God Most High, God Most Holy
—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:15, 16 ESV)
In his Chronicles of Narnia series, C.S. Lewis described Aslan the Lion as being kind, patient, and compassionate; yet wild, untamed, and fierce.
To describe God as a close Friend or a loving Father is entirely accurate, yet entirely insufficient.
My awareness of the nearness and acceptance of God should not keep me from acknowledging His sovereign authority, divine power, and unapproachable-ness.
Certainly I can (and do) approach His throne of grace and find mercy. But, at the same time, He is a God in whose presence I fall to my knees in reverent awe and absolute humility.
His God-ness is beyond my humanness.
His sovereignty is beyond my limited knowledge and perspective.
His strength and authority is beyond my capability.
He is alone worthy.
No one shares His glory.
Everyone bows to Him.
He is God Most High, God Most Holy.
He doesn’t need me, yet He loves me.
His perfectness didn’t keep Him from pursuing me.
I am loved by the God of all creation.
Though I can come boldly into His presence, I dare not come with arrogance or presumption.
To be known by Him is a privilege.
To be forgiven by Him is a debt I could never repay.
To be loved by Him is more than I can grasp.
Holy, Righteous God and merciful Father,
In a world that grossly underestimates Your glory and power, may I always magnify the greatness of Your name!
Impending Defeat or Certain Victory?
He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:16, 17 ESV)
Elisha’s servant went out early in the morning, looked up and saw the enemy’s army surrounding them.
Isn’t it true that we all have days when we are eerily aware of the enemy surrounding us, roaming about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour?
But I love Elisha’s response. Elisha didn’t deny the presence of the enemy, but he saw beyond the enemy, recognizing that the presence of God’s armies was even greater.
The servant saw impending defeat. Elisha saw certain victory.
Father, I ask you to open my eyes to see Your presence. When the enemy attempts to incite fear, reveal to me the armies of God that surround and protect me.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
At the Intersection of Spiritual and Secular
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23, 24 ESV)
Some things seems more spiritual than others.
Going to church seems more spiritual than going to work. Giving money to the poor seems more spiritual than paying your bills.
I was a college student working as a waiter to pay my way through school. It seemed like two very different worlds in competition with one another for my time, energy, and loyalty – Bible College vs Cracker Barrel.
I saw my job as a means to an end. It only served to help me do what I was REALLY called to do.
Until that one day, when I was inwardly complaining about a particularly frustrating customer, and Jesus spoke to (inwardly prompted) me and said: “Serve your customers as if you were serving Me.”
I replied: “Well, that would be easier if they acted more like You.”
It was as if Jesus laughed with me and then said: “No, seriously.”
That’s the day I changed my mind about spiritual vs. secular. Jesus taught me that the most practical chores, duties, responsibilities, and disciplines – when done unto The Lord and with a right attitude – are profoundly spiritual and have eternal implications.
What would happen if you began to see the mundane as an opportunity for the miraculous?
Father,
Please open my eyes to the significance of simply being faithful in the little things.
Amen.
Why I Pray in the Spirit (in Tongues)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:12-14, 18 ESV)
Spiritual battles demand spiritual weapons. The Apostle Paul reminded the church in Ephesus that theirs was not a fleshly battle, but a spiritual war against the devil, along with his forces of darkness.
Paul described the things that bring protection to us in the midst of the battle: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer.
Each of these pieces of armor is worth it’s own study, but I’m especially intrigued by Paul’s specific admonition to “pray in the Spirit.”
Praying in the Spirit builds your faith.
Praying in the Spirit edifies you.
Praying in the Spirit releases God’s will in your life.
With that in mind, why wouldn’t any believer eagerly and consistently pray in the Spirit?
Believers all around the world humbly, yet confidently, exercise the powerful and personal practice of praying in the Spirit (praying in tongues). Yet there are many who, for various reasons, do not.
1. A lack of understanding of the Word results in a lack of faith in believing for it’s promises.
Some believers have never been taught (and/or have not studied personally) the biblical truths regarding the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the grace of spiritual language. As a result, they have no basis of faith to believe and receive the promises that are available to them.
2. Common misunderstandings are perpetuated through misguided or malevolent teaching against the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit.
I’m convinced that most believers and pastors who teach on (or against) this subject approach it with sincerity of heart. If anything they want to avoid any excesses or extremes that would detract from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even so, one must not allow traditions, denominational statements, or stories of “weird” extremists to result in such a defensive posture that it doesn’t allow for an openness to the clear, balanced teachings of Scripture.
3. Partial understanding of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit can result in a one-time, emotional experience, rather than an ongoing, personal practice.
Although the initial overflow of the Holy Spirit in someone’s life can be accompanied by the tears, or even laughter of the grateful recipient, the ongoing practice of praying in the Spirit does not require being ignited by emotion. Just as reading the Bible, praying, and worshipping God are disciplines of our daily relationship with Jesus, so it is with praying in the Spirit.
Spiritual language (speaking in tongues) is a precious and powerful gift from God, which can be exercised as:
1. A language of Praise. (The personal exercise of declaring the wonderful works of God)
2. A language of Prayer. (The personal practice of allowing the Holy Spirit to help you pray effectively and accurately)
3. A language of Prophesy. (The public exercise of the gift of tongues, which must be interpreted to allow hearers to be edified)
Although my remarks in this blog have focused solely on the “language of prayer,” each expression of spiritual language is worthy of sincere study and balanced practice.
Interesting to me is how the subject of “tongues” is often only viewed from the perspective of the use (or abuse) of the public gift. The fact is, this spiritual language is much more a personal gift than a public one, although it is certainly both.
Paul’s admonition to the church in Corinth was not to ban the practice of tongues, but to establish a disciplined practice of its public use, along with a discerning distinction between its public and personal use.
As a pastor…
it is important to me that I “rightly divide the word of truth,” knowing that I am held accountable for how I influence others.
As a person…
I have grown utterly dependent on all of the gifts and graces of God made available to me.
Praying in the Spirit is not merely my theology, it is my daily practice, and a gift for which I am truly grateful.
Father,
I pray for those who read this blog –
…that any existing confusion would dissipate in the light of the revelation of your truth.
…that any weird or manipulative experiences would be clarified and healed.
…that any fears would be replaced with faith.
…that your people would be empowered to accomplish great exploits for Your glory, and the expansion of Your kingdom.
In Jesus’ name, amen!
How to Read the Book of Ecclesiastes
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 ESV)
As with any book, whether in the Bible or not, Ecclesiastes is most accurately understood when read in its context. Similar in some ways to the book of Job, Ecclesiastes, when read simply at face value without proper contextualization, leaves room for the reader to draw incorrect conclusions and develop misguided beliefs about life and God.
The first three lines of the book reveal the perspective of the writer, Solomon, as being in a place of life when all seemed meaningless and empty.
Most people know that Solomon was David’s son, and followed him as king over Israel. Early in his leadership he had an encounter with God, during which he asked for wisdom and a discerning heart, when he could have asked for anything at all. God not only blessed Solomon with wisdom, but also gave him abundant riches and great influence.
But many people do not realize that later in his life Solomon wandered away from his relationship with God. Having married many, many women from various nations (these were primarily politically motivated marriages that secured Solomon’s peace and posterity), he became entangled and confused by the myriad of religions and gods that his wives brought to his life. Sadly, after Solomon’s forty year reign, the nation of Israel was sharply divided into two entirely separate kingdoms.
Although the beginnings of Solomon’s reign were marked by his humility and heart for God, he became encumbered by riches, power, politics, women, and many religions. Like a wandering sheep, he became lost and confused.
Solomon’s view of life became jaded. It was during this time that he wrote the book we refer to as Ecclesiastes.
One of the key phrases of the book, which is repeated throughout the book, is “under the sun.” The phrase helps us understand that Solomon was viewing life from an earthly perspective, only seeing things from man’s vantage point.
From an “under the sun” perspective, life certainly seems meaningless and lived in vain; however, when life is viewed (as it is intended) from an eternal and heavenly perspective, life has profound meaning and makes much more sense.
At this point in Solomon’s life he only viewed life from birth to death, an entirely earthly experience. And it seemed meaningless.
Many people are blinded to this fact:
Life’s meaning is found where eternity intermingles with the earthly, where Word becomes flesh.
If you are struggling to find value and meaning in life, you are walking a road that many have traveled. Great men and women throughout history have asked the same questions and shared the same grief. And many have found that the answer is found in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is the Word who became flesh. The eternal became earthly, so that the earthly (man) could have life eternal.
As you read the book of Ecclesiastes, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the true meaning of life. More than that, He will lead you to the Author of life!
Pastor Dale Jenkins 