The World in the Church (3/28/11)

Shalom,

 

    Please begin by reading Titus 2:11-15.

 

    We would have to be blind, especially spiritually blind, not to see the thousands of people around us who prefer the ways of the world over Yahweh's kingdom.  We also have this problem within our churches.  There are far too many people placing the things of the world over the things of eternity, and the things of the flesh over the things of the Spirit.  We may not like to admit this, and we try hard to look beyond this weakness inside our churches, but it's definitely there.  Our churches are run more like businesses than places of worship.  We depend too much on demographics and not enough on the Holy Spirit to make decisions.  It's time for many believers to stand up and proclaim, "No, to ungodliness and worldly passions."

    Why are some who call themselves Christians living like this?  No doubt they'll give us reasons and excuses to try to cover their lack of full dedication to Jesus.  Some will complain of the snares of the world, some of a lack of time, some of the difficulty of their situation, some of the cares and anxieties of this world, some of the strength of the temptation they face, and some of the effects of our evil society.  But we're supposed to lift ourselves above all these issues by trusting and obeying our Lord Jesus.  He's provided all the energy and protection and insight and wisdom we need to overcome all these issues.

    What it all comes down to is actually very simple.  We can give a much simpler and far shorter account for these spiritual problems.  Those who are struggling and faltering in their faith don't truly and fully believe in Jesus or his Word.  They don't have true faith, grounded in their Master.  The root of their problem is that they don't really accept what the Bible says is true.

    People attempt to fool themselves by saying, "Surely there's another way to heaven other than only Jesus.  Surely there isn't any danger of really going to Hell."  In short, they refuse to put their total and absolute trust and confidence in the words Yahweh has written or spoken.  And because of this, there's no action on their part to prove their faith.  Somehow they've missed out on the personal responsibility aspect of their faith walk.  Somehow they've not learned or refused to accept that they must surrender themselves to Jesus and obediently respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show that they've truly become a Christian.

    Studies and surveys over the last decade have detailed a terrible and devastating slide into worldliness by evangelical Christians.  Yes, there's been an increasing slide into lawlessness and self-serving crudeness by almost all people groups, but this shouldn't be reflected in the lives of Christians.  At this time there isn't enough difference between the Church and the world.  There isn't enough distinguishable behavior between Christians and non-Christians when there should be a radical difference, a noticable difference.

 

    You see, there's a vast amount of practical idolatry all around us.  There are many who Sunday after Sunday repeat the creeds and make a point of declaring their belief in the creeds, and yet these very same people will live all week as if Jesus never died, as if there's no judgment, as if there's no resurrection from the dead, and as if there's no everlasting life or punishment in Hell.  There are people inside our churches who are condemning themselves by their repetition of the creeds and the Lord's Prayer.  Within the Lord's Prayer is a passage that condmens many.  "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."  Anyone who keeps praying that while be unforgiving is asking for condemnation.

    There are many who say, "Oh, we know about God," whenever we talk to them about the Bible.  And yet their lives plainly show they don't know things that they should.  Remember, the proof of our faith is in our actions.  Christianity requires, yes I said requires, acting out our beliefs, doing things that show we really do believe what we claim.  Don't just say "I believe."  Let your actions and lifestyle display your faith.

    The saddest part about some of these folks is that they only think they know what they really need to know.  Yahweh's grace teaches "to say 'NO' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live uprightly and godly lives in this present age."  John Wesley said, "live godly, as those who are consecrated to God both in heart and life."  We'd do much better just by obeying our Lord.  Don't try to understand everything before you act.  Trust that your Father in heaven is the Creator and knows best.

    Believers are to renounce the world and its desires.  Holiness is to be experienced and lived out here and now, "in this present age."  There are two classes of believers in the Church: those who believe and those who don't.  The difference between the true Christian and the merely outward professor of faith lies in just two words.  The true Christian has a living faith, the outward professor doesn't.  The true Christian believes and lives as if he does.  The outward professor doesn't believe, and lives as if he doesn't.

    In walking with Yahweh, we only go as far as we believe and no further.  The spiritual things in our lives are always directly proportional to our truly Christian faith.  Our peace, our patience, our courage, our evangelistic zeal, our godly works - all are done according to how alive our faith is.  We look at what we call the great heroes of our faith: The Apostles, Paul, Luke, Wesley, Finney, Graham, etc. - and we say, "They were so prayerful, that made them what they were."  But why did they pray so much?  Because they had living faith.  Prayer is living faith speaking to our Lord and God.  Someone else will say, "They were so diligent and hard-working.  That accounts for their success."  But why were they so diligent?  Simply because they had living faith.  Christian diligence is living faith in action.  Another will say, "It was their holiness and spirituality, that's what gave them their strength."  Again, why were they holy?  Because they had a living and real spirit of faith.  Holiness is visible faith.

 

    If some church near you were hosting a Revival Meeting this week, some people in our churches would probably think they didn't need to attend.  They think a revival is an evangelistic meeting, designed to draw in the lost.  They're wrong.  A revival is for the Church, the Body of Christ.  It's a time for renewing and refreshing and revitalizing ourselves so we can become better evangelists, actually it should be making us better Christians first.

    Webster's Dictionary says a revival  is: A meeting or series of meetings in order to reawaken religious faith.  For something to be reawakened or revived, it had to have been awake and alive at one time.  Another definition may be helpful here: restoration to use, acceptance, activity, or vigor.  We all need to be more useful, accepted, active, and vigorous.  We all need to be restored to a place of strength, and that only comes when we properly attune ourselves with our Lord and Master's will.

    These kinds of meetings are for us, the Body of Christ, to help us renew and revitalize our faith.  We need a fresh touch from Yahweh, hopefully that he'll fill us with fresh holy fire from his altar.  We need the Holy Spirit to spur us out into the outside world to fulfill the Great Commission.  We need this kind of meeting to spontaneously happen all around our world.  A spiritual awakening would bless our nations and improve many of the things we lament as hopeless and out of our control.

    Some recent research by the George Barna Group reports that today's Americans are moving away from traditional biblical positions.  Only 32% believe in moral absolutes.  51% believe that praying to deceased "saints" can have a positive effect in a person's life.  74% believe that when people are born they're niether good nor evil, but they'll make a personal choice between the two as they mature.  44% believe that the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truths.

    The big problem with many of these statistics is that many who call themselves "born again" believe these ways.  In 1999 it was found that 20% of so-called born again Christian believed in reincarnation, 26% believed in astrology, and 16% had visited a fortune teller.  This indicates they're not grounded in orthodox Christian faith.  But what's the real problem?  The attitude and practice of too many, can we really say Christians, when it comes to these issues is known as syncretism.  Syncretism is the fusion of secular, pagan, and biblical beliefs.  It's what the Bible calls friendship with the world.  That people inside our churches believe this is OK shows the weakness of our faith.

    Why is this a problem?  Unlike pagan and folk religions, Christianity identifies man's natural condition as fallen and in need of salvation.  It rejects the world system and calls all mankind to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus.  Syncretism tries to conform us to the fallen condition of the world.  Instead of recognizing that the evil in our world is primarily rooted in our fallen nature, syncretism says we're all good somewhere down deep inside.

 

    An immature Christian might be confused about reincarnation or feng shui or any other pagan belief system, but they don't need to turn to these philosophies to learn the essential truth about our souls.  The Bible's teaching clearly wanrs us away from these deceptive religious practices.  These fads simply prove that humans are incurably religious.  We abandon historic faith and become practical atheists, or as some prefer "enlightened moderns."  But we still yearn for the eternal, the transcendant.  We seek something more than this world can provide.  Why, because that's the way we're made, because our Designer "set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end" (Ecc 3:11).

    G. K. Chesterton said, "When people cease to believe in the biblical God, they do not start believing in nothing, they start believeing in everything."  That's exactly what's happening in America today.  Fads like feng shui (putting all your inanimate objects in the most "harmonious positions) and other superstitions are becoming more popular, a definite sign of paganism and worldiness gaining ground in our society.

    If we're to remain IN the world but not OF it, we must do two things to inoculate ourselves against syncretism.  First, we must be discerning, able to distinguish clearly between the things of Yahweh and those of our fallen world.  Second, we must recognize that the human condition is filled with trials and difficulties for believer and unbeliever alike.  Suffering isn't an illusion, it's common to all mankind.

    Christians must expose frauds like feng shui or reincarnation or universalism - especially when Christians are taken in.  We must remind them that believing scritpural claims about Yahweh means not only saying YES to biblical teachings, but also saying NO to anything that tries to contradict them.  Don't let the world tell you what's most important or what really matters, it's not really their area of expertise.  Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as he gently guides you and teaches you the TRUTH.

 

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike

Right Alignment (3/21/11)

Shalom,

 

     Please begin by reading Jer 6:16-21.

 

     Yahweh gives a very clear warning and a very clear judgment based on the people of Judah's rejection of his warning.  We know that throughout Israel's history there were calls for them to repent and return to right paths.  The New Testament offers the same kind of warnings to Christians concerning the possibility of us falling away.  It's foolish when we read how the Israelite's rejected Yahweh's prophetic warnings and we look down on them with disdain.  The reason these types of warnings are in both the Old and New Testaments is because we're all vulnerable to falling away from our Lord God.  No matter which covenant we claim as the one we abide in, the warning is to stay in touch with our Lord and not wander off after false gods.

     When I read this passage during my daily reading time, I immediately thought of Robbie the Robot.  He was made famous on the TV show Lost in Space during 1966-67.  But he also appeared in about 40 other movies and TV shows beginning in 1956 with The Forbidden Planet.  What came to my mind was his warning, "Danger, Will Robinson."  He would speak this whenever some alien threat was perceived.  That's the same kind of warning Yahweh is trying to give us through the Holy Spirit when evil is discerned.

 

     Sometimes when things go wrong we ask where Yahweh was.  Well, I can plainly tell you that he was right there sounding an alarm.  He told the people of Judah to "ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it."  These old paths are the ancient, eternal paths of righteous living.  It could probably best be called the Forever Path.  This godly path is the only truly good one in existence.  Any other path follows something other than our Creator and therefore isn't truly good.

     The Church of Jesus Christ needs this very same warning today.  We have a very divided and secular church today.  We depend too much on human intellect and philosophical religion.  The creeds which helped establish our beliefs are ignored or adjusted to fit our modern sensibilities.  Just like the people of Judah, we've left the ancient path of true righteousness because we think we don't need our Father's help.  We're arrogant enough to believe that we can find better answers with our intellect than with our spirit.

     Since the first century the Body of Christ has had to fight against people trying to corrupt the Gospel.  Many have desired to simplify the path to salvation, and have therefore left many people deceived and lost due to these humanistic revisions.  Many today think we need to modernize because the "old" Gospel is irrelevant to our modern world.  The modern ideas of tolerance and exclusivity claim that what we have is no longer valid for the universalistic religion practiced in our day.

     Why, the idea of a "straight and narrow" path that leads to heaven is much too restrictive.  Don't you know that the biblical record of Yahweh's plan of salvation is merely the opinions of men who were out of touch with modern thought and sensibilities?  But any revisions we make to the Gospel of Jesus Christ are being made without the Almighty and Sovereign God's permission or approval.  He believes his plan is still perfect, no matter what our intellect or philosophies say.

     These people Jeremiah was speaking to claimed to be the chosen of Yahweh.  They proclaimed that they wouldn't pay attention to the sounding of the shofar, the sound that was meant to warn them of danger.  The shofar was used to either call assemblies or to warn of impending attacks.  These people rejected the help readily being offered by Yahweh's prophets.  It's like totally ignoring any wanring lights that show up on your car's dashboard.  We justify our continued ignorance of these warning lights by believing that we still have plenty of time before the car actually quits running.  That's the same idea as the people who believe they don't have to get saved now, they'll have plenty of time "later."

     This warning is very timely to us.  Yahweh's Word and the current prophetic warnings tell us to get into right alignment with our Lord.  There is a good path where we can find safety and security with our heavenly Father.  Our Father wants us to travel his way, obediently following his instructions and corrections.  He knows how terrible things are going to get, and he wants his children to be in a place of safety and security when the world begins to collapse in on itself due to man's greed and ignorance of his truth.

 

     Yahweh offers "rest for your souls" on his path.  The phrasing is pointing to a resting place.  When we really and truly trust our Father, we'll find ourselves on a path filled with his presence and soothing to our troubled souls.  He knows how to calm our fears and keep us securely cared for.  Anyone who tries to offer you a "new and improved" version of Yahweh's Word is lying to you.  And whether they're being outrightly deceptive or just naively wrong doesn't matter.  The path they're trying to sell you is treacherous and dangerous and deadly.  There is no eternal rest outside of Yahweh's appointed path.

     2 Pet 2:1 says, "There were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you.  They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them."  In case you haven't read through the whole New Testament, it clearly tells us that these types of teachers will increase in the "latter days."  We won't have less false teachers, we'll have more.  So we better be fully grounded in our Lord's Word and Gospel to be able to identify them and overcome them with his truth.

     The only way to overcome these infiltrators and saboteurs is by being in right alignment with our Lord and Master.  We must stay on track, hearing our Master's voice and doing what he's telling us.  We must stay close to Jesus or we become vulnerable to being picked off as stragglers by these predators.  These false teachers are opportunistic and look for those who don't have a solid spiritual covering.  Anyone who has issues with right spiritual authority is in danger of being snared.

     As individual Christians we should and must be able to test spirits and prove whether things are of Yahweh's Spirit, demonic spirits, or the human intellect.  Too many people inside our churches today depend on their favorite preacher, or their favorite author, or all the much too convenient experts on radio and TV.  Too many are lazy when it comes to searching the Scriptures for themselves, and are easily misled by any teacher who sounds convincing.  When we trust others to do our studying for us, we're disobeying the clear Word of our Lord to "study to show yourselves approved by God" (2 Tim 2:15).

     Much of this happens because of the loss of true biblical authority.  Those in authority are often not there because of biblical qualifications.  Too many denominational and independent structures have positions not even designated in the Bible.  Jesus warned about how "hired hands" don't have the integrity or connection to the local flock, and that they can't be counted on when real danger comes.  Yet many denominations and fellowships have a system of bringing in hired hands instead of raising up leadership from within individual congregations.  No wonder many people don't know where to go to find rest for their souls.  Their leaders have rejected Yahweh's structure and are working within corrupt systems.

     Too much of our modern day church is patterned after a business model.  The way we do things is more often secular than spiritual.  Or they're completely secular with a little spiritual thrown in to appease the more religious minded in their flocks.  With the offer of many paths to follow, people are wandering all over the place.  They can't find a place to be solidly grounded because no such place is offered to them.  Their leaders tell them to be sincere in their beliefs and actions, and yet they don't give them any real hope and security.

 

     People need to know their Creator has a clear path for them to follow.  There is only one truly "good" path.  This isn't meant to exclude anyone, it's to protect all the true seekers.  Our world is dangerous.  The Bible speaks of lions and other dangers hiding along our roads.  Yahweh promises to protect us if we follow his path.  If we choose some variation or revision or detour, we've rejected his truth just like the people of Judah.  They directly rejected Yahweh's protection and warning.  "We will not walk on your path."  We will not listen to your warning."  We don't have to blatantly reject him either.  Many passively reject their Creator by choosing to walk on other paths because they "feel" good and right to them.

     Don't compromise, trying to appease someone else's hurt feelings.  Don't give people other options through your unwillingness to stand strongly in Yahweh's truth.  Compromising Yahweh's perfect Word or path leads to denying him.  The words of Jesus are very clear and direct about this in Matt 10:32-33.  "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."  A "Yes I believe, but I choose another path" is a rejection, a disowning of the Way and the Truth and the Life.

     Choose to align yourself with Jesus.  Choose to stay by his side with all your might.  Walking with Jesus is a great blessing.  You'll have more peace and security.  You'll have more wisdom and understanding.  You won't just have a guardian angel, you'll have a guardian God.

 

     Blessinsg & Peace,  Mike

Christian Apologetics (3/14/11)

Shalom,

 

    Please begin by reading Isa 43:8-13.

 

    Let's begin by saying that the burden of proof is on those who don't believe in the God of the Bible.  The phrase "let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right" is the key here.  Yahweh is challenging those outside the faith to prove their point, to justify their position.  He calls them to prove their philosophies and theories apart from what he's revealed through the Scritpures.

    As Christians we have the responsibility of being "witnesses."  It specifically means a recorder who testifies, coming from a root word meaning to testify by repeating.  Look closely at your role and function in the debates and discussions.  We're to speak forth what we've heard and seen, to repeat the story of how the Creator has touched us and been involved in the activities of our lives.  We don't have to be able to answer everyone's questions.  We do have to be able to explain what has changed in us because of the grace of Jesus.

    Have you ever noticed that people usually only pay attention to the heavy or weighty questions of life when things go wrong?  Too many of us don't do any real soul searching when things are going along well.  When things seem to be going along well, we tend to assume that we must be doing something right or we're lucky, or we're clueless.  There just isn't enough concern for the big picture of our eternal destiny when we're not under some sort of stress or in a struggle.

    But when things go wrong we might do an inventory of our lives.  It's then that we just might ask the tough questions.  That wouldn't be too bad, but very often we still try to shut out the questions that bother us.  But no one can run away from these questions forever.  All of us believe in something.  Whether we've thoroughly thought it through or not, we have a philosophy of life, maybe even a theology.  It's made up of what we believe about right and wrong, life and death, truth and God and man.

 

    Prov 19:3 says, "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at Yahweh."  Doesn't that sound like some people you've encountered?  Why is it that so many people are upset with Yahweh over their own bad decisions and choices?  Not a lot of people in our world like the word responsibility, but it's something we're all "responsible" for.  Somehow many people in our world have come to the place where they expect that Yahweh is supposed to bless and help no matter how they treat him.  They reject his truth and still want his protection from the evil in this world.  They deny his sovereignty and yet still blame him when things go wrong.

    Many people are shallow and refuse to discuss religion or politics because of how volatile the topics can be among us humans.  Politics affects our daily lives by its policies and laws.  Religion affects our eternity.  Too many people refuse to consider the most important things in life and how they affect every decision they make and action they take.  That often makes it difficult for us to talk of faith in Jesus or other things that are extremely important to us.

    The bottom line is truth.  There is absolute truth.  It can be known and understood.  The current popularity of tolerance and political correctness doesn't change the fact that there is discernible and absolute truth.  Popular opinion can't change the reality of our Creator and his very real expectations for all mankind.  Absolute truth isn't established by majority rule, but by the Almighty and all-powerful Yahweh.  The Creation can't change the Creator's rules just because they prefer something else.

    It's important for all of us to discover and understand what we believe to be true.  Asking questions of our Father in heaven is a good part of our search for truth.  In fact, he expects it of us.  You don't have to go through life with a blindfold on your mind to believe in the God of the Bible.  It's not that we're merely clinging to wishes and feelings.  Yahweh is real, and he's accessible to everyone who truly seeks him.  Your Father in heaven doesn't get upset at your doubts.  He's only bothered when you fail to ask the questions you need to and you end up sliding into unbelief.

    If something is true, absolutely true, you can look at it hard and think about it and compare it with other belief systems - and it will stand because it's based in the One who is truth.  It will prove to be reliable because it comes from the source of all truth.

 

    Take a hard look at yourself.  What are your roots?  What is it that you hold onto to keep yourself going day by day?  Do you believe the things your family taught you?  Do you accept the version of truth offered by TV media?  Has your schooling been the source of your value system?  Are your friends opinions the ones that guide your life decisions?  Or maybe it's your political party?  Do you know what's really true and where all the answers are to be found?

    What do you hear from the general public?  Surely you don't think that any one belief system has all the answers?  "Everybody" knows that all sincere roads lead to God in the end.  Yes, a lot of people believe these things.  Lots of people avoid the real answers to the real questions with such evasive logic.  They work hard to find a truth that they can call their own, one that doesn't require too much effort on their part.

    But are they right?  Think about right and wrong.  Many modern people believe that we can pick and choose our own system of right and wrong.  But if something is right, then some other things have to be wrong.  If something is true, that means some other things have to be false.  Many people tend to think that facts of religion are different from facts in the "real" world.  Facts about grocery stores, pets, road maps, and other such real things just aren't the same as facts about religious thinking.  Many people have the crazy idea that they can separate spiritual things from worldly things, that they're completely separate and different.

    If you sincerely believe that you're a cow and begin living outdoors and eating grass, aren't some people going to come and take you to a place of padded rooms and such luxuries?  How is it that it's OK in religion to hold to any belief "as long as you're sincere?"  The fact is that no one is supposed to say that someone else's view is either right or wrong, true or false.  We're all supposed to just get along without ever criticizing or proclaiming that these misguided people could be wrong.

    Every idea has consequences, just like a plant that grows from a seed.  Whatever kind of seed that's planted is the kind of plant that will grow, be it weed or good plant.  The logical result of thinking that anything goes in religion is to think that any sincere religious action is OK.  The problem comes when this includes suicide, murder and many other abuses.  What we believe about truth and right and wrong and God aren't "ho-hum" matters.  Although many people say that anything goes in religion, in actual situations they find themselves drawing a line and calling some religious beliefs wrong, hurtful, or even stupid.

    What we believe affects everything about our living every day.  What we think and feel and do springs out of our belief systems.  Our task as Christians is to know what we believe and be able to to explain it to others.  1 Pet 3:15 says, "In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."  An answer means a logical defense of your belief system.  The process is to seek Jesus with all our might and to spend time with him so that we'll be able to give good answers to anyone who questions us about why we live the way we do.

    Think of keys.  Only the right key will open the door, start the car, or give you access to whatever it is you're trying to open.  The keyhole has a certain shape.  The inner workings have a certain shape.  I believe that there's only one explanation for truth and life, and thereby only one valid religion and philosophy.  Only one fits the facts.  The other opinions won't and can't work.  We've been given the key to eternal life.  We've been given the key to absolute truth.  The other belief systems are false and can't open the door to heaven.

 

    You have a choice when you ask questions about religion and life and worldviews.  You can assume that what you see around you and what you feel inside you are real, and investigate on that basis.  Or you can assume that you need some special mystical knowledge and be led around by that philosophy.  Your Creator has given you everything you need to know and understand him.  Jer 9:23-24 speaks directly to our doubts and unbelief.  "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am Yahweh, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth."

    People who try to find their Creator can look for truth by observing the world around them.  People who look to other religions and philsophies have to resort to mystical and magical techniques.  Things like chanting mantras or taking drugs or meditating on some weird thing outside of themselves.  A true God-seeker can find what they're looking for without having to move outside of themselves.

    I believe real truth is practical and sensible.  It fits with and explains the world we see and feel and experience every day.  Christianity is realistic, even harshly so.  Yahweh's Word speaks to us of reality, how people really think and act.  If we're going to explain our faith to others we must have confidence in the God revealed in the Bible.  The Holy Spirit will teach us and guide us and direct us into Yahweh's absolute truth as we ask for his help.  When we trust and seek after real truth, we'll "always be prepared to give a logical defense" for what we believe.

    Remember, our task isn't to convince people of what we believe.  Our task is to share the truth of what we know and understand, to be good witnesses who only speak of what they know.  Don't be confounded by the questions thrown at you.  Yahweh says those who oppose his truth are the ones who must "prove they were right."  Start asking them some tough questions instead of being intimidated by their ignorance of absolute truth.

 

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike

Eagle or Chicken? (3/7/11)

Shalom,

 

     Please begin by reading Isa 40:31.

 

    Isaiah is relating something very understandable and recognizable to his readers.  In the Sinai desert you can watch eagles soar to amazing heights on the updrafts and currents.  An Israeli guide tells his tour group: "They lock their wings, pick the thermals, and ride the Breath of God above any storms."  Whenever one of these rare storms comes across the desert it's usually full of mighty thunderheads and reaches 25-30,000 feet in height.  The eagles actually climb above the storms to avoid them.

    The Israeli guide says the eagles ride the Breath of God.  If you ask a Hebrew to describe the Holy Spirit they'll most often use the term RUACH.  That's the same word used in Psalm 51:10 by King David.  "Do not take your Holy Spirit (RUACH) from me."  With the eagles, it's a roaring wind that howls through the canyons and mountains.  It's the mighty winds of the storm blowing across the wilderness accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder.

    The eagles ride to stunning heights on hot air thermals.  They'll ascend to unbelievable heights, using the air currents that are destroying things on the ground to carry them over the fury of the storm to safety on the other side.  They circle ever higher until they're out of sight of the human eye.  Think of the eagle's determination in the face of such impossible odds.  He just locks his wings, and sometimes they ice up,  so that nothing can keep him from climbing.  He trusts the Breath of God.  When storms enter our lives, when things seem out of control, remember the eagles.

 

    The film "Chariots of Fire" includes the story of missionary Eric Liddell, who refused to run in the 100 meters race at the 1924 Paris Olympics because it involved running on a Sunday.  Liddell believed that to be a ungodly thing to do on his day of worship.  He was probably the fastest man alive at that time and was the favorite to win.  The press and even the Prince of Wales tried hard to talk him into running, but he resolutely refused.  No human pressure could make this man of God change his mind about his convictions.  He was going to obey his Lord above all else.

    On the day of the race he refused to run in, he went to Scottish Presbyterian Church and read the lesson from Isa 40:31.  This scripture was very timely and seemed to capture the situation.  He was then given the opportunity to run in 400 meters race, a distance he'd never competed at before.  And God honored him for taking a stand.  Liddell ran the 400 meters at a 100 meters pace.  The experts thought he was running the first 100 meters too fast and would tire and end up losing the race.  But it wasn't to be and he won the race with a new world record time.

    When Liddell's sister tries to talk him out of going to the Olympics because she felt he was wasting time and should go straight to the mission field, he answered her about his running in a very strong way.  He told her, "When I'm running I feel God's joy."  As Christians, our Lord wants us to rely on him no matter what we're doing or involved in.  As we look to him, he'll give us the strength to continue when we're tempted to give in.  There are times when we want to throw in the towel and quit.  But when we look to Yahweh, he "will renew our strength."

 

    Soaring on wings like eagles is a growing process, taking time and practice.  Eagles make their nests from briars and thorns before inlaying them with animal skins to stop the nasty stuff from hurting the baby eagles.  The eaglets are fed and cared for until the day Momma eagle decides it's the day for them to learn how to fly.  All they've known is the safety and security of the nest.  They've been completely cared for and nurtured.

    The day Momma wants them to learn to fly is most likely a shock to the eaglets.  They aren't keen on the idea of leaving the nest, so their mother begins to pull the animal skins off the briars and thorns, forcing them to leave the nest.  The little ones climb on Momma's back and she flies thousands of feet into the air.  Suddenly she tips her wings and the little ones are dropping through the sky.  They flap and try hard to fly, but it's their first time and they don't seem ready to fly yet.  Just before they're about to be splattered on the ground, Momma swoops down and catches her baby.  This process is repeated until the little one begins to fly on its own.

    Becoming a Christian is a lot like that.  When we first get saved we feel protected in the nest, but Yahweh soon takes us out and teaches us to soar like eagles.  If he wanted chickens scratching around on the ground that's the illustration he would have given to us.  But he doesn't want us grounded.  He wants us to be able to soar over the storms and ride out the rough stuff in the heights.  And don't be spiritual grasshoppers either.  If our Christian walk is based on enthusiasm alone, we become a bunch of grasshoppers bouncing all around, but again they don't soar high in the sky.

    If we're spiritual grasshoppers, all we can do is bounce up and down.  We're still attached to the ground, no matter how high we jump.  We become spiritual yo-yo's, forever going up and down.  We need more than enthusiasm to stay airborne.  It's nice to display the energy a grasshopper does, but we need to be able to soar even when we're weak and struggling.  And that only happens when we fully trust in the RUACH to keep us aloft and soaring.

    There's a lot more to Christianity than living off our experiences.  Being born again is an experience, like many other things.  But if the experience doesn't become an ongoing process of growth and maturity, we won't won't be able to soar like the eagle.  We'll eventually fall back to earth like the eaglet, and we'll likely end up worse off than when we started.

    We need to go beyond our experiences and memories of past glory to truly seek after Yahweh's salvation.  Salvation is an ongoing process, not just the point of our beginning to walk in faith.  We're saved at the point of conversion.  We're being saved every time we ask forgiveness for our sins and whenever we faithfully serve Jesus Messiah Master.  But only when we reach our eternal reward are we really and truly and fully saved.

 

    Hope and wisdom allow us to be soaring saints, lifted above the trials of this world secure in our Lord's presence.  The RUACH not only controls our flight path in the face of the oncoming storms, but our Lord also enables us to soar to the exalted corridors of heaven and brush our wings against the angel's wings.  The more we trust in what the Spirit is doing for us, the less we depend on our own strength and ability.  When we have true biblical hope we know for certain that our faith is something tangible and solid.  When we begin to walk that sure of Yahweh, wisdom is readily at hand because we're dwelling in his presence.

    Recognize who you are: you're an eagle, not a chicken or grasshopper.  You're not stuck on the ground when the storms of life come your way.  Be more willing to cooperate with the activities of the Holy Spirit.  Lock your wings and take off, allow Yahweh to send you soaring.  Trying to remain in your nest while the storm is blowing can be disastrous.  Our hope remains in launching out in faith against even the greatest obstacles.

    If you raised an eagle with a flock of chickens, you'd still have an eagle on your hands.  That bird may not know it can soar high in the sky because it's whole experience is with chickens.  You may feel that way.  No one has encouraged you to soar.  Wrong, someone certainly has encouraged you to be like an eagle.  Yahweh, your Lord God Almighty says "Those who hope in Yahweh" not only can, but will soar and have strength to make it through this world.

    Wisdom tells us to avoid stress and soar with the Holy Spirit on high.  Our problems look exceedingly small from the heights he'll take us to.  Wouldn't you rather be able to run and not grow weary, or walk and not faint?  Isaiah wrote those words under the inspiration of the RUACH , the Breath of God who inspired all Scripture to be written.  You can trust that these words are for you.

    Eagles are majestic creatures, inspiring wonderfuls thoughts and ideas.  Chickens are common and ordinary, providing us mainly with eggs and meat.  Grasshoppers are small and insignificant, mostly serving as food for other creatures and even some humans.  Which would you rather be?  Strive to be inspiring to others, instead of being common, ordinary, and insignificant.  Yahweh says you can reach this, you can attain to the heights.  Trust him and soar on wings like eagles.

 

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike