowds of believers.  Bethlehem was the beginning; Bethany was the ending.  Bethlehem was the first hope; Bethany was the final glory.  Two geographical locations in close proximity to each other.

My question is:  How far is it really from Bethlehem to Bethany?

We could ask the surveyors, the road builders.

But it would be better to ask the one who walked the road in question.

He had a strong message:  Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:25-29 (KJV) ²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

His message was strong, but he was a man who matched his message.  In fact, the carpenter’s son from Nazareth was the Creator of the Universe.

Behold what manner of man is this
Who stills the raging sea
He heals the sick, the lame, the halt
And makes the blind to see
He opens all the prison doors
And sets the captives free
Behold what manner of man is this
What manner of man is He?

He’s the Lord of Glory
He is the great I Am
The Alpha and Omega
The beginning and the end
His name is Wonderful
The Prince of Peace is He
He’s the everlasting Father
Throughout eternity.

Yes, we know his identity, but do we know his nature?  What is the benefit of knowing his identity unless we also know what he is like?

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)
²⁰ Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

The nature of the one who walked the road from Bethlehem to Bethany was this…  He exceeds himself.  He breaks his own records.  He goes beyond the good to do the best!

The exceeding greatness of God.

Look at the way he does things.

Look at the way he creates:

Amos 4:13 (KJV)
¹³ For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

Look at the way he delivers:

Exodus 14:21-31 (KJV)
²¹ And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
²² And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
²³ And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
²⁴ And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
²⁵ And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
²⁶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
²⁷ And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
²⁸ And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
²⁹ But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
³⁰ Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
³¹ And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

Look at the way he loves:

Romans 5:6-8 (KJV)
⁶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Look at the way he saves:

 Hebrews 7:25 (KJV)
²⁵ Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

He could have stopped short of any of these awesome miracles, and still we would have marveled and said that he has done well.

But, the question still remains, How far to Bethany? How far from a great beginning to a grand finale? How far from an honorable mention to the grand prize? How far from an also-ran to the championship?

I submit to you that Bethany is beyond the Good.  To do well is good.  To go beyond is great!

What does it take to be a champion?

A common thread amongst them is Grace - a silent knowing - they set their sights on where they want to go and never look back. Setting Goals, they Strive to surpass Personal Bests. With a Positive Attitude, Commitment, Faith, Perseverance, a bit of Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, Overcoming Limitations, Commitment, Attention to Detail. Unwavering in their Quest for Success, they are Relentless and Consistent. 

“What makes a champion?  It is not the trophy.  It is not the talent. Not the salary, the most points, the fastest time, or the most records. It is not even being the best of the best. All of these things are just the benefits of what makes a true champion. You see, the real winners in life are those who have the courage to see the impossible. They are the people who overcome and persevere through all adversity. They learn from their mistakes, and no matter what, they never give up on their dreams. A true champion has VISION…”

Samson

Those of you who know the Bible story of Samson know that he was the strong man of Israel. But, his strength did not come from his own commitment. It came from the faith of his mother and father; Manoah and his wife. Samson had a hand-me-down anointing.  It was mom and dad’s religion, mom and dad’s church.

If you are in that situation today, I want you to remember something:  The blessings you have today are a result of that commitment mom and dad made to God.  The stable homelife, the love that bond you together, it is a result of their commitment.  

Samson had:  An inherited commitment

        A unappreciated anointing

        An unkept treasure.

Samson had:

        Privilege without commitment

        Power without conviction

        Strength without suffering

Samson compromised his power.  In the lap of Delilah, he became spiritually blinded to the source of his strength.  He actually thought that he—himself—was the one who was responsible for his own abilities, strengths and achievements.

But, there is a very telling scripture that describes the condition of Samson after he lost his hair.

Judges 16:18-21 (KJV) ¹⁸ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
¹⁹ And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
²⁰ And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
²¹ But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Samson finally got to his own Bethany, but his Bethany was beyond his dungeon!

Bethany is always farther than you anticipated, farther than you wanted to go, farther than the flesh appreciates.

Something has to die on the road from Bethlehem to Bethany.

In my personal life:

I am very reluctant to talk about my personal life, mainly because I do not feel as though I have made any great sacrifice or accomplished any great thing.  I have been blessed to have wonderful parents, a great spiritual heritage, and opportunities given to me that I don’t feel I ever earned.

(In fact, I will share a story with you.  A few years ago, a man who was somewhat disgruntled with me (another preacher who knew me from childhood) told me that the only reason I married Sandy Kinzie was so I could have her father’s big church.  It was like a slap in the face.  A year or two later, he apologized to me.  I certainly hope that what he said was not true, but I carried that baggage around for a while.)

Two things were outstanding to me as I began my personal journey from Bethlehem.

First, my call to the ministry was when I was praying alone in my father’s church in Jackson, Michigan.  All of a sudden, I saw a vision of Calvary.  I saw the suffering of Jesus as he hung on the cross in such vivid tones that it burned itself into my consciousness forever.  I wanted to tell the world about this great man, the mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus.

Second, after my wife and I had committed ourselves to the traveling evangelist ministry, we had one place to go:  Van Wert, Ohio.  We were to go there for two weeks.  After that, I would probably have to go back to my job at J. C. Penney’s at Miracle Mile.  At the end of two weeks, Brother George Thompson asked me to go another week.  Then, he asked me to go another week.  Then he asked me to go for a fifth week!  By the end of the fifth week, a number of other places opened up and I knew we could make it. 

The lesson is not the beginning.  It is not even the ending.  The lesson is the ordeal in between Bethlehem and Bethany.

Bethany is beyond the sacrifice…maybe the sacrifice of your most prized possession!

Matthew 13:45-46 (KJV) ⁴⁵ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: ⁴⁶ Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

“That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly.” Thomas Paine

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”  Thomas Paine 

How far is it to Bethany?

Matthew 5:38-42 (KJV)
³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
⁴¹ And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

In geographical measures, Bethany is somewhere between one and two miles from Bethlehem.  If you only go one mile, you will never get there. 

At the end of the first mile, Jesus was

        A great teacher

        A miracle worker

        A leader of men

If  the mission of Jesus would have been fulfilled by being an also-ran, one mile would have been enough.  If he came to seek, but not save, one mile would have been enough.  If he came to touch, but not transform, one mile would have been enough.

He was all of those things at the end of the first mile.

But, at the end of the second mile, he started a revolution!

        The second mile made him the Savior

        The second mile made him the victor over death, hell and the grave

        The second mile made him the ransom for mankind

You cannot get to your Bethany of Ascension unless you are willing to go to Gethsemane of consecration and Calvary of crucifixion.

What about the First Apostolic Church?

Some are willing to have a nice building, a nice school, a nice day care.

Some are willing to have a place for weddings, baby dedications and funerals.

Some are willing to just be nice people, good citizens, have reasonably happy lives.

You can have all of these things at the end of the first mile.

But, I submit to you this morning that being nice is not what the gospel is all about!

You don’t have to drive a van to be saved, but someone you pick up on the van may have a chance to be saved!

You don’t have to teach a Sunday School class to be saved, but some child who doesn’t have much of a homelife  may point to you as the reason they are saved!

You don’t have to be an on-fire prayer warrior, a fasting, Bible-reading, burden-carrying Saint of God to be saved; but the people who are looking to you for a role model or an example may rise or fall on what they see in you!

I am making an appeal to you today.

Are you willing to do more?

A new year is coming up.  Do you want your life to count for more than it has ever counted?

It is not the challenge of the also-rans.

It is the challenge of the champions.

Philippians 4:10-13 (KJV)
¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
¹¹ Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
¹² I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Heaven Is My Destination

Revelation 4:1-3 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
² And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
³ And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

We are in the middle of the heaviest traveling season of the year.

Nearly 43 million travelers will take to the roadways, railways and airways from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  Most drivers will go less than 50 miles from home, but 1.62 million people are expected to fly to their destination. 

Websites like Travelocity.com will find the lowest fares for you, plus book your room, your rental car, your restaurant reservations, your tee time, and shopping guide.

From African safaris to climbing Mt. Everest, from salmon fishing in Sarah Palin’s Alaska to the opera house in the middle of the Amazon jungle, somebody is ready to take you to any exotic place you desire—and take your money in the deal.

From Reykjavik to Cabo San Luis, from Durban to Davao City, from Istanbul to Christchurch, the options are nearly unlimited.  My sister and her husband were in Shanghai this Thanksgiving and some friends of ours were in Budapest and Prague. 

We are a mobile society.

I am not preaching a complicated message this morning.

I want to be very simple.  As a commissioned travel agent, I want to talk to you about going to heaven. 

I want to tell you what the travel brochure says it will be like when we get there.

More specifically, I want to talk about getting there.  In order to get there, you have to decide if heaven is really where you want to go.  (We currently are offering only two destinations.) 

Then, you have to get started on your journey.

After that, you have to find out what route you are going to take in order to get there.  (Again, choices are limited—there’s only one way.)

You will need to know all the obstacles you will face on the way.

Finally, you need to make sure you arrive safely and on time.

I will assure you of one thing, once you catch a glimpse of your destination; it will be worth whatever the price of the ticket will be, whatever hardship you have to endure along the way, and however long it takes you to get there. 

Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light [was] like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, [and] had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

21 And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

Revelation 22:1. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads.

5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Now, you may say, “Preacher, that sounds wonderful.  Great.  Fabulous.  Intriguing.

There is only one problem.

I have to die to go to heaven, right?”

To which I say, that’s the least of your worries!

That’s right!

How many of you rode in a car to get to church today?

You were in danger from the moment you got in your car and backed out of your driveway until you turned into the parking lot here at 5701 Sylvania Ave.  The danger stopped when you pulled into your parking spot.

How many of you said, “Oh no, I’m here!”  Did you say, “I’m not getting out of this car!  I’m not ready to end this trip!”

No.  You just yanked on the handle and hopped out.  No big deal.

When you reach the end of your journey on this earth, you just open the door and get out.

The pain and suffering may be in the journey, but it’s not in the destination!

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

So, you might say, Pastor, you talked me into it.  I think I’ll choose heaven as my destination.

Now, how am I going to get there?

Well, it’s too far to get there by yourself.

You need some help.

You need to get into something.  There is a vehicle especially designed to take you from where you are to where you want to go.

And it doesn’t really matter where you are.

There is an advertisement out there about a rental car company that claims they will pick you up, wherever you are.

That’s a lot like the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will pick you up regardless of where you are or how far God has to go to get you!

He’ll pick you up at Suicide Cliffs, Gamblers Gulch or the Cave of Depression.  He’ll pick you up at Jilted Lover’s Lane, Devil’s Den or Alcoholics Alley.  He’ll turn your mess into a miracle.  In fact, He’ll lift you up out of your mess and leave it for the Devil to clean up.  He knows how to unwind, untwist and untangle your life.  Like OnStar, he knows where you are and how to get to you.  Just whisper His name, call His name, shout His name! 

But here’s where many people start getting into trouble.  They think there are many ways to get to heaven.  That’s like saying “I like the ending to this book, but I like the plot to this other book better.  I’ll just read my favorite book and then switch to the ending of this one.  Well, you can have it your way, I suppose, if you’re reading fiction.  But, if you want the ending called heaven, you have to take the Bible road to get there.  And that’s not fiction.  That’s truth!

There is no other way to go but to get into the church.

Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

So, how do we get into the church?

Acts 2:37-41  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

It was the same as saying, how do we get there?
³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
³⁹ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
⁴⁰ And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
⁴¹ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

What is this about baptism?  Surely you don’t think baptism is necessary, do you?

Galatians 3:26-28  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
²⁷ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Not only is baptism necessary, the Bible makes it clear that it must be done in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

What about the Spirit?  All who go to heaven don’t have to be Spirit-filled, do they?

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
¹³ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

I’m talking about the born-again experience.  It’s the heaven-qualifier.

The Bible calls it the wedding garment, the keys to the kingdom, the door to the ark.

John 3:3-5 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Whenever you get into the church and begin your journey, you have the next series of events to negotiate.  I am going to boil it down to three things that you will encounter between embarkation and destination. 

There are places you will go through that you may not want to endure.

There is no four-lane, limited access superhighway that goes from here to heaven.  The road you have to travel is the same road that the Apostles took.  The early church traveled this road, and so did our Apostolic pioneers.  It goes through the mountains and valleys, takes you around hairpin turns and across narrow bridges.  And, you’ll meet oncoming traffic—they’re the ones who will tell you to turn back, that it can’t be done.  You can’t let them affect you. 

Do you know why I know it can be done?  Because there are faces that I’ve never seen coming back.  The Kinzies, the Urshans, the Bectons, the Roses.  The Jack Leizures, the Ethyl and Avery Griffeys, the Frank and Rita Gillens and the Katherine Farnsworths—just to name a few. 

Psalms 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

There are weaknesses in you that you may not want to admit.

Yes, you are going to get tired.  Sometimes the road ahead looks blurry and you will wonder if you are going the right way.  It will get dark.  You will have to go through blinding rain and sleet and snow.  You will have to refuel along the way.  But none of these things can cause you to abandon the journey.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If your journey exposes weakness in you, do not think it’s because God is against you or that you are not cut out for this road.  Remember this:  either your weakness are exposed or they are not.  Keeping them hidden does not eliminate them anymore than hiding your head in the sand makes the world go away.  Having them brought to light is God’s way of confronting and delivering you from them. 

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
¹⁰ For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

My message to you today is Keep Going!  There is renewal and refreshing for you if you keep going.  There is positive change for you if you keep going. 

There are forces out there that you may not want to face.

There are intriguing side-roads out there that beckon you to explore.  I’m convinced that most people lose their way, not because the road map can’t be trusted, but because they can’t control their wanderlust ways.  They can’t drive past the Dinosaur World signs, the Lookout Mountain advertisements, and the promise that they will be shocked, thrilled or scared to death if they will just turn off the main road and try out the tourist trap.

But this is not a family vacation.  This is not a few days off to relax.  If you are on a journey to heaven, you can’t afford to lose sight of your goal whenever something tempting pops up along the way. 

You are going to come face to face with the wiles of the devil.

Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ⁹ Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Demas was on the right road, but the attractions of the world along the way became too much for him. 

2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Paul does not say that Demas was a bad person.  He was not crazy, or stupid, or a pagan, or an atheist.  He was not a criminal.  He just loved the wrong things. 

Yes, places to endure, weakness that are exposed and enemies that fight against you. The road to heaven stretches out before you and you have everything you need to get from here to there.

Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

Finally, you might say, “No thanks.  I really don’t want to go anywhere.  I think I’ll just stay here.”

I’m sorry.  That’s not possible.  There is coming a great destruction upon the earth that will make it impossible for you to maintain the status quo.  There is the problem of the sixth seal.

Revelation 6:12-17 (KJV)
¹² And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; ¹³ And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.¹⁴ And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶ And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:  ¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The fact is that you have to leave here sometime and go someplace.  The question is not if, but when. 

You may think that the journey is your problem.  You may not like the way you have to get there, you may not want to endure the hardships along the way, and you may not want to be denied the freedom to choose your own way.

But what you really need to pay attention to is your destination. 

Heaven.  Pay any price.  Endure any hardship.  Fight any foe.

Take any risk.  Heaven is your destination and you cannot be denied.  Let us stand.