The Bread of Adversity

Affliction is a treasure and scarcely any man has enough of it – John Donne

How often does everything go right in life?  How often does everything happen in just the way it should?  There’s a struggle all the time, isn’t there?  Not just struggle but sickness, injury, pain and setbacks in life.  There are painful moments; loss of a child, miscarriage, and deaths of loved ones.  There are moment of betrayal, gossip, slander and persecution.  These things are called life.

Life is filled with affliction and adversity.  As Christians, we sometimes think that we shouldn't have to go through these things.  We think that God should protect us from all suffering and pain.  We accuse the devil, “That lying devil, he’s attacking me.”  But today I want to examine that.

As Christians should we be able to expect an easy life, free from all adversity and problems?  Is it right to expect God to keep us from problems, sickness, and setbacks?  Is it right for us to think we should be blessed and never expect any adversity?  Let’s examine that today from this portion of scripture:

Isaiah 30:20-21 (NKJV)
^30:20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. ²¹ Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

The Bread of Adversity

I think that this is such an interesting scripture, especially the phrase – “the bread of adversity and the water of affliction.”  Bread and water are the necessities of life.  He’s comparing adversity and affliction to food and water.  How long can you live without food?  About forty days.  How long without water?  About a week. So this scripture tells us that adversity and affliction are life preserving.  We need adversity and affliction, like we need food and water.  But it’s difficult to accept that, isn't it? 

Look at what Paul says:

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV)
^12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

How many of us really take pleasure in those things?  Isaiah says those things are life preserving.  Why is that true?  These are things that God uses to work in us.  We don’t always see it while we’re struggling through it, but often when we look back, we can see how that worked something through in our lives, like patience or character or hope.  Adversity results in hope:

Romans 5:3-4 (NKJV)
^5:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Character and hope don't come from blessing.  Tribulation and trial make us more like Jesus, and that’s the intention of trials.  Look at how Jesus faced the trial of crucifixion.  He spoke not a word, in fact, look at this:

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)
^12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him.  That’s hope, right?  He endured suffering knowing that something better was coming.  This is what we should see.  Jesus had character in the face of overwhelming adversity and hope in the midst of trial. We need to endure suffering in order to be more like Him.  After all, that’s the goal of Christianity…to be like Jesus.

We need adversity, it’s necessary to the Christian lifestyle.  It’s what shapes us and forms us into being like Christ and so a faithful God ALLOWS us to have adversity.  He ALLOWS us to face torment and struggle.  Adversity is really a gift:  That’s why Paul said, “I take pleasure in infirmities.”  That’s why he said, “I glory in tribulations.”  That’s what he meant when he said, “For when I am weak, I am strong.”

The question today is, “Do you want to be Christ-like?” because if you want to be Christ-like you’re going to have to endure some adversity.  It’s life preserving because it’s the bringer of hope.

I know what it’s like to be hopeless.  Hopelessness takes away the desire to live.  When you have no hope, when there’s nothing to look forward to. When there’s nothing to believe in then life becomes a miserable time of struggle and disappointment, but when you believe, then adversity can become life affirming.  Look at Joseph’s take on adversity:

 Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)
^50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

It was meant to be evil, but God meant it to be good.  It refines us, it teaches us.  Can we only expect good things from God?  Or is God doing a good thing when he gives us trouble?

Job 2:10 (NKJV)
^2:10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job’s wife is advising him to “curse God and die,” and he responds with this, “You fool!”  God is faithful to bring adversity – It’s a gift from God.

Psalms 119:75 (NKJV)
^119:75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.

 It’s as necessary to us as food and water.

God Uses Affliction to Make us Better

It’s easy to see God’s intention with adversity, when you look at scripture.  God uses affliction to chasten us:

Deuteronomy 8:5 (NKJV)
^8:5 You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.

You know a measure of our love for our children is that we will sacrifice to “chasten” them.  You’re not doing your children any favors by not correcting them.  It’s a sacrifice that parents have to make to raise their children properly.  My wife and I hated to spank our kids.  We hated to restrict their privileges.  We hated to stop what we were doing to correct their behavior, but they needed that, and as good responsible parents we had to do it.  It’s because we made that sacrifice when they were little, that we have very little trouble with them now.  I know other children that have put their parents through hell, because the parents wouldn't fight the fight when they were young.  Look at this:

Proverbs 3:12 (NKJV)
^3:12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

So adversity is used to correct our behavior.  We want to blame the devil for every problem we have in life, when very often, the problem is really the consequence of our own behavior.

Let me tell you  a story.  This falls under the “when I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible” category.  When I was a young man I didn't file my income taxes for three years.  I didn't think anything of it.  I had overpaid what I owed I just didn't file the paperwork.  That’s against the law in the US.  So I got a letter from the IRS saying that I owed them US$15,000.  It was a horrible thing.  I was afraid to get in touch with them because I didn't have that kind of money.  Finally, I broke down and called them and they reduced it to US$5,000, even though I had already paid them at least that much.  Penalties and interest were still accruing.  I ended up paying about US$9,000 by the time it was all over.  I learned something through all of this.  It wasn't the devil attacking me, I was being chastened because of my irresponsibility.  I knew it was God, because it drew me to a place of repentance.  It was a huge adversity but it wasn't an attack on my finances, it was the consequence of my irresponsibility

Seneca. A fourth century philosopher said, “Gold is refined in the fire, acceptable men in the furnace of affliction.

God also uses adversity to refine us.  What does that word refine mean?  According to Mirriam-Webster Dictionaries it can be defined as:  to free from impurities or waste matter 2: IMPROVE:  PERFECT

So God uses adversity to refine us; to improve us:  To make us free from impurities.  Doesn't it feel like we’re going through a fire when we have troubles and afflictions?  We have an expression in the US, “He’s in the hot seat.”  We use it when someone is trying to do something and things are going wrong and everyone is putting the blame on him.  I've been in the hot seat a number of times in my life.

Have you ever seen gold or silver refined?  The gold ore, this is rock that contains gold is crushed and then put in a furnace that’s heated to 1064C (1947F).  The gold in the ore melts at that temperature then the remaining rock and impurities float to the top where they’re scraped off and only the purified gold remains.  This process has to be repeated a number of times.  The more it’s done the purer the resulting gold. 

What does it mean to be pure?  In our case it means to be holy or it means to be in the will of God, not living in your flesh.

Isaiah 48:10 (NKJV)
^48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Take some time and think about the impurities in you…are you pure?  Are you holy as God is holy?  We all have some flesh that rises to the top.

I've seen it the saints:  I've seen pride.  I've seen laziness.  I've seen irresponsibility; all of these things are impurities that need to be rooted out.

It’s like bamboo.  Have you ever tried to get rid of bamboo?  We had this neighbor who planted bamboo in his yard.  The idea was that it would grow and provide him with some privacy, but it was awful because bamboo grows underground and pops up in another place.  It grew under the fence and came up in our yard.  We were constantly digging it up and trying to get rid of it.  Finally, the guy tried to take it out, but the next year it came up again.  He had to dig really deep to make sure he got all the roots out, someone suggested that he burn the roots out.

That’s how sin is in our lives.  We have to root the sin out and sometimes the only way to do that is with fire.  This is what God is doing through refining.  He’s pulling out the impurities and refining us, making us more and more pure.  He’s preparing us for Heaven.  We’ll never be ready for Heaven until we get there.  God will keep refining us.

Finally, He uses adversity and affliction for the furtherance of the Gospel.

Philippians 1:12-14 (NKJV)
^1:12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; ¹⁴ and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

The people watching Paul became much more bold, because they'd seen how Paul handled his imprisonment.  The thing that Paul did here was that he demonstrated how Christ was Lord over his life by how he handled his afflictions.  By how willing he was to stay in the will of God despite the trials and struggles he went through.

One thing that I think is an interesting phenomenon is that it's during the times of trial and persecution that when we see the greatest and fastest growth in the church.  China is poised to become the largest Christian nation in the world at a time when it suffers the greatest persecution.  Persecution is something that’s afflicted on the entire church, but it manifests itself in individual affliction.  It is individuals who go to jail and work camps.  It is individuals who are beaten or murdered for their faith.  Yet, even in that the church grows, and the Gospel moves forward, even faster than in places where there is freedom to worship.

What are the Rewards of Adversity and Affliction?

James 1:2-4 (NKJV)
^1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The reward of adversity and affliction is growth and maturity; being ready to enter into God’s kingdom.  I know most people think they’re ready for Heaven right now.  I’m ready to go to Heaven, but I’m not ready to BE in Heaven.  God hasn't completed or perfected me, yet. I've got a few more things to go through before I’ll be ready.  After I've been through them I will be perfected, like the gold in the refiner’s fire:  Like the child who’s been disciplined.  Then I’ll be ready to move to the next thing, which in this case, is Heaven. 

Will you allow God to complete those things in you?  Will you allow Him to perfect you?  I know it seems hard now, but it’s worth it.

When I first started working, I worked in the lowest position that was in our company.  I drove a pickup truck and picked up people’s trash at minimum wage.  It was a time to learn; it was a time to gain new skills.  It was difficult, not always pleasant work, but when I had gone through that I was ready for the next level of my career.  I had to go through the difficult things to be ready for the next thing.  The next thing wasn't any easier; I just had different things to learn so I could continue to move up. 

You have to go through the difficult things here on earth to be ready for what awaits you in Heaven.  It’ll be a better place:

Revelation 21:4 (NKJV)
^21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

That’s the next thing… Strive for that!

Give Me Oil

When we got saved there was a change or a transformation that took place in our lives.  We were no longer the same person that we had been prior to salvation.  We all recognize that we quit the drugs, the pornography, the gambling, the smoking and drinking, the fornication, or whatever bondage it was that you walked away from, and something transpired in our lives.  For many of us it was a renewal of our minds.  That word renewal means to make new.  Our minds were made new once again.  It was a restoration of our personalities.

I remember talking to my younger sister on the phone, in the few weeks after I got saved.  Immediately, after I hung up with her, she called my mother and said, “Chris is Back!”  Even though she didn't understand what had happened in my life.  She didn't understand the renewal and transformation that takes place in an encounter with Jesus Christ, she recognized that something powerful had happened to me.  She may not have understood exactly what had happened but she did understand that I was no longer the bitter, depressed and angry person I had been.  My old personality and outlook on life seemed to have returned.  I’d been transformed. I’d been renewed.  There was a new excitement and joy in my life that was missing before.

What had happened?  It wasn't that I’d embarked on a new program.  It wasn't that I’d found a religion.  It wasn't that I was taking vitamins.  I had been transformed.  The “old” Chris hadn't returned but a “new” one had emerged:  One that had been born of the ashes of my old self.

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJV)
^61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, ³ To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

I think it's appropriate that Isaiah had chosen those words to describe the ministry of the anointed one of God and his purpose on the earth. This is what happened in the moment of my own salvation.  I had been given the Oil of Joy at the moment of my acceptance of God’s Christ, His Messiah into my life.  That’s what I want to post about today; the Oil of Gladness:  The oil of joy that comes into our lives in the midst of salvation, and the necessity of oil in our lives and relationship with Jesus.

Matthew 25:1-12 (NKJV)
^25:1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' ⁷ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' ¹² But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

The Oil of Anointing

In this scripture we see ten young women who are about to take part in the wedding ceremony.  Five have planned ahead and brought oil for their lamps and five have neglected that duty.  The Bible calls those who have neglected the duty “foolish”.

Throughout the Bible we see that there is an importance for oil that goes beyond just having a light.  Oil is also used in those times when God has called someone to something beyond himself or herself.

1 Samuel 16:12-13 (NKJV)
^16:12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!" ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

So, when God called David to be king over God’s people He sent Samuel to anoint him and Samuel did that with oil. God has called David to his will and so He has anointed him to be king. 

This anointing speaks of consecration.  It speaks of setting David aside for God’s purposes.  It speaks of sanctifying him and making him holy.  When we respond to the call of God in out lives there is also a need to set ourselves aside for His use.  When we have set ourselves aside, we receive an anointing from God.  You can’t be anointed against your will.  There must be a willingness on your part to be used by God.  So, that anointing is a transaction that takes place with God.  It is God choosing you as a tool for His will, and it is you assenting to to be used by God.

God can’t use us if we are unwilling to be used.  He can’t use us if we resist His will for our lives.  The Bible says that many are called but few are chosen.  This is the importance of the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22. 

We know the parable:  A king has a son who is to be married, so he invites a number of people to the wedding feast, but they’re busy with their own things and choose not to come.  So the king sends his servants out to the highways and byways to compel people to come to the feast, so they did.  However, look at one of the guests who come:

Matthew 22:11-13 (NKJV)
^22:11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. ¹² So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

This man came to the feast but was not prepared.  He made no effort to be a part of the wedding, because he refused to wear a wedding garment.  He was called and did not respond.  He wasn't willing to assent to the call on his life and so he was cast out.  The parable ends with this phrase:

Matthew 22:14 (NKJV)
^22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

We’re like the people at this wedding.  We've been compelled to come into the feast.  We've been called and there is a transaction that must take place.  We must be willing to order our lives around his will.  To put on the wedding garment that signifies our willingness to respond to His call:  Our willingness to be used by Him.  In turn we will receive anointing.  Anointing is necessary if you’re going to do a work for God.

Exodus 28:41 (NKJV)
^28:41 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests.

You shall anoint them, consecrate them and sanctify them that may be used to minister to me.  They must first be anointed before they can be used.  Anointing comes from that willingness to put His will and His calling before you own wants, needs, and purposes.

This is what has taken place in our text.  The five wise virgins have oil in their lamps; there is that anointing in their lives.  They have put the needs of the bridegroom first.  They've prepared for the role they will play in the wedding feast, they are able to be used and they receive the reward of that use.

The questions for you today are: Have you prepared yourself for the role God has asked you to play in the furthering of the kingdom?   Are you able to be a part of what God has called you to?  Are you able to be anointed to His purposes? 

It’s not preparation, in that you need to learn some specific information or skill.  You don’t need to understand all the finer points of preparing and preaching expository sermons, or something like that.  The preparation is that you’re willing to enter into the transaction that is God’s will for your life.  If you are, then He will bring the oil of anointing and you’ll be able to be used.

A couple of years ago, we visited our home church in Colton, and I preached a couple of sermons.  After my morning sermon one of the brothers came up to me and said, “I was really inspired by that sermon, but it didn't have anything to do with anything you said.  It’s the anointing that’s on your life.”

It’s not my skills (or lack of skills) as a preacher that God can use.  It’s the willingness to struggle through and His anointing that make me useful.

The Oil that Lights the Lamp

Oil is not given.  There is a call to be useful to God:

Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)
^5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

This is the primary purpose of the oil in our text.  The oil is to be used in the lamps to create light.  The bridegroom returns at midnight.  It’s dark and there’s a need for light light in order for the procession to enter in:  To light the way for those in the darkness.

We are also called to be a light for those who stumble in the darkness.  We’re called to light the way for them into the wedding feast.  The wedding feast is a metaphor for the Kingdom of God. 

There are many who are struggling in the darkness.  They have no direction; they can’t see the way for themselves.  They need light; they need direction. 

Have you ever been in the desert at night?  On those days every month where there is no moon, the desert is extremely dark.  You stumble because you can’t see the unevenness of the ground.  But if there’s a light that’s shining on a hill, you can see that light for a great distance.  There are those who are wandering around, lost in that desert called sin.  We can be a beacon of light giving direction to their wandering.    It gives them a location to aim for, but in order to be that light we must have oil.  That same oil that anoints, lights the way.

In Jesus’ day the oil they used was Olive oil.  It was used to anoint kings and it was used to light lamps.  The same oil that that fuels the lamp, which becomes the light of the world is also the oil of anointing.  It’s the oil that makes the lamp useful.

The five foolish virgins couldn't light the way because they had no oil.  So they asked the others, “Can you give us some of your oil?”  However, the Oil couldn't be given.  Think about this for a moment:

Where does the oil in your life come from?  If your husband or wife has anointing on his or her life, does that mean you will also?  If your parents have an anointing on their lives, will you be anointed, too?  The anointing can’t be borrowed; it’s something you must purchase for yourself.  You must go to those who sell the oil and buy for yourself.  In other words there’s a price that MUST be paid.  There’s a transaction that MUST take place.  Oil isn't given it’s PURCHASED. 

In order to fulfill the calling on our lives, we must buy the oil to burn for light.  The light isn't something that’s contained inside us.  It’s not something that shines out from us.  The light comes from the oil that we burn.  If we’re to be a lamp for the world, then we have to have the oil inside us.  That oil is purchased though our willingness, to sacrifice, to pay the price.  The cost of the oil is that which w sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)
^12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

The cost is paid in the moment we lay aside our own will to take up His.  The cost was paid when Isaiah cried out, “Here I am send me.”  It was in the moment when Jesus said, “Not my will but yours.”  It’s in the moment when James and John walked away from their nets:  When Elisha offered the oxen and followed Elijah.  This is the purchasing of Oil.

These are the types of sacrifices that buy the fuel that lights the way.  If you want to be someone who can be used by God, then you’ll have to pay the price that makes the that usefulness a priority in your life.

The five foolish virgins only went halfway.  They brought the lamps but didn’t pay for the oil to fill them.  So they missed out on their usefulness and their reward, which was entering into the wedding feast with the bridegroom.

The Oil of Gladness

Way back in the introduction to this I wrote about the Oil of Joy or Gladness:  The change from sorrow and misery to joy in my life.  What was it that brought about the change?   What miracle had transpired in my life, that dispelled the darkness that I lived in and allowed the light to shine forth?

Hebrews 1:9 (NKJV)
^1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."

It’s the anointing wit the oil of gladness.  In my salvation God anointed me, but what is it that brings that anointing?  There was a marked turn in my life from lawlessness.  Let’s face facts; I was a sinner.  I loved lawlessness.  In fact, I had a pickup truck with a bumper sticker that simply said, “Outlaw.”  That’s how I thought of myself.  I was no lover of righteousness.  I was a drunk, a fornicator, and a blasphemer until I came to Jesus.  Look at Paul’s testimony:

1 Timothy 1:12-13 (NKJV)
^1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

This is Paul’s testimony, that he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent man, but he was anointed and placed into the ministry.  When he turned from his sin to Jesus he was anointed.  He wasn't useful to God while he was a sinner.  He was an angry man.

Acts 1:9 (NKJV)
^1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

That was my life, as well.  My testimony reads the same way and I was also angry.  Every sentence that I spoke carried with it a curse.  My voice was often raised in anger, but when I got saved and turned from my will to His that changed.  That’s when my sister said, “Chris is back.”  When the anger turned to joy.  What was it that brought about that joy?  It was obedience to the calling of God on my life.  That’s what made it joyful…obedience.

Even Jesus experienced the same thing.  He was obedient to the purpose of God for His life.  He was sent to the cross for us.  That was His purpose in life; to be the sacrifice for atonement.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)
^12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The joy that was set before Him.  He found joy in His obedience to face the cross.  There is joy in obedience. 

There’s joy in answering the call.  There’s joy in sacrifice.  If there’s joy in those things then there’s joy in the anointing that they purchase.  Let the oil of Gladness be poured out on your life.  if you enter into the transaction with God that makes you useful and you will also know that joy.  Pay the price of sacrificing your will to His to obtain the oil with which to be a light to the world.  The oil of Gladness (or Joy) comes with them.  In fact, they’re the same thing.

A Bitter Generation

We are part of a bitter generation.  Many of us are overwhelmed by past slights and offenses.  So overwhelmed that there’s no room for forgiveness and in our zeal for revenge we hurt others and the hurts we inflict on them lead to their own bitterness.  This is a generation that demands redress for past hurts…often we are driven by revenge.

In the book Moby Dick there is a violent confrontation at sea, the great whale had sliced off Ahab’s leg.  He was then carried to his bunk and forced to endure the trip home; long days and nights, thinking about the pain and suffering laying blame on the whale.  Look at Melville’s description of this episode:

For long months of days and weeks, Ahab and anguish lay stretched together in one hammock, rounding in midwinter that dreary, howling Patagonian Cape, then it was that his torn body and gashed soul bled into one another and so interfusing, made him mad.

Ahab responded to this, as a man possessed of bitterness.  Obsessed with hate, he set his face to search out and destroy Moby Dick, whatever the cost.  He fitted a ship, hired a crew, and mounted a voyage of vengeance, which led to his death, the destruction of his ship, and the loss of all men except one, Ishmael, who lived to tell the tale.

Ahab is a picture of our generation.  Road rage is a manifestation of bitterness, as the driver who made an error is pursued and injured or killed.  Racism and prejudice are manifestations of bitterness.  We aren't accepting people at face value, allowing past hurts and misunderstandings to color our view of another person, judging them on their skin color rather than their character.

We've used bitterness as a way of achieving political goals.  Bitterness doesn't unite it divides.  Bitterness doesn't heal it undermines.  Bitterness is bred by cynicism.  Bitterness is a condition of the heart:

Proverbs 14:10 (NKJV)
^14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.

Cynicism and bitterness are a symptom of sin and rebellion.  They’re carnal thoughts; they’re of the flesh and when we’re in our flesh we’re enemies of God. 

Today I want to post on bitterness from this text:

Genesis 49:5-7 (NKJV)
^49:5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. ⁶ Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. ⁷ Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.

The Separation of Bitterness

Robertson McQuilkin, first president of Columbia International University, once said:

“The sin of unforgiveness is a cancer that destroys relationships, eats away at one’s

own psyche, and – worst of all – shuts us off from God’s grace.”

Our text takes place as Jacob is preparing to die.  He’s called his sons to himself in order to bless them.  These are his final words.  These are the things that he is trying to speak into their lives.  This is the moment when he is trying to impart something personal to each son, he’s speaking to their future; he’s speaking to their character and in what those things will result.  He’s prophesying over their lives.

The prophecy that he speaks over Simeon and Levi isn't a blessing, is it?   He’s speaking of them being divided, “Let not my soul enter into their council:  Let not my honor be united to their assembly.”  He’s saying that he doesn't want to be associated with them.  He’s their father, why would he seek to be separate them from himself?  What’s caused this separation between them?  We can look at the story in Genesis 34 and see the problem as it arises.  First, there was an offense:

Genesis 34:1-4 (NKJV)
^34:1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. ² And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her. ³ His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. ⁴ So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this young woman as a wife."

Shechem has violated their sister.  They’re undoubtedly angry…and rightfully so.  Shechem has caused injury to this young woman and they’re righteously angry.  We don’t have to stand by and watch as those we love are violated; as we ourselves are violated.

Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV)
^4:26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

There will be anger in our lives, toward injustice and violation, but allowing that anger to control us is sin.  Look at what happens next:

Genesis 34:8-9 (NKJV)
^34:8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. ⁹ And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves.

Genesis 34:11-12 (NKJV)
^34:11 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. ¹² Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife."

Shechem violated Dinah, but we see a desire on his part to make it right.  Shechem wants to do the right thing here.  She’s been defiled and so she’s undesirable for any other man, but Shechem wants to marry her.  Look at Simeon and Levi’s response to this situation:

Genesis 34:14-15 (NKJV)
^34:14 And they said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. ¹⁵ But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised,

Genesis 34:25-26 (NKJV)
^34:25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. ²⁶ And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went out.

Genesis 34:29 (NKJV)
^34:29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.

They destroyed all that was in Shechem, because the bitterness that had arisen in them over the violation of Dinah, had exploded into rage.  The whole scene is an act of rage, but it’s in response to bitterness.  Look at what happens in the end:

Genesis 34:30 (NKJV)
^34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I."

Relationships were destroyed.  Jacob became offensive to the people who lived in the area, because of the cruelty of Simeon and Levi.  This is an interesting moment in scripture, because they were offended, there was a horrendous thing that was done to their innocent and decent sister.  Many times in our lives when things happen to us, we’re justified in our indignation at an event or over some terrible thing that’s been perpetrated on us.  Bitterness is not an answer, because it divides, it destroys relationships and often results in even more horrendous things being done.  In this situation, innocent men were killed.  Children were deprived of their fathers.  Women and children were taken into slavery.  Now it isn't one person who suffers but many, many more.

A number of years ago, there was a young man who killed thirty-two people at Virginia Tech University.  His rationale was that young woman rejected him, she was the first person killed, but he went on a rampage and killed thirty others and finally himself.  In the midst of all of this he’d sent a press release to the local television news, outlining and detailing every hurt that he’d received.  He focused on wealthy young people and women who had hurt him.  His bitterness had coalesced into rage and revenge, and damaged hundreds of people.

Think about his family, his parents.  How has this affected them?  Think about the families of those innocents who’d been killed.  Maybe this young man had legitimate cause for anger.  Maybe he was justified in that.  Maybe he had been mistreated and beaten down, but the question is, “Has his bitterness and revenge liberated him?”  No, he’s been destroyed; killed by his own bullet, and he’s destroyed innocent lives. 

What will bitterness buy you and I?  We may never commit and act like this.  We may never act out on our bitterness is rage like this.  We may just store it up, seething at the mention of a name, becoming enraged by this person’s good fortune and as a result isolating ourselves from everyone else.

Think about this for a moment.  Have you ever known someone who is consumed with hatred for someone else?  How much fun are they to be around?  How often do you go looking for them to spend a pleasant afternoon?  I find it tedious, at best, to be around people who can’t ever get off the subject of someone who’s hurt him or her.  Most people do, and so what we do is stay away from that person.  Bitterness isolates.

The Loss of Inheritance

Genesis 49:7 (NKJV)
^49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.

This portion of our text speaks of our inheritance.  We must understand that Jacob is speaking in prophecy here.  In other words this is God speaking through the lips of Jacob.  Prophetically, he’s speaking of their inheritance.  He’s looking into the future.  He’s looking into the promise of God to Abraham, that they will be given the land of Canaan.  He’s telling them that because of what they’ve done they won’t see an inheritance of their own.  Their portion will go to Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manassas.  The portions of Simeon and Levi’s descendants will be scattered throughout the land given to other tribes.

In the book of Joshus we see the fulfillment of this prophecy:

Joshua 19:9 (NKJV)
^19:9 The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of that people.

Joshua 21:3 (NKJV)
^21:3 So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their common-lands:
 

The tribe of Simeon was scattered throughout Judah.  The same is true of the Levites, they were given cities throughout Israel.  Bitterness and rage cost them their own inheritance and it will cost us as well.  Bitterness is a spiritual poison that leads to our being bound by iniquity or the “stain of sin.”  Look at what Peter says to Simon who has offered money for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He’s seen the power and he wants it for himself for his own gain:

Acts 8:23 (NKJV)
^8:23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."

You are POISONED by BITTERNESS and bound by iniquity.

Do you remember the story of a former KGB agent who received a dose of Polonium?  Polonium is a radioactive isotope.  It acts like a poison in the system.  He lost his hair, his organs slowly shut down, and eventually he died.  Bitterness is a spiritual poison that will eventually result in spiritual death. The book of Hebrews also speaks of bitterness:

Hebrews 12:15 (NKJV)
^12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

A root of bitterness defiles us; we are made foul, or filthy.  Those that were defiled were unable to enter into the temple or the presence of God.  We will be unable to enter in to the kingdom, if we are defiled by bitterness.  In other words, straight out, bitterness is sin.  The bitter will not receive the inheritance that God has for them.  We are living in a generation that is defiled by bitterness.

The Antidote is Forgiveness

Every cat knows, some things must be buried – Ruth Bell Graham

Someone else said, “When you bury the hatchet, don’t bury it in your neighbors head.”

The problem for us is that we have a tendency to dwell on injury and that causes the injury to become larger in our eyes.  We had this dog that had a cyst on his foot.  It was swollen and I would imagine that it was a little tender.  He continued to lick it; he licked it all the time.  Any time he wasn’t engaged in something else, he was licking his foot.  The result was it became more visible.  He licked the hair off it, it seemed larger, and it was shiny and more noticeable.  It looked worse than it really was.  We took him to the bet and the only way to cure that cyst was to cut it away.

The same thing is true with dwelling on past hurts.  The hurt becomes larger and has more impact on us than before.  If the dog continued to mess with that cyst it would become an open wound and become infected.  The same thing is true of our psyche; we must cut the injury free.  The cutting takes place through forgiveness.

We must allow the injury to be removed to rid ourselves of the pain.  At some point you just have to let it go, before it destroys you.

A number of years ago a man walked into an Amish school and lined up a number of young girls and killed them.  This was a powerful injury to that community.  What a horrible thing to face; the death of innocent young girls.  If anyone had a right to seek revenge it was this community.  If anyone had been horribly wronged it was this community.  But they didn’t dwell on the hurt.  They grieved; they buried the children and then as a community they forgave this man who murdered their daughters.

Did the forgiveness help the murderer?  No, he still suffered the in the guilt of what he had done.  He was still prosecuted for the crime and will still face the punishment as set by the courts, but the Amish were released.  They were able to get beyond the pain.  Do you think those parents felt like forgiving?  How would you feel if your child was murdered?  Would forgiveness be the first thing you felt for the murderer?  Probably not, most of us would want to return the favor wouldn’t we?  We love the scripture “an eye for and eye…” don’t we?  It appeals to our sense of justice, but what does Jesus say?

Matthew 5:38-39 (NKJV)
^5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' ³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Jesus says, that we should endure injury without inflicting injury back.

Luke 6:27-28 (NKJV)
^6:27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.

These things aren’t easy, though.  There not things we would do naturally. He’s telling us we must forgive.

Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV)
^6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

So we need to make a choice to forgive.  It isn’t a natural reaction; it’s a reaction of will.  It’s something we must make ourselves do.  If you seek forgiveness you must first forgive.

When John Wesley was traveling by ship to America he heard a strange noise in the cabin of General Oglethorpe, the Governor of Virginia.  Wesley stepped in to see what was happening.  The General’s servant had stolen and drunk the entire stock of the general’s favorite wine.

“But I will be avenged,” the general shouted.  Then he ordered the servant bound hand and foot and taken away for severe punishment.  “For you know Mr. Wesley, I never forgive.”  Wesley replied, “In that case sir, I hope you never sin.”

The general was chastened by Wesley’s rebuke, took out his keys and threw them at his servant saying, “There, villain, take my keys and behave better in the future.”

His natural instinct was for revenge and punishment; he had to make an effort to forgive.  Wesley pointed out what it means to live out the scripture.  If you can’t forgive how can you expect to be forgiven.

Finally, there is the example of Jesus.  He’d been scourged; He’d been beaten.  He’d been mocked, ridiculed and humiliated.  He’d been hung on a cross to die a slow and agonizing death.  As he hung there, there was no repentance on the part of his tormenters and murderers.  The Romans didn’t care about his death.  The Temple leaders were delighted in His death; they continued to mock Him.  Jesus, himself says he could have called down twelve legions of angels to protect Him.  Instead of crying out for vengeance, He cried out “Father, forgive them.”  He’s not asking us to do anything He hasn’t done himself.  We gain nothing by bitterness but more suffering.  By forgiving we gain eternal life.

Burn Baby; Burn!

We always talk about Revival as if it’s a fire:  A burning, all-consuming fire.  That’s the image isn't it? 

There’s a legend that travels throughout fellowship.  I've heard about it.  I know some people who claim to have been there, but to me, it’s one of those legends that you hear sometimes.  Here’s the story, Evangelist Harry Hills was preaching a revival somewhere.  I’m not sure what the city was where he was preaching, but the revival was marked with a number of powerful miracles, words of knowledge and other things.  The church was rocking. It was a very powerful time.  All of a sudden the fire department shows up, because people had called them that the church was burning.  They saw flames rising out of the roof of the church, and so they called the fire department.  When they arrived there was no fire, it was Holy Ghost revival. 

Like I said, to me, this is the stuff of legends.  I don’t know whether or not this is true, but I've heard it a number of times.  The point is that revival is always associated with fire.  Look at our songs, Revival Fire; Burn in Me; It’s that Holy Ghost and fire; The Word of God is Like a Fire, popular worship songs.  That’s as good a description as any, because it does feel like a fire.  It’s a burning desire to see the will of God play out through people coming to Jesus.

In this post, I want to look at that image of revival as a fire burning out of control.  A fire, a forest fire burns in three stages.  The first is ignition; a spark ignites the dry grass.  The second stage is a blaze; the fire begins to grow in intensity.  The third stage of a forest fire is conflagration; the fire is burning out of control.  I want to apply this to the pioneer church or the church that is on the edge of revival.

Acts 9:32-35 (NKJV)
^9:32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. ³³ There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. ³⁴ And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately. ³⁵ So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

The Ignition Point

When a fire has burned, the investigators come out and try to understand what caused the fire.  How did it start?  Was it arson?  The first thing they look for is the ignition point:  The place where the fire started.  The fire will ignite and begin to burn in one direction, widening out as it burns.  So there is literally a “V” that grows out from the ignition point.  The firemen follow the “V” back to the ignition point, in order to look for evidence about the way the fire ignited.

In our text it may seem like a little thing that Peter has done.  We see him dealing only with one lame man:  A man who has been bedridden for eight years, but this is the ignition point.  This is the place where the fire began to burn.  This is the beginning of the fire in that place.  Look at the last line in our text, “So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.” 

This is where revival started in Lydda.  Lydda was approximately twenty-five miles north of Jerusalem.  It’s located on the crossroads of the highway that leads from Egypt to Syria, and the highway that leads from Jerusalem to Joppa.  This is a key place.  There were many people who traveled those highways engaged in trade and other things.  It’s key because revival could easily travel to other places from this location. 

Here it is… It starts with one man healed.  It starts like a huge forest fire at one small ignition point.  If you had been there, it would have seemed to be one small thing; a guy gets healed.  That's it, one man is healed of an affliction, but it is the beginning of a city turning to the Lord. 

In the beginning of revival, it’s unseen.  It’s working in the hearts of people.  I've read about the second Great Awakening, this is a revival that took place in the United States between 1820 and 1840.  According to Wikipedia, this revival “enrolled millions of people in existing evangelical denominations and led to the formation of new denominations.”  In other words, millions of people were saved.

Look at this from Christianity.com

“The second Great Awakening had a greater affect on society than any other revival in America.”

It started quietly as a movement in 1790, thirty years before it exploded into revival.  It was unseen; it was a quiet movement that existed mostly in the prayers of the people. 

A preacher named John Erskine published a fervent plea for prayer, and a man named Isaac Backus answered that plea.  John Erskine and Isaac Backus were the ignition point for the greatest revival in American history.  In 1792, they began to pray.  They started this revival, but it was unseen.  It wasn't a huge burning fire, it wasn't even a small blaze; it was a spark in these two men’s hearts.  That’s how revival starts.

If you were to look at Taiwan right now, it doesn't look like a revival.  There’s no huge burning fire, carrying revival across this nation.  No, there’s only one small congregation in Taoyuan City and another in a small city called Pingzhen:  Two pastors praying for growth and impact in their cities.  In 1792, that was the ignition of powerful change in one nation, and in 2014 it can be the same thing  in your city.  Our congregation can be the ignition point.  In Lydda, it was one man praying for another man that started a fire burning there. 

There’s one other aspect that’s need for fire to ignite, and that’s fuel – dry grass, ready to be ignited. In Southern California, there’s very little rain.  Most of the rain that does fall, falls in the months of January and February.  By August grass that grew up in the rains of January and February is dead and dry.  It will easily ignite from a spark, a match, or a cigarette butt casually thrown on the ground. 

Fire usually ignites in the dry areas.  It doesn't ignite near the water.  It takes place in the areas that are dried out:  The areas where the ground thirsts.  It’s the same for revival fire.  Revival fire ignites in hearts that are dry and thirsty.  Look at something David says:

Psalms 63:1-2 (NKJV)
^63:1 A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. ² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

Look at what he’s saying.  He’s painting a picture of a dry place.  His soul is thirsting for God.  A dry and thirsty land where there’s no water.  It’s the same as the image of a land before a fire takes place.  His heart is dry; it’s missing the water of life.  It’s a perfect picture of the place where a fire would ignite.

What does he do?  He goes looking for God.  He goes into the sanctuary to find God, to find His power and glory.  Is your heart full of God or are you thirsty for God?  Is your heart a dry place, or is it a river of God’s living water?  Are you seeking God’s power and glory…the igniters of fire in dry places?  Those things are the things that will bring revival. 

In our text people saw a man healed:  A man that they knew.  They could see all that had transpired.  They found God’s power.

When Jesus’ friend Lazarus died, his sisters sent for Him, but Jesus tarried.  He told His disciples:

John 11:4 (NKJV)
^11:4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

They witnessed the glory of God and the fire of revival ignited in that place.

John 11:45 (NKJV)
^11:45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

The same thing happened in Lydda.  A man was healed by the power of God.  The people witnessed the glory of God.  “All who dwelt in Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord.”  One healing was an ignition point.

The Blaze

There’s a point in any forest fire where the fire can still be easily contained.  I once watched a fire that had started in some dry grass; it quickly got past one person’s ability to contain it.  The wind was blowing a little and the fire grew quickly.  It began to blaze along the side of the road and the fire department showed up.  Within 45 minutes the fire was surrounded and put out.  If the fire department hadn't shown up when they did, the fire would have gotten out of control and started to really burn, but there was a time that the fire department could come and extinguish the fire while it was still a small blaze.

In a revival this is a critical moment.  The fire is a manageable size, and guess what, there are people who don’t want to see a great fire of revival begin to burn.  They want to put it out while it’s still manageable.  Have you seen this?  These are people who want to control what God is doing.  They’re looking to keep things small.  We see them all the time.  They don’t want to get too much of God.  They resist His calling on their lives. 

“I don’t want to be in church, too much.”

“I don’t wan to give a full tithe.”

I don’t want to be prayed for…to be healed.”

I don’t want to let anyone too close.”

We try to contain it when it’s small.  When it’s just starting to grow in our heart.  We worry we can’t control it.  We’re afraid things might get out of our control.  Can I tell you something?  Some people need to get a little out of control.  Some people are worried about what would happen if they got turned on for God. 

When I first got saved I thought it was an intellectual exercise.  I was the great analytical personality.  I looked at everything like this, “Hmmm, how does that work?”   If there was something I didn't understand I had to figure it out, according to what I already knew.  Things were happening to me that I couldn't explain, though.  Things were happening that didn't fit into my experience.

I couldn't analyze it all.  I saw people get healed, I mean really healed.  I saw people give up careers to serve God.  I saw people gladly leave their homes and their jobs and their friends to move to other nations.  None of it fit my frame of reference.  I couldn't come up with an answer for why.  That’s always the big question of the truly analytical…why?  The search for that answer is like dropping a big, wet blanket over revival.  The blaze gets smothered and the fire goes out.

Why do some people get healed, but others don’t?  I don’t know.  Why does God want us to speak in tongues?  I don’t know.  Wouldn't it be easier if we knew what we were saying?  Maybe it would, I don’t know.  Why does God think like He does?  I don’t know.  Why did God rig it so that Jesus had to die in order for us to be forgiven?  I.  Don’t.  Know.  What I do know, though, is that that word "why" kills faith, because you’re looking for answers within you that you don’t have.  Why does God let bad things happen to good people?   I don’t know, but I believe that God loves us.  I believe that God has our best interest in mind.  I believe the best answer for all of mankind’s problems is Jesus.

You need to let the fire grow in you.  Revival changed the course of history in the first century:  That fire started in some hearts in Jerusalem, then spread to Lydda and Sharon, then Joppa, all the way to Rome and finally, around the world.  That revival could have easily been snuffed out as a small blaze that had begun in Jerusalem.

Acts 8:2-3 (NKJV)
^8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. ³ As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

In fact that’s the devil’s strategy.  That’s what he tries to do, but it can backfire on him.  Saul was tormenting the church; people were forced to scatter for their own safety.  That could have extinguished the blaze right there.  It could have killed the revival, but people went to other places and began to preach the Gospel showing God’s power and glory and others came to Jesus in those places.  Samaria was one place:

Acts 8:4-6 (NKJV)
^8:4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. ⁵ Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. ⁶ And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

Antioch was another:

Acts 11:20-21 (NKJV)
^11:20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

The power and glory of God built into a blaze.  It could have easily been controlled at this point, but it went out of control, because people didn't keep wondering why; they just believed and let God move them.

Conflagration

The third stage of a fire is conflagration.  In this stage the fire is burning out of control.  It consumes everything in its path.  What’s really interesting about forest fires is that they can create their own weather systems.  Winds begin to blow out from the center of the fire from the rising heat and expanding air.  The winds blow out from the center and push the fire out farther out.  It actually causes the fire to spread faster than it was. 

Revival is the same way.  If we allow it to ignite and burn, and it gets away from us, it will grow out of control and revival will push itself.  The first century revival spread around the world.  It became something that powered itself.  It grew on its own, that’s how it could continue to grow long after the leaders of the early revival had all died off.  Nobody can strategize that type of growth.  Revival just takes off. 

That first revival started with one hundred-twenty people praying in an upstairs room, hiding for fear of the Jews, and it spread into a worldwide revival.  The Gospel has been heard in every country of the world, today.  It exploded like a raging forest fire. 

Taiwan is a crossroad.  We can reach the whole world from here.  Your city can be a crossroad, too. I believe that this revival can start, right now.  I believe that any church service or outreach could be the ignition point for revival.  We can be ignited today, or maybe revival can begin to blaze in more hearts this very week.  Take time today, to fervently pray for revival in your heart; in your church; in your city.  Purpose it in your heart to come to every service and seek God.  Don’t throw a wet blanket on the flames; let it build in your heart.  Invite someone to church and let it build in his or her heart, too.  Get out of control and let revival burn out of control.  Let’s steal the cry of 1968’s revolution, “Burn, baby; Burn!”

Disclaimer:  Recently, a woman saw our flyer, looked shocked and said, "You're trying to burn the world up."  Obviously, I'm not advocating that we start a huge fire and let it destroy things.  The call isn't for destruction, its for Revival!

Are You Violent?

If you go to Disneyland, one of the things that you see at every ride is a zig-zag of  velvet ropes.  These are there for people to line up behind,  to insure a smooth and safe access to the ride.  But it isn't done the same way at Universal Studios.  In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I haven’t been there in many years, but the last time I was there, they didn't places for you to line up.  Instead they had a closed gate and everybody just kind of crowded around the gate.

The fun started when the gate was opened.  People began to crowd into the gate.  There was a bit of jostling and bumping, elbows were thrown, and maybe even a few toes got stepped on, as people rushed in to get the best seats.  You had to be aggressive to get a good seat.   The violent took the good seats.  It occurs to me that heaven may be a little like that.  Don’t just shut me down; I want you to think about this for a moment.

Have you ever felt that you weren't deserving of the grace that God poured out on your life?  Have you felt like you've done nothing to deserve what God’s done for you?  Well, it’s true you HAVE done NOTHING to merit God’s grace on your life, but neither have any of us.  God has done what God has done for reasons of His own.

Have you ever wondered why you’re saved and someone else isn't?  “Why have I been chosen or called out, when there are many others who are more religious:  Many others seem to be more like whom God would call? 

“I was just a sinner.  I didn't have anything God would want,” but when you say that you’re looking at things from your own perspective, which is different from God’s perspective. God doesn't see things in the way that you and I do.  He doesn't make judgments about men in the same way that we do.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
^16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

So, God doesn't look at our position, or social standing, or religiosity.  He looks at the heart.

When Saul was made king, it was because the people demanded a king.  So Saul fit all the people’s expectations about what a king should be:

1 Samuel 9:1-2 (NKJV)
^9:1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. ² And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

Aren't those some of the requirements that we look for in our political leaders?  God anointed him because that’s what the people wanted; a king like all the other nation’s kings.  When Saul sinned and the kingdom was taken from him, Samuel told him that God was looking for a man after his own heart.  God chose David.  He chose David because David had the kind of heart that God was looking for.  It didn't have anything to do with David’s religiousness.  It was thing of the heart.  It wasn't that David deserved to be king.  It was that he had a heart after God.  He desired God and God’s blessing in his life.

Who are we?  Are we those who deserve God’s blessing, or are we just the kind of people that God can use.  God doesn't choose us based on what we think is religious thought and action.  He doesn't choose us on the kind of thing that we think would appeal to God.  He didn't choose the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  They were the religious men of Jesus’ time and they were rejected, even though they thought they were close to God they were far from him.

Matthew 15:8-9 (NKJV)
^15:8 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. ⁹ And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "

These are God’s thoughts on the religious.  So whom does He choose?  Look at whom Jesus chose for His ministry; common, unlearned men; fishermen.  He chose those that were thought to be profane:  Those that didn't have the religious education, or the refinement of position.  In short, He chose the common people; the off scouring of the earth:  People like you and I.  The ones of whom they said would never amount to anything.  These are the people of God.

Today I want to post on what it really takes to become a man or woman of God.  We receive from God by contending, by diligently seeking.  This post will tell us what kind of person can be rewarded because he or she has diligently sought what God will do. 

Matthew 11:12-15 (NKJV)
^11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

The Kingdom Suffers Violence

What does that mean, the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence? What is meant by the violent will take it by force?  The word violence here means that it’s forced.  For example, if someone breaks into your home or office.  If they smash the lock, kick in the door, or break a window, we would say that the building has suffered violence.  There was an entry that was by force.  People are breaking into Heaven.  They’re forcing their way into Heaven.

The Pharisees and other religious leaders thought they had a hold on heaven.  They thought they would be the only ones worthy to enter Heaven.  “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.”  The prophets and the law spoke of the way to Heaven as being only through strict obedience to the law.  We didn't have the covenant of Grace at that time, so the only way to Heaven was through keeping the law.  If you talked to Pharisees they thought that they were the only ones who kept it strictly, and so they were the only ones on their way to Heaven.

Luke 18:11-12 (NKJV)
^18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'

The scripture above is how Jesus saw them:  That they felt above it all; that their works are what will get them to Heaven.  This is why they were so offended by Jesus reaching out to sinners.

Luke 7:39 (NKJV)
^7:39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."

Matthew 9:10-11 (NKJV)
^9:10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

It was the sinners to whom he reached out, People like you and I.  Face it; we weren't the best choices.  How many of us were sinners:  Liars, drunks, thieves, addicts, and adulterers?  Pick your sin or sins from that list.  We wouldn't have been the choices of the religious leaders, and yet we’re the ones who have laid claim to the kingdom.  We've taken it by force.  The prophets and the law prophesied that the only way to Heaven was through the law, not grace.  It was only through living the way the Pharisees thought they were living, but John taught something different.  John called on us to repent.  We needed to repent in order to see the Kingdom of God.  He doesn't preach about the law.  His message is repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Matthew 3:1-8 (NKJV)
^3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" ³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.' " ⁴ And John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him ⁶ and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

So John preaches a doctrine of repentance.  It isn't a doctrine that says we must live to the law, but that we need to repent and it holds even to this day, because that’s what we preach, “Repent!”

Acts 2:38 (NKJV)
^2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This isn't saying live unto the law, it says repent.  That’s what peter is preaching, and if you've read enough of this blog, you know that’s what we’re preaching, too.

Without repentance sin is not remitted.  The sin is not paid.  We must repent for the remission of sin.  Remission literally means that the price has been paid.  When you receive a bill it says next to the amount owed, “please remit this amount:” Please send away this amount.  We send in our money and the bill is remitted.  The price goes away.  So the remission of sin doesn't just mean our sin has been forgiven, it means the sin has been sent away.  If we want to see our sin sent away, we need to repent.  Then we are able to enter into the kingdom.

And this is what I call the “Doctrine of Violence.”  This is what it means to say the Kingdom suffers violence.  We have by passed the law and we have broken into Heaven.  Instead of going through gates marked “The Law.”  We have broken down those gates and the battering ram that we used is repentance.  We don’t deserve to be there.  We sinned, we broke the law, and we haven’t lived it out.   The iniquity that stains our souls is the mark that keeps us from entering in.  But repentance causes that iniquity to be washed with the blood of Jesus and the mark is gone.  We are able to step in.  We’re there by grace. We’re there by mercy.  We’re there by our repentance and His remission of our sin. 

He has paid the price and our repentance declares our commitment to that grace.  “I’m sorry that my sin put Him on the cross, but His crucifixion will not be in vain.  The price He paid for my freedom will not be taken for granted.  I’m not going to live in a way that will cause Him any more suffering.”  That’s repentance.  This is the violence that the Kingdom suffers.  This is breaking and entering into Heaven.

It Comes Down to Faith

All of this is predicated on faith. We take on faith that Christ is who He said He was.  We take on faith that His death on the cross is atonement for our sin.  It’s the same faith Abraham had in Hebrews 11:6:

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
^11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

It’s by faith that we believe He is.  It’s by faith that we diligently seek Him, and receive the reward of our diligence.  It’s by and through faith that we are the violent that take the Kingdom by force.

I had a guy ask me once, “How do you know thirteen guys didn't just decide to get together and write The Bible?”  By Faith.  “How do you know that this isn't just the greatest con game in history?  By Faith.  “How do you know that God will answer your prayers?”  By Faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
^11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for.  This word substance means that this is the fleshing out.  In other words this is the reality of the thing that’s hoped for.  It’s the evidence of things not seen.  Evidence is an outward indication of the existence of some fact or some thing.  So what is faith?  It’s our hope made real and that what we can’t see exists.  So, we’re saved because we believe God became man, in the person of Jesus Christ, and that his shed blood has atoned for our sin.  We also believe that our repentance gains us access to Heaven.  We take these things on faith and that faith is our salvation. 

We have taken the gates of Heaven by force, and if we have used force to enter then we are the people of violence; the violent.  So then question in this is, “Are you violent, or are you suffering from milquetoast faith.  Do you know what milquetoast is?  It’s toast that has been soaked in milk to make it soft, to take the hardness away, to make it palatable.

Are You Violent?

The church world today seems to be a church of milquetoast faith.  Many churches believe the Gospel is too hard for people to bear.  We need to soften it up   We don’t want to offend the sinners by confronting sin; by telling them that their sin offends God. 

You know, I would have never gotten saved if the Gospel didn't hit me right between the eyes, “Here’s what you’re guilty of, now what are you going to do with that?”   I dealt with it in the only way I could; I repented.  I stepped out in faith.  I said, "God I hope you’re real, I hope the that your promises are true."  Jesus Christ and his atoning blood are the substance of the things I hoped for.

Who are you?  Are you one of the violent, or are you afraid to step out in faith and break down the gates of Heaven.  It’s the violent that come into the kingdom; men and women of action; men and women who will get on their knees and fight. 

I praise God for our fellowship's leadership, who are not blown around by every wind and doctrine:  Leaders who don’t get involved with every religious fad.  Leaders that have committed themselves to a course that will constantly press the battle right to the gates of Hell. When you think about it, that’s what this is, a battle. 

Have you ever noticed how many references there are to battle and soldiers in the Bible?  Christianity isn't just a simple thing.  It’s not a feel-good Gospel. It’s a battle that must be fought.  There’s no room in Christianity for milquetoast faith or a milquetoast Gospel.  This is a life and death struggle and if you’re going to survive it you’d better be a hardened fighter.  You better use all the tools at your disposal. 

Do you know how battles are won?  Battles are won by breaking through the enemy’s defensive positions and forcing the army through the gates of the city and capturing it.  How do we win the war we’re engaged in?  THE SAME WAY, by pushing through the enemy’s lines and taking the Kingdom by force.  We are called to be men and women of violence:  Not physical violence, but spiritual violence.  We’re called to storm the gates of Heaven.  Are you Violent?

Disclaimer:  I am not advocating for physically violent behavior.  I’m expressing my thoughts on the Bible statement that the “Kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent will take the Kingdom by force.”  This is a commentary on spiritual violence.