The Highly Favored of God

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:30)

The angel Gabriel had been sent to Nazareth, a city in the Galilee district, to Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph. He said, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

That was quite a greeting — to discover the great favor of God so fully upon her life. She did not know what to make of it. How could it be? She was just a young woman, a teenager.

The angel reassured her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Yes, God was for her, not against her. Not only that, He was ready to extend the full weight and authority of His goodness and power on her behalf. For that is what the word “favor” means. It is the Greek word charis — grace!

God’s grace was making an entrance into the world in a manner and fullness never seen on earth before, and it was now being announced to this young Jewish girl. This grace was not just for Mary, but for the sake of the whole world. Mary was blessed as the vessel of entry for this new and ultimate expression of God’s favor upon mankind.

Mary was highly favored of God, but so are you if you have received the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you ready to believe the favor of God and receive this great blessing? Are you ready to walk in the power of it, backed by the decree of heaven and the love of God?

Tapping Into the Limitless Thinking of God

My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
and Your salvation all the day,
for I do not know their limits”

(Psalm 71:15)

The word for “shall tell” means to enumerate, to list, to articulate. David, the psalm writer, was saying, “I could list out the righteousness and salvation of God all day long and I would not reach the end of it. In fact, I don’t know any limit to the goodness and rightness of God on my behalf.”

There are no limits in God. What is more, there is no limit to His goodness toward those who trust in Him. There is no limit to what He will do for His people.

Since there is no limit to God’s mercy and grace toward us, we need to develop limitless thinking in our walk with Him. Our thoughts are limited because we are limited. They are finite because we are finite. But God’s thoughts are far above our thoughts:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

(Isaiah 55:8-9)

However, this does not mean that we cannot know His thoughts. God, out of His limitless thinking, sent His thoughts to the earth so that we could know them and walk in His ways. He sent His word to the earth like rain and snow, and His words reveal His thoughts to us.

For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater — so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

We were created to walk in His ways. Our minds were not made to think our own thoughts — that only happened as a result of the Fall, when Adam became spiritually disconnected from the mind of God. Our minds were made to think the limitless thoughts of God, and we will be doing that throughout eternity.

We can know the thoughts of God. This is important because our faith is limited by our thoughts. But if there were no limit to our thinking, then there would be no limit to our faith. So, the solution is simple — stop thinking your thoughts, and start thinking God’s thoughts.

Begin by putting your hand on the problem — that’s right, place your hand on the top of your head—and say this: “My mind was not made to think my own thoughts. My mind was made to think the thoughts of God.”

How do we think the thoughts of God? How do we tap into the mind of God? Here a three effective ways to begin:

First, set your heart on obedience to the will of God. Have an attitude that, whatever God reveals to you, that is what you are going to do. Jesus said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (John 7:17). If we are prepared to do the will of God, we will know His will. It will be revealed to us.

Second, get into the Word of God. It contains the mind of God. God has revealed His thoughts to us in His Word. Therefore, spend a lot of time in the Word. Focus your attention on it and study it carefully. Meditate on it deeply and let it renew your thinking.

The Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Our understanding was not made to be our master or our guide. It was made to be our servant, the interface between the mind of God within us and the world around us.

Let the Word of God be your understanding and guide you into the thoughts of God. You can spend the rest of your life meditating on the Word of God, and it is so deep, you will never touch the bottom of it. You will never get to the end of it. God’s thoughts, revealed in His Word, are limitless.

Third, pray in the Spirit. The Apostle Paul said that the man who prays in a tongue speaks mysteries (1 Corinthians 14:2). In the Bible, a mystery is a secret, not one that God is keeping from us, but one that God is revealing to us. When we pray in a tongue, Paul says, the understanding of the mind is unfruitful (v. 14). The mind does not understand — it is a mystery. But the spirit prays and understands perfectly well.

This is the mind of God coming from heaven, by the Holy Spirit into our spirit, through our spirit and into our mouth, Thus the mind of heaven is spoken into the world, heaven and earth coming together in a powerful way. These are mysteries, the mind of God coming from heaven, being revealed in our spirit by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says,

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him”

BUT God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God…. No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
(1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

Paul said that this is the mind of Christ (v. 16). Though it is a mystery to the understanding of our minds, this revelation of the mind of God will often eventually percolate forth into our understanding. So Paul was able to conclude, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

As you receive the limitless thoughts of God, by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, and your faith is not hindered by your own understanding, you will begin to walk in limitless ways and experience the abundance of God in every area of your life.

Definition: Faithfulness

Faithfulness — the ability to walk in faith, exercise faith, be full of faith.

Apply the Pressure of Praise

I have become as a wonder to many,
But You are my strong refuge.
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise,
And with Your glory all the day.

(Psalm 71:7-8)

This psalm was probably written by David, quite possibly when he was deposed from the throne by his son Absalom. He was experiencing “great and severe troubles” and needed to be brought up “from the depths of the earth” (v. 20). Such circumstances were not particularly new in his life — he had experienced many difficult times before. But he learned how to deal with them and gain the victory, and that is what he is now doing in this psalm.

“I have become a wonder to many.” The Hebrew word for “wonder” means miracle, sign or wonder, something everyone could see. Here was David, who had risen so high and was now brought so low. His enemies were amazed and took this as a sign of their victory. His friends wondered, “How can this be?”

Nevertheless, David turned to Yahweh as his strong refuge. The Hebrew word for “strong” which is used here reveals forcefulness, security, even majesty. Even in the midst of his severe troubles, David found in the LORD a majestic citadel, strong and secure.

Having come to this place of trust in the LORD, David dedicated himself to praise and honor Him. “My mouth shall be filled with Your praise.” The word for “filled” means that his mouth was consecrated, set apart for praising God. His mouth was so full of praise, there was no room for anything else.

When you find yourself in crisis, what you do with your mouth can either sink or save you. You can speak out of fear or you can speak out of faith. You can begin cursing or you can begin praising. However, a mixture of both — fear and faith, cursing and blessing — will not do. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his way. Let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7). It must be nothing but faith and praise that comes out of your mouth if you want to see the victory.

It is a matter of the heart. Jesus said that the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart. David understood this, for the LORD called David a man after His own heart. In other words, David was always turning to the LORD, trusting in Him and giving Him honor and glory. So when the pressure came, out of the abundance of David’s heart, his mouth brought forth praise and glory to God.

The psalm continues, “But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more” (v. 14) David set his expectation on the LORD. The pressures in his life did not cause him to back down one bit — he kept on looking to God. In fact, he even turned up the heat on his worship: “I will praise You yet more and more.” When trouble escalated its pressure, he escalated his praise. He applied the pressure of worship — pressing in for God.

“My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day” (v. 15) The words “shall tell” literally means to enumerate, to list out. It is not a generic little thing he is doing. He is talking about a declaration of praise that is definite, particular, specific. It is thoughtful and articulate.

“All the day.” Just as there was no room in his mouth for anything but praise, so there was no room in his day for anything but enumerating God’s goodness and rightness, and the salvation that comes from the LORD. Why talk about the problem when you can talk about the solution.

“For I do not know their limits.” Though David listed out and articulated the righteousness of God, it was more than he could ever show. He had never experienced the limit of God’s goodness to him. There was never a time when God said, “No, David, that’s all I’m going to do for you.”

The Apostle Paul well understood this. He prayed for the believers at Ephesus that they would be able “to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). This love is so profound and intense that Paul slipped into wondrous doxology: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20).

David did not know the limits of God’s rightness, goodness, love or grace because, for those who turn to the LORD, there are none.

Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come. (v. 18)

David may have been an old man nearing the end of his life, but he was not about to let go, or be let go, from life until he declared the strength and power of God to the next generation. This was not about David — this was about Yahweh, and the manifestation of His strength, His victory.This is how David could say with confidence,

You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
Shall revive me again,
And bring me up from the depths of the earth.
You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side. (vv. 20-21)

Revival, restoration, increase, greatness and comfort. David was not in despair; he was in faith! He had great expectation because he offered great praise to a great God.

No one is immune to great and severe troubles. So learn to be like David, who followed after the heart of God. Always turn to the LORD, in good times and bad. Dedicate your mouth to His honor alone. Whenever troubles arise, apply the pressure of praise, and never stop — press on to victory!

Possessing the Prosperity of God

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
God in His holy habitation.
God sets the solitary in families.
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

(Psalm 68:5-6)

Here we see the prosperity of God. It is a prosperity birthed in love, because God IS love.

We often think of prosperity in terms of finances. Think bigger. Prosperity certainly includes finances, but is by no means limited to them.

In this psalm, we discover that the prosperity of God toward the fatherless is to be a father to them. There may be many ways a person becomes fatherless: through death, through imprisonment, through abandonment, through abuse, even through neglect. But God will be a Father to all who turn to Him, for that is His nature and the tenderness of His heart. The essence of fatherhood is inheritance. Because God becomes father to all who turn to Him, they find their inheritance in Him.

The prosperity of God toward widows is that He becomes their defender, their provider, their advocate in every situation. God is all about being a husband. For example, Israel is spoken of as His wife, so much so that, when she strayed by following after other gods or turning her trust toward the nations, it was seen as an act of betrayal and infidelity, even adultery. The passion of God for His bride is dramatically portrayed in the Song of Songs, a poem of deep intimacy and tenderness. In the New Testament, we see Christ and His bride, the Church.

The prosperity of God toward the lonely is to bring them into families, into community, into fellowship. He sets them into relationship within a house, which speaks of purpose and destiny.

The purpose of God is to free all those who are bound, whether by emotional bondage, cursed lives, poverty or lack, even sickness. He brings them out to prosperity — freedom, stability, blessing, provision, and health. The Apostle John, who had a profound revelation of the love of God, demonstrated that love when he said, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).

The prosperity of God begins with the inner man, the heart. That is why the last line in our text says, “But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” The rebellious is the one who has turned away from God. He has hardened his heart against the Father. He dwells in a desert land, not because of God’s unwillingness to bless, but because of his own unwillingness to receive. His heart and his hand are closed toward the very source of life and blessing.

It is a holy habitation to which we are called. All those who answer that call, who turn to the Father heart of God, who commit themselves to Him, will find in Him their Father, their Husband, their place of belonging, and their source of freedom and blessing. They will experience His tender mercies and the sweet intimacy of His presence, and they will become the possessors of His glory.

One Thing

Watching “City Slickers” today. My favorite scene is when Curly (the cattle boss played by Jack Palance) and Mitch (the city slicker played by Billy Crystal) are riding together and talking about life. Curly has just nailed Mitch’s problem on the head:

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
Mitch: No, what?
Curly: This. (Curly holds up one finger)
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing.

And that’s the secret of life!

David said, “One thing I have desired of the LORD. That will I seek forever” (Psalm 27:4).

When Jesus was visiting and teaching at the home of Martha and Mary, Mary sat at His feet while Martha busied herself in service and was distracted by it. After a while she came to Jesus and complained, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell here to help me.” Siblings.

Jesus answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41).

It is very easy to get worried, troubled and distracted by many things, but God calls us to only one thing. “I am the LORD your God … you shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3). Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). We are not even to seek the other things, just the one thing. Then all the other things will be taken care of.

Our hearts are big enough for one thing only. Soren Kierkegaard said, “Purity of heart is to will one thing, and that the good.” When there are two things, our hearts go back and forth, wavering between them. It is double-mindedness. James said, “Let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:7). David said, “Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name” (Psalm 86:11 NIV).

David realized that only one thing was necessary, and sought after it diligently: “That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4). At the time, he and his army were surrounded by the enemy, and could easily have been overwhelmed. “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (v. 13). But he pursued the one thing, the only needful thing — the presence of the LORD.

Martha was distracted by many things. Mary sought only one — the presence of Jesus. “Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

All we really need is one thing — the presence of the LORD. And that is the secret of life.

The Inebriating Rivers of the Holy Spirit

Doing research for a new book (Miracles and Manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the History of the Church), I came across this item, a commentary by Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers (AD 315-367) on Psalm 64 concerning the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 65:9,10 “Inebriate its rivers, multiply its generations. He will rejoice in its misty rain, when it arises.” [Hilary is obviously working from a Latin translation.]

Hilary’s comments: “The Holy Spirit is called a river. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are made drunk. Because out of us, as a source, various streams of grace flow, the prophet prays that the lord will inebriate us. The prophet wants the same persons to be made drunk, and filled to all fullness with the divine gifts, so that their generations may be multiplied…. We begin to have insight into the mysteries of faith, we are able to prophesy and to speak with wisdom. We become steadfast in hope and receive gifts (plural) of healing. Demons are made subject to our authority.”

[Kilian McDonnell and George T. Montague, Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical 1994, Second, Revised Edition, pp. 183-4. Citing Hilary, Tract on the Psalms, 64:14; CSEL (Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum) 22.246.]

However well Hilary may have captured the essence of this psalm passage, he gives us an interesting insight into the mind of the fourth-century Church: There is a fullness, an inebriation of the Spirit that brings forth words of wisdom, words of prophecy, a boldness of faith, gifts of healing and authority over the demonic. Hilary speaks of them as being fully present in his day.

Jesus promised the disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). On the day that happened, the Spirit-filled disciples were mistaken for drunken wine-bibbers, so much so that when Peter rose up to speak, he began, “These are not drunk, as you suppose… but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:15-16).

Paul also knew of this Holy Spirit inebriation: “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Being filled with the Spirit is very different from being filled with wine. The filling of wine leads to wasteful strife. But the filling of the Spirit leads to fellowship and unity — singing to each other with Spirit-led psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord, giving thanks always to Him, and submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:19-21).

These are the Rivers of Living Waters. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). John notes for us that Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit (v. 39).

Step into the flow of the river of God and let the inebriation of the Holy Spirit come upon you. Become drunk in Him, letting Him direct you in all you say and do. Care not for you own will and ways, your own strength and gifts, your own understanding. Yield yourself, and control of yourself, to the Holy Spirit of God. Let His River flow through you.

Led By Light and Truth

Oh, send out Your light and truth!
  Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
  And to Your tabernacle.
Then I will go to the altar of God
  To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
  O God, my God.

(Psalm 43:3-4)

The psalm writer was desperate for the joy of the Lord. So he cried out to God that he might be led by Light and Truth, all the way into the dwelling place of the LORD.

David said that in the presence of the LORD there is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). In another place he said,

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
  Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
  And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
For with You is the fountain of life;
  In Your light we see light.

(Psalm 36:7-9)

So in Psalms 42 and 43, the psalm writer longed for the house of the Lord, the tabernacle of the Most High. He was unsatisfied and he wanted to be abundantly satisfied, so he cried out for Light and Truth.

This has “Jesus” written all over it. For He is the fountain of life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). He is the Light which gives light to every person coming into the world (John 1:9). This light shines in the midst of the darkness and the darkness can NEVER swallow it up (John1:5).

Jesus is also the Truth. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). You see, truth is first of all a person—the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31).

Get into relationship with the Truth. Let His words abide in you. Then you will find yourself coming into an intimate, experiential knowledge of and personal relationship with the Truth. And when you do, you will find that you have come into a place of freedom.

“Send out Your light and truth, let them lead me.” That is what the light and truth of God does. That is what Jesus does. He leads us, shepherds us along the way we should go. When we follow Him, He will lead us to the tabernacle of the Lord, for He is Himself the Lord’s tabernacle. Jesus is the fully divine Son of God forever clothed in humanity. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ are now also the tabernacle of the Lord, the dwelling place of God. We are living stones being built up as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). We are the dwelling place of joy, for the LORD is our exceedingly great joy, and in His presence is fullness of joy. In His presence are pleasures forevermore, and He gives us to drink for the river of His pleasures. Everything else pales in comparison.

The Flow of Favor and Prosperity

Blessed is he who considers the poor;
  The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive,
  And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
  You will sustain him on his sickbed.

(Psalm 41:1-3)

This is a wisdom psalm that tells you how to be blessed. Wisdom invariably leads you down the path of blessing.

Who is the person being blessed here? The one who considers the poor. The poor are those who are helpless, powerless. To consider them means to act prosperously toward them, to cause them to prosper, to give guidance and direction, to instruct in wisdom.

The way to blessing is all one — it all flows in one direction — but there are many facets to it. In Psalm 1, the blessed man is the one who continually meditates on the Word of God. He is the same man who will seek to prosper the helpless, because that is what he finds in his meditation on the Word. Because he opens his heart to bless others, he comes to a richer understanding and fellowship with the LORD of all blessing. He not only receives the blessing, he understands the heart of blessing, and so he knows how to walk in it day by day.

Now, to be blessed is to be made prosperous with the prosperity of heaven. It is the grace and favor of God—all the power of heaven extended on your behalf. It is sowing and reaping, as we see demonstrated here. Sow prosperity into the lives of others, and you will reap prosperity in your own life. It is the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.

Note how David details the blessing in this instance:

• Deliverance in time of trouble. Rescued, released into freedom.
• Preserved and kept alive. Guarded, protected, hedged about on all sides.
• Blessed on the earth. The favor and prosperity of God manifest in this life.
• Kept from the will of his enemies. God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5).
• Strengthened on his bed of illness. Encouraged, refreshed, stabilized in time of illness.
• Sustained on his sickbed. Restored to health by the power of God.

Bless the poor and God will bless you. Show favor to the poor and God will show favor to you. Prosper the poor and God will prosper you. The blessing is not static, it is a flow that keeps refreshing and giving life. So live with an open heart and an open hand, which are thus able to both give and receive. The blessing of God is a river — let it flow.

The Expression of Joy Godward

You have filled my heart with greater joy
Than when their grain and new wine abound.

(Psalm 4:7 NIV)

Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.

(Psalm 126:5)

The song of joy is inherently the song of thanksgiving. W. E. Vine defines thanksgiving as the expression of joy Godward (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).

Joy is the anticipation and celebration of harvest. The prophet Joel foretold a time of harvest joy for the people of God:

The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.” … Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice [shout for joy] in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you—the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. (Joel 2:19, 23-24)

This speaks of the time of Messiah, who releases Pentecost. Pentecost was the harvest festival of Israel, a time of returning thanks to the LORD and celebrating His goodness. The Pentecost of God, prefigured by all other Pentecosts, was the promise of the Holy Spirit being given by the Father to His people.

Before Jesus ascended to His heavenly throne, He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for this promise to be fulfilled: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This happened ten days later — fifty days after the Passover, when Jesus was offered for the sins of the world. (The word “Pentecost” means “fiftieth.”)

Because Jesus came at Christmas, and went on to Calvary, we can now live in the great harvest celebration of God. It is the time of feasting on the Living Bread — Jesus, of drinking deeply of the new wine of His Spirit, and of living powerfully in the oil of His anointing. Sing the new song and release the expression of joy Godward.

Songs of His Presence

In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(Psalm 16:11)

Christmas is a season of joy! It is about the presence of the Lord, so it MUST be about joy, because in His presence is fullness of joy. That’s why there are so many carols sung at this time of year. The word “carol” comes from kara, the Greek word for “joy.”

Isaiah prophesied of Messiah: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew’s Gospel declares, “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22-23).

Jesus is “God with us.” Fully human, yet fully divine. He IS the presence of the Lord. As He said to His disciples, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Joy is all about the presence of the LORD. If you need joy, the answer is simple — get into His presence. Get in His Word, the Scriptures, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the heart of the Father to you. An old rabbinic proverb says, “When two study Torah, there is the Shekinah.” In other words, when two get together to study the Word of God, the Glory-Presence of the LORD shows up.

So, get in the Word and let His presence begin to fill you. Then begin to lift up and exalt His name. The Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and His salvation is nothing buy joy.

What is the name of the LORD, the name of salvation? It is JESUS! In Hebrew, His name is Yeshua, the word for “salvation.”

Sing the songs of joy, songs of His presence, the carols celebrating the birth of Christ, God with us. Press into His presence. He is there with you. He is at the malls and shopping centers. He is there in all the schools, secular and otherwise. He is there in all the office buildings downtown. Call out His name and give yourself completely to Him who gave Himself completely to you. There you will find Him, and He will fill you with the joy of His presence.

One Thing I Have Desired

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
  Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
  Of whom shall I be afraid?

(Psalm 27:1)

David begins with this declaration. It turns out that, in the natural, the enemy is lining up against him. But he is not focusing his attention on that. Instead, he is singing a praise to Yahweh. Darkness is gathering around him, but he is declaring Yahweh to be his light. He is confessing Yahweh as his deliverer, his rescuer, his salvation. In himself, he has no strength. It matters very little, for he proclaims Yahweh to be the strength of his life. No fear here. No need for it.

When the wicked came against me
  To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and my foes,
  They stumbled and fell (v. 2)

David brings to mind past deliverances, how Yahweh came to his rescue and his enemies fell.

Though an army may encamp against me,
  My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
  In this I will be confident. (v. 3)

God delivered him in the past, God will deliver him now. God has not changed. God has not disappeared. Therefore, David has a deep, abiding confidence in God. He is secure because he takes his refuge in Him.

One thing I have desired of the LORD,
  That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
  All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
  And to inquire in His temple. (v. 4)

Never mind how the enemy was waiting to swallow him up. David was focused on something more important, something which was the key to his victory. Forget the armies, forget the trash talk of the enemy. There is something far more significant which David desired with fierce passion and sought intently. It is his sole request of the LORD:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD.

This was David’s focus—to dwell, to take up residence, to make his abode, to become established in the house of God, in the very presence of Yahweh. He did not want to be a tourist, he wanted to know it as home for the rest of his life.

To behold the beauty of the LORD.

There was something he longed to gaze at intently, to perceive deeply, to contemplate thoroughly. He intensely desired to behold, have visions of, and prophesy the beauty of Yahweh—how pleasant, agreeable, delightful, marvelous, gracious and majestic is the LORD. We become life whatever we behold, and nothing remains the same when we learn to behold the LORD.

And to inquire in His temple.

The Hebrew word for “inquire” is baqar and literally means to plow, or break forth. It is to thoroughly seek out and consider. David wanted such a deep revelation of Yahweh and an intimate experience of His presence, so that he might consider everything in his life in the light of it. To “plow his fields” in the intimate knowledge of God. To hold nothing back, but to break forth with all the issues of his life in the presence of the LORD.

What is your desire? Where do you dwell? What are you beholding? What controls your perspective?

Yahweh, Show Whose Side You’re On

Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You

(Psalm 17:7)

David, the psalm writer, is here asking God for a marvelous display of His hesed, His covenant love and mercy. He wants God to set it apart and make it distinct, to put on a wonderful show of it that may be seen and experienced by all. “Distinguish Your favors,” would be a literal translation here. We might even paraphrase it, “Show whose side You’re on.”

David is invoking the right hand of God, calling on the power of God to deliver him from his present distress. For the right hand represents power, the ability to do things. It is not haphazard, there is an intentionality inherent in it. In the New Testament, we see that the Lord Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 1:19-20). He is the highest expression of God’s covenant love and salvation.

“O you who save.” This is addressed to Yahweh, the covenant name of God. The word for “save” here is yasha. This is the salvation that comes from Yahweh, and again points to Jesus. The Hebrew name of Jesus is Yeshua, which means “Yahweh saves.”

There are times when we cannot discern the hand of God in our affairs, and we just go on and trust the revelation of His heart toward us. But it is more the norm for us that we should run to Him for refuge and protection, to watch for and expect the strength of His arm, His right hand, to come forth on our behalf.

“Show us Your love, O Lord, by Your right hand.”

Trust in the heart of the Father, and expect His love to be shown by the manifestation of His hand.

What Can the Righteous Do?

In the LORD I put my trust;
  How can you say to my soul,

"Flee as a bird to your mountain,
  For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
  That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed,
  What can the righteous do?"

The LORD is in His Holy temple,
  The LORD’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
  His eyelids test the sons of men.

(Psalm 11:1-4)

Here are two guys. One is becoming unhinged, the other is unflappable. One thinks this is all about what the righteous can do, the other recognizes that this is all about God. One thinks the foundations have been destroyed, the other knows that Yahweh is the foundation, and He has not budged on inch — never has, never will.

There is never a need for hiding in fear. The need is for walking in faith. God has not given us the spirit of fear, as Paul told Timothy, but of power, love and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Faith and fear are opposed to each other. The result is that faith mixed with fear is severely compromised.

The LORD in His temple. He is seated on His throne. A throne is a place for ruling and reigning. In other words, God is still in charge. You knew that already, and you probably already knew that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, far above all principality, power, might and dominion. That’s what Paul said in Ephesians 1:20-21.

But did you know that, if you have received the Lord Jesus Christ, you are seated with Him in the heavenlies as well. That’s what Paul said in Ephesians 2:6. In other words, you also are enthroned in the heavenlies with the Father and the Son, far above all principality, power, might and dominion.

So what can the righteous do?

• First, get the kingdom perspective, and make it your priority. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Keep your eye on God and trust in Him, and everything will be taken care of.
• Second, remember where you are seated (Ephesians 2:6).
• Third, learn what the Lord’s Prayer means when is says, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” You see, as a Christian, you are an agent of the kingdom of God. You can call the kingdom forth on earth (“Your kingdom come” is in the imperative). You can call for the will of God to be done on earth just as it is done in heaven (“Your will be done” is also in the imperative). So look and see what the will of God is like in heaven, and call for it to be done on the earth.

Q: What can the righteous do? A: The LORD reigns.

First Things

Going over some research for Miracles and Manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the History of the Church, I came across this item and filed it for future reference. It does not pertain to my book, but it does pertain to my heart. It comes from Basil the Great (circa AD 330-379), a Christian leader and teacher from Cappadocia:

The time which you lend to God is not lost. He will return it to you with large interest. Whatever difficulties may trouble you, the Lord will disperse them. To those who have preferred spiritual welfare, He will give health of body, keenness of mind, success in business, and unbroken prosperity. And, even if in this life our efforts should not realize our hopes, the teachings of the Holy Spirit are none the less a rich treasure for the ages to come. Deliver your heart, then, from the cares of this life and give close heed to my words. Of what avail will it be to you if you are here in the body, and your heart is anxious about your earthly treasure?

Homily 3, “On the Firmament.”
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8

Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

There is only one priority — seeking God’s kingdom and His way of doing and being right. Everything else flows from that. Its all good.

We Need the Blessing

Blessed is the man … (Psalm 1:1)

We need the blessing. It is not a luxury, it is a necessity. If we are not living under the blessing, then we are living under the curse. Those are the only choices. So, we need the blessing — not just a blessing, the blessing.

You see, the blessing comes from heaven, from God. It is the power of heaven itself being extended on our behalf. Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That is what the blessing is, the kingdom of God coming forth, the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus came and went to the Cross so that we could be delivered from the curse and receive the blessing:

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:13).

God wants us to have the blessing, to live in the blessing, to walk in the blessing, to enjoy the blessing with Him. Because the blessing is all about God.

God is Full of Faith

Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)

God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The testimony of Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, is that God is faithful. In the Old Testament, the word for “faithful” is the Hebrew aman. We find the same word in Genesis 15:6, speaking of Abraham’s faith: “He believed [aman] God, and He [God] accounted him for righteousness.”

You might recognize that aman sounds very much like “amen.” That’s because they are cousins, and follow the same principle of faith. When we say “amen,” as in prayer, it means that we are believing that prayer to be answered (At least, we are supposed to be believing for the answer. Of course, many people have no real idea what “amen” means. For them it has become little more than a tagline.)

In the New Testament, the word for “faithful” is the Greek pistos, the same word for “faith.” You see, God is very much a God of faith. In fact, He is “full of faith” as the English word “faithful” literally means. Consider the faith of God:

• Jesus told the disciples, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). Literally, the Greek means “Have faith of God.”
• Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith does not come from us, it comes from God, and is itself a gift of God. God cannot give what He does not have.
• Faith is a fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, … faith” (Galatians 5:22, KJV). All these fruits are brought forth in us by the Holy Spirit because they all come from God.

You see, the nature of Biblical faith is to believe the Word of God. If we do not believe God and what He has said, then in Bible terms, we are in unbelief.

The Bible says that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1). That is, faith is the underlying reality of what we expect to see fulfilled. Is that not what God does when He speaks His Word? He has every expectation of seeing it happen. For example, when God created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1, and darkness was on the face of the deep, God said, “Let there be light.” He believed what He said and had every expectation that light would appear. The result: “And there was light.”

That is how it always is with God. When He speaks His Word, He expects it to be fulfilled. The LORD said through the prophet Isaiah, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). That is faith.

Faith, believing the Word of God, is how God Himself operates. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). God had confidence in His own words. He did not go by what was visible, but by what He was saying — His will being expressed in His words.

If God is full of faith in His own Word, then ought we not also to be full of faith in His word, believing God to fulfill everything He says? If God operates by faith in everything He does, ought we not also to operate by faith in God’s Word in everything we do? No wonder Hebrews 11:6 says that, without faith, it is impossible to please God, because faith is what God Himself is all about.

So when Jesus said, “Have faith of God,” He was teaching the disciples to line up with the way God does everything. That is why He could then go on to say, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23). [By the way, the word “assuredly” there is the Greek word amen, a powerful word of faith.]

God is full of faith, and we can have the kind of faith that God has. Therefore, we can operate in the same way God operates, speaking His Word and expecting it to be fulfilled.

Without Faith, Nothing Matters

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. (Luke 16:10)

Ongoing examination of faithfulness. The Greek word for “faithful” is pistos, the exact same word for “faith.” We use the word “faithful” (adjective) because it is in the descriptive position, e.g., “He who is faithful.” Faithful literally means “full of faith.”

What I want you to notice first is that this is not primarily about trustworthiness. Trustworthiness, the ability to be trusted, is a good and important thing, even a necessary thing. But it is a secondary result of pistos, not the main thrust. Faithfulness is first of all about faith.

Let me put it this way. God is not looking first of all for men whom He can trust. God is looking first of all for men who can trust Him. If they are able to depend on Him, then they will be dependable themselves.

To understand the truth of this, study the lives of Abraham, Moses, David and Peter. They all messed up plenty of times. BUT, they all learned how to believe God, and that is what made all the difference for them.

You see, faith — pistos, the ability or act of believing God — is what pleases Him. The Bible says, “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” (Hebrews 11:6).

Without faith, there is absolutely no pleasing God. This is because, if something is not of faith, it is not of God. It does not come from God, therefore it cannot please Him. Paul went so far as to say, “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).

On the other hand, when we have faith and use it, which is what it is means to believe, God is greatly pleased. In fact, it excites Him, stirs His heart toward us, so much so that He rewards us greatly for seeking after Him in faith. Faith is believing God, and that honors Him.

Now, notice the passage above. The contrast is between the man who is faithful (full of faith) and the man who is unjust. The Greek word for “unjust” is adikos. It is made up of two parts, 1. a, the alpha privative, and 2. diké, which has to do with righteousness, or rightness. Taken together, the word signifies that righteousness is absent. That is, there is no justness in it.

Why is the unjust man deemed unjust? Because he has no faith. Therefore, it is impossible for that man to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Whatever is not of faith is sin, so all his deeds, lacking faith, are unjust — the rightness of God is not in them.

There is an inherent comparison being made in Jesus’ statement. It is the comparison between the man who is faithful in what is least and the man who is faithful in what is much. It turns out that they are both one and the same. It cannot be otherwise. For if a man is not full of faith—believing God and therefore pleasing to God — in the little matters, then how in the world can he be full of faith in more important matters. He lacks the most essential ingredient to dealing with all matters great and small. That essential ingredient is faith.

A person may be very nice, of very good character and full of good intentions. He may be thoroughly punctual and diligent in everything he does. But if he does not exercise faith in God, then he is not faithful in the biblical sense. In fact, in biblical terms, he is unrighteous. You see, doing right is not just a behavior, it is a matter of the heart, a heart full of faith.

Everything in life is all about God. Absolutely everything! Everything works because of Him. Everything finds its fulfillment in Him. This is because He is, and He is the rewarder of all who diligently seek Him by faith.

Five Things Working Together for Your Good

A favorite passage for many Christians has been Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

The common understanding of this text has generally been that all things, whether they be good, bad or indifferent, all work together in the plan of God to bring about good for those who love Him.

I would like to challenge that interpretation. I think it has brought about a great and virulent misunderstanding of the text.

Yes, I know that there are some translations that render it as, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good” (NASB), making God the subject of this verse. But that is not found in the majority of the Bible manuscripts or lectionary readings in the early Church. The majority of texts have “all things” as the subject.

In other words, this verse is not about what God does in all things, but rather what “all things” do.

(Two things to note here in passing: 1. The “things” (as in "all things") is not necessary to the translation. We may just as well simply say, “all work together for good.”2. The working together of all things is present tense, that is, what "all things" are at work doing for us right now.)

What difference does it make? Well, it means that we do not have to tolerate, accept, bless or be thankful for any of the bad or evil things that happen in our lives, as if they are somehow necessary for our good (they are not), or that they somehow add to the quality of our lives (they do not).

Certainly God can take a bad situation and bring good out of it. After all, that is what our redemption is about, God buying back and setting free that which has come under the power of evil. But that is not at all the same as evil somehow working to bring about good.

Certainly God can also teach us in the midst of evil things that may happen to us. But evil is not in any way our teacher. God is the teacher, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us whatever we need to know.

Evil is about bringing about evil, not about bringing the good. Even if evil could work together with good, the result would not be good, but a mixture of good and evil, and that is essentially evil, because evil is the lack of good. Even a little lack of good, as in a mixture of good and evil, is still a lack of good, and therefore ultimately evil.

No, God is good, and He does not cooperate with evil to bring about good. Rather, He works to deliver that which is good from that which is evil.

So, if the “all things” of Romans 8:28 is not about evil things as well as good things working together for the good, then what are they about?

Well, I’m glad you asked. I believe the “all” here is speaking about the things that Paul has already talked about earlier in Romans 8. Here is what I find working together for good, and they are all in themselves good. Although there may be many things trying to work against us for evil, there are also many other greater things working together for our good:

1. The earnest expectation of Creation. “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God ... For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Romans 8:19, 22) When God created the heavens and the earth, and everything in them, He pronounced them “good.” Though they have been subject to the Fall, there are laws still present within Creation for bringing about the good. For example, there is a law of sowing and reaping: If you sow evil, you will reap evil. But if you sow good, you will reap good.

2. The firstfruits of the Spirit. “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). We have the fruit of the Spirit and gifts of the Spirit at work in us. The Church received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the “Feast of Firstfruits.”

3. Hope. “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?” (Romans 8:24) The Greek word for “hope” is elpis, and refers to a positive expectation, a joyful anticipation. Because it is oriented toward the future, it helps us stay on track in the present.

4. Patience. “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Romans 8:25). If we are oriented by hope, then we also need to have perseverance. The Greek word for “perseverance” is hupomone, and means “constancy, endurance, patience.” Hope and patience work together.

5. The Holy Spirit helping our weakness. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercessions for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and His intercessions perfectly express the will of God for us.

Which brings us up to verse 28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

So this is not about good working together with evil to produce good (which is logically impossible to begin with). This is about all the things Paul has already mentioned — the groaning of Creation, the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit at work in us, hope, patience, and the Spirit Himself interceding for us — it is all these things which are working together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

These things have a specificity to them which we can lay hold of by faith, and they are more than adequate to deal with any adversity we might face.

The Gateway Between Prosperity and Worthlessness

I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. (Psalm 101:3)

David, psalm writer and king, made this commitment before the LORD, but he wasn’t just talking about his eyes, he was talking about his heart. Whatever you give place to with your eyes, that is what invades your imagination and enters your heart.

The operative verb here is “set.” It means to appoint, fix in place, or establish before you. It is not talking about things that may simply pass before you, things over which you have no control. This is about what you choose. Proverbs says,

As he thinks in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)

The Hebrew word for “think” which is used here literally means “to act as gate keeper.” We can choose to let certain thoughts come in and have a place in our hearts, and we can choose to keep other thoughts from being established in us. The choice is ours — we are the gate keepers of our own hearts. But whatever we allow to be at home in our hearts, that is what determines the sort of person we are. The quality of our thoughts reveals the quality of our character.

Want to know what a man has given place to in his heart? Its not hard to find out. Jesus gave us the key.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

So the secret is to listen to the words of a man’s mouth. If you listen long enough, you will discover what is going on inside him in abundance. You’ll find out even quicker if you listen to him when he is under pressure. You’ll know what kind of a gate keeper he is, what he has set before his eyes.

Now, let’s consider the word “wicked.” David said, “I will set [establish] nothing wicked before my eyes.” There are a few Hebrew words for “wicked,” but the one used here is belial. You may have come across this word transliterated into English, particularly as a description of character. The Bible refers to various men as “sons of Belial.” These are good-for-nothings, worthless fellows, up to no good. That is what the word belial means: worthless and without profit. It describes a path that leads to destruction.

David determined that he would not set worthless, unprofitable things before his eyes. He would not let them pass through the gate of his heart. This is very much like what Paul counseled his disciples in Philippi:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

What a powerful benefit this brings. The God of peace (and the peace of God) will be with you. Paul was writing in Greek, and the word he used for “peace” is irene. But, no doubt, he would have had the Hebrew shalom in mind, a word which describes completeness — nothing missing, nothing broken.

What you set before your eyes, what you entertain in your imagination, what you let into your heart, can lead you to destruction — or into the peace and prosperity of God.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

The prosperity of your soul is another way of talking about what you let through the gateway of your heart. There is a direct relationship described here, indicated by the word “as.” If you limit the prosperity of your soul by what you let into your heart, you also limit the prosperity of your life. Fill your heart with worthless things, and so will your life be filled with worthlessness. Or let the things of God dwell in your heart in abundance, which is always profitable, and your whole life and being will overflow with the prosperity of God. As you think in your heart, so are you, and so is your life.