Unlikely Vessel

I have to admit that at times I can become confused or even a little jealous when God chooses to use someone who I would consider “unqualified” to do his work. It is almost as if he rewards those who behave poorly, or exalts those whose faithfulness is questionable. It is kind of like the story of the prodigal son. It was the son who squandered his father’s money in sin and chorusing who was welcomed back with open arms, given a party and clothed in fine robes. The faithful son seemed all but ignored. Likewise, there are times when God will choose an unlikely vessel to do an amazing work in his name. One of the greatest examples of this was Saul. It says in Acts, chapter 9, verse 15: 

“But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.’” 

Just two chapters earlier, we read that Saul approved of the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and was on a mission to imprison anyone who put their faith in Christ. And now, we understand that he is being groomed to carry the message of Christ to the Gentiles and their kings! Even after Jesus appeared to Saul, who was later named Paul, many of the believers were afraid of him, not sure if his conversion was authentic or a ploy to imprison more believers. Even Ananias was wary of him. But God was not. He chose the most unlikely of people to do the most amazing work in his name. In fact, Paul wrote most of the New Testament, suffered greatly for Christ, and is heralded as one of the most prolific believers in the Bible. So if God can use Paul, one of the most unlikely of vessels, then he can use anyone. He can use you and he can use me. So I would encourage you not to minimize your worth for kingdom purposes. You may have had a rocky past, but God can still use you. And for those who have followed Christ faithfully for years, there are several examples of God using those in that camp as well. Well, let’s head on to our next song, but first, if you want to write into the show, here’s how you can.

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I remember a time when God used someone who I thought was unqualified to perform a miracle. At a Benny Hinn alter call, he touched the head of a woman and felt power flow out of him, knocking her out in the Spirit. God has never used me in that way, especially at that time in my life. After I heard his story, I grew a bit indignant and jealous. But I was later reminded of the truth of Acts, chapter 9. God can choose anyone he wishes to do his will. And he often chooses the most unlikely of vessels. The Bible reminds us that “he choose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty”. That way there is no doubt who is doing the work. So I would encourage you, as I encourage myself, to accept whomever God chooses to do his work. He may even choose you to do something you think you are unqualified for. But if he does, take heart in knowing that you are certainly not the first.

Face to Face

I wear glasses when I’m reading or watching television. I don’t really need my glasses to see, but I do need them to see clearly. Without them words on a page are a bit blurry and images on the television screen are not optimal. But when I put my glasses on, everything is crystal clear. Details that were once unrecognizable are now fully revealed. Paul explains that our vision of God is somewhat similar. Right now, as we live in these corporal bodies, it is as if we can only see a blurry reflection of him. But there will come a time when we will be able to see him with crystal clarity. There will come a time when we will fully know him. Paul puts it this way in First Corinthians 13:12. It says: 

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror…” In Bible times the mirror wasn’t what it is today. Today, when we look in a mirror we can see an accurate reflection of ourselves. But back then mirrors were made of polished metal. The reflection wasn’t very clear. It was blurry; only clear enough to make out the major details. None of us have seen Jesus in the flesh. And the Bible mentions that it is death for a mortal human being to look at God face to face. But, Paul reminds us that there will come a time when we will see him face to face. Not only that, but we will know him fully. I believe that this revelation will be the highlight of our eternal existence; to know God fully even as we are fully known by him. I don’t know about you, but my mind is not able to truly understand the magnitude of that truth. But I look forward to it with eager expectation and I hope you do too.

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Jesus is the only one who has ever walked the earth with the full knowledge of who God is. This side of heaven, we can only see a poor reflection; we can only know in part. I thank God that we can at least know him as well as we can, but even what we do know takes faith. Jesus said, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. Most of us only know in our hearts. Some of us have been privileged enough to have seen him in dreams or have heard the audible voice of God. Some have even claimed to have died and seen him. But for the rest of us, it is our faith that compels us. But take heart, there will come a time when you will see God face to face; when you will fully know him. If you are a believer today, I encourage you to take hold of that truth. I encourage you to wait in anticipation for the glorious revelation that is yet to come.

Bear Fruit

I believe that with great care and forethought, God created each one of us with unique talents, gifts, passions and abilities specifically suited to serve his purposes for the kingdom. And if we are willing to serve him, God can use us in his master plan. We can be his proverbial hands and feet. We can be his mouth and his arms. Through us, God can touch lives, show love, spread the gospel, and even change the course of someone’s life; all this in an effort to further his purposes here on earth. But what happens when we choose not to use our gifts for kingdom purposes? What will he say if we never bear fruit for the kingdom? In Luke, chapter 13, verses 6 through 9, Jesus tells a parable that I believe affectively answers this question. It says: 

“Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir’, the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” 

No one, whether a follower of Christ, or an unbeliever, wants to look back on their life with regret. When we are old and grey and are unable to accomplish what we could’ve in our youth, we don’t want to be faced with the realization that we never bore any fruit for our king. So I would encourage you to assess your life now. If you are active for the kingdom, great! But if you are only living for yourself, you may want to consider this portion of scripture. The fig tree in this parable didn’t bear fruit for 3 years! How long has it been for you? Are you using what God has given you to affect change for the kingdom? Americans, for the most part, fill our lives many things. Some are simple distractions, and others are important things that need be done. But we are all in control of some aspect of our schedule. And ultimately, we make time for the things that are important to us. What is important to you? I would encourage you to make bearing fruit for our king a priority.

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God created you with a kingdom purpose in mind. Are you fulfilling that calling? Do you even know what your purpose is? If not, I would encourage you to pray and ask God how you can serve the kingdom. In this parable, Jesus reveals that it is our purpose to bear fruit. If we don’t, we are useless to the king; so much so, that the owner of the vineyard ordered that the tree be cut down because it was taking up space. We need to do more than just take up space on this earth. God built us with a longing for purpose. Without purpose, we are unfulfilled. In an effort to fill that hole we may become self-destructive, self-absorbed or complacent. In other words, we become useless to the king. I encourage you to pursue usefulness. I encourage you to bear fruit.

God's Appeal

One of the Bible verses that has always stuck with me comes from the New Testament where a woman was caught in the act of adultery. She was brought before Jesus as the villagers were about to stone her. Jesus said, “let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”. Everyone walked away without a single stone being thrown. When all had gone, and after she realized there was no one left to accuse her, Jesus told her to “go and leave your life of sin.” I’ve always wondered how difficult that command might have been for her to carry out. It is difficult to leave a life of sin. It is difficult to change a pattern even with the help of the Holy Spirit. But that is what we are called to do. We are called to repent. We are called to get a new heart and a new spirit. God spoke through his prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel chapter 18, verses 30 through 32, with these words:

“Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

God’s words were more than a command, it was an appeal. He was telling the Israelites the same thing Jesus told the woman who was caught in the act of adultery; “repent”. Earlier, God spoke through Ezekiel to the Israelites, explaining that every person would be judged for their own sins; that a father will no longer bear the sin of their son, nor vice versa. Each person was now responsible for themselves, just as it is today. But in doing so, God appealed to his people. He said that he takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. He implored them to repent and live. I believe this appeal is still very valid today. We will be judged according to our own obedience or disobedience. Our parents can’t save us, our pastor can’t save us, and our friends can’t save us. We are responsible for ourselves. God’s appeal is that we rid ourselves of sin. It can be difficult to leave a life of sin. It can be difficult to turn away from our offenses, but it can be done. If it couldn’t, then God wouldn’t ask it of us. So I challenge you, if you are away from God, if you haven’t left your life of sin, do it today. None of us can do it on our own. But that is why Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit.

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God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. He could’ve been referring to physical death, or he could’ve been referring to spiritual death. In either case, this kind of judgement can be avoided if we get a new heart and a new spirit as he outlined in Ezekiel. Yes, sin is enticing. But greater is he who is in you then he who is in the world. In other words, the Holy Spirit living inside of you is greater and stronger than any foothold Satan has in your life. Do you believe that today? Allow God to give you a new heart and a new spirit; a heart that seeks after him and not the desires of the flesh, and a new spirit that is broken and contrite before him; one that will allow him to mold you into the person he is calling you to be. I encourage you to heed God’s appeal. As he said, “Why will you die, I take no pleasure in the death of anyone. Repent and live!"

Complete Faith

What is “true faith”? What does it look like to truly believe and not to doubt? If you were to drop a ball, I’m sure you would have total and complete faith that it will fall to the ground. You would not doubt. In fact, if things were to happen any differently; say if the ball were to float upward, suspend in mid air, or shoot off diagonally instead of falling straight to the floor, it would probably blow your mind. You may even need therapy after seeing something so incredible. But if you, or I, were to drop a ball, there is no doubt in our minds that it would do exactly what we think it would do. That is “true faith”. That is the kind of faith Jesus had while he walked this earth. He had absolutely no doubt that when he laid his hands on someone they would be healed, that when he wanted to walk on the water he wouldn’t sink, and when he called Lazarus forth from the grave that he would be raised from the dead. It says in John, chapter 11, verses 41 and 42:  

“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 

The very next verse describes Jesus calling for Lazarus to “come out” from the tomb; a tomb in which he lay dead for four days! Even knowing this Jesus had absolutely no doubt that Lazarus would appear. In fact, when Jesus prayed aloud, he only did it for the benefit of the people around him, not for himself. So if you want to know what complete faith looks like, this is it. Jesus was as sure that Lazarus would walk out of the tomb, as you and I are that a ball dropped would fall to the floor. And I believe that it is this level of faith that we are to strive to achieve. One reason we believe that when we drop a ball it will fall to the floor is because we have complete faith in the law of gravity. We’ve seen it and experienced it since our first day on this earth. It has never changed, and never will change, unless God performs a miracle. Jesus has known from the beginning of time who the Father is and how he will respond to his prayers. I don’t know about you, but I want to hone my faith to a level that it is equal to, or even greater than, my belief in gravity.

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Faith is a learned behavior. Just like our faith in gravity is learned, our faith in our Lord is learned. The Bible teaches us that we build faith by reading his word. Romans reminds us that “faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God”. Faith is also learned through experience. When we experience God being true to his word, we have faith that he will do it again. So, we gain faith by reading God’s word and experiencing his faithfulness. Are you reading God’s word? Are you putting it into practice? That is how we gain faith. In fact, Jesus says that if we have faith and do not doubt, we can say to a mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. That is as impossible as saying to a man who has been dead for four days to “come out”, but Jesus had enough faith to believe in both.