Spirit of Grace

The glory of God is displayed (for better or for worse) through those who are called by His Name. When those called by His Name walk in rebellion (their way versus God's way, aka sin) God's glory takes the hit.

David knew this well. He lusted after Bathsheba, a married woman; had an illicit affair with her; and after she is found pregnant by him, plots to have her husband killed on the battlefront, just so that he can cover his sin.  His plot succeeds.

Yet, after all that he has done to others (Bathsheba and her husband) it would seem odd, when he finally repented, that he never speaks of what he has done wrong to them, but
speaks instead of what he has done wrong to God:

"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord." (2 Samuel 12:13)

Released from sin's deception and back in his right mind again, David could see clearly what shame his sin had brought to the Name of God and to God's glory. A reminder to those of us today that are also called by His Name that it is never about us, it is always about the Lord.

In another example, when the children of Israel were sent into a second captivity to Babylon for their rebellion against God, the Word tells us that God's strength also went into captivity and His glory into the hand of the enemy:

"And He led them on safely, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. And He brought them to the border of His sanctuary, even to this mountain, which His right hand had purchased. He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not His testimonies: but turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow: for they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this He was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men; and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy's hand." (Psalm 78:53-61)

It can be nothing other than that God is calling Israel "His strength" and "His glory"! That's an amazing revelation of the intimacy that is entwined between the Father and His children!

Prior to this second captivity (to Babylon), at the time of their deliverance from their first captivity (to Egypt), God provided to Israel "the Way" in which they were to walk in order to let His glory shine through them to the lost world around them.  The Way was called the Covenant and the Law then. The Word of God at that time was the pre-incarnate Jesus; the pre-incarnate Way.

But:

"They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His law; and forgat His works, and His wonders that He had shewed them." (Psalm 78:10-11)

It was the deception of their lusts that led them to such an attitude of apathetic complacency in the presence of a miracle-working God; lusts that led to their choosing of the familiar over the glorious; lusts that limited God's power from being seen in their midst. He offered them the everlasting food of angels; they preferred to stick with more familiar food - that which eventually decays and becomes worm-ridden:

"And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, 'Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold He smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams over-flowed; can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people?'" (Psalm 78:18-20)

"Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." (Psalm 78:41)

God gave them what they lusted after: meat. But "they sinned still, and believed not in His wondrous works." (Psalm 78:32)

It was only after they began to feel the effects of God's wrath that they finally "sought Him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they rememberered that God was their rock, and the high God their Redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouths, and they lied unto Him with their tongues. For their hearts were not right with Him, neither were they stedfast in His covenant." (Psalm 78:34-37)

How much of the above sounds like us today? How quickly do we thank God with one breath and in the very next extol the virtues of some marvelous new technology or car or movie or anything else of the world that raises itself to a higher level than God? How quickly are we turned aside by our lusts?

Yet we are without excuse even more so than the Israelites.  Therefore, judgment should be greater for our rebellion. Why so?

Because we have been given the Holy Spirit: the power of the Spirit of grace by which we are to overcome the deceptions of lust. The miracle-working power of God has been given to us not in a cloud by day or a fire by night; but an ever-present (residing within us) help in time of need.

It is by grace that God provided a Way for us out of death and into life through His Son Jesus Christ.  It is by grace that our sins have been washed clean in His blood.

But it cannot stop there.

For the Spirit of grace has been given to us, the power of God residing in us, so that we can "resist the enemy" that wants to keep us captive to our lusts.

It is the lusts of the flesh that cause complacency in us. We will continue to walk in the lusts of the flesh (drunk on the "life" that the world offers us) if we do not make a conscious and daily choice to walk instead in the overcoming power of the Spirit of Grace.

In this we must be vigilant. Our light cannot shine when the bulb is smeared with the muck and mire of sin.

Complacency chooses what it considers to be safest; but when we reject the powerful and uncomprehendable and turn instead to the familiar, we have to realize we have chosen death...that which will soon decay and rot.

But there is still more to the grace that we have been given.  Grace is not just what we have been saved by.  It is divine empowerment from God grace that not only enables us to endure to the end, and empowers us to do even greater works than Jesus did.

The power of the Spirit of Grace in us chooses GOD'S GLORY to be manifested in us and through us.  There is nothing "familiar" and "safe" there....not safe as the world knows it at least.

The glorious things of God will look like nothing the world has ever seen or will ever be able to comprehend.  The glorious works of God worked first in us and then through us will SHOCK the rest of the world out of its apathetic lustful deception.

If we view grace as only that by which we are saved and by which our sins are forgiven, and nothing more; rather than using the empowerment of grace to "resist the enemy" in order to advance the kingdom of God on this earth; then we are soldiers in a war who have been sent to the frontline of battle armed with the most modern and powerful artillery and the most costly and elaborate training, but never use them; and are astounded when we are suddenly attacked by the enemy, and confused as to what we should do.

A very expensive grace has been given to us to conquer and subdue.

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force." Matthew 11:12

What will the Lord say to us on the day that He judges our works, and finds that we took His costly grace and turned it into a soft cushion to sit on for most of our lives?

"Then Jesus said unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 16:24-25

The same Father who provided His Son to save us from our sins and its punishment, giving us an undeserved eternal life, has also provided power to take up our crosses and follow Jesus.  Not grace to sit back and relax, but grace to continue on what Jesus Himself began.

We must be relentless in advancing the kingdom of God, not according to our own ways, our own thoughts, or under our own power....but by utilizing to the fullest measure the Spirit of grace within us as we surrender our lives to Him for HIS purposes, never taking our eyes off the goal that lies ahead.

I am my Beloved's

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth..."

"I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste."

"My beloved is mine and I am his."

"By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth; I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now and go about the city in the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him but I found him not. It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth, I held him and would not let him go, until I had brought him unto my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me."

[Excerpts from The Song of Solomon]

The Song of Solomon (a short book of the Bible which should be read in its entirety) begins with a plea for consummation, the joining of two into one, an ache for intimacy that says "I must be satisfied or I will die!"

It is wisdom's description of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Or what our relationship should be. 

No, not SHOULD be....MUST  be!

This is passion, not complacency.  This is tempestuous longing, not apathy. This is a desire that must be satisfied before all others, and nothing else WILL satisfy. This is a GIVING of all on both sides...nothing withheld.

This is loving and being loved in a way that fills, and flows, and overflows because it is so great it cannot be contained.

It is such a union that when anything separates the two lovers for even a moment, a desperate reaching out and seeking for the other ensues, and the lost lover, when found again, is drawn back into arms that refuse to let go ever again.

THIS is to be our relationship with the Lord. THIS is to be the level of intimacy we have with HIM as His bride.  

When two become ONE, so that there is no distinction that identifies one over the other, it is from THIS relationship that love and power flows. ["If you abide in me and my word abides in you, you will ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7]

It is much more than a recognition of God's love for us; it is an experiencing, a tasting of that thing which nothing else can compare to, and a longing to have it again, to keep it close at all times, never to lose again.  It is a relationship strengthened by intimacy, by time spent in each other's presence.  It is ultimately a relationship of consummated love.

Looking at the disciples as they lived with, slept on the cold ground with, bathed with, and ate with Jesus, we can see the beginnings of this relationship.  It was the dating period for the groom and His potential bride....potential only on her side, for His love for her was assured, soon to be sealed with the guarantee of His very life given sacrificially for her so that she might live, and consummated by His Spirit within her.

After more than three years of sharing practically every moment with Jesus, the time came when the bride would either accept the groom as her own or reject Him. [Only Judas Iscariot rejected the bridegroom for reasons which will be explored in another posting soon.]

It is no wonder then, that after His arrest and crucifixion, the disciples are seen gathered in grieving unbelief, experiencing a very real depression [Mark 16:10-14] which lifted only after they saw the resurrected Jesus. Yet, within a relatively short 40 days, He was taken up into heaven...separated once more from those who loved Him. [Luke 24:51-53].

Which is why Jesus left them with a promise of "The Comforter" to come [John15:26-27].

But who is this Comforter?

He is the Spirit of God sent to consummate the marriage union.  Just as He was the consummator of the union that resulted in the virgin birth of Jesus, the Son of God [Luke 1:34-35], once more He would consummate the relationship between the bridegroom and His bride [Acts 2:1-4].

It is a baptism of fire, that consumes and yet does not consume, but instead consummates the relationship between Jesus and His bride, the church, making them one, as Jesus and the Father have always been one. Now all that the bride needs or asks for is hers for it all belongs to the Father who is one with Jesus as the bride is one with Jesus as well [John17:21-26].

Thus, when God's power is seen, the relationship is validated - the power of the risen LORD alive and visible in the body of His bride - fruit of an intimate and loving union ["Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you." John 15:16]

But without power, the relationship is false, one of appearance only, having no substance, no intimacy, no LOVE. ["Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:5]

Powerlessness is the sign of an unconsummated relationship.  Power (that which belongs to God and has been given to His bride) is sustained only by a continuing intimacy, a continuing consummation of love, a continuing FILLING of the Spirit of God.  That filling is the consummation of union with God.

Without it, we are only whitewashed tombs [Matthew 23:27].

With it, we will find ourselves, someday soon, seated at the bride's table at the marriage feast of the Lamb [Revelation10:7-10].

We will discuss what the Bridegroom's power displayed through the Bride will look like in the next posting. We will discuss the power of the Spirit of Grace.

Be Not Deceived

"Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you.....therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontelets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth." (Deuteronomy 11:16-21)

It is clear from the scripture above, that the way to avoid self-deception ("that your heart not be deceived"), and the wrath of God that would follow that deception, is to "lay up these my words in your heart."  But it is also a bit more than that because we often KNOW what it is the Lord has told us to do (as did Balaam), we can even hear the words being repeated to us by the Holy Spirit who brings those things to our remembrance; and yet, KNOWING the commands is not all there is to it.

I believe it is the DOING of the commands that keep us from being deceived, that keeps us on the right track. What other purpose would there be for hearing them, if not to DO them?

Look at how quickly Phinehas responded to the audacity of the Israelite man who brought the Midianite women into the camp and into his tent, and all, with extreme arrogance, right in front of Moses, God's own representative.

Phinehas did not take the time to think to himself, "Well, someone needs to do something about that. Maybe I'll go over and talk to Moses later on about that!"  He just did what he KNEW the Lord would do. He apparently knew the Lord's heart well.

But the point is that he did not even hesitate, there was no time for rationalization or procrastination. What God said to do (through his servant Moses), he just DID!

I am probably belaboring the point, but the fact of the matter is that we are major procrastinators; easy to do because there is no fire under us moving us out...we are comfortable and that comfort means a lot to us Americans especially.

And our churches are sometimes worse because they are made up of people like us and it takes a "committee" of complacent procrastinators to make a decision!  And all the conditions have to be just right...whether for individuals or for the committee...before the thing goes from being HEARD through the Word of God to being DONE!

But there is little time for procrastination.  The disciples knew that.  Paul knew that. Jesus knew that when He warned us to continually be on guard, expectant and waiting for that which He said WOULD come:

"Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven...and ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls...and there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth" (Luke 21:8-36)

Are our hearts focused on the cares of this life? Are our hearts weighed down with excess?["overcharged with surfeiting" means "weighed down or encumbered with excess" - too much stuff! Do we own the stuff or does the stuff own us?  Are we working longer hours to maintain our stuff?  To provide roofs over our stuff? While the harvest is white, and people without any hope perish in their hopelessness...because we are too busy with our stuff and our schedules and our importance and even our spirituality?]


David cried out to God: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

We cannot spot self-deception by the very fact that we are the ones deceived and we have deceived ourselves.  Who can help us then?  Only the Lord.  Only when we cry out to Him to do so.  Only when we take time out of our non-stop busy lives, and cry out to Him to reveal the deceptions that we have fallen prey to, to open our eyes to see our own wickedness, which can only happen when we have stopped pointing at everyone else's wickedness and point that finger truthfully and honestly at ourselves through the help of the Holy Spirit.

We are NOT better than the man next to us. We might be saved and blessed, but we are not better. Yet Christians sometimes tend to count themselves as BETTER. And it appears as SUPERIORITY to non-Christians, even sometimes to other Christians.  But that in itself is just another self-deception.

We are blessed only because the Lord chose to bless us; we are free to walk in obedience only because He has opened our eyes to our deception and has provided the grace through Jesus Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit to empower us to walk obediently.  What does any of that have to do with US? NOTHING!

 It is all GOD's work being done in us, not something we have done ourselves and to boast about. What does our pointing fingers at others accomplish? What does our superiority accomplish in the lives of those whom God has not yet chosen to open the eyes of?

Who among us believers is never envious? Who among us never backbites, gossips or talks evil of another...ever?  Who among us is never deceitful, thankful that some sins are hidden still and not obvious to the world at large, especially to our church, so that we can maintain the appearance of spirituality? Who among us does not show that we are haters of God when we cannot find time in our day for Him? Who is there among us who understands, truly understands?

This is a call to the end of SELF-DECEPTION among Christians - individually and in our churches. This is a call to TRUTH, HUMILITY, HONESTY and OBEDIENCE not according to traditions or to our own ways, but to the ways of God as revealed through His WORD.

This is a call to REPENTANCE as has never been seen before.

"If my people who are called by MY NAME, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The Word iin this particular scripture is not calling the unsaved to humility and turning from wicked ways...the Word is calling us who are called by HIS NAME.  It is calling believers to humble repentance. Repentance from going our own ways.


But it is a call first and foremost to LOVE.  And I think that is where we need to turn next. We need to turn to the thing that the church of Ephesus was lacking in:  FIRST LOVE. (Revelation 2:1-7)

Deception on a National Level

Ok, now let's take a little detour away from individual or group self-deception and take it to the higher lever of an entire nation's deception. And to do that I am going to refer the readers of this blog to the two most disturbing books I have read this year:

"The Harbinger", by Jonathan Cahn; and "Obama's America: Unmaking the American Dream", by Dinesh D'Souza.

The first book, "The Harbinger", which was mentioned in an earlier posting, parallels the neglect of God by ancient Israel with the equally neglectful (and in fact repudiating) attitude of America against God, warning us that the judgment that fell on unrepentant Israel is completely possible (and in fact, guaranteed) if America does not repent and quickly so.

Anyone who hasn't read this book yet is missing out on some of the most interesting facts of American history that I have ever read; as well as missing out on prophecy that is chilling to say the least, especially because it is so biblical.  This is not some ungodly psychic or false prophet attempting to fabricate some dire future events; things that the world at large seems to be enamored of, sadly.

This is a Jewish rabbinical scholar (and a believer in Jesus Christ) who has spent so much time studying the Word of God that, I believe, the Holy Spirit has revealed some amazing truths to him about prophetical passages within the pages of the Bible.  It is a disturbing book as it brings home how quickly that judgment could arrive at our door...we are talking imminent!

But now, having just finished reading Dinesh D'Souza's book "Obama's America" the chills continue.  If the first book is a prediction of what is to come, the second book is the revelation of HOW it will come and what it will look like. And the fact that the highest leader in our free country can be the downfall of it all, is indeed a sign, or should be to us, of judgment from God towards a nation who has gone its own way.

Now before you think to yourself "Yep, all those non-Christians are bringing judgment to our country" I think you should think about the subject we are studying which is self-deception; as I believe that even as believers in Christ, we are in so many ways just as guilty as non-Christians if for nothing else but our complacency.

Look at the number of churches in our country.  Look at the number of people calling themselves Christians.  Then try to find a Phinehas. Oh, there are some.  But how many are there compared to the number of those who say they "trust" in Jesus AND "walk obediently" according to the Word of God? We have a lot of "profess-ors" of faith, but few "do-ers" of faith. We have many who proclaim America needs to repent, but few who believe that judgment is so imminent that they have given up their various modes of entertainment and recreation in order to fast and pray for mercy. We are outraged, yet we do nothing. We are a complacent nation to say the least.

But now read "Obama's America" (and I think every single Christian should) and you will see that we are not only complacent, we have practically hidden our hands in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, as though we believe that by not acknowledging the evil that is coming, it will just go away.

It won't.  It is coming.  And it will arrive soon.

Read the books listed above.  Fast and pray for God's mercy even as the judgment falls.  Face reality and stop living in the illusion of America, the superpower. The global world views and radical ideaology of America's enemies (from within) have already set America on its course to destruction. America, through the democracy of the vote, has chosen her king. And it is not the LORD.

If Obama is re-elected, and I feel strongly that he will be (even though my own vote will be against him, not for him) there will be no hope for this nation, not anymore. Not because God is not able, but because America will have chosen her king once and for all. And God will give her want she wants.

But there is still hope for individuals, even as our nation collapses around us.  That hope is Jesus.  And the time for us to DO ALL that He has called us to do is NOW!

This is not a call to get involved in politics; this is a call to face reality, stop living in delusions, and re-order priorities with a sense of urgency as has never been seen before.

 "For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:36-39)

There is a flood coming to America...now is not the time to party.

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  Verily, I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appont him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 24:45-51)

Phinehas: Odd Man Out

"And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods." (Numbers 25:1-2)

In1972, a research psychologist named Irving Janis coined the term "groupthink."

Groupthink occurs when a group of people, whether a social group of friends or family or religion, or a business group of co-workers, or any group with a common interest, come up with an idea or a plan that could have serious detrimental consequences to the group, yet for various reasons, those who oppose it (called dissenters), remain silent and do not oppose it, giving the ILLUSION that all members of the group are unanimous in this decision, even though the TRUTH is that all members of the group are NOT in consent.  This is another form of self-deception: a group self-deception.

The dissenters who hold back from giving an opinion that is contrary to that of the majority, do so for any number of reasons:

- they might doubt themselves wondering why they are the only odd man out when it appears everyone else is on board with the plan (not realizing that there are others just like them in the group who also are not speaking out);

- they might think that unity is of the utmost importance (not recognizing that unity at the cost of honesty is of no value at all;

- perhaps there are others in the group who, in an effort to protect the leader and/or the group's cohesion, squelch any attempts on the part of other members to dissent;

But of all of these the first reason listed seems to be most prevalent in groupthink. Perhaps that's why we are called "sheep" - because of our groupthink tendencies.

In terms of the Israelites who "joined themselves to Baal-peor" there was one man who not only did not succumb to groupthink, but who distinguished himself by being the "odd man out" and that was Phinehas.

"And the Lord said to Moses, Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.

And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly.  So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.  And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.  Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood: because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." (Numbers 25:4-13)

Phinehas, the odd man out, was rewarded with an everlasting priesthood and covenant of peace.  All because he dissented from the groupthink of the multitudes around him.

Groupthink = heads hanging in the sun.  Do not be deceived; God has not changed.

Self-deception, whether individual, or as a group, is something we are warned about with all the "Be ye not deceived" messages in the Bible. But until we stop letting others study the Word for us, and thinking for us; until we get into the Word ourselves, and know what is right and what is wrong as clearly as Phinehas did; until we begin having relationships that are honest rather than just flattering...until all of this happens....we are subject to the evils of groupthink.

Jesus was not a flatterer; He was a dissenter of the ways of man; He was zealous for ALL the WORDS of God. He was the ultimate odd man out.

The question is whether we are willing to be that as well.

The Doctrine of Balaam

In the 22nd chapter of Numbers, we see Balak, king of the Moabites, sending an emissary of elders from Moab and Midian to Balaam the soothsayer, with payment and a request for a curse to be pronounced over the Israelites (v. 5-6).  Balaam takes the request to God, Who responds first of all with a question:

"What men are these with thee?" (v.9) God apparently recognizes Balaam, but claims no relationship or recognition of any sort with the men who have approached Balaam. I believe that question was meant to tell Balaam that he was treading on dangerous ground just to be talking to these men.

Neverthess, Balaam asks for a curse.  God says:

"Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed." (v 12)

Balaam obeys the Lord and sends the emmissaries on their way back to Balak. But Balak tries again, and this time ups the ante for Balaam by adding the enticement of power and fame:

"...I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people," (v.17)

Now Balaam has already heard what the Lord had to say, but Balaam pushes the Lord (much as a young child pushes his mother or father, testing the boundaries in an effort to get what he wants.) So Balaam replies:

"If Balak would give his house full of silver andgold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more." (v. 18-19) In other words, I've already told you want the Lord said, but I really want to have all that you offer me, so let me just ask again in case God has changed his mind and will allow me to have my cake and eat it too. Balaam's desires have kicked in and even though he later gives a performance that appears to be of obedience, these desires will still gain control of him in the end.

God's response to Balaam: "IF the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do." (v. 20)

So what does Balaam do?  Exactly what Balaam wants to do, ignoring what God has said altogether. Rather than wait to see IF the men call him to go wtih them, Balaam just saddles up his donkey and rides out with the emissary from Moab.

The result is wrath from God that appears before a spiritually blinded Balaam in the form of the angel of the Lord with His sword drawn in His hand, ready to slay Balaam. The angel of the Lord blocked Balaam's way as "an adversary against him." (v. 23)

It was Balaam's donkey who saved Balaam's life as she saw the angel of the Lord and turned first this direction and then the other in an attempt to avoid the sword-carrying angel.  When the angel trapped the donkey into a narrow place of no escape the donkey just collapsed on the ground under Balaam. Meanwhile, Balaam is seen beating his donkey at every turn. (v.23-27)

Then we have a most remarkable incident: God enables the donkey to speak to Balaam; after which Balaam's eyes, blinded with his sin, are opened and he can see the angel of the Lord with sword drawn standing before him, causing him to fall flat on his face on the ground. (v. 28-31)

The next command that the angel of the Lord gives to Balaam is critical (remember that it is believed that "the angel of the Lord" is the pre-incarnate Jesus, further verified by the fact that it is HIS word only that is to be spoken):

"Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak." (v.35)

Chapters 23 and 24 of Numbers are filled with four prophesies spoken by Balaam, the fourth one being specifically about Jesus.  Thus to this point, Balaam speaks what the Lord puts in his mouth.  BUT, we know from the scripture in Revelation 2:14 and in what follows in chapter 25 of Numbers that Balaam did not remain obedient to speak only the words of the Lord.  We find instead, that he, at some point that the Bible does not date for us, advises Balak that the way to overcome the Israelites is to tempt them away from their God using the Midianite prostitutes called "daughters of Moab" to draw them into their cult worship which involved of course, sexual acts performed for Baal-peor, the "Lord of the Opening."  It was a devastatingly treacherous thing that Balaam did, and it took amazing gall to do so having met personally the angel of the Lord and narrowly escaping death for his sin.

And that is the very picture of self-deception that we are looking for.

Balaam disobeyed God.  He was given a way of escape from his sin by his faithful donkey, but chose instead to beat the donkey (three times).  His eyes are opened.  He even confesses his sin. And is saved from death.

But he takes what has been mercifully and graciously given to him (his very life) and though following obediently for a short time (four prophecies), he turns yet again to finally receiving that payment from Balak (perhaps it was all the silver and gold that he had continually hinted at receiving) and providing the information (words NOT of the Lord) that made him after all a false prophet. He fulfilled the meaning of his own name: devastator of the people.

Resulting not only in his own death due to his own self-deception (chapter 31) but also the deaths of 24,000 Israelites from the plague that ensued amongst them as the wrath of God burned against them just as they themselves had burned with lust for the Moabite god.  It is important to note as well that this was a type of "group" self-deception.  Another type of deception that we should be aware of: when what seems good to one, must be ok for the others...as they follow one another into death rather than becoming the "odd man out."

But there was at least one "odd man out" in their midst, and it is because of him that the plague claimed only 24,000 rather than hundreds of thousands more. One man (although surely not the only man) who remained obedient to God when all the world seemed to be going mad with their covetous and adulterous actions against God.

We will discuss Phinehas in the next posting; for what we have most to learn about will come through him.

The Baal-Peor Episode

"But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things offered unto idols, and to commit fornication." (Revelation 2:14)

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame, and their abominations were according as they loved." (Hosea 9:10)

Those who worshipped the Moabite idol known as "Baal-peor" (meaning "Lord of the Opening" - referring to bodily orifices) did so by performing obscene and unnatural sexual acts that were an absolute abomination to the God of Israel; and when Israel began to worship this idol, they also became an abomination in God's eyes just as the thing that they worshipped was also an abomination, thus the line in Hosea: "and their abominations were according as they loved" or, taken from another Biblical translation: "they became an abomination like the thing they loved."

What a terrible thing to be proclaimed over a people who had survived years in the wilderness by following God, and who were poised on the very edge of Canaan, ready to enter the Promised Land. They were so close!

And yet what perfect timing Satan has in his plans to devour those who belong to the Lord (such as the plan Satan had for King David who loved God...until the moment he was lured away from God.)

For the idolatry and harlotry in worship that many of the Israelites gave to this false god of the Moabites cost them more than that prized possession of the promise of God; it cost them their lives.

What caused them to trade in the imminent prize of abundant life for short-term gratification of the flesh....

....and DEATH?

The answer has to do with self-deception.

Granted, the Israelites did not just wake up one morning and say to themselves individually or in chorus: "I have an idea, I think I'll deceive myself today!"  Self-deception always begins with temptation.

Self-deception is the heart's response to tempation, when that heart has turned away from God for just long enough to view the temptation (the object of our desire) instead of God, forgetting God altogether in the process:

"And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord." (Hosea 2:13)

Once God is forgotten, Satan's job is done; our own desires take over.

Then begins the long journey into the LIE, for which we have exchanged the TRUTH in order to have what we want (Romans 1:25: "who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.."); and as we take that first step, we hand over, as though it is the "ticket" into this terrible dream-world, the victory and abundant life that Jesus so dearly secured for us.  All for instant gratification of that which we lust after; all the way from the delusions of grandeur that material wealth and position promise - to fleeting and unfulfilling sexual pleasures such as the Israelites gave in to - to the very simple desire of "being someone that everyone likes."  Desires for things that mean more to us than God Himself.

Sometimes the temptation comes to us unaided by those around us; other times it comes to us by those who have already been deceived and led astray.  The latter was the case for the Israelites.  Their temptation to turn from God was facilitated by Balaam (whose name means "destroyer of the people"), son of Beor.  The Bible describes Balaam as being a "soothsayer" (a diviner or fortune-teller) who became the biblical example of a false prophet and was destroyed, along with the Midianites, a people group from the land of Moab, when God exacted His vengeance upon those who had tempted Israel to worship Baal-peor.

Balaam was "hired" by Balak (or Balac), king of the Moabites, to pronounce a "curse" over the Israelites that the king believed would effectively disable them, allowing Balac to overcome them and drive them out of his land.

But, the biblical record of Balaam's infamy is too long to explore in this one posting; so it will be saved til next posting, when we will examine how self-deception (and the sin that follows it) was able to bring about the death of 24,000 Israelites.

Til then it might be useful to consider what role self-deception played in the recent shooting deaths of so many people by lone gunmen in several places throughout America.  And then to remember that we all are susceptible to varying degrees of self-deception leading to a variety of sin...from secret personal sin to heinous public acts....all of which are varying forms of rebellion against our Creator God, first and foremost.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God..." (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

There is much more to that scripture, yet the point is that self-deception begins with loving something, anything, even the most innocent of things, more than God....but in our self-deception, we will not see it as such.

More on self-deception (and Balaam) in next posting.

False Beliefs & Self-Deception

Do you believe, or have you ever believed, that George Washington was the first President of the United States of America?

I did.

Until about 5 minutes ago when I read a chapter in a book that questioned my belief, and then again 4 minutes ago when I went and looked online and found several sources telling me that George Washington was NOT the first President of our nation.
[Here is one of the sources:  http://www.marshallhall.org/hansen.html ]

It turns out that he was the first President of our nation under the newly formed Constitutional government.  But prior to the writing of the Constitution, our nation was formed under Articles of Confederation, and John Hansen was elected its first President (George Washington was one of those who voted for him!)

But if in the future someone should ask me who the first President of the United States was, I will still tell them it was George Washington, although I might now qualify him as being the first U. S. President "under the Constitution." (Old beliefs, even when proven to be false, tend to die hard.)

So what does this have to do with the Bible?

Well, we've just spent some time looking at what might be false beliefs which might possibly (after you have done your research as I have done mine) cause you to re-think your beliefs about the Sabbath, for example (as it has caused me to re-think mine.)

If nothing else, perhaps that study has caused you to search out the Word to verify that what you consider to be your deepest convicting beliefs are in fact true.  But the next thing to do is determine whether or not you truly believe them; for our actions are controlled by what we TRULY believe!

And it is that last statement which will take our focus now away from false beliefs and onto the practice of self-deception; a whole new area of biblical study to explore, for the Bible has much to say about how we deceive ourselves.

Self-deception occurs when we say that we believe something, but we really don't....but we think we really do.

Did you get that? Did you REALLY get that?

Because if you did, then you might also get that we can be self-deceived and not have any clue that we are.  If we knew we were deceived, then we would no longer be deceived.  But the problem is that we don't know that we are or else we wouldn't be.

OK, enough talking in circles.

It is one thing to search out scripture, unearthing pinciples that we believe we should live by...and quite another thing to actually abide by them.  We can agree with scripture, we can know that it is truth, but often something happens between the knowing and the doing.  The something that happens is called self-deception.

When the Holy Spirit reveals a principle or command to us, we either get up and "do" that required action immediately and continue to do it OR we go into rationalizing and procrastination mode.

Here is how the latter looks:

Missionaries come to our church, show us photos, and tell the story of what is happening in the foreign country in which they serve.  Our hearts are stirred by all of it.  We feel an urgent and strong pull to give $100 to their cause.  We are sure that this is what the Lord would have us do. BUT...we only have $50 on us.  So we decide to wait til we get home where we can write a check and mail it to the missionaries.  Only we don't get to it right away that day because after church we are going to someone's home for dinner and it leaves our minds temporarily.  We remember it again on Wednesday, but by then we aren't sure that it was really $100 that we were "told" by the Lord to give.  It was probably more like $50. But we don't seem to be able to find the bulletin that had the missionary info in it so that we can mail this.  We will call the church tomorrow and get the address.  But then, somehow, we don't.  And by the time we remember it again, possibly another few days later, the urgent need doesn't seem so urgent.  Probably the missionaries received lots of donations, and they won't miss ours anyway.  Besides we are faithful givers. We give all the time!

We KNEW it was urgent that we give to the missionaries, but we RATIONALIZED and PROCRASTINATED until we came to BELIEVE that it wasn't as important for us to give after all. And so we didn't.  Our original belief has now been subverted to a new and totally opposite belief by self-deception.  We believed the first belief to be true and correct, and yet the ending belief (which was completely opposite to the first) also appears to be true and correct.  How can that be?

Actually, it can't!  They both can't be true and correct beliefs and actions...one of them has to be false and incorrect. Only we are so deceived we can't see any of this! We don't even feel guilty because we were able to deceive ourselves that we did nothing wrong; that, in this case, our LACK of action had no real bearing on the missionaries or the people they serve.

You see, we ALWAYS act according to what we believe. And when our beliefs suddenly change to wrong beliefs through self-deception, we STILL act on them. Thus, our ACTIONS, or lack of, are inspired or motivated by our BELIEFS.  Which is why we are told to observe one another's "fruit" as it is the "fruit" that determines whether the beliefs are true or false.  When the beliefs are false (either due to ignorance of doctrine or self-deception) then the fruit will be bad.

But the disciples of Jesus Christ who formed the early church after the Day of Pentecost (with the exception of Ananias and Sapphira who were self-deceived) KNEW what they were to do and they DID it....and they kept on DOING it!  They did not allow rationalizations and procrastinations to enter in and change their mindset. They didn't allow the passing of time to change their determination....they just moved with a sense of urgency in everything that they did.

They believed the truth and they acted on that truth. Or at least most of them did.

We will look at some examples of some who did...and some who didn't.

And we will hope to recognize our own tendencies towards self-deception and then figure out how to avoid it.

For God's Glory

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

If sin is falling short of the glory of God, then obedience is how we glorify God.

If we look at the Bible as just a repository of God's commands or instructions to us, then we have missed the bigger picture; for the Bible is not about us, it is about God.

And if we look at God's commandments as just a list of Do's and Don'ts by which we judge one another, then again we have missed something vitally important.

We have missed that God, and God alone, deserves glory! Whether we are obedient or not, isn't as much about us as it is about what our actions say about God to the world around us.  Are we bringing glory or blasphemy to the name of the Lord? It can only be one or the other...there can be no gray areas concerning the glory of God!

The Law was provided to the Jews (and through them to us) for one purpose: to make them a people of God living according to the order of God and thus revealing the light of God to a fallen world:

"For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cling unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the Lord, that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory; but they would not hear." (Jeremiah 13:11)

As they lived according to God's way instead of their own, God was glorified through them.  Their actions, ordained by God, demonstrated to the world around them the divine order of the Creator of the world (and all that is in it.)  They demonstrated life as God desired it to be lived by His most glorious creation: mankind. And in their obedience, God was glorified.

The lesser question is whether we are following all the commandments of God to the letter.  The larger and more important question is "Am I bringing glory to God in EVERYTHING that I do?"

In other words, "Am I loving God with ALL of my heart, soul, mind and strength?"

That's why Jesus said it was the FIRST or GREATEST commandment.  When we love God that way, then everything we do (as HIS creation) brings glory to God (Who created us.)

What is God's "glory" exactly?

It is described by the Word of God this way:

"And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which, when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.." (Leviticus 9:23-24)

"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." (Exodus 24:17)

"As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face..." (Ezekiel 1:28)

"Then I arose and went forth into the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there...and I fell on my face." (Ezekiel 3:23)

God's glory is that which, when observed, causes mankind to fall on their knees before God.

Are our lives bringing glory to God?

Or is the world too busy applauding our own good works to spend time falling on their faces before God?

One thing must always be remembered in terms of the commandments of God:

If we practice obedience to God without Jesus Christ, then we are works-oriented.  WE are practicing righteousness in our own ways, rather than God's way.  We are self-righteous!

When, however, we practice obedience to God THROUGH or IN Jesus, then our efforts become grace-driven rather than self-driven.

The difference is seen in who receives the glory:  us or God.

If our efforts are not birthed out of a very real and intimate relationship with Jesus as both our Savior and our Lord, then our efforts are not of God, but of ourselves. If Jesus is not a part of it, then we can become so self-deluded that we are not able to see the difference, but the world will know.

We will either look like the world (self-driven) and they will applaud us; or we will look like something they have never known before and they will want to know what it is.

And if their hearts are ready to respond to God, in other words if the Holy Spirit is drawing them, then they will recognize God and will follow us directly to the cross of Jesus Christ.

But if their hearts are still cold towards God, they will be repelled and even threatened by this thing, this way of life that looks different than themselves; and they will revile and mock us.

Whatever their response, we will have our answer as to whether or not we are being grace-driven.  And as long as Jesus is providing the grace for our efforts in everything that we do and do not do, then God is being glorified by His creation...US!

That is why we encourage one another in obedience....so that God will be glorified and the world through Jesus Christ will be saved.

It's really not about us at all!