The life of Moses is a wonderful story. When he was a young man he met God in a common shrub. He was shepherding a flock for his father-in-law. Then something quite extraordinary happened. He saw a bush on fire.
“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Exodus 3:4, ESV
God would call Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joshua. And there was also Samuel and Isaiah. In the book of Acts Paul heard Jesus call him on the Damascus road. And they all responded with one Hebrew word– hineni.
“Here I am.”
God is never silent. He still speaks to each believer. He calls out to us, and hineni must be our response. Yes, walking in faith can be hard, but each one has been summoned. I believe this is true. Each of us is valuable in God’s eyes–“You were bought with a price.”
How are you going to respond to this?
Hineni is a dangerous word. Ask the disciples. When Jesus called them to follow they had no idea how turbulent and troublesome life would become. Each believer gets a cross. And each will know grace and peace.
“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Mark 8:34
There’s grace given to everyone who can really say, hineni, “Here I am.” I have known that there is joy in my journey, a kindness that has no bottom, a love that surpasses every pinnacle. I’m loved that much.
“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”
21 “So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything.
22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.”
Ephesians 5:21-22
There is so much here that communicates Paul’s heart. He’s laid out a ton of theology, and now he ends his heavy letter with this final benediction or blessing. These final verses are not doctrine. Instead they’re more like God’s ‘open window’ directly to the Ephesian’s heart.
Just imagine yourself as a believer living in Ephesus. Reading the letter we should see ourselves there (albeit 2000 years removed). This belongs to you as much as it belonged to the churches in Asia Minor. Please, own it.
You need to see this. It changes our walk from the 1st century to the 21st century.
This letter belongs to you personally. Ephesians is your letter from ‘home.’ So dear one, make it yours, for you are the Holy Spirit’s audience, and you’re very much loved!
Tychicus has been chosen to carry this letter 5,000 miles to the Ephesians.
The journey itself was over 5,000 miles from Rome to Ephesus, walking by Roman roads. (It would be a long trip, longer than walking from San Francisco to Boston!) It was difficult and could be dangerous, but the letter Titus carried was important. It would be painstakingly copied and then sent to all the churches in Asia Minor.
“Travelers journeyed in convoy, sometimes hiring soldiers to protect them from robbers who preyed on the unsuspecting. Roman roads made things somewhat easier but still, walking, perhaps hiring a donkey or paying for passage on a merchant’s ship. Travel was for the brave and the strong.”
He was a gospel ‘veteran’ who ministered with Paul in various places in the Roman empire. It appears he was friends with Timothy, who was the young pastor of the church in Ephesus. Tychicus was someone whom Paul trusted implicitly. After all, he was carrying Paul’s heart in his backpack.
Tychicus was 100% loyal, brave, and completely reliable. I think Paul had confidence that he would do everything necessary to make sure this letter would get through. We find he was able to do this. And you and I, well, we owe a spiritual debt to this faithful man who went the distance for us.
We can skim through this passage and never really see Tychicus at all.
Tychicus seems to have no real preaching ability, but he is called “beloved” and “faithful” in verse 21. In verse 22 he is called a “brother” and a “minister.” That word for minister is διάκονος, deacon and it means “a servant of a king” or a “waiter of tables.” I believe that reveals someone who is a minister to the needy (which is no small thing).
Paul closes his letter with a benediction.
In verses 23-24, we read that the blessing is given to the church. He pronounces “peace, love, and faith.” Paul speaks out of God’s heart to the Ephesians, and as a leader, he is conveying God’s own blessing. A proper benediction that originates from the Lord is hardly just a nicety, something free and easy. You must understand, a pastor’s blessing is powerful.
“Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29, ESV
In the spring of 1987 I was working with SOS Ministries in San Francisco. Our ministry house was on Sycamore in the Mission, a really rough place. There was ten of us and we were committed ourselves to street evangelism throughout the city. When I wasn’t on the street our in-house writing/printing took up a lot my time.
Vicky was our ministry secretary. She was young, outgoing, smart and a very good administrator. She was a whiz taking care of the office–and us. She was a vital part of the house. She was pretty much irreplacable.
Sometimes though we would clash, but never in a bad way.
But after time it seemed all I could only hear from her was criticism. And I began to get really angry. Our relationship grew testy over time and things began to fester inside of me. It’s funny, but now it was inconsquential.
But one day there was one of those moments I would regret even now after all these years. I had misconstrued that she was criticizing me. Whenever I was in the office it seemed she had it in for me.
I decided I must correct her. I believed she was way out of line it was up to me to set her straight.
“Vicky, I have a word for you, from God! Read Judges 16:16.“
“And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.”
As she grabbed her Bible and read the verse I could see the tears well up in her eyes. And I had used the Word of God like a cudgel, beating her with a billy club. I had bludgeoned her with a Bible verse.
What can I say? The memory of doing that has always stuck with me. I had wounded her spirit intentionally. Now the Father has forgiven me, I know that–but the lesson I learned has stuck with me through 30 years of ministering God’s Word.
“People who think they are religious but say things they should not say are just fooling themselves. Their “religion” is worth nothing.”
James 1:26, NCV
This quote drives this home:
“Five, or six, ten people shall be made temporarily wretched because one person, unconsciously perhaps, yet supremely, egotistic and selfish, has never learned to control his disposition and bridle his tongue.”
I really must warn you, if you’re hurting your brothers and sisters by speaking foolishness, the Father will deal with you. Sometimes harshly. Now there is definitely room to correct, but I suggest for every second of time you speak, you need to spend twenty minutes in real prayer, for them and for yourself.
You don’t discern to expose sin. You discern to pray and intercede. I think this is a good “rule of thumb” for us all.
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.
Psalm 131
The Christian who is struggling should become a reader of the Psalms. We must remind ourself of this need to study through them, repeatedly. For believers, Psalm 131 is mandatory, and this is a great place to start.
This particular psalm is unique, and incredibly insightful. It begins its work in us right at the start; the superscription. “A song for going up to worship,” and it strikes me that a work must happen inside of my heart. It is a preparation that will take me higher, and it helps me see God more clearly from a new vantage point.
Verse 1 states the certain issue we have; it is called ‘pride.’ What David says seems to be a very arrogant and audacious thing to say. There is a truism that you think you’re humble, you’re not. To claim you are suddenly liberated from pride, knowing ears perk up. It is almost always a sign of danger.
😁
A church once decided to give an elder a medal for his remarkable humility. But then they had to take it away, because he wore it everywhere!
Take it at face value, David states that he has a real contentment with his limitations and weaknesses. It appears that he has been freed from the vicious cycle of needing to be the center of everything. He sings of his ignorance, and weakness. David goes public with his self-flattery. He knows that if he really wants to ascend he must descend.
And it must happen continuously.
Are you content to be the simple servant now, and delay the accolades and praise until you get to heaven?
Some make themselves spiritually sick by the deep dark quest to be important. In verse 2, we connect with some astonishing imagery. A baby! I am like a little child being held by my mom. It’s not an issue of sophistication, but simplicity. You must choose to do this.
The word for weaned isn’t a newborn here. Rather in Hebrew it denotes a small toddler.
A weaned child no longer needs his mom’s milk. He doesn’t fuss, or nuzzle his mother’s breast, demanding his food. The child no longer receives his nourishment this way.
This is a significant step into maturity. To me, verse 2 is the centerpiece of Psalm 131. OK, let’s apply this spiritually. There was a time when it was necessary for me to have my mother’s milk. I screamed and would throw a terrible tantrum if she didn’t feed me from her breast. I would starve if she didn’t give me her milk.
For all practical purposes, it seems we use God to get what we need. But we grow, and become mature. David is saying that we need to emulate his example.
Now we can come into God’s presence– just to be with Him.
That’s all. So simple. As a child, we just want to be where He is at. We have no ulterior motives, there is no manipulation. We seek His face, not what is in His hands. If we rightly connect the dots, we find that we land right back to that opening superscription.
This is an amazing concept of true adoration– the real kind. As a struggler, more a rascal than Christlike, I must start at the beginning– again, and again, and again. I can only do this if I become a little boy again.
I finally start to realize that I must renounce my selfish ambition and silly pride. Polished people won’t understand, they never will.
“At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.”
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.
38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.
Luke 24:36-43, ESV
In the most thrilling moments of a story, there are instances when the true essence of the events becomes crystal clear. Luke’s narrative brilliantly captures that exhilarating sensation. Picture this: Jesus, triumphantly risen from the depths of death, enters the room with a burst of energy that electrifies everyone present. It must have been one of those extraordinary instances where words simply fall short, and experiencing it firsthand is the only way to truly grasp its profound impact.
“Frightened” and “terrified”–it seems it takes two words to describe this spooky experience.
Everyone was terrified; they were convinced that Jesus must be a ghost. They all panicked and tried to run to the nearest exit, but then realized that the door was still locked!
Oh boy, Jesus must have had a good chuckle over this one! I mean, imagine being a human and seeing your disciples, all stooped and scared, trying to approach you like a bunch of timid puppies. It’s like trying to get a dog to come to you when it’s so terrified it’s peeing on the floor! I bet Jesus couldn’t help but smile and think, “What a hilarious sight!”
They slowly encircle Jesus and as they come, I have to believe He’s amused. He has survived a very brutal cross, and walked through hell. And, He has risen from the dead.
He is laughing from the pure joy of one who has endured the worst of a very real hell.
Jesus emerged unscathed on the opposite end, a testament to his invincibility. His arrival has undoubtedly filled him with undeniable joy, surrounded by beloved companions. In his triumphant resurrection, he defied all odds and accomplished the unimaginable, evoking a cascade of profound emotions, a mingling of laughter and tears.
I believe each of us has walls.
Walls can provide a sense of security and protection, both physically and emotionally. People often feel the need for boundaries and walls to feel safe. This is similar to how disciples found safety in numbers and the walls around them. They were afraid, and so they hid themselves.
Jesus insists on penetrating our walls. He’s overcoming much resistance and delusions. And then suddenly we come ‘face-to-face’ with the dead person who’s now alive. He is “The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Behold, behold! Witness the magnificent display of unadulterated resurrection power—a force unparalleled in the vast expanse of the universe. Its brilliance eclipses the sun, its might surpasses that of the mightiest atomic bomb. Prepare to be astounded, for this power knows no bounds!
It’s funny, when Moses prostrated himself before the Lord’s glory, he changed. Not only that, but he had to take precautions to cover his face when he returned to camp. These disciples however have just seen the glory of God first-hand.
As His disciples, we must be prepared for any eventuality. Jesus can and will burst into our homes, and into our very lives. Can you hear him laugh? When he comes, nothing really is the same again. He loves his disciples too much to leave them in a dark stuffy room. They have work to do.
The resurrected Jesus is coming for you!
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me.”
“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’”
13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’”
Luke 18:9-13
He despised others. As a Pharisee, he prided himself as a holy person; he thought he stood before God accepted and pure. He congratulated himself over this. I’m starting to see that self-righteousness has many levels. You can be blatant and obvious about it, or perhaps it might be more subtle and hidden. (Many believers like it hidden.)
We have to understand that God sees all and our hearts and minds are continuously inspected by the Holy Spirit. God sees our hearts as we see the faces of our friends. Any presence of pride or the absence of humility is automatically rejected by our heavenly Father.
In the Bible, it’s quite clear that being humble and admitting our sins and flaws are the best way to counteract any kind of puffed up pride. But for some reason, we often don’t realize when our selfishness and ego is getting in the way. It often comes very, very subtle. Tricky maybe.
Humility is a quality that cannot be acquired or maintained permanently.
Humility is not an accomplishment. There are no spiritual medals given for humility and brokenness. It’s not once you’re done. We must find humility every single day. Every morning, when my feet hit the floor, it’s something that requires my daily effort and practice. But it’s scary, because I’m starting to see that God’s precious grace is ultimately nullified by my pride.
The right kind of heart is broken and humble every single morning.
The Pharisee believes he is better than the tax-collector, and he now stands confidently before God. He thinks he is holy and superior to others. He really believes he has spiritually arrived.
But the tax-collector was brutally honest about himself. He understood the presence of God.
He didn’t need anyone to tell him how sinful he was–he knew his own wickedness. Jesus’ story reveals God’s love for those who know that they’re twisted up inside and lost. But let’s look closer at the heart of the tax-collector:
“He stood afar off,” which showed his awareness of his separation from God.
“He wouldn’t even raise his eyes to heaven,” which declared his humility in the presence of a holy God.
He kept “striking his chest,” which tells us of a deep pain over his sin against God.
He prayed, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ This describes his desperate heart.
Both men came to pray, but to be really honest, that’s all they had in common.
The Pharisee came to the temple to declare his righteousness, the tax-collector came out of a terrible despair. It strikes me that the text in verse 11 says the Pharisee, “began praying to himself.” It seems that his prayer never really met God–all he was proud and showy, and he was only doing those things God hates (Prov. 29:23).
But it was the tax-man who became righteous in the eyes of God.
Humility is the foundation of the kingdom of Jesus. Matthew 5:3-4, makes a lot of sense to me. To be “poor in spirit” and to “mourn” has now become the solid bedrock of a Christian’s discipleship. To be justified (made right) is a gift. No one can earn salvation. The tax-man could only hold out his empty cup and hoped that God would fill it. Maybe that’s our beginning point.
But suddenly the tax collector is now considered righteous, while the Pharisee left the temple unchanged, and unforgiven.
“We had long known the Lord without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart should be the distinguishing feature of the disciple.”
When I crawl out of bed in the morning I start all over again. I realize I am nothing, I deserve nothing. I can only cling to the grace of my Father.
God wants us to have a broken heart and it’s apparent He rejects everything else. I suppose that there are questions I must ask myself: Am I really poor in spirit? Do I really mourn over my sin? Am I broken or am I subtly proud of myself? I must ask myself these questions.
“This is the Lord’s declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18, NLT
Our salvation often comes like a sudden bolt of lightning. It happens very fast, a flash of true faith, and we move from darkness to glorious light in an instant. I am absolutely confident about this.
When someone genuinely believes in Jesus and in repentance seeks forgiveness, they receive everlasting life. It never ends. Our salvation occurs in the blink of an eye. It’s like a switch that gets flipped on.
But Peter and Paul clearly write that we are “being saved.” I believe that our salvation has three tenses:
I believe that our faith and transformation are also continuous processes, a lifetime of dedication and progress. It is important to see that following Christ is an ongoing journey. Additionally, it is essential to understand that accepting Christ as our Savior does not automatically result in an immediate ascent to heaven. We must “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”
We prefer convenience. Microwaves, K-Mart shops, fast food, ATM machines, credit cards, and so on. We quickly grab our protein shake (or coffee?) and rush out the door to keep up with our day. Things become faster and more convenient. We practically demand it.
We want patience and we want it now!
Most people don’t like the idea of a daily (and slow) commitment. We want quick and easy solutions, but having faith doesn’t work like that. Even though we want to make progress quickly, becoming a follower of Jesus takes time. It’s called “discipleship.”
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re a true believer, you have a challenging journey ahead of you.
Here are Philippians 2:12 in four different translations.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (KJV, ESV)
Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. (NLT)
Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling. (NCV)
Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation. (GNT)
Some believers will find a deeper understanding of a “discipleship effort” that’s necessary. Others may not be ready to accept it. But the writers of the New Testament epistles effectively communicate this idea of being on a journey.
“Instant Christianity tends to make the faith act deadly and so smothers the desire for spiritual advance. It fails to understand the true nature of the Christian life, which is not static but dynamic and expanding.“
“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.”
Psalm 52:8
In Psalm 52 we read of David’s run-in with Doeg, a very bad man, (a mass murderer actually). But David, hearing about the slaughter of 85 innocent priests doesn’t respond in hatred, rather he sits down and writes this song of contemplation which we know as Psalm 52.
It isn’t something written out of wrath and vengeance rather the word that begins his writing is “maskil” which implies– enlightenment, or something reflective, thoughtful, discerning. He sat down and considered Doeg’s awful evil, and by doing this was able to understand own heart as well.
The first is Doeg’s vicious atrocity, and the condemnation that it incurs, (v.v. 1-7). The second was David’s own commitment to following God, and understanding his own place in a very evil world, (v.v. 8-9).
Rather than castigate himself for being discovered in Nob–a circumstance which directly led to the mass murder of these priests (and their families). We find that David does not blame himself. He could have, but he didn’t. Rather he thoughtfully, and carefully, detailed his own “observations” of the whole sordid matter.
David could easily have destroyed himself with guilt and grief. He didn’t.
He chose not to play the losing game of ‘what if.’ He instead would be like a green olive tree rooted himself in the holy temple and into the protective presence of God. David knew he would destroy himself if he didn’t place himself there. It was a deliberate decision.
It would keep himself sane.
It seems to me that trees work heavily into David’s own theology and that this is how he sees his relationship with God. He’s planted and therefore able to survive terrible trials. He shows us how to survive and thrive.
His roots would need to go very deep though.
David’s thoughtful imagery is himself as an olive tree planted in God’s presence.
I believe knowing this is the antidote to the poison of guilt. Perhaps we should follow his example?
“They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
James 1:2-3, ESV
“There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose.”
“All joy,” (verse 2) is a fantastic thought. It stresses a joy that becomes militant, something powerful and significant. “All joy,” surpasses “some joy” or even “occasional joy.” Instead it’s a joy that remains joy even when tired and weak. It will only shine brighter in the darkness.
Jewels, diamonds, and pearls are typically displayed on a black background.
This reveals their brilliance and value. In the same way darkness should only encourage us to be deliberately brighter than our surroundings. We must understand that we shine only because He makes us shine. There is a divine incandescence that awaits every believer who feels the need or desire for more of God.
God’s special nearness is available to each believer, especially those in the heat of the furnace. He is close to those who want Him, and there is nothing will stand in His way. The Lord cherishes and treasures the seeking heart. There is nothing that can detour the believer’s yearning after their Father. Your faith must be purified, and this is never optional.
Name your trial, then turn it to God in prayer.
Leave it alone and refuse to carry it no further. It’s now the Lord’s concern. Simply watch for the deliverance to come. When God sees your heart, He will lavish Himself out on you. He delights to see your faith becoming solid and real.
We never choose to suffer, rather we choose His will. We must do so whether we suffer or not.
Trust Him.
“God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.”
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 14:30
“Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger [envy] is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past … to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back — in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.”
Frederick Buechner
Some churches designate seven deadly sins that people practice. They are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth. These are also known as the “cardinal” sins. Now this type of classification or grouping seems important and useful to some. I want to examine “envy.”
Envy is a sin that each of us understands.
Envy can be defined as “a feeling of discontented or resentful longing by someone else’s possessions, or qualities.”
(Wikipedia)
It made its entrance with Cain and Abel and the first murder. We see that Cain’s offering was rejected by God, (apparently He doesn’t like veggies). Also, keep in mind that part of Adam’s sin was that the ground was cursed. And Cain had tilled and planted from a field that had been cursed already. (Genesis 4)
But Abel offered up a “blood sacrifice” which God saw as acceptable. That drove Cain nuts. He was so envious that he murdered Abel. He couldn’t handle rejection, and seeing that his brother was extolled and honored was more that he could handle.
Envy became anger which led to murder.
It might come as a surprise to you but envy is why the Pharisees murdered Jesus, “For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.” Matthew 27:18
We’re warned repeatedly by New Testament writers to renounce the sin of envy.
“But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
James 3:14, 16
I realize I can easily become an envier. (That’s a word, I looked it up.)
Selfish ambition is directly linked in the book of James to envy.
The Greek phrase for selfish ambition is often used to describe one who is full of envy. Incidentally, the word is also used as one “who is deceitfully promoting himself for public office.” (Too often I see myself as “President Bryan.”)
A Prayer for Freedom
Holy Father, I want to bind that spirit of envy that’s attempting to eat up my life. I curse it out completely in the name of Jesus, for it is more than cruelty and overwhelming fury.
I renounce it completely.You are all I want and need. I only want to be your child. I renounce envy.
Please remove it now, mighty God, along with the hatred, anger, fear, and insecurities that fuel it. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
“Whenever you attempt a good work you will find other men doing the same kind of work, and probably doing it better. Envy them not.”
Alaska Bible Teacher 