The Spirit Guides

The beauty of the Bible is that is always challenges us to look very carefully at what God is teaching us. During the months of January and February I have been learning a lot about the early church and how the church should function. The Spirit-filled church of Acts has so much to teach us in how we go about doing church. One area in which I am growing is in the area of understanding how the Holy Spirit leads us.

Ever since I went to a seminar on listening prayer at the beginning of January, I have been studying the book of Acts trying to find out how the Holy Spirit guided the early church and its leaders. I have combed through the entire book of Acts and looked at every instance of where individuals or groups have received divine guidance to see what principles and patterns I could find.

Overall, I found four predominant ways that the early church was guided to make decisions. The first way was in putting forth a proposal and discussing it together. The church leaders used this proposal and discussion method in at least three instances: in Acts 1, when they were looking for a replacement for Judas; in Acts 6, when they were choosing the seven men who would oversee the distribution of food to widows; and in Acts 15, where they were resolving differences over Gentile believers coming into the church.

The second frequently occurring way of finding guidance was through a vision. In Acts 9, Saul had a vision of Christ at his conversion and was instructed in what to do next. In Acts 10, both Cornelius, a God-fearing gentile, and the apostle Peter received complimentary instructions through visions. In Acts 16, Paul had his vision of the man calling for help from Macedonia. And then in Acts 18, Paul received a vision encouraging him to keep teaching in Corinth.

Thirdly, we find that angels were often sent to give guidance and protection to apostles in difficult or uncertain circumstances, such as imprisonment, storms at sea, and even Philip’s being sent to teach the Ethiopian eunuch. You can find these stories in Acts 5, 8, 12 and 27.

The fourth commonly occurring form of guidance was by the voice of the Holy Spirit being manifested in some way. This very often occurred when someone was to be sent to a new place or to do something new. For example, in Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were sent on their missionary journey by the word of the Spirit. In Acts 20, Paul was compelled to go to Jerusalem by the Spirit. Then in Acts 21, Paul received a prophecy from the prophet Agabus, which was given by the Spirit. Peter also received a word from the Spirit, along with the vision, in Acts 10.

Having discovered all this, I can only come to one sure set of conclusions and that is this: the Holy Spirit guided the early church in a variety of ways depending on the people and the circumstances involved. The Spirit guided the early church even at times when it does not appear that they were looking for guidance. He guided by a certain method in one instance and in the next instance he lead in another way. Each person and each circumstance was different and the Holy Spirit knew what was needed.

We have to be careful that we do not put the Holy Spirit in a box and try to control the way that he speaks to us. However, it is so very important that we seek to have the mind of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 2:16 Paul concludes a discussion about knowing God’s will by saying, “But we have the mind of Christ.” Again in Romans 12:2 Paul teaches us, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Growing so close to Christ that we know his mind is so very helpful in knowing the will of God in situations that we encounter. To me it is like that old game show on TV called “The Newlyweds.” Remember how one of the couple was in a back room and they asked questions to the other spouse to see if they knew how the hidden spouse would answer. Then they got them back together and found out how close they might have come to knowing the mind of their spouses. Some couples knew each other so well that they almost always knew what the other one was thinking.
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When we really mature in Christ and get to know the mind of Christ, we know what his will would be in more and more of the situations that we are faced with in life. Finding God’s will does not have to be a difficult thing as we begin to simply know the will of the Lord because we understand the mind of Christ. This is what we should all be seeking in our lives -- renewing our minds to know the will of God.

Glory in the End

Have you ever imagined how your own death will come about? Now I know this might seem macabre, but I would imagine most people have thought about it. I can remember in grade school, in Minnesota, in the depth of winter, our class read, “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. It is the story of a man in the Yukon who freezes to death walking to his friend’s cabin. Ever since that time I have thought that freezing to death would be the worst way to die.










Interestingly, there is a short section in the Gospel of John which talks about the subject of dying. Jesus has prepared a breakfast of fish for his disciples and begins to ask Peter if he loves him more than anything. Peter responds three times that he does. Then, after the third expression of love, Jesus says to Peter, “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out you hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Then John adds, “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.”

​What was Jesus telling Peter here? This passage has often been used to indicate that Peter was crucified. And this could be what it means because the word used for “get dressed” means ‘tie up a belt,” which in those days would be a rope. In the days of the Romans, being tied up probably meant you were a prisoner and possibly were going to be crucified. The other expression, “stretch out you hands,” was often used to describe crucifixion. Though we cannot be certain, Jesus may have been informing Peter that he probably would suffer at the end of his life and that this suffering would lead to his death.

​But this passage could also simply mean that when a person is younger he is able to do as he pleases and go where he wants to go and take care of himself. But when he gets older and closer to death, others will care for him, dress him and take him places where he does not want to go. The aging process always ends in death and Jesus was telling Peter that he would live to be old, but even in dying in weakness and blindness he was still going to glorify God.

​I am sure Jesus had Peter thinking. He probably thought that he was fortunate that he would live to be old. But he also knew that he was going to die in weakness and even through that weakness he was going to be able to glorify God. I wonder if we think about how our death will glorify God. And what would make a God-glorifying death?

​I believe what Jesus was looking for from Peter was a life lived in complete service to him. That Peter would be faithful to the very end of his life and that even in the face of sickness, blindness, captivity, suffering or whatever might come his way, he would not complain but simply graciously thank the Lord for his gift of grace. Jesus was looking for Peter to live as Paul would later write in Romans 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

​I do not know how I will die, though I still hope I do not freeze to death, but I trust that I will be faithfully serving the Lord with every ounce of strength he gives me to the very end. And if that means suffering, then may I glorify Christ in my suffering as well.

A Bride for God

One of the greatest wonders in the world is falling in love with somebody. This is unbelievably special and changes one’s entire life. It is one of those inexplicable mysteries of the world. This is especially true when you consider God falling in love with His people. Moses puts it very succinctly in Deuteronomy 7, “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

It was the pure and mysterious love of God that caused Him to embrace the people of Israel and bring them out of Egypt. He took them first to Mt. Sinai, where a covenant was made between them. It was oh so similar to a Jewish wedding, even today. God and his people stood under a hupah (cloud) to say their vows. God promised to love, protect and provide for his bride, and His bride was to promise to be forever faithful.

What a shock then that before the ceremony is even finished Israel has created another god—a golden calf! The idea for a calf was not original at all. Hathor, the goddess of fertility and consort of Ra, was well known in Egypt, having many temples dedicated to her. She is the calf-god of Egypt. It was almost as if the people took themselves out of the marriage ceremony and placed Hathor in their place. But God wanted to wed a people made in His image, not an idol that is unable to love.


Unfortunately, the situation did not change much as God’s bride entered into Canaan. Here they were presented with Asherah, the fertility goddess of the Canaanites. She is said to have been the consort of the god Baal. She is depicted as a pole with the figure of a woman and is placed next to the altar of Baal in the pagan temples and high places. This summer we visited a high place. There we saw the altar for sacrifices made to their god, and right next to it was a platform that would quite possibly be used for the image of the god’s consort.


In a terrible offence to the God who loves and cares for His people, Israel continued to substitute their position as God’s bride with an idol which was incapable of affection. Even the evil king Manasseh made an Asherah pole and placed it in the Temple, probably next to the altar of God.

But God is not interested in dating a pole! He is looking for living, loving people. And though we are COMPLETELY unworthy of being His, he loves us and gave his Son for us. Now we are the bride of Christ. Could there be anything greater?! So let’s get rid of any and every thing that would keep us from placing all of our affection on the One who loves, protects, provides, and even died for us.

Living Water

One amazing thing about our trip to the Middle East was that we traveled through several deserts—the Sahara, Sinai, Negev, Judean, and Arabian. But at the same time, we swam or waded in some wonderful waters—the Nile River, Red Sea, Gulf of Aquaba, Dead Sea, Arnon River, Ein Gedi, Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, and Mediterranean Sea. I think the favorite dunking I took was in the Arnon River. Hiking up the river gorge in the river was challenging and refreshing at the same time. Working together we were able to climb over huge rocks, slippery boulders, and negotiate water falls. Everybody made it to the 30 foot water falls which stopped our progress up the gorge. However, we all were able to squeeze into a cave behind the water falls where Pastor George talked to us about the overwhelming love of God, like the water that was plunging over us.


We also learned about the difference between living water and water that comes from a cistern. Living water is water that is clean, cool and refreshing. It is running water and a great thirst quencher. Cistern water might be ok for bathing, but is not the best for drinking. It probably has some microbes in it that you would not want in your body, and it is not that refreshing.


The source of the Jordan River is living water. It runs out of several springs at the base of Mt. Hermon. It is cool, clear and very refreshing. It also gives life to everything around its banks. There are abundant plants and an amazing amount of birds that make the upper Jordan River their home.


We also got to walk Hezekiah’s tunnel, which he built in about 700 BC to secure the water supply to the old city of Jerusalem. He tunneled 1,700 feet from the Gehon spring to the pool of Siloam. Today you can walk this tunnel as cool water rushes around your knees.


This is all simply background for the time that Jesus was in the temple on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Just when the priests would have taken some clean, fresh water from the pool of Siloam and poured it around the altar in the temple, Jesus says in John 7:37 & 38, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

As believers in Jesus, we are the ones who should be gushing living water everywhere we go. There should be life springing up all around us because of the living water flowing from us. So just a simple question: do we bring life to people, do we help people come alive in Christ? I really hope we who believe in Jesus are life givers.

Finding our Refuge in God

Finding our Refuge in the Lord

It seems like there is an abundance of caves in the Holy Land. Or you might say that the Holy Land is very holey. David found out that these caves were the place where he could hind from King Saul when he became jealous of David’s success as a warrior. It was probably in the of the caves of Adullam that David wrote the beautiful words of Psalm 142. In it he says, “Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living’.”


There in the darkness of the cave the Lord heard his plea and saved him, not by destroying Saul, but by bringing people around him. His family came and soon many others came to live with him in the caves. Before long 400 rabble rousers joined him and became his protection. God brought people who were distress, in debt and discontented to David and he became their leader—a veritable Old Testament Robin Hood.

When David needed another hiding place he found the caves of Ein Gedi to be just the place. Saul again was searching him out when unknowingly he ventured into a cave to releave himself where David and some of him men were hiding. Without Saul knowing, David found where Saul had taken off his robe and then cut the corner off it. After Saul was finished and out of the cave David went to him, bowed down before him with the corner of his robe in his hand. He told Saul how he could have killed him but did not because he was God’s anointed. Saul then had a change of heart and acknowledged that David would indeed be the king of Israel.



I would have to think that David learned many life lessons in the caves of the Judean hills. He learned that even though the caves provided protection, it was really the Lord who was his refuge. And the Lord provided him a community to care and protect him.


Where do we find our refuge? I have a suspicion that we find refuge in being able to control our circumstances and have power over any situation. But if we simply seek out of refuge in the Lord who is in control of all circumstance and has all authority over every situation, we can rest at peace no matter where we lay our heads down to rest.

The Heart of God

Often when we read the stories about the people of Israel leaving Egypt and traveling into the Promised Land, we have to swallow hard when we come to the fight scenes. We ask, “Why did God tell the Israelites to kill so many people?” It seems so cold, and not something the God of the New Testament would do. It is certainly not Jesus’ style.
But before we begin to chisel away at the reputation of the God of the Old Testament, we should take a good look at what God is doing in bringing his people from Egypt to Israel and how He does it.
Take the story of the Amalekites. God took his people out of Egypt and away from any populations that could attack them. He did not want his people to go to war. However, the Amalekites followed them on their journey down the Sinai Peninsula. There they attacked the Israelites who fell behind—those who were old, weak, or disabled. Finally, at Rephedim, God told his people to fight the Amalekites. This was in response to the terrible things they did, the killing of the old, weak and disabled. This is simply evil and God would not just sit back and do nothing while those who needed the most help were slaughtered by a people who preyed on those who lagged behind.

The Valley of Rephidim -- Amalekites defeated

I hope you see in this the heart of God – a God who desires peace, yet who will not let the weak be destroyed by evil. I wonder how closely our hearts resemble this heart of God when it comes to defending the weak and those who “lag behind.” Do we care for and stand up for the disabled, the elderly and even the unborn? Do we take on another’s burdens and share them? Do we follow the example of our Saviour, who was so desirous that God’s people not suffer that he took the evil of the world onto himself and defeated it with love and forgiveness? This now should be our modus operandi– to “overcome evil with good.”

Aliyah!

When Laura and I signed up for a trip to Egypt, Jordan and Israel we understood that we were going to have to hike and hike hard up several mountains. We knew that the biggest hike was going to be up Mt. Sinai, or technically, Mt. St. Catherine. So we began to prepare ourselves for what we knew would be a four hour climb up about 4,000 feet to the summit. Laura ran stairs and walked hard. I ran several 5Ks and a 10K before we left. We also went for long hikes together every Friday for several weeks leading up to our departure. It was a real challenge and a good deal of work getting ready for our trip. We did not want to fail at climbing Mt. Sinai.

Our trip up Mt. St. Catherine started after a long bus ride from the Red Sea. It was not until about three in the afternoon that we started up the mountain. The first hour we traveled on camel back -- interesting but not real comfortable. Then we got off and began the real hike up, and up, and up. The trail was well-marked but steep, with many switch backs zigzagging up a rocky face.






We were still an hour from the top when the sun set and the world became dark. Then, climbing with our flashlights, we arrived at the top where some Bedouins had a fire and dinner waiting for us -- tea, soup, roast quail, rice and melons. We put on a base layer, rolled out sleeping pads, and pulled heavy wool blankets over us to sleep under the stillness of the billions of stars.





What kept us going up and up was a Hebrew word that Pastor George taught us: aliyah. It is a great word which means “to go up” or “to ascend.” It is used frequently in the Old Testament to describe how people went up to meet the Lord. It is used of Moses when he climbed Mt. Sinai. The Exodus narrative tells us that Moses “went up” to the Lord at least four times. God could have easily met him at a lower elevation. He could have even come down into the valley. But he told Moses to come up to the top of Mt. Sinai. What a tremendous effort God expected of Moses to meet with Him and come to know Him.

Today we rarely expend any effort to meet with God. Instead we look for convenience and comfort in our meeting with the Lord. Simply attending church takes minimal effort. We often fit our life of devotion to God into our lives when it works for us -- driving down the road, or a quick prayer before a meal. When do we really go up, or aliyah, to meet with the Lord? It makes me wonder, do I really put any effort into my relationship with God? I am really trying to take the effort that I put into getting physically prepared to hike up Mt. Sinai into getting spiritually prepared for all the mountains the Lord will have me climb during the rest of my life.