The Balance of Wisdom

It’s okay to have balance.  It may not feel as exhilarating as always going where you want to go, or doing what you want to do, but it is more rewarding in the end.  “Wisdom has built her house.  She has hewn out her seven pillars” (Prov. 9:1).  There is much speculation about what the seven pillars are.  They could be an expression of a good structure since the number seven represents completion.  They could also refer to seven characteristics like the seven Spirits of God, which are before the throne of God (Rev. 4:5).   The description of these in Isaiah Chapter 11 are similar to the descriptions of wisdom in Proverbs.  In any case, we know that wisdom is balanced.  It is knowledge and understanding; prudence and discretion; counsel and instruction; truth and righteousness, etc. 

We are exhorted to ask God for wisdom since He gives freely to those who ask in faith (Jas. 1:5,6).  How then will it come?  “The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Prov. 2:6).  Wisdom is found in Christ (1Cor. 1:30).  He is the Word of God (Jn. 1:1).  We obtain wisdom by asking and then seeking.  We search for it in the Scriptures as for hidden treasures (Prov. 2:4).  The words of wisdom are spiritually discerned (Prov. 1:22).  When we find knowledge, we dig deeper to get understanding.  But that is not yet wisdom.  It must also be planted in our hearts and become truth and righteousness for we must be doers of the word and not merely hearers (Jas. 1:21,22). 

The house built by wisdom has a solid foundation.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10).  We must receive the words of wisdom as the voice of God.  If we have a respect for God, we do not choose which of His words to obey; we treasure all His words in our hearts (Prov. 2:1).  Sometimes what He says is not what we want to hear, but we must turn to His rebuke before we get understanding (Prov. 1:23).  To receive all His instructions, we must “incline our ear” to His words; we must “apply our heart” to understanding (Prov. 2:2). 

Where shall we search for these hidden treasures?  Large quantities of minerals must be mined to extract small amounts of precious metal.  If you only read the scriptures that you find appealing, you will not find all the hidden treasures God has for you.  The goal is to prayerfully read as much Scripture as you can.  At this point, it is not a study of Scripture, but a mining expedition.  When you come across, what my Bible College instructor called, a “wonderful thought” you stop and meditate on it.  That nugget is a rhema word “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Tim. 3:16).  They are usually the basis for my study of the Scriptures.

Since we do not know where we will find the hidden treasures, we should have a systematic approach to reading the Bible.  The reading of Christians books is useful for study and for inspiration, but these are not enough by themselves; they should point us to the Scriptures.  Then, the Scriptures should bring us to a revelation of Christ (Jn. 5:39).  There are a couple of ways to read the Bible systematically.  One way is to keep a list of all the books of the Bible and check them off as you complete the reading of them.  This allows you to read them in the order you feel led to, but it requires a commitment to read all the books.  Another way is to use a Bible Reading Plan.  I have done it both ways, and I find that the latter is more effective for me.  With the first method, I tend to read the same books multiple times and other books are left unread.

At first, I tried reading the entire Bible through in a year, but I found that too ambitious.  I looked for a two-year plan but could not find one, so I developed my own.  This plan allows me to read a portion every day while still allowing me time to meditate and study.  Since it covers a period of two years, I doubled the reading of the New Testament to get a better balance between the Old and the New Testament portions.

One of the concerns you may have about following a reading plan is limiting the occasions that the Lord will speak to you.  I have not found that to be the case.  The Lord is quite able to speak to us in whatever portion of the Bible we are reading.  If He knows that we will faithfully follow a plan, He may even arrange circumstance in our lives to go along with what we are reading.  And, with a two-year plan, we are still able to extend our reading into other books.  For example, during the time of writing this article, while following my Bible Reading Plan, I came across a passage in 2Samuel that was a rhema Word to me.  I had been meditating on something a minister friend of mine had published in his newsletter.  He, like many others, do not believe that the corona virus has anything to do with God’s judgment.  When I came across this verse: “I will be his Father, and He will be my son.  If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the blows of the sons of men.” (2Sa. 7:14), the issue became clear to me.  I was reminded that there is a lack of understanding among God’s people about the balance between mercy and judgment.  Part of the problem is a misunderstanding about God’s discipline.  As I pondered this, many more scripture references came to mind and I continued my reading that morning as a study of this balance. 

Let me encourage you to seek the fullness of God’s wisdom.  If you have veered away from systematically reading the Scriptures, let me suggest you begin the new year with a Bible Reading Plan.  The one posted on my site can be downloaded and printed.  Let us grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ whom God has made our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1Cor. 1:30).

True Freedom

There are things that bring freedom, but the inverse is not true.  As Christians, we have been called to freedom (5:13).  Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2Cor. 3:17).  The freedom Scripture speaks about is freedom from sin and from religious bondage.  Freedom is a result of life in the Spirit.  This life is only found in Christ, and it is only attained through faith.  Freedom does not bring life, but life brings freedom.  This type of freedom has nothing to do with politics or culture.   We can be free in Christ, regardless of our human situation.  To be free in a human sense allows us more opportunity to serve Christ, so it should be sought for, but it does not affect the condition of our soul.  Jesus was quite clear in explaining to the Jewish leaders that real bondage is caused by sin, and true freedom is found in Him (Jn. 8:31-36).  True freedom, once it is obtained, should be closely guarded.: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again in a yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1)

My ancestor, Pierre Arseneau came to North America from France in the year 1671 to what is now Nova Scotia.  He came at a time when Acadia was returning to French rule, after having experienced about 10 years under British rule.  During that period, the French colonists had experienced a freedom from the French feudal system, for which they were in no hurry to return to.  As a navigational pilot, Pierre was recruited to transport the livestock and supplies of the adventuring colonists from the Capital, Port Royal, to a new settlement at the end of the French Bay (Bay of Fundy).  He became a trade partner with the community leader and was granted land in the new settlement.  The dream of a New World was not without conflict, however.  The settlement was discovered by a French nobleman during a naval expedition and he soon established himself as the “Seigneur de Beaubasin”, even though the residents largely opposed him.  For the next one hundred years, Acadia changed hands a few times between British and French rule, so the inhabitants became neutral in their allegiances.  As “French Neutrals” under British rule, they experienced civil liberties which included the right to worship freely their Catholic faith.  It was this particular freedom which contributed to their expulsion from the land they had come to know as their own.

In the years preceding the Acadian Expulsion, the missionary priests worked with French authorities to incite some of the Acadians and Indians to resist the British.  The religious leaders believed that if the people remained under British rule, they would eventually become Protestants and suffer eternal damnation.   They felt it was their God-given duty to deliver their flock from the Protestants.  Little did they realize that the resistance of a few would eventually lead to the displacement of an entire people.  Would the Acadian Expulsion have occurred if religion had not played a role?  I don’t believe so.  There are freedoms we hold on to sometimes that are not what we think they are.  We seek to defend civil liberties for fear of losing religious liberties, but sometimes what we hold on to, or how we hold onto it, is another form of bondage.  Let us not forget that the greatest bondage to overcome is the bondage to sin. 

When I came to know Christ at the age of 20, I had to overcome the bondage of religious traditions.  These traditions were deeply rooted in my family and community.  There was a price to pay to walk in freedom, but I knew if I stayed under bondage, I would not be able to assist others to freedom.  With such a cost for freedom, I was not going to exchange one form of religious bondage for another.  I purposed to help believers in any denomination, but I would never be a minister of one.  Even in the fellowships I have belonged to, I have had to resist the pressure to conform.  We must keep our ears attentive to God, not man.  Even those whom we think would be displeased with the directions we take are themselves being drawn by the same voice.  If we are free to follow the voice of the Master instead of the fear of man, we will continue walking the path to the Heavenly City.  We will not settle into the traditions of the past.

I know the value of freedom, and the price we must pay to walk in it.  That is why it bothers me when it is used wrongly.  We are all familiar with the Scripture: “do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Gal. 5:13).  When we use our civil liberties in pride or selfishness, we are not walking in love, we are walking in the flesh.  We are not abiding in true freedom; we are still enslaved to sin.  To elevate anything, even freedom, above obedience to God is to serve an idol.  Let us not confuse civil liberty with true freedom. Consider what happens when we guard freedom with the works of the flesh.  In the Western world we experience civil liberties that are non-existent in Communist countries.  We resist the imposition of state control because we have no desire to become prisoners of the state.  I live in the province of Alberta where the government has tried unsuccessfully to convince residents to wear face masks in public and to limit social gatherings because of COVID-19.  The result has been an increase in cases of the illness which has resulted in sickness and death.  In our desire to guard our “freedom”, we have harmed our neighbours.  Now, because people would not willingly consider the good of others, the government has imposed stricter guidelines which can be legally enforced.  Can you not see where this is going? Because we refuse to willingly considers others ahead of ourselves (Phil. 2:3), we must now be forced to do it by law.  In our efforts to guard freedom through selfishness and pride, we make way for tyranny.  We are still far from there, but if we continue to elevate freedom above love, we play into the strategies of the enemy to bring about a one world anti-christ system.  Am I exaggerating?  Examine your ways.  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov. 14:12).

The Breach of Truth – Part 2

If we are to overcome deception, we need to understand how it enters in.  The Church is described in Scripture as the New Jerusalem, the spiritual nation of Israel.  We are in the days of the restoration of all things (Acts 3:19-20).   The Lord declared by the prophet Amos: “On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old.” (Amos 9:11).  We cannot have a restoration of worship without also having a rebuilding of the city wall.  We guard what comes in and out of our midst with the city gates.  Nehemiah heard of the condition of Jerusalem after the temple had been rebuilt and he was deeply concerned.  This led him to fast, pray and act as the Lord enabled him.  There is a need for revival in the land, but it is not just a “personal” revival.  We need a restoration of the Church to its original state of power and righteousness.  The Church has an end-time purpose and she must rise to that purpose.  We are living in a time when we need the watchman prophet, the warrior intercessor, and the faithful repairers of the breach.  To repair the breach is to restore the ancient paths (Isa. 58:12; Jer. 18:15).  To overcome deception, we need to repair the breach of truth.

As stated in the previous article, we must have more than a  knowledge of the truth; we must possess a love for the truth (2Thess. 2:10).  We have an individual responsibility to walk in truth, and we also have a corporate responsibility.   If the Body is sick, then all the members suffer (1Cor. 12:26).  We are all affected by the state of the Church.  It is imperative, as citizens of spiritual Israel, that we consider the state of our spiritual nation.  We cannot isolate ourselves into tribes, each one ignoring the welfare of the other.  God sees the Church as one, and we must have the same mind.  In the same manner that the enemy establishes strongholds in the lives of individuals, he also establishes them against families, ethnic groups, and nations.  Believers are a part of these groups so they must be aware of the strategies of the enemy against them.  There are also strongholds of the enemy against the church itself.  As Paul tells us, we have mighty weapons in God to destroy these strongholds, but we cannot do that if we do not discern them (2Cor. 10:4-5).  If we possess a love for the truth, we will react in repentance when anything is found in us that is not of the truth.  To guard our ability to hear the corrections of the Lord, we will maintain an attitude of humility.  To judge what we hear, we will rely on the witness of the Spirit in our hearts, not on outward voices.  As the anointed of the Lord, we “shall not judge by the sight of our eyes, nor decide by the hearing of our ears” (Isa. 11:3).

If we love the truth, we will pay the price required to walk in truth.  Have you ever spoken wrongly, or made a mistake, and then denied it to protect yourself from punishment?  That was common for me until I became a Christian.  Thereafter, I chose to bind mercy and truth around my neck (Prov. 3:3).  Working in industry, I made many mistakes that cost my employers thousands of dollars.  The price for admitting these mistakes was embarrassment, but the fruit was integrity and trust, as well as an increase in skill and understanding.  If we love the truth, we will submit to the correction of the Lord for righteousness (Heb. 12:11).

We are all familiar with the passage in Ephesians concerning the maturity of the Church.  To avoid being “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men” we are to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:14,15).  It is a spiritual principle that if you speak a lie, you will believe a lie (see Luke 7:37).  Those who deceive others, are deceived themselves (2Tim. 3:13).  If we want to avoid being deceived, we must “bridle the tongue” so our heart is not deceived (Jas. 1:26).  The need to speak only truth is critical.  We should be very careful about repeating what others say unless we have personally received the witness of the Spirit concerning those things, otherwise we may simply be broadcasting the deceitful schemes of the enemy.

What makes a breach in the wall of truth is falsehood.  The enemy protects these falsehoods with “arguments” that raise themselves above the knowledge of God (2Cor. 10:5).  One of the biggest strongholds we face is the deception that we can use wrongful means to achieve good results.  It is the age-old question, “Does the end justify the means?”  I am referring to the tendency to use the ways of this world to build the kingdom of God.  We would not knowingly do that, but what if it is done unknowingly?  This is where discernment is needed.  In the same manner that individual believers come to maturity by exercising their spiritual senses to discern both good and evil, the church in general must do the same (Heb. 5:14).  Any argument we use to do something other than what God says, is an argument that is not in obedience to Christ.  It is a stronghold of the enemy. 

There are many things we do as humans which are not according to God’s ways.  We justify them because of the results they yield, but we judge wrongly.  James said: “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (Jas. 1:20).  The example James give is of anger, but we can apply it to any of our fleshly ways.  They may appear outwardly to yield good result, but they do nothing to produce the “love and good works” which issue from the heart.  In the natural, it is common to strengthen a metal by mixing it with another metal.  This is called an alloy.  To gain this strength, however, the metal must give up some of its conductivity.  In a spiritual sense, if we mix man’s ways with God’s ways to obtain strength, we hinder the operation of the Spirit.  God is not preparing His Bride by the might or power of man, but by His Spirit of grace (Zech. 4:6,7).

Please consider prayerfully what I am saying here and hear the words of Paul to Timothy: “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold or silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2Tim. 2:20,21).

The Breach of Truth

Restoration is needed in the Church if she is to accomplish her end-time purpose.  This is certain to be done, but how it will be done, and who will be part of it, depends on how we individually respond to the Lord.  The Early Church rebuilt the temple of the Lord by the power of the Spirit and in the fullness of grace, as was prophesied by Zechariah (Zech. 4:6,7).  This was symbolized by the rebuilding of the temple in the days of Zerubbabel.  Then, during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, the walls of the city had to be rebuilt and proper worship had to be restored.  The restoration that is needed today is revival of worship in spirit and truth, as well as a repairing of the city walls for protection.  In my article on “Repairers of the Breach”, I explained that repairing the gaps in the wall is restoring the ancient paths (Is. 58:12).  There are many breaches in the protective wall of the Church, so where do we start?  If we know which way the enemy is coming from, we can focus first on repairing the breaches on that side of the wall. 

Deception is a major assignment against believers in the end times (Matt. 24:4,24).  It is particularly important that we overcome deception because the New Jerusalem is to be called the City of Truth (Zech. 8:3).  How can we defend ourselves against this scheme of the enemy?  Paul’s words to the Thessalonians gives us insight on this: “because they did not receive the love of the truth” (2Thess. 2:10).  This is not just a knowledge of the truth, but an actual love for the truth.  Love is a matter of the heart.  David said: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts”. (Ps. 51:6).  Our words and actions issue from the heart (Matt. 15:18-19).  If the walls of protection are the paths we walk in, then it is reasonable to assume that we need to have the ancient paths written in our hearts.  When truth is lacking in any area of our lives, then deception can find a way through.  We can repair the breach in that area of the wall by loving the truth which God reveals.  Recognizing a breach in the wall is very important.  “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1Jn. 1:8).  If we lack truth in an area, we may have something else in its place, which we think is truth.  This is true for the individual believer and for the Church in general.  To repair it, we first need to submit to the correction of the Word.  We must receive the word of the Lord in humility (Jas. 1:21).  We must receive it with repentance and faith (Mark 1:15).

The word is a seed which must be planted in the soil of our heart (Lu. 84-15).  When I hear the word and believe it, it enters my heart.  If the soil is hard, then the word will not be received.  If the soil is soft, but there are hard stones in it, then these must be removed.  We are responsible for the condition of the soil.  Our heart becomes good soil when the hardness of sin is removed (Heb. 3:13).  “A broken and contrite heart – these, O God You will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17).  Pride will prevent you from receiving correction.  In an attitude of submission, let God search your heart to reveal any wrongful ways (Ps. 139:23-24).  This is a continual process, because even if the soil is good, it must be guarded from weeds.  Weeds are the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches (Matt. 13:22).  If you love the Lord, you will come to know Him, and you will recognize Him when He speaks (Jn. 10:2-5).  You will hold fast to His words, even if they are words of correction.  You will know the difference between good seeds and bad seeds because of the spirit behind the words.

While speaking of the deception of the last days, the Apostle John told the believers “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” (1Jn. 2:27).  This anointing is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit Who guides us into all truth (Jn. 16:13).  He speaks to us in various ways, but mostly through impressed thoughts.  I have come to recognize that voice as “the wisdom from above that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (Jas. 3:17).  The Spirit behind these impressions is not “pushy”, but gentle.  His thoughts are pure, always agreeing with the Word.  If I do not see how they agree with scripture, I can ask for understanding because His wisdom is “easy to be intreated” (KJV).  Above all, His thoughts carry a sense of peace: “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:7).  I can discern truth or error in what I hear through the presence or absence of the peace of God.  I have also found this “inner witness” to be a faithful judge of my thoughts and words.  When these are in line with His, there is a sense of peace, regardless of the circumstances. 

All of this requires that I first hear the words of truth.  If I do not hear the words, I cannot receive them.  That is why Jesus told the disciples, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt. 11:15).  It is important that I turn inward to the voice of the Lord by quieting my soul, as David said: “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul.  Like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Ps. 131:2).  How did David do that?  “Lord, my heart is not haughty.  Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me.” (Ps. 131:1).   If I am anxious about things, my soul is not calm.  Anxiety is fear which is rooted in the pride of life.  I calm my soul by humbly casting all my cares on Him and turning my soul towards Him in adoration.  I desire spiritual understanding, but this is not obtained by natural effort (1Cor. 2:14).  I cannot discern God’s mysteries with my natural mind. I open my spirit to discernment and then my mind is enlightened.  I also need to be careful not to go beyond what is revealed.  I try to never conclude a matter until it is clearly revealed.  My confidence is not in knowing everything, but in knowing Him Who does.

In this first on repairing the breach of truth, we have focussed on the individual believer.  In the next article, we will focus on the Church in general.  Both are important because they are one. 

How Shall We Pray?

Some challenging events have occurred since my last article.  Last week we saw the U.S. election go in a direction that, from a Christian perspective, spells trouble for that nation.  Also, our family has experienced some personal tragedies.  How do we react to these defeats?  Do we deny they occurred, or do we trust God that He is able to make all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Ro. 8:28)?  As a Canadian, I am not directly involved in the election, but every nation will be affected by what is happening in the States.  Furthermore, as a Christian, I am directly involved with the Body of Christ in America because we are citizens of the same Kingdom.

From now until January 20th, God can reverse the decision of the election, but we are not certain that He will do that.  He is quite able to do it, but there are other principles involved.  He has given man the freedom of choice and He will not take that away even if wrong choices are made.  In hope against hope, Christians continue to pray.  How then should we pray?  To pray effectively according to the will of God, we need to raise our vision above the natural.  There are spirit forces at work in our nations which are opposed to God.  We must discern and resist these forces.  How we resist the enemy depends on our position.  Within the Church, we have authority to bind and loose (Matt. 18:18).  When done in faith, this results in immediate change.  The spirit force is stopped, and the people who were deceived repent or fall into judgment. 

Outside the Church, the battle is different.  We can intercede as members of a family, a community, or a nation but our position of authority is different.  A king only has authority over his subjects.  Those who should be his subjects must be brought back into his realm or be cast out of the kingdom.  There is a judgment day coming, but today is the day of salvation.  Today, we function as the King’s messengers, His ambassadors (Mal. 2:7; 2Cor. 5:20).  We also function as His priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices.  We confess sins on behalf of the people group we belong to, and we beseech the Lord to have mercy.  In His name, we sprinkle the precious blood of the Lamb over the people.  We also pray that the will of God would be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  As we do this by faith, we support the angels who wage war on our behalf against these spirit forces (Dan. 10:12-13).  The answer to this type of prayer is not immediate.  It is a continuous struggle, and although we lose some battles, we continue to win the war. 

In the book “Touching the Heart of God”, the late Pastor Ernest Gruen described a vision that the Lord gave to him about the spiritual battle in America.  He saw a clenched fist where the fingers represented different spirit forces.  The thumb represented the spirit of lawlessness.  He was shown that the strength of the grip was in the thumb.  The main struggle in America, and the world, is the spirit of lawlessness.  The devil is supporting this spirit with other spirits like pride, greed, lust and deception.  He is scheming in order to bring about the rule of the son of perdition (1Tess. 2:3-12).   We have spiritual weapons to fight this battle (2Cor. 10:4,5).  We cannot stop the world from turning to the man of perdition, but we can labour to see our loved ones, our communities, and our nations turn to Christ. 

The hope of believers is not in a man, or a political party, but in God our Father who can restore righteousness to our nations.  American Christians have supported President Trump, not because he is a righteous man, but because he has supported just causes.  If the election is lost, it does mean the end of righteousness, but it means there are difficult days ahead.  What happens in the future will depend on how we react today.   The main reason why the election went the way it did is not because of voting irregularities, but because of the heart of the people.  America, like Canada is divided.  We are like the nation of Israel in the days of Elijah.  On Mount Carmel, Elijah challenged the people with these words: “How long will you falter between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1Ki. 18:21).  The Canaanites worshipped Baal as the god of the land who could give them an increase of crops, fruit and cattle (Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary).  The Israelites did the same because they wanted to prosper.  Is it any different today?  Many believers are double-minded: they want righteousness, but they also love the world and the things in the world.  A revival is needed in our nations, but it must happen first in the Church.  If we as God’s people humble ourselves and pray, seek His face, and turn from our sinful ways, God will hear from heaven.  He will forgive our sins, bring others into His kingdom, and heal our land (2Chron. 7:14).  If we refuse to do this, we face a certain judgment.  God in His mercy delays judgment, but His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance (Ro. 2:4).

Not all those in the Church have worshipped Baal.  Even in the days of Elijah, God had a remnant of faithful ones who had not bowed their knees to Baal (1Ki. 19:18).  There is still a remnant in the Church today.  They are like the Church in Philadelphia. Because of their faithfulness, the Lord will keep them from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world.  The role of this remnant is to pray and to call the Church and the nation to repentance.  God is looking for those who will stand in the gap to intercede for the nation (Ezek. 22:30).  The enemy has entered the city because the wall is broken down.  We must remove the enemy, and we must rebuild the wall (Ezek. 13:5).  In the last article I talked about Repairers of the Breach.  In the next articles, I will address some of those breaches.  But first, we must cleanse the temple: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (Jas. 4:8-10).

Repairers of the Breach

The watchman prophet stands on the wall and sounds the alarm when the enemy approaches.  The warrior intercessor stands in the gap and pleads the Lord to have mercy and deliver the city.  We must heed the voice of the prophets and we must respond to the Lord’s call for intercessors (Ezek. 22:30), but the Lord is also looking for those who will “go up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord.”(Ezek. 13:5).  He calls these Repairers of the Breach (Is. 58:12).

How can the Church be ready for battle on the day of the Lord?  In the last article I talked about doing all to stand on the evil day (Eph. 6:13).  There is coming a time of “great tribulation such as has not been seen since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matt. 24:21).  We must first realize that this evil day is not coming because the enemy is too strong for God to hold back.  No, it is so that we may have the final victory.  The nation of Israel took the promised land by battling the nations that came against them.  We must prepare for this evil day.  It will be a necessary time of refining and overcoming.  How can we prepare?  By rebuilding the wall of the City.  In ancient times, the wall of the city was for protection.

The Church is the New Jerusalem.  Like the Jews returning from the captivity, the New Testament Church has rebuilt the temple, but the wall of the City is still broken down.  We have obtained mercy, but our enemies still oppress us.  This is the report Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem after the temple had been rebuilt: “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach.  The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” (Neh. 1:3).  Nehemiah was so disturbed by this news that he fasted and prayed until God sent him to rebuild the wall of the city.  What was his strategy?  First, he surveyed the wall for himself (Neh. 2:12-16).  Then he called together the leaders and told them what God was calling them to do (Neh. 2:17-18).  Together they rebuilt the wall and the gates, while resisting the opposition of their enemies.

Let us look more closely at Isaiah Chapter 58 to gain an understanding of the spiritual meaning of rebuilding the wall.  The people say: “Why have we fasted, and You have not seen?” (vs. 3).  The Lord responds that even as they fast, they seek their own pleasures and act wickedly.  He tells them that the kind of fast He desires is to free the oppressed and to help the poor (vs. 6 – 10).  The result of them doing these good works will allow them to obtain the Lord’s guidance and provision (vs. 11).  They are to turn from seeking their own pleasures, and to delight themselves in the Lord (vs. 13-14).  He tells them that if they do this, they will enjoy a time of restoration (vs. 12).  What is to be restored?   “Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” (vs.12).  To repair the gaps in the wall is to restore the streets (or paths) to dwell in.  To repair the breach is to restore the ancient paths (Jer. 18:15).  If our actions are evil, the enemy will accuse us before the throne of God (Rev. 12:10).  If our actions are good, we will prosper, and the enemy will have no opportunity to harm us.  “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword” (Isa. 1:19).

What are these ancient paths that need to be restored?   “If you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him—then the Lord will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves.  Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory.  No man shall be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you.” (Deut. 11:22-25)  If we love the Lord, hold fast to Him, and walk in all His ways, we will not only protect the temple with a fortified wall, but we will go out of the gates and establish His kingdom in the land.  The temple represents our worship where the glory of God is manifested.  True worship, in Spirit and in truth, must be established, then it must be maintained by walking in these ancient paths.  When we fail to repair the breaches, our worship becomes compromised.  Worldliness sets in.  Then we go out of the city to evangelize, but there is no power because the presence of the Lord is not with us.   But when the Lord is with us, we can as Isaiah says, “Go through!  Go through the gates!  Prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway!  Take out the stones, lift up the banner for the people!” (Isa. 62:10).  Revival in the Church will result in salvation for the world.

How can we be Repairers of the Breach?  When we walk in the ways of the Lord and teach others to do the same, we repair the breaches in the wall.  Repairers of the Breach are those who have been healed and set free to become priests of the Lord, servants of God.  This is described in Isaiah Chapter 61 which Jesus quoted for His ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…”  After the people have heard the good news, been healed and set free, they become trees of righteousness (Isa. 61:1-3).  Then they rebuild, raise up, repair the ruined cities (Isa. 61:4).  They become servants of God. 

Some of the breaches in the wall are easy to recognize.  Only obedience in faith is required.  Other breaches are hidden from view.  For this reason, we need watchmen and intercessors.  They alert us to the tactics of the enemy, and they call upon God for mercy, as the ministers of God instruct the people in the ways of righteousness.  The breach is repaired when the people in the city walk in the ancient paths of the Lord.

End-Time Vision – Part 2

In the book of Revelations, we read about a day when the devil and his angels are cast out of heaven, to the earth (Rev. 12:9).  This is an event that occurs later than the one at the beginning where he loses his position as an archangel.  At the fall of man, he stole man’s authority over the earth.  He now rules as the prince of the power of the air, which is the second heaven (Eph. 2:2).  In the first part of this message we looked at the vision Tommy Hicks had in 1961 concerning the end-time army of Christ.  In that vision, when the giant arises and reaches into heaven, God responds with a great outpouring of His grace upon the earth.  I suggested in that article that this vision is speaking of the event in Revelations Chapter 12.

When Jesus died on the cross, he took back man’s authority over the universe.  He then gave that authority to the Church.  The application of this victory, however, is gradual.  Christ must rule until He puts all enemies under His feet (1Cor. 15:25).  The feet are part of His Body, which is the Church.  This is a gradual process because it involves the transformation of man into the Bride of Christ.  The Church must grow into the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph. 4:13).  As she does this, she is being prepared to stand in the evil day (Eph. 6:13).  Can the evil day Paul is referring to be the time of the end when the devil is cast down to the earth?  The complete fall of Lucifer is recorded in Scripture: he is rejected as an archangel (Isa. 14:12), he will be cast to the earth (Rev. 12:9), defeated on the earth (Ezek. 28:18), brought down to Sheol (Isa. 14:15), bound in the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:2), then cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).  For man to take back his authority over creation, he must overcome the devil on this earth.  In the Spirit, we already have this victory (1Co. 2:6).  As we go through the Process of Transformation, we gain this victory over our natural life (our thoughts, words, and actions) (Rom. 12:2).  When the devil is defeated upon the earth, we will gain the final victory over physical death.  The last enemy to be defeated over the Church is death (1Cor. 15:26).  This will be followed by a final victory of death over the rest of creation, after the Millennium (Rev. 21:1).

The difficulties that lay ahead for the Church are necessary for a final victory.  As we enter the time of the end, I believe it is important for believers to be prepared.  We must not take an escapist point of view.  We must do all we can to stand (Eph. 6:13).  Through faith we can overcome all the attacks of the enemy.  As we consider the difficult days to come, it is important to remember that grace will increase as evil increases.  We cannot imagine ourselves in a future evil day from the view point of our current circumstances.  In that day, we will have the grace necessary to overcome.  To access that grace will require the same exercise of faith that we must learn to exercise in this present day.  The Lord’s grace is, and will be, sufficient for all our trials (2Cor. 12:9).  But we must receive this grace with a humble heart, for “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6).

The minister saw something else in the vision that was terrible. “There were many people as He stretched forth His hand that refused the anointing of God and the call of God.”  “And each of those that seemed to bow down and back away, seemed to go into darkness.  Blackness seemed to swallow them everywhere.”  We must not wait until the coming outpouring to serve the Lord.  If today we choose not to obey Him, then on that day our hearts will deceive us to pull away.  It is the deceitfulness of sin that causes the heart to be hardened (Heb. 3:13).  “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things (uncleanness and covetousness) the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Eph. 5:6).

As believers we must also gird our minds with the thought that we must go through many tribulations to enter the kingdom of God (Acts. 14:22).   It is better to expect sufferings and not have to go through them, than to expect to escape them and find the opposite is true.  This vision clearly shows that the resurrection of the saints occurs after a time of great persecution which ends with the appearance of the Lord.  In the vision, the Church, which has become His Bride tested by fire, remains with Him as His wrath is poured out upon unbelievers. 

In the book of Revelations, we read about the church in Philadelphia which is hidden during the “hour of trial which shall come upon the whole earth” (Rev. 3:10), because they had already persevered through persecution.  Although these believers escaped further persecution, they remained on the earth through the hour of trial.  The vision we have been discussing tells us that some Christians also escaped persecutions: “Angry mobs came to them with swords and with guns.  And like Jesus, they passed through the multitudes and they could not find them, but they went forth in the name of the Lord, and everywhere they stretched forth their hands, the sick were healed, the blind eyes were opened.” Rather than hoping to escape in the rapture, we should be looking for supernatural acts of deliverance, while going about doing the works of God.  During the time of tribulation, it is still possible for people to turn to Christ for salvation.  When the day of wrath comes, it is too late for repentance.

It is interesting to note that the nation of Israel is not mentioned in this vision.  This appears to imply that she is to become part of the Bride of Christ during the time of great outpouring and tribulation.   The Scriptures are clear that the nation of Israel will receive Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but this must occur before the Day of Wrath.  Actually, it is their acceptance of Christ that will usher in the end, “For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Ro. 11:15).

The last days are not a time to be feared, but a time to persevere and hope because our redemption is drawing near (Lu. 21:28).  “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thess. 5:8-9).

End-Time Vision – Part 1

When it comes to end-time events, we must admit that we only see in part and know in part (1Cor. 13:9-12).  For us to continue seeing more clearly, two things are necessary.  First, we must not be too quick to draw conclusions.  Secondly, we must be willing to hear what others are saying.  It is from this viewpoint that I wish to discuss what I see as some of the order of events to come.  God speaks to us according to our ability to hear, which is a function of the gifts of grace He has given each one of us.  My giftings are in the area of spiritual understanding.  Although I do not normally receive visions, I am often able to understand and explain what others can see.  For this reason, I believe it is beneficial to use as illustrations the prophetic visions that God has given to the prophets.  We must be careful not to make doctrine from these visions, but we may consider them as messages from the Lord to help us to interpret what He has spoken to us in Scripture.  One such vision was given to the evangelist Tommy Hicks in 1961.  It was reprinted in the book How to Heal the Sick by Charles and Frances Hunter, 1981.

In this vision, the man of God saw a great giant laying on the earth, his head at the South pole and his feet at the North pole.  He lay still and was covered with debris, but occasionally as he tried to rise, thousands of hideous creatures would run away from him, only to return when he would get calm again. Then the miracle occurred. 

“All of a sudden this great giant lifted his hand toward heaven, and then it lifted its other hand, and when it did, these creatures by the thousands seemed to flee away from this giant and go into the darkness of the night.

Slowly this great giant began to rise and as it did, his head and hands went into the clouds.  As he rose to his feet he seemed to have cleansed himself from the debris and filth that was upon him, and he began to raise his hands into the heavens as though praising the Lord, and as he raised his hands, they went even unto the clouds.”

The vision continued where the giant became a multitude of people on the earth worshiping and serving God with a mighty end-time ministry.  When the minister asked what the meaning of this vision was, the Lord said, “This, my people, in the end times will go forth.   As a mighty army shall they sweep over the face of the earth.”  In the vision, the prophet saw these people facing many trials and persecutions, being translated to other countries, and going from place to place healing the sick and leading millions to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want you to notice that this great end-time outpouring did not occur until the giant, who represents the Church, cleansed himself from the debris and filth.  The lifting of the hands represents a submission to God, and the rising represents a turning from the ways of the world (see Jas. 4:6-10).  When this occurred, the head of the giant reached the heavens.  We know that the head represents leadership and authority.  When a revived Body of Christ rises with authority in the heavens, something very dramatic will occur.  The spiritual climate on the earth will experience a major shift.  It is almost like a great victory will be won in the heavenlies that will release grace upon the earth.  We like to think that prophetic events will happen when God wants them to happen, but if we consider God’s Word, we see that God always requires the obedience of faith for His blessings.  “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2Chron. 7:14).

Consider now how this vision may be speaking of an event described in the book of Revelation.  Is it possible that this great outpouring will occur after Satan is cast down to the earth (Rev. 12:9)?  When the devil is cast down, there is no longer any hindrance to the prayers of the saints because of the spiritual powers in the heavenlies.  When he is cast to the earth, he makes war on the saints, but he is no longer able to hinder their prayers from the second heaven.   We read in the book of Daniel about the struggle that Michael and his angels wage against principalities and powers to deliver answers to our prayers (see Dan. 10:1-13).  Can you imagine how wonderful it would be if our prayers were no longer hindered by the enemy?  That would bring about a major shift in the spiritual climate on the earth.  We would be able to do the “greater works” that Jesus talked about (Jn. 14:12).  What could bring about this event?  Can it be that when the Church reaches a greater level of unity and maturity, then her prayers will enable Michael and his angels to cast the devil to the earth and the greatest outpouring of God’s Spirit will be able to occur? 

I believe that such a great outpouring will occur before Jesus returns, but I also believe that we have a role in bringing this about.  What is needed in this hour is a true revival.  This is the day of restoration of all things, as was declared by Peter:

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21).

Let us prepare the way for the return of the Lord.  Let us seek the times of refreshing that will come from the presence of the Lord as we approach Him with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps. 24:3-6).

Here is a link to a website that has reprinted the vision given to Tommy Hicks.  https://www.kcm.org/read/prophecies/61-07-1961/tommy-hicks-end-times-vision

Faith is Contagious

I do not like to challenge an animal who feels threatened, but neither do I believe in running away when I am threatened.  Living in north central Canada has provided me with more than one encounter with wild animals.  I can expect those in the wild, but not usually in the city.  A few days ago, I was walking with my wife along a walking path that we often take.  On the trail ahead of us we could see this dog without an owner.  As we approached, he started to bark loudly.  A little concerned that he may decide to attack, I suggested to my wife that we take a different path.  As we took a turn, the dog began to move quickly towards us, barking and growling menacingly.  That was enough!  I turned and pointed my finger at him and firmly said “No!”.  He stopped suddenly, all the while still barking.  In the same confidence, I said “Go home!”.  He turned, and in fear, turned and ran back along the trail and into the bushes.  Not knowing if continuing again along the same path would elicit another encounter, I asked my wife what she wanted to do.  Now you need to know that this was a German Shepherd, the same breed of dog that had attacked her as a child.  Bravely she said, “Let’s keep going.  He went home like you told him to”.  We did that, and there was no further confrontation.

If this had been the first time we had confronted an animal in this manner, she might have thought differently, but faith is contagious.  She had seen me confront a bear and, on two occasions, an elk in the same manner.  Whenever I have had to do this, it was with a confidence that God was with me.  I have learned to speak with authority to animals because God has given man dominion over animals, but I will not do this presumptuously.  I believe that these animals know they are dealing with God, not me.  That dog turned and ran like he had seen something terrifying.  I wonder if he saw my angel standing with me.  I do not exercise that kind of authority because I can, but because I must.  If I give in to fear, God cannot help me.  If I believe, all things are possible.

There are many examples in the Bible where faith was “caught”.  Take David’s mighty men for example.  When David faced Goliath as a boy, all of Israel’s army was fearful of a giant.  After witnessing David’s many victories of faith, other men rose in faith.  In 1Chronicles we read about Eleazar, one of the mighty men, who stood with his men against the Philistines in a barley field when the rest of the people fled (1Chron. 11:12-14).  There is another situation like this one where Shammah stood by himself against the Philistines in a field of lentils, when the rest of the people fled (1Sam. 23:11-12).  Which event occurred first I do not know, but it is obvious that one was encouraged by the other.  In both these situations, you can see that the issue was not the barley or the lentils, it was the welfare of the nation.  God helped Israel win great battles through men who took a stand in faith.

What kind of faith is this?  It is a faith like that of the centurion, who knew how to be “in” authority while “under” authority (Matt. 8:9).  It is difficult sometimes for me to know when to exercise authority by faith because I want to live a crucified life.  What simplifies it is when I see myself as a steward.  Because I have responsibilities, I can protect myself to fulfill those responsibilities.  I can also exercise faith to protect those in my care.  When I go for a hike in an area that may be bear territory, I take along bear spray and make noise to warn animals of my presence.  God has given them a place to live but He has not given them permission to harm His children.  If I see a wild animal before it sees me, I will go around it or turn back.  If the animal notices me, I speak soothingly to it, assuring it that I am not a threat.  If it begins to move towards me in an aggressive manner, I do not run away because it can outrun me.  Rather, I stand and take authority.  My confidence is that God has all authority in heaven and on earth and if I stand “under” His authority, He will defend me.  He has taught me this concerning evil spirits, and the animal kingdom is no different.

As we enter this end-time period of tribulations, we will see an increase in challenges from nature.  This is a time of warning for the Church and the world at large.  Will we blame God for the consequences of our sins, or will we repent and trust Him for deliverance?  The Lord told the Israelites that if they departed from Him, plagues and wild beasts would come upon them (Lev. 26:21-21).  We are in the days when God is bringing discipline to the Church.  Make it your aim to be reconciled with God and to believe His promises.  Tests of faith will come, but Jesus is praying that our faith will not fail.  After we have been tested, we are to strengthen our brothers (Lk. 22:32).

Helping People Grow

I was thinking the other day about how much of the work of a shepherd is done by the sheep themselves.  My son and his wife have a small farm where they are raising sheep.  It is interesting to watch how the ewes take care of their lambs.  I think there is a similarity in the Body of Christ.  As the Day of the Lord approaches, circumstances will change in the world which will make it more difficult for believers to meet publicly.  An essential part of the transition to those days has been the restoration of small group ministries in our churches.  These have taken various forms from cell groups to house churches.  An extension of this form of body ministry is the use of mentors to disciple believers. 

In the church we pastored the longest, we established a cell group structure which had the ability to develop leaders and disciple new believers.  Each cell group had a leader and a leader-in-training, who met with my wife and I on Sunday evenings.  All the members of the congregation were encouraged to belong to a cell group which met during the week in lieu of a mid-week service.  Discipling occurred in the cell groups.  New believers were assigned a “sponsor” who met with them regularly, as they worked through the New Believer’s Course.    We designed this course as a self-learning model, where the sponsor could answer any questions the learner would have.  The new convert was encouraged to join the cell group which the sponsor attended.

We could have easily taught the course in a class, but that did not fit our discipling model.  We did not want the church members to depend on the leaders to do all the ministry.  The role of ministers is to equip the believers so they can do the ministry.  We wanted new believers to become disciples and eventually cell group leaders or five-fold ministers.  The church members were taught to minister to one another in the cell groups.

The goal of the New Believers course is to establish a good spiritual foundation.  As Paul told the Corinthians, “no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Co. 3:11).  The way to do that, he had previously told them, was to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  He wanted to see them identified with the death of Christ and he wanted to see the manifested presence of Christ among them.  It was important that the faith of these new believers rested in God’s power, not in man’s wisdom (1Co. 2:1-5).  Likewise, the role of the mentor is to establish the new believers in the Lord.  This course will introduce them to spiritual concepts, but it is not necessary in the beginning to expound largely on them.  Rather, it is important to help them make the right choices and to put their trust in the Lord.  Remember, the Lord started His ministry by preaching the gospel and saying: “The Kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!” (Mk. 1:15).  Mentors must pray with them and teach them by example.

In the early Church, the believers were added to the Lord (Acts 5:14), and He added them to the Church (Acts 2:47).  The spiritual home that the new believers are to become established in is very important.  It should be one where the Lord’s presence is manifested, and His will is done.  It need not be a large church.  When we started to lay a vision for cell groups, the Lord instructed us to first develop the pattern for the meetings.  This was to be “Jesus in the midst of us”.  We pursued revival, not cell groups.  As the group grew larger, and we were compelled to divide into smaller groups, the Lord instructed us to divide according to leaders, not numbers.  The emphasis in the beginning was to build the model, and to train leaders who would do the same. 

Although our little church had lot of good features, it was not all that it needed to be.  There was still a great need for spiritual maturity and for the manifestations of the Spirit of God.  The Early Church grew quickly and powerfully because of prayer and fellowship, and because of the teaching of the apostles with the manifestation of signs and wonders (Acts 2:41-43).  The Church today must be restored to the New Testament model.  It must be an Apostolic Church.  I will say more about that in a future article.

At the end of this article, I will include a link to the New Believers Course we developed.  You are permitted to make copies for personal use.  To use this material as a mentor, I suggest you become familiar with it.  Read also the articles on the Eight Steps to Spiritual Maturity. 

Here is a link to the New Believers Course on Google Drive.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1x8phpcOW8K1HT7GC4ss9sSjl7IB1yct2?usp=sharing