When Your Heart is Overwhelmed

Hear my cry, O God;
  Attend to my prayer.
  From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
  Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

(Psalm 61:1-2)

This is a psalm of David. He is far away from where he longs to be, even desperately needs to be. Physically, he is far away from home and the sanctuary, the house of prayer. But he is undeterred. Even from the edges and fringes of his existence he cries out to God, confident that he will be heard.

“When my heart is overwhelmed.” Covered over, weighed down, even incapacitated and unable to function. Some people find themselves overwhelmed and then capitulate. They say, “Well, under the circumstances …,” little realizing that they do not need to remain “under” the circumstances. God offers a powerful alternative.

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” This is a place of restoration, a place of going up, a place of rising above. A place of breakthrough to a level that is much higher than that which overwhelms him. But also a place David cannot get to by himself. So he calls on God to do what only God can do. “God, get me there.”

For You have been a shelter for me,
And a strong tower from the enemy. (v. 3)

David has history with God. God has delivered him in the past and brought him to security. Though David’s heart fluctuates, God does not change, so David casts himself onto God’s steadfastness.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. (v. 4)

When David finds that his heart is overwhelmed, he looks to his abiding place, the tabernacle of God. And though he is far away from the physical structure, he is not far away from God.

The Hebrew word for “shelter” in verse three means “refuge.” In verse 4, the word for “shelter” literally means “covering.” David is not speaking of a visitation, merely taking shelter from the storm. No, he has determined in his heart (“I will”) that he will look to God as his habitation — forever!

He does not want to be overwhelmed by the cares, anxieties and circumstances of the world. He wants to be always overshadowed by the covering of God’s wingspread. He wants to overwhelmed by the love and goodness of God.

When you find yourself overwhelmed, do not hesitate or delay. Immediately call out to the Lord and run to Him for refuge. Find in Him your permanent dwelling place. He will deliver you and cover you over with His protection, His provision and His grace.

Defeating Fear With Faith

Whenever I am afraid,
  I will trust in You.
  In God (I will praise His Word),
In God I have put my trust;
  I will not fear!

(Psalm 56:3-4)

Notice how David moves from fear to no fear. He is not denying that he has moments of fear and anxiety in his life. Rather, he is showing us how he deals with those moments.

First, there is the moment of recognition, “Whenever I am afraid.” He becomes aware that fear has gotten a hold on him, but he does not look at himself as a victim, helpless to do anything about it. Nor does he take a defensive posture. Instead, he goes on the offensive and launches an attack against that which has attacked him.

“I will trust in You.” Fear is a toxin, but faith is the antidote. When fear tries to get to David, he immediately reaches for faith. He does not even try to speak to fear or reason with fear — he focuses his attention in the completely opposite direction, for faith is the opposite of fear. He does not set his mind on the problem, he sets his mind on the solution.

“In God (I will praise His Word), in God I have put my trust.” Notice the tense here: In God I have put my trust. This is not something new to David, but something he has developed as a habit. He has learned the discipline of faith, and now it has become his conditioned response: When fear comes, he responds with faith.

How did David learn this disciplined response of faith? By turning to the Word of God. His faith in God has very much to do with the Word of God. God is not separate from His Word. In fact, another psalm declares that God has exalted His Word even about His Name. For the Word reveals, not only the will of God, but the heart of God for His people.

David has meditated on that Word, day and night (Psalm 1:2-3), and has seen that heart. He has come into an intimate relationship with God through the Word. The promises of God are sweet to him. What is more, they are strength. That is why David praises the Word of God, why he has put his trust in God, and why, whenever fear strikes against his heart, he will quickly trust God again.

There is a conscious choice being made here. David chooses to meditate on the Word, the promises of God, instead of fear (which is the lie of the devil). He is active and intentional in his praise of the Word. He does not speak words of fear, repeating the lies of the enemy. He puts the words of faith in his mouth and thereby sets faith even deeper into his heart. For the Bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). So, as he meditates on the Word.

In the Hebrew mind, meditation is not a silent function, but a vocal expression of the heart. The Hebrew word for “meditate” literally means to mutter or murmur. In this mindset, you can tell when someone is meditating because you will see their lips moving. Meditation is “self-talk,” speaking the Word of God to your heart. As the Word fills the heart, faith increases.

Through this process of meditating on the Word, the promises of God, David is therefore able to shift his focus to faith and trust in God. And so he comes to the place where he can confidently say: “I will not fear!”

Keep the Word of God in your heart, in your thoughts, and in your mouth. Literally open your mouth and speak forth God’s promises, and see how that will release faith into your situation. Then, whenever fear tries to come after you, you will be in a position to quickly trust the Lord in that matter. When you are “tanked up” on the Word of God, you will find yourself boldly declaring, “I will not fear.”

The Flow of Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

Remember that there are two parts to God’s commandment (1 John 3:23):

1. Love God by believing on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.
2. Love one another.

In the first part of chapter 4, John deals with the first part of that commandment, discerning the of truth and the spirit or error on the basis the Lord Jesus Christ, His humanity as well as His divinity. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Any spirit that denies this confession is not of God (1 John 4:2-3).

Now John is addressing the second part of the commandment. “Beloved, let us love one another.” Here in the space of six words, he presents us with two instances of love. First, there is his love for those to whom he is writing, the love of a father for his children. Second, there is the love he exhorts them to have for one another. Why? Because love is of God. John then gives us a third instance of love, and it is the most important one, for it identifies the source of all love — God.

This has practical ramifications, for John says, “He who does not love, does not know God.” This knowledge of God which John talks so much about is not only an intimate experience of God, and the discerning between truth and error, it is also a knowledge that transforms.

Before we go further, note that John is not here disregarding faith in the name of Jesus Christ as the basis of knowing God. Rather, he is assuming it, since he has just written about the importance of that very thing. But it is not enough to say, “I love, therefore I know God,” because love must be defined.

John’s point is this: It is incongruent for someone to say that he knows God if he does not practice love. That is, it does not jibe. Why? Not only because love is of God, but more importantly because God is love.

Love is more than an attribute of God which can be described by an adjective (i.e., God is loving). It is part of God’s very essence — who He is — described by love as a noun and demonstrated by love as a verb. There are only a few instances where God is spoken of in such crisp, ontological terms: God is Spirit, God is a consuming fire, God is love.

“God is love” not only tells us about who God is, but also tells us why God does what He does. He acts in love, grace and mercy precisely because that is what He is. He would be going against Himself to act in any other way.

God’s love is transforming, so that, a person who does not love, really has not yet come to know God, to have intimate revelation of who God is and what He is like.

So, John tells us that love is of God and that God is love. Then he goes on to define love even closer, to show what love looks like on the ground, “on all fours.”

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)

Here we see that John has not departed at all from the first part of the commandment (believe on the name of Jesus Christ), because when he starts talking about love, we discover that it is defined for us by what the Lord Jesus Christ has done.

This is God’s love in action — made known, manifested, revealed, defined — God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. It is the Gospel in a nutshell, the essence of life to all who believe it and receive Him, even in the midst of a world that has fallen into death.

God is love, and it is the very nature of love to give and to serve. Giving and serving are not works which are alien to God, works which He assumes on a temporary basis for strategic purposes. No, they are native to God, the outworking of who and what He really is.

It is what I call the “algebra of love”: God is love. Love gives and serves. Every true instance of loving, giving and serving ultimately traces back to God, for “love is of God.”

Love is of God and not of us, at least not in a primary way. God always takes the initiative. As John defines it for us, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us.” Our love is a response to God’s love made know to us.

God first loved us and sent His Son to be the “propitiation for our sins.” God’s love solved the problem of sin for us, not in a theoretical way, but in a very real way. God’s love did not just provide a cover for sin, papering it over in an “out of sight, out of mind” sort of way.

There must be some actual basis for dealing with sin. A debt cannot be forgiven without the cost being borne by the forgiver. So God, in His love, has dealt with the sin of the world by directing His wrath on sin fully toward the Lord Jesus Christ, who took our sin and was nailed with it to the Cross.

So God bore the cost of forgiveness of sin by giving His Son. Jesus bore the cost by giving His life. All this has been done for you and me out of love. So John concludes this matter with the perfect logic of love:

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:11)

Once again we discover that it is all about God. Even love is all about God because it is the love of God with which we love one another, and even love God Himself. Love comes from God and returns to God in a perfect circle.

Father, give us more revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how You made Your love known to us through Him, so that we may love You more perfectly by trusting Him more fully, and that we flow with Your love to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Enter at Your Own Risk

Since we have decided to call our blog The Faith Log, it seems good to take a moment say a word about what we mean when we talk about faith.

First, the kind of faith of which we speak is not about believing in general. We do not recommend that you should simply have faith. That is not enough because faith must have an object. That is, our faith must be in something. Nor is it enough to simply just have faith in something, as if faith in anything will do. There are many things which cannot be trusted without dire consequences. In other words, not only must faith have a definite object, it must have a sufficient object.

Second, we are not talking about positive thinking. Positive thinking may have a place, but not the prime place because positive thinking is generally about what you and I can do. Also, it is possible for you and to be positive about something and yet be positively wrong.

Third, what we are really talking about is Biblical faith. That is, the kind of faith that the Bible talks about. That’s why we have subtitled this ‘blog “Exploring the workings of Biblical faith.”

The Bible kind of faith is believing what God has said. The Apostle Paul said, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). This kind of faith does not come by hearing just anything, but by hearing the Word of God.

Now there is a mental assent and emotional commitment that comes from hearing a great many things, but that is not what the Bible calls faith.

This also points up the difference between Biblical faith and positive thinking. Positive thinking is about what man can do. Faith is about what God has promised to do. A man can be mistaken in his own personal expectations, but God cannot deceive or be deceived. In other words, what God says will happen, will happen.

So, Suzanne and I choose to believe the Word of God, and not just any old thing that bids for our commitment of trust. This means that there are some things that we will reject as a basis for faith. We will always seek what the Word of God has to say about a thing, and that is what we will believe.

That is why, as you read through The Faith Log, you will find that there are some things about which we are very strident. We do not apologize for this, but we do want you to be aware of this. We love you and welcome you whether you agree or disagree with us, but we do want you to understand that you enter at your own risk.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

“You are of God.” That means that they are those who confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. That is the definition the Apostle John has just established in verses 2 and 3.

“Little children.” John is speaking very tenderly with them, as a father with his children. This not only indicates John’s advanced age, but more importantly, the well-established relationship he bears, for he has been a father of the faith to them.

“And have overcome them.” These little children, who are “of God,” have overcome those who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Jesus is the great dividing line. Those who confess Him in His humanity and historicity, as well as in His divinity, overcome those who do not. They are not deceived.

The cause of this decisive victory is not themselves, but God in them. He abides in them because they have believed on the name of His Son Jesus Christ. What is more, He is the source of their faith in Jesus Christ, and of the confession they make concerning Jesus Christ.

However, there is also one who is in the world, who is the source of unbelief and denial. This is the devil, and he is the source, not of the created earth, but of the world-system that is in rebellion against God.

He seeks to hinder and obscure the revelation that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine. He will allow one confession or the other, but not both together, because that sounds the death knell for him. In the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, God and Man are reconciled and heaven and earth are brought together. That means destruction for what the devil is trying to do. But that is indeed why Jesus came, to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

The truth and the cause John brings forth is this: God in us is greater than he who tries to influence us from the world-system.

They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us: he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:5-6)

John has already stated that those who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh are not of God. What is the source of their unbelief and denial, then? It comes from the rebellious world-system. They speak as of the world because they have listened to the lie of the world and believed it. Because they listen to the world-system and speak what it says, the world-system, in turn, receives them and their words.

“We are of God,” John boldly counters. But how can he be so audacious as to say such a thing? It is because he has seen Jesus with his own eyes, heard Jesus with his own ears, touched Jesus with his own hands. He comes as an personal witness to the life and ministry of Jesus, declaring both the humanity and divinity of the “Word of Life” (1 John 1:1-4).

“He who knows God hears us.” Just as those who are of the world-system receive the unbelief and denial of the world-system, so those who are of God receive the confession that comes from God, and those who make such confession. Those of the world receive the witness of the world. Those who are of God receive the witness of God. The witness of God is greater because He who is in us is greater than he who is in the fallen world-system.

Those who have the witness of the Holy Spirit in them hear and receive the teaching of the Apostles. Or to put it another way: Those who know God, who are growing in personal relationship with Him and who increasingly discern, or recognize His voice, hear those who come speaking that which is of God.

John concludes the matter: By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. That is, those who receive the spirit of truth — who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and confess that He has come in the flesh — are of the truth of God. Those who do not, are of the error the world-system.

There is a conflict in the world today between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. It is a conflict between the God who created heaven and earth, and the fallen system of a world in rebellion. The outcome is certain, for God, who is the source of our faith in Jesus Christ, dwells in all those who confess Jesus Christ, and He is greater than the one who foments the rebellion of the world against Him.

Overflow and Outspokenness

The year of 2005 is a year of overflow. God has brought this message through many of His people through visions and prophecies. More specifically, it is a year of the overflow of His glory. It is a year of increase in miracles, supernatural manifestations of His goodness. It is a year of “suddenlies.” That is, there will be things that, when they start to happen, they will happen quickly, and suddenly things have unexpectedly changed.

In worship last Sunday, the Lord showed me that there will also be an increase in evangelistic anointing, the Good News of Jesus Christ being ministered in increasingly effective ways. This is not surprising because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God’s glory and grace.

This year is a year when seed shall be sown and quickly come to harvest. Amos prophesied such a day:

“Behold the days are coming,” says the LORD,
  “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
  And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
  And all the hills shall flow with it.”

(Amos 9:13)

This is a year of outspokenness. Last week, I logged on concerning outspokenness, or boldness toward God. On Sunday, the Lord showed me that if we will be outspoken toward Him — dwelling in intimate relationship with Him and boldly reaching for those things He has so freely promised — then we will also be in a place of outspokenness toward others in sharing God’ great goodness, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is the year of overflow. Are you ready to step into it, to exercise your faith and reach for the grace and goodness of God, to extend it to others? Are you ready to lay hold of Holy Spirit boldness in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ?

A Point on Discerning Bad Theology

Reading in In Praise of the Inexpressible: Paul’s Experience of the Divine Mystery by Jean Paillard, and I came across this quote which I think is eminently true. Thought I’d share it with you:

Any theology that does not result in singing God’s praise is simply bad theology. (p. 82)

Or to put it another way: Good theology leads to wonderful doxology. Is that not what we are really supposed to mean by the term orthodoxy?

Discerning the Spirits

By this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. (1 John 3:23).

God has given His Spirit to be a witness to us of God’s presence abiding in us. “By this we know.” In the Bible, knowledge is not merely theoretical, it is experiential. That is, we know something by experiencing. Here, the experience is one of discernment. It requires an awareness of sources.

So what is this witness of the Spirit to which John refers? We discover that in 1 John 4. (There are no chapter divisions in the Bible, those were added later.)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the antiChrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3)

The spirits themselves need to be discerned. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul talked about the gift of discerning the spirits. There is the Holy Spirit, who is true and speaks truth. There are also false, demonic spirits. Then there is the human spirit.

You and I are human spirits who have souls and inhabit bodies. Altogether, that is what we are — spirit, soul and body. Now, it is possible for the human spirit to be influenced by the Holy Spirit. God designed us that way. In fact, His purpose is for us to be filled with and indwelt by the Holy Spirit — God Himself present in us.

Unfortunately, since the Fall of Adam, it is also possible for us to be influenced by false, demonic spirits. That is why we need to test the spirits. For there are pseudo-prophets (Greek, pseudoprophetes) who are bringing false messages, influenced by spirits which are not of God.

So how can we tell the difference between the witness of the false spirits and the witness of the Holy Spirit? John lays it out very simply:

1. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.
2. Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.

Once again, it is all about Jesus. The role of the Holy Spirit is to take what belongs to Jesus and reveal it us — to show us Jesus. He speaks the truth to us about who Jesus is and who we are in Him.

So this is how you tell the difference. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. The Greek word for “confess” is homologeo and means to “speak the same thing,” that is, to speak in agreement.

Now, John was addressing an issue that was becoming very controversial in his day, but it also has serious ramifications for us today. You see, there were teachers and groups who, though they taught that Jesus was divine, they denied that He was truly human. They agreed that He was spirit, but they denied that He was also flesh and blood.

There are groups today who will speak of the “Christ-Spirit within” but who will deny the humanity of Jesus. They affirm a philosophical Christ, an ideal that is vague and ethereal, but deny the concrete reality of the historical Jesus. John says that will not do. Their teaching does not come from God. It does not represent the witness of the Holy Spirit.

Why is this important? Because John writes to give witness to “that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life” (1 John 1:1). John was not presenting philosophical ideas but declaring that which he personally experienced, saw, heard and touched — a historical person, Jesus Christ, Son of God, fully human and fully divine.

It is a matter of fellowship. “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). You cannot fellowship with an idea or a philosophy. You can only have a personal experience with a person. We have fellowship with the Father because have been reconciled to Him by the humanity of Jesus Christ, and the historical event of the Cross and Resurrection.

A philosophical idea may be a fine solution if the problem at hand is philosophical. But our problem is historical — the Fall of Adam, of which every one of us has been a part. Historical problems require historical solutions. Of course, there are those who deny that the problem is historical at all. They deny that there was ever such an event in history known as the Fall. They deny the true nature of the solution because they deny the true nature of the problem. So they deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

John definitively declares that their witness does not come from God. In fact, he identifies it as the spirit of antiChrist. That is, they are coming against Christ. It matters not that they may profess a “Christ-Spirit” within. If they do not confess the humanity and historical reality of Jesus, then they are actually denying Christ.

The Apostle John has given us an important dividing line between what is true and what is false. The witness of God’s indwelling Spirit is that Jesus Christ has indeed come in the flesh, that He is fully man, that He has entered into our time and space existence as a historical human being. It is by this same Spirit that we understand, discern and experience the presence of God abiding in us.

The Solution: More Revelation of Jesus

Considering the Church at Galatia and Corinth today. Paul wrote them letters in which he dealt with some pretty serious difficulties, including some very pernicious problems.

The Galatians were becoming deceived by a group of Jewish Christians who believed that one had to become Jewish before becoming Christian. This was actually a justification-by-works mentality, a performance-based religiosity, the spirit of religion. In a word — legalism.

The Corinthians had a bagful of their own problems: factionalism and strife between brothers, believers hauling each other to court to be judged by worldly standards, sexual promiscuity, gross negligence of poorer brothers, pride and abuse regarding spiritual gifts.

But what they all really needed was more revelation of Jesus — who He is, why He came, what He came to do, and who we are in Him. And in various ways, that is the need Paul addressed.

For example, in the book of Galatians, Paul presented the Lord Jesus Christ as the “seed” (not “seeds,” plural) of Abraham, and declared that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Powerful stuff.

For another example, in 1 Corinthians 13, sometimes called the “Love Chapter” of the Bible, when Paul was giving a revelation of love, was he not really offering us a revelation of Jesus Christ. I mean, we can replace every occurrence of the word “love” in that chapter with the name of Jesus, and it will always make perfect sense.

The more I think about it, the more I become convinced that all we really need is more revelation of Jesus.

Think on Jesus in everything you do. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Him to you more and more, that He may be glorified in you more and more—in your spirit, soul and body.

The Worship / Healing Connection

Just received an email from a friend who is a worship leader. She expressed her desire to explore more deeply the connection between worship and healing.

Indeed, there is a connection, a very powerful one. Its about prosperity of soul, a matter of the heart. The Apostle John revealed this key when he prayed for his friend Gaius:

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 the soul, the inward being, has much to do with the health of the body and the prosperity of the outer man. Simply put, prosperity is success and well-being. The well-being of a person’s soul is a determining factor in the well-being of their life.

A person who walks in prosperity of soul can expect also to experience good health and success in all their affairs. Conversely, if success is lacking and health is failing, perhaps there is something in their inner life which needs their attention.

Worship is an activity that tends to bring the soul into well-being. One reason is that worship is not self-centered (although some Christians approach worship in a way that is very nearly self-centered). The soul that focuses on itself is a soul that is withering on the vine, cut off from its source. True worship is an antidote because it focuses the heart on God alone — and that is the road to soul prosperity.

That’s just one connection between worship and healing. Another connection is what happens when we gather in Jesus’ name, which is what we do in worship. Jesus said that where two or more gather in His name, He is there in the midst of them.

To gather in the name of Jesus means, again, that it is all about Him. The focus is not on us, its on Him. We are there for His purposes, to bring forth His will, to express His heart, to do His works. That is how His presence gets manifested.

When Jesus is in our midst, He is there to do what He has always done, because He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So just as, in His earthly ministry, Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, so it is today as He gathers in our midst. He is ready to heal and set free all who come to Him — the worship/healing connection.

Baptism and the Lord’s Table are also signs of His presence. They are a revelation of who He is and what He came to do. Historically, from the very early days of the Church, the celebrations of these sacraments* have been occasions for healing.

In worship, we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Worship is a revelation of heaven, where there is no sickness or disease. When we understand that, we begin to see that the will of God being done on earth will include the healing of those who are sick.

There are certainly other connections we can find between worship and healing, but meditate on these for now.

The Bible says that God is looking for those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. So ask the Holy Spirit to show you Jesus, who is the Truth. For it is the role of the Holy Spirit to take the things of Jesus and reveal them to us. When you come into that place of worship, you will find it to be a place of healing.

* A sacrament is an outward, visible sign of an inward, spiritual reality.

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Healing Scriptures and Prayers
by Jeff Doles

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Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Abodes of God

Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. (1 John 3:24)

The commandments of the Lord are these: Believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another (1 John 3:23). On our own, these are very difficult — in fact, they are impossible. But with God they are simple: Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), so it becomes easy to believe in Him when we have received His Word. And God is love (1 John 4:8), so with Him at work in us, it becomes easy to love one another. The Bible says that faith expresses itself through love (Galatians 5:6).

It is really not a matter of doing a work, but of receiving a gift. It is letting His Word and His Love be at work in you. It is not your work, it is His work in you. It is allowing God to be who He is in you. That is why John said, “He who keeps His commandments abides in Him,” because it is all about God living and working His way in you. By faith, we become His dwelling place. Not only do we abide in God, John says, but God abides in us.

God abides in us. That’s potent, or perhaps I should say omnipotent (seeing that we are talking about God).

Remember in John 14, when Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions. …I go to prepare a place for you” (v. 2) The translation “mansions” lead us in the wrong direction. We think of mansions as huge houses set apart. That is not at all what Jesus was talking about. He was not picturing places of separateness, but places of intimacy. The Greek word is mone, and refers to dwelling places — abodes. The NIV says “rooms.” Jesus has prepared rooms for us to dwell within our Father’s house.

This is not “end time” truth, or about when we die someday. It is about right now, in this life.

Jesus continued, “If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (v. 3).

Jesus went to prepare a place for us — He did this at the Cross. He was gone for three days, and then He returned (the Resurrection) to receive us to Himself.

Now our abiding place is in Him, and we dwell in His Father’s house. Right now. Not only that, but Paul says that we are now seated in Christ Jesus at the right hand of the Father, far above all principalities, power, might and dominion (Ephesians 2). That is, not only do we dwell in our Father’s house, we rule and reign from there as well.

Again, Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).

The Greek word for “home” is mone. The KJV renders it, “make our abode with him.” This is the word translated “mansion” in verse 2. These are the only two places in the Bible where this particular Greek word is used.

Jesus also promised this:

I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

The Greek word for “abide” is meno (closely related to mone). God has prepared a place for us in His house, and a place for Himself in us, and He dwells in us by the Holy Spirit.

Remember that, in his epistle, John said that we would know that God abides in us, and this knowledge would be by the Spirit whom He has given us. This is the Spirit of truth whom God has given to dwell in us. He knows us and we know Him, because He dwells in us.

When we keep God’s commandments (believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and walk in love) we know that we are abiding in God and God is abiding in us, and He gives this witness to us by His Spirit. Enter into this love relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Believe and abide. Be at home in Him and enjoy His abiding presence in you. These are the abodes of God — us in Him, and Him in us.

Outspokenness Toward God

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (1 John 3:21-23)

“Beloved.” John is speaking very tenderly and pastorally to his readers. “If our heart does not condemn us.” To condemn (Greek, kataginosko) is to “know against,” to find fault with. This is not the nagging of an overly scrupulous conscience or some kind of pathological introspection. Those things will never give you any peace. No, as we will see, John has something very simple and specific in mind.

“We have confidence toward God.” The English word “confidence” derives from two Latin words: con, “with” and fide, “faith.” Confidence is acting with faith and assurance. The Greek word in our text carries the same idea and literally means “outspokenness.”

“Because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight.” Here we learn the issue in which we should have clear conscience and confidence toward God: keeping His commandments. Now, John is not talking about the Ten Commandments, or the 613 precepts of the Mosaic Law, or any kind system of rule-keeping or point-scoring at all. After all, John is not known as the Apostle of Law, but as the Apostle of Love. So what are these commandments John has in mind, which will lead us into bold assurance with God? They boil down to one commandment with two facets. This is His commandment:

1. Believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.
2. Love on another.

Life does not get any simpler than that. But when did God ever give this commandment?

It happened one day when a scribe started paying attention to what Jesus was preaching and teaching. Quite taken with how well Jesus had answered the controversial questions of the Sadducees, this scribe went up to Jesus and asked, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.… And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

Jesus went right to the heart of the matter and addressed the matters of the heart. This simple commandment, “Love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself,” is what all the commandments of God are actually about. In fact, it is what the whole kingdom of God is about. That is why, when the scribe received this revelation and fully embraced it, Jesus declared, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

This is what John was talking about in his epistle. The commandment to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength is rendered by him as “Believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” “Love your neighbor as yourself” corresponds with “Love one another.”

This is what we live by: Love — love for God (believing in His Son) and love for each other. If we are living by love, then our hearts have no reason to find fault with us.

Therefore we can have a holy outspokenness toward God. This is not a law relationship but a love relationship, a divine mingling of God’s love toward us and our love toward Him. It is a relationship of trust and assurance. In such a relationship it is then quite natural that we can ask of God and expect to receive from Him whatever we ask.

Is this not what Jesus meant when He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness [i.e., love God and love one another], and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Its not about what you know. John was addressing people who had been exposed to an early form of gnosticism, a false teaching which prized “secret” forms of knowledge (“Gnostic” is derived from the Greek verb ginosko, “to know”). Notice how John turned that on its ear:

We do not ask and receive from God on the basis of some secret knowledge that we have acquired. In fact, it is more about what we don’t know — i.e., our heart does not know anything against us. Rather, our confidence towards God comes out of being in a love relationship with Him.

In other words, its not about what you know, its not even about who you know. Its about who you love.

When we walk in love for God and each other, committing ourselves to Jesus, then we have come into a wonderful place of outspokenness toward God, a place where we can joyfully call out for Abba, Father — Daddy! In that place we can ask God whatever we like and fully expect to receive it from Him.

The Tsunami of God’s Love

In worship this morning, in a vision, I found myself moving deeper out into an ocean. It was an ocean of God, an ocean of His love, His desire, His purpose. Remember when you first came to Christ and stepped into His ocean, how wonderful it was? Deeper into His waters, it just keeps getting more and more wonderful. We can turn and look back at the shore, but it holds nothing for us anymore — nothing but dryness, and who wants that?

No, we go forward and deeper. This year, 2005, is a time for going deeper, ever deeper into the love of God. It is a time for not only being in the Ocean but becoming of the Ocean, to be part of the flow of His love.

There is a shift happening this year, an earthquake of the Spirit that will shake the whole world. The ocean of God’s love is rising, a tsunami of His goodness which will flood the coastlines and inland. It will destroy structures of the world system, structures which inhibit the expression of God’s love and goodness, structures which oppress, suppress and repress people from responding to His love and goodness. This coming tsunami of the love of God will wash away things which can never be established in Him, so that He can establish things which can never be shaken or washed away.

One of the worship singers this morning began singing, “Let the zeal of the Lord consume us.” The Bible tells us that God is love, so what do you suppose the zeal of the Lord will be about? The Bible also says that our God is a consuming fire. Is that not again about love? Are you ready to get lost in the love of God, so much so that you simply become a part of His ocean — to roll forth full of His goodness, to not only find yourself richly blessed, but to become a great and mighty blessing to the world in 2005.

Are you ready to believe that?

Now is the time also to cry out for more sons and daughters to be born into the kingdom of God — that He may receive more and more glory, that His love may wash over the nations with cleansing and refreshing and new life.

This is a now time, a new time, and a time of favor and grace abounding. Jesus came and announced the promise of Isaiah 61, declaring the year of the Lord’s favor — good news to the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, deliverance for the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, liberty for the oppressed. Then as He sat down, He declared, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4).

This fulfillment has not ceased but has only increased. Are you ready to receive it and walk in it this year?

Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing — the acceptable year of the Lord, the year of the Lord’s favor. Embrace it, proclaim it, walk in it, minister is to others.

A Fresh Experience of Pentecost

Here is something I came across while researching for my book Miracles and Manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the History of the Church.

This item is an entry from John Wesley’s journal concerning a “watch night” service on New Year’s Eve 1738. The event he describes has sometimes been called the Methodist Pentecost.

Mon. JANUARY 1, 1739. — Mr. Hall, Kinchin, Ingham, Whitefield, Hatchins, and my brother Charles, were present at our love-feast in Fetter-Lane, with about sixty of our brethren. About three in the morning, as we were continuing constant in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us, in so much that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As soon as we were recovered a little from that awe and amazement at the presence of his Majesty, we broke out with one voice, “We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

This was a powerful move of the Holy Spirit which, as it turns out, ignited a time of Great Awakening and revival in England and Wales, and was carried over to the American colonies, chiefly through John Wesley and George Whitefield.

May the Lord give you a fresh experience of Pentecost in this new year, the power of God coming mightily upon you, overfilling you with His joy. May you never recover from that experience but from henceforth be inebriated with His praises and a bold, powerful witness to His name everywhere you go. Happy New Year!

Getting a Revelation of Jesus

All you and I really need is simply more revelation of Jesus. If there is any problem in our lives, it is that we do not know Him well enough. We just need to know Him more.

Fortunately, God has gifted us with many ways to know Jesus more. The only problem is that we have learned to not avail ourselves of them and press on into the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism. Baptism is often called a sacrament — an outer visible sign of an inner invisible reality. In other words, baptism is a sign, a sign from God. When you were baptized (if you were baptized), you may have thought you were giving God some kind of sign. But actually God was giving you a sign that you were being received into His family. To put it simply, in baptism we are buried with Christ and raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Take time to reflect on your baptism in Christ — it is a revelation of Jesus.

The Lord’s Table. This is also called a sacrament. Paul said that as often as we partake of it, we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. The Lord’s Table is a communion, a fellowship we have with the Lord Jesus, and each other as the body of Christ. We receive the sign of His body given for us and His blood shed for us. It is a revelation of Jesus that goes beyond words.

Gathering in His Name. Jesus said that wherever two or more are gathered in His name, He is present in their midst. He was not talking about merely His omnipresence as the Second Person of the Trinity. No, He was talking about a presence that is a self-revelation of Himself. The key is not simply to gather, but to gather in His name. That is, when we come together and recognize that it is all about Him. We gather to act and think and speak and do as He would act and think and speak and do. According to His promise, gathering in His name becomes something sacramental, a sign of His revelatory presence.

The Word of God. God has given us His Word in the Scriptures, and it speaks to us about Jesus. The Old Testament foretells Him to us; the New Testament reveals Him to us. The Scriptures are a mode of revelation, but Jesus is the Word made flesh. Truth is a Person, and every revelation of truth is a revelation of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the Father would give us the Holy Spirit: “When the Helper comes, who I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” (John 15:26). “He will glorify Me, for He shall take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14).

Worship. Worship is a revelation of Jesus. Paul said, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Worship is a spiritual activity. That is, when we worship, we are engaging with the Holy Spirit. When we worship, we are proclaiming that Jesus is Lord, and we cannot do that without a revelation of Jesus by the Holy Spirit.

Praying in the Spirit. A.k.a. “praying in tongues.” This again is an activity of the Holy Spirit engaging with our spirit. Paul said that if someone prays in tongues, he is speaking mysteries in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:2). In the Bible, a mystery is a secret—not one that God is keeping from us, but one God is revealing to us. So whenever we pray in the Spirit we are receiving a revelation of Jesus, because it is the role of the Holy Spirit to take of what belongs to Jesus and declare it to us.

If you need more revelation of Jesus — and you and I both do — here are seven powerful ways to receive it.

Don’t Try Harder. Love God More.

Consider the following statements. Which one sounds like religion, and which one sounds like relationship:

1. God blesses you for good behavior and punishes you for bad.
2. God blesses you, period, and brings forth righteousness in your life.

Which one sounds like Christ?
Which one sounds like Christianity?
Which one sounds like the Church?

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Have you ever noticed that fruit is not something you find clipped on to a tree? Fruit comes forth from within the tree. It is not a lifeless add-on. It is the manifestation of the life that is within the tree itself. The fruit of the Spirit is not behavior we affix to our lives, it is the life of the Spirit manifesting in within us.

What we really need is not an imitation of Jesus, but a revelation of Jesus. We do not need to mimic His life, clipping on His behaviors on to our branches. That is the way of barrenness. What we really need is for Him to live His life in us. He is the vine, we are the branches. Our life comes from Him; His life flows through us.

The Christian life is not a matter of trying, it is a matter of yielding. Mike Bickle says, “Don’t try harder. Love God more.”

Mercy and Justice

"I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O LORD, I will sing praises."

(Psalm 101:1)

Here is God's mercy and here is His justice. They are both needful things, but notice that God's mercy comes first.

This mercy is the Hebrew word hesed. It is the covenant faithfulness of God, the love by which He has committed Himself to His people. Its counterpart in the New Testament is agape, the divine love of God.

The justice of God is that by which He sets things right. It is a word of restoration, and it is a good thing. Where the innocent are being oppressed, harassed and distressed by the wicked, it is the justice of God that comes that brings the wickedness of the wicked to an end. If God does not do that at some point, the innocent will suffer in perpetuity. Thank God for His justice.

And thank God for His mercy, for He will come by mercy to all who will receive it, who will repent and turn to Him and call on His name. My prayer is that God will bring the wicked to repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ. But if they will not come, if they will not receive the grace, mercy and love of God, then I pray that God will bring them to judgment — to set things right so that the righteous and the innocent be no more ground under the heel of the wicked.

The day of judgment must come, and let us be in agreement with it. But let us first be in agreement with the hesed, the faithful mercy of God.

Not to Worry

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Matthew 6:27)

These are words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. He is talking about faith, and worry is not a manifestation of faith. To worry means to be anxious and troubled with cares. Worry is not life-giving, but something that sucks life out of you. It does not come from heaven. it comes from hell. It is not of God but of the devil, the accuser of the brethren. Be done with it. Jesus shows us how:

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow or reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26)

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the filed, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed life one of these. (Matthew 6:28-29)

If you’re going to be thinking about things, don’t focus on your lack. Focus instead on the provision made for you by the Father. When the Lord is your shepherd, you shall not be in lack.

Now if God so clothes the grass of the filed, which today is and tomorrow is thrown not the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:30)

You see what the problem is? It is “little faith.” It is not faith totally absent, but faith ungrasped, unexercised, unactivated. Its one thing to have faith, but quite another to live by it.

Most people, even many Christians, have no idea where faith comes from and how to use it. In fact, they don’t even realize that faith comes from somewhere and that there are definite ways to activate it. To them, faith is something like a fog that rolls in and can easily roll out again.

But the Bible says that faith comes from somewhere, and in a specific manner. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Ah, faith comes by hearing — but not just hearing any old thing. It comes by hearing the Word of God. You see, God’s Word is life, an incorruptible seed. When we receive that seed by hearing and meditating upon it, it gives birth to faith in our hearts. That’s a work of the Holy Spirit, sowing that seed and brooding over it within our spirit. The life of faith comes from that seed, believing what God has said in His Word. That’s why the man in Psalm 1 is such a blessed man — He constantly meditates on the Word of God, believing the promises and receiving their benefit.

Many people meditate on the lies of the devil — that’s what worry is all about. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God; worry comes by hearing the lies and accusations of the devil.

There are also definite ways to activate, or exercise faith. Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6).

The Word of God is a seed; faith is a seed. But it is not enough just to have them. You must plant them. The way you plant them is by speaking them out. You can say to the mulberry tree and it will obey you.

Many people speak out all their worries and fears. They are always talking about their problems and how things are getting worse. But nothing will ever get solved by worrying, and it will never get them anywhere with God.

The Bible says that, without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). In other words, faith pleases God. Worry does not. Faith pleases God because it comes from Him in the first place; worry does not come from God but from the enemy. Faith is believing what God has said; worry is believing the whispers of the evil one.

Worry cannot add one cubit to your stature. It cannot make you any taller, although it might make you shorter as you hunch and slump under the burden of care. But I heard of man who added to his stature, not by worry, but by faith. His desire was to be on the police force in his community, but he was too short to qualify. With a strong sense of call to this work, he began to exercise his faith, believing God to make him tall enough to meet the requirement. And so he was. Worry could not do that. But faith certainly did.

I heard another man who believed the promise of God in Psalm 103:5 and began to confess, “God satisfies my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” One of the visible results is that his hair, which had been graying, began to turn dark again. Worry can only turn your hair gray, but faith can renew your youth and vitality.

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles [pagans] seek. For your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. (Matthew 6:31-32).

“Do not worry, saying …” Notice that worrying is exercised by what you say, just as faith is. You have a choice about what you can say. You can speak words of worry, whispering fear over your life, or you can speak words of faith, confessing the Word of God over your life. (Hint: choose faith)

You see, it always comes back to God. That is why Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Faith is activated by believing the Word of God in your heart and speaking it with your mouth. Faith and worry do not mix. Therefore, speak only words of faith over your life.

A Vision Concerning the First Nations

Yesterday in worship, I heard the Lord speak to me about awakening and revival among the Indian tribes, the First Nations. They have been on my heart for the past five or six weeks (around the time of Thanksgiving, which seems very appropriate). I have found myself crying out the word “heya” in praise and prayer. It arises in Indian chants and appears to be a phonetic filler word, a sort of Indian madrigal. White people say “fa la la;” Indians say “heya” (perhaps I have understood that usage wrongly — if so, I welcome correction).

As I have called out that word, the Lord has shown me new significance. I think of “Hey, Yah” — calling out to the God whose name is Yahweh. Yah is a “nickname” of Yahweh. We find it in Psalm 68:4, “Extol Him who rides on the clouds by His name Yah.” It is also the Yah in Hallelu Yah, a.k.a. hallelujah —“Praise Yah!” Also, in Hebrew, the verb for being (i.e., “is” and “am”) is hayah. This appears to be the basis for the name Yahweh, the God who Is.

And so my worship has, of late, been punctuated with heya / hayah / Hey, Yah!

Well, yesterday in worship, a heavy travail was upon me for the First Nations, particularly the Seminoles, the tribe that is local to me in Tampa, FL. This was aided by the drums in worship, which had somewhat of an Indian sound. At one point in the service, we were saying Yes to the Lord, giving ourselves to Him in obedience and openness of heart to whatever He wants to do in and with us. Pastor Rick then identified for us that we were not saying it just for ourselves, but also for the sake of others. That is when travail broke heavy upon me and I began to weep. I ended up face down on the floor, gushing snotty tears.

I heard the Lord say that 2005 would be the year for great awakening and revival in the First Nations. Now, I recognize that the Lord has already been starting a mighty work among them, but what I was hearing is that it is going to break loose in a powerful way in this coming year.

In particular, I saw the Seminole nation coming into this great move of God. I saw the name of Jesus being lifted up in the tribal councils. I saw Him in the midst of the Seminole people, as every knee bowed before Him in worship. I saw the Hard Rock Café, in Tampa, become The Rock Café, no longer a house of gambling, but a house of the Sure Thing. No longer were people coming away from it impoverished, but they came rejoicing in the prosperity of God.

Wise Men Discern Kings

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea I the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:1-2).

Two years have passed. The infant Jesus is now a “young Child.” Angels in the heavens had announced His birth to shepherds. A star in the East signified to the Wise Men.

The Greek word for “wise men,” magi, refers to a group of philosophers and priests, probably of Medo-Persia, who were interested in medicine, astronomy and related sciences. Though probably not kings, they would certainly have been sought out by kings for their wise counsel and insight.

The Magi in Matthew apparently had some access to the Hebrew Scriptures and developed an interest in Messiah. When they saw the star, they were put in mind of a prophecy in Numbers 24 spoken by Balaam. Balaam was a mercenary prophet hired by the Moabite king for utter a curse on Israel. But try as he might, Balaam was quite unable to perform that task. Instead, he brought forth a far-reaching declaration from heaven.

The utterance of him who hears the Words of God,
  and has the knowledge of the Most High …
I see Him, but not now;
  I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
  A Scepter shall rise out of Israel.

(Numbers 24:16-17)

This Star in Numbers is Messiah blazing with the authority of heaven. The scepter speaks of His rule over the earth from the midst of His people. In Matthew, the “star” is the Greek aster, and literally means “rising.”

The Magi stated their purpose: “We have seen His star [His Rising] in the East and have come to worship Him.” They came to honor the King of the Jews, to bow before Him, to reverence and adore Him, to kiss Him and honor Him with tribute

Now go to Jerusalem. Herod has found out about this trek. He gathers the Jewish priests and scribes to find out where this Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea” comes the answer, based on the prophesy of Micah 5:2:

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
  Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
  Who will shepherd My people Israel.

Having discovered the place, Herod then summoned the Magi to determine the time the star appeared. “That I may come and worship Him also,” he says falsely. His real intent is to kill this rival king, though this was not yet apparent.

The Magi followed the star on to Bethlehem, full of joy when they realized their journey’s end and set their eyes on the young King. They fell down on their faces and worshipped Him. Then they arose and opened their treasuries and presented Jesus with gifts. Do not suppose that these were three little jars, Whitman’s Samplers. No, the Magi dug deeply into their treasuries and brought out their gifts in great quantity — they were honoring a King!

Now, understand that we do not know how many Magi were on this mission. Traditionally, they are numbered as three, but there is no real indication of this in Scripture. There were three gifts presented, but there may have been many wise men presenting them. There may well have been a whole company of Magi, along with an entourage — quite a conspicuous caravan.

The gifts of the Magi were very significant, demonstrating the wisdom and prophetic insight of these men.

• Gold ~ a gift befitting a King.
• Frankincense ~ a gift that honors the deity of this King.
• Myrrh ~ a gift that recognizes the humanity of this King.
  

Having worshipped Jesus and bestowed their gifts upon Him, the Magi departed. But they were warned by God, in a dream, that they should not return to Herod, and they returned to their home by another way.

Joseph, a dreamer himself, was warned that Herod was out to destroy Jesus. God told him to take Jesus and Mary into Egypt. When Herod’s men came to Bethlehem, they found the Holy Family had departed.

Herod was furious. He commanded the slaughter of all young boys in Bethlehem, two years old and under, “according to the time which he had determined from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

The Magi were men of discernment, studying the Scriptures, believing the Word and following wherever it led them. They correctly discerned the kings. They offered no worship to Herod, brought him no gifts. They held their honor for the true King only and worshiped Him alone. As they honored God, God honored them, and brought them safely home.