An Advocate 1 John 2:1

    In 1 John 2:1 it says, "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

Now also look in John 16:7-8

    "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when he comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment."

     It is interesting to me that in different ways, both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are at work to be both our helper and our advocate.  The Bible says that the Spirit even helps us to pray as we should.  He intercedes for us when we do not know how to pray.  And then it is Jesus Himself who is also our advocate.  The word advocate is a legal term.  It is like an advocate who speaks for someone in a court of law.  He is your defender in God's court and he is also your defense because of what he did on the cross.

    So many times, I may be unsure of how exactly to pray about a situation.  I know what my will is, but I don't necessarily know what God's will is.  It takes humility to acknowledge that your will may not be God's will instead of plunging ahead without waiting.  Mistakes are made sometimes when we rush into something without asking God if this is his will.

    I try to take the approach that I will pray and tell God exactly what my will is in the situation.  Then, I will ask him to show me what His will.  If it isn't the same, I will ask him to take that desire or plan from me.  Or show me a different path that He does want me to take.  And there have been times in my pride that I have rushed head first into what I thought was God's will and it turned into a disaster.   But, even in that, God can often use our mistakes to teach us about his grace.

    I had that happen to me about 6 months ago when I had a decision to make.  I worked hard at the problem and an opportunity came up and I took it.  It seemed to fit with my plan so well.  Well, three weeks in I was wishing that I hadn't done that and waited.  But, God still used the situation to teach me.  Mainly he taught me that I needed to slow down and wait on Him and trust Him.  God rarely shows up early.

    I have found that what is true for me is true for a lot of other people.  Most of we think if it is obvious to us it must be obvious to God.  If this path opens us before us like the red sea parting then it must be of God.  But, that is not necessarily the case.   The Spirit of God is called the Spirit of truth (John 16:13) and it is this Spirit that is in you if you are a believer.  The Spirit knows the mind of God and can reveal His will for your life.  But, the disciples were not always called to take the easy road.

Some questions to ask if you are pondering God's will in a situation
1. Will this decision help me to fulfill what God has called me to do?
2. Will this decision call me to compromise my faith or witness?
3. Does this decision help me to honor Him and my family?
4. Will I use the talents and gifts he has given me if I make this decision?
5. Does this decision call for me to take a step of faith?

1 John 1 Walk in the Light

   The book of 1 John is one of my favorite letters in the New Testament.  John deals with a most important subject.  That the christian faith is not about what we do, but who we have fellowship with.  The word fellowship is the word koinonia which means an intimacy and communion with.  The christian faith is meant to be a constant communion with the Son and the Father.  I like how Ray Stedman in his sermon regarding this says that fellowship is not an automatic for the believer.  The key to whether or not we are walking in fellowship is if we are walking in the light.
    There is a need in the church and individual believers life to take sin more seriously than we have.  We don't realize the harm that it does.  Not just to our witness to non-believers, but to our fellowship with God.  We need to realize that sin is first sin against God.  And if you love God then you will realize that it grieves God when we allow sin into our lives.  True repentance is necessary not just one day a week, but each day of the week.
    This is because John says in 1 John 1:5 "And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all."  The darkness is the idea of sin, error or untruthfulness.  There is no error or sin in the nature of God.  And so if we are to walk in fellowship then we cannot walk daily in sin without confessing.  Our conscious mind should not allow us to stay at peace when we walk in darkness because the Spirit constantly calls us back to himself (1Thess 5:19).
    John goes on to say that if you say that you have not sinned then you are calling God a liar.  He also says this in 1 John 1:10.  This is talking about the battle that goes on between the flesh and the spirit that goes on each day in the life of the believer.  He is talking about present day sanctification.  If you think you have arrived then you are only lying to yourself because there is still sin to be dealt with in you.  Rather, the task for the believer is regular confession.  Sometimes this confession means to confess to others and sometimes it means to confess to God (Matthew 5:23-24).
     There is still a need at times for confession not just to God, but to one another.  There are times when God may grow distant for some believers because confession has not taken place.  You may pray and feel that your prayers are not getting any further than the room you are in.  God may stop working in your life and wait for you to get right with your brother.  When a believer lies about another person or is dishonest or cheats another person a break in fellowship takes place.  And the only thing that will make that right again is for someone to swallow their pride and confess they are wrong.  Notice in James 5:16 it says "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
     The good news from 1 John 1:9 is "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  The key word there is "all".  God's Spirit convicts us of sin and our need for repentance.  Then once we repent, it is the power of Jesus to cleanse us from all of it.  He doesn't cleanse just part of it.  You notice in this verse that this is based on the faithfulness and righteousness of God.

Ray Stedman's sermons on 1 John
http://www.blueletterbible.org/audio_video/stedman_ray/1Jo/Studies_in_First_John_1966_67.cfm#The_Man_Who_Rationalizes_Sin_1_John_1_10_2_2

The power is out

   I noticed as I scrolled through cable television this morning, that many churches are not having services in our area this morning.  We had a large sleet and ice storm here Thursday night into Friday morning that took down numerous trees and power lines all over the area.  Even the grocery store Friday afternoon didn't have its power on.  Made me wonder how they are keeping the frozen stuff frozen.  I'm sure nobody wonders about that but me, since I am a little different. . . .
   When I see the notices about the power being out and services canceled.  I thought to myself the power in the churches have been lacked for a long time, not just today.  It seems when you look at the statistics that there is not a big measureable difference between those who go to church and those who do not.  In whatever area you would like to measure, divorce rate, spousal infidelity, drug addiction, etc.  Why is it that so many of our churches and christians seem to lack the power of the Spirit in their lives?
    I noticed one pastor on television talking about how having the Spirit in your life was meant to give you prosperity in every area of your life.  There was no mention of the need to be obedient.  People love to quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 "My people whoa re called by My name; humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land."   Did you notice in that verse it calls on the people first to humble themselves, pray and seek God's face and turn from sin.  Many preachers preach the prosperity without the repentance.
     I think another reason that there is a lack of power in the church today is that in many churches christians have lost their first love (Matthew 24:12).  They go to church or worship out of sense of obligation rather than a real love for God.  That lack of love shows up in how believers treat other christians.  I am a real believer that you can go through the motions of church and have great services, but not be heard at all in heaven because of the way we treat each other.  Many churches today are sick and dying and in financial trouble because God doesn't and won't bless a church when we turn on each other like flesh eating monsters.
     I am testifying about what I know.  I have been in several leadership positions in churches.  Both as a lay person and in paid positions.  You never realize how especially evil people can be until you see it in church people who claim to walk differently.  Start trying to change an order of worship or try something new in church or change the worship style for just one Sunday and watch the fangs come out.   We act as though it doesn't matter how we act.  The end simply justifes the means.  And in the we are truly wrong.  Then we wonder why the church is struggling and God isn't blessing our offerings and attendane is going down.  It is because God has taken his hands off the wheel and not blessing the direction that people want to go.
     It would do some churches good to have a season of prayer and to consider who they have offended.  In the Old Testament, it was called a solemn assembly.  The people came together and confessed their sins and fell on their faces and sought God.  They examined themselves and got right with each other.  They thought about how they hurt others and asked for forgiveness.  They realize that God doesn't just want to bless our mess.  God wants us to get right with him.  If your church doesn't do this, I would suggest that you do.  Ask God to show you if you need to forgive someone or if you need to repent of something.  Ask God to show you what you need to do to allow His Holy Spirit freedom to work in your life.

The Red Sea parts

    In my daily bible reading, I started a few days ago reading through Exodus.  I got to the part where Moses and the people of God walk across the bottom of the Red Sea.  God causes a wind to build up the waters on each side of the people, so that they are literally walking on the sea bed.  When the Egyptians try to do the same, confusion occurs and the Egyptians end up drowning.
    When you look at the story, you realize that God deliberately leads them in such a way that they appear to the Egyptians to be "wandering aimlessly".  The Egyptians go after the Israelites and think that because the sea is to their back and they are trapped.  But, God uses the moment to both judge the Egyptians and to bring glory to His own name.  When the people cry out to God because they see the Egyptians coming the Lord literally tells them to stop praying and start moving.
     The story reminds us that God wants to use those situations in our lives that appear difficult to bring glory to himself.  He wants us to cry out to him at times.  But, there is also definite times when we need to rise up and move out.  Not to act at some points is a sign of a lack of faith.  God give us the wisdom to know when it is time to get off our knees and move.
     I see no sense of panic in Moses though the people are clearly in a panic.  This will not be the last time they respond with a lack of faith.  There are at least 10 different times when the people of God accuse Moses of drawing them out to the desert to kill them by hunger or/and thirst.  One of these times Moses says they are close to stoning him to death.   It appears having seen all of the great miracles that God did in Egypt they learned nothing from that.  I have to say that while I might sound like I am accusing them, I also have times when my faith is weak and I doubt.  Sometimes I feel like I am wandering around aimlessly too.  I have moment of self defeating doubt also.
    Though the Israelites have not done anything to deserve it, the cloud that represents God's presence gets between the Israelites and the Egyptians.  Only two adults that day will end up walking into the promise land out of the 600,000 reported to have been there. Only Joshua and Caleb will end up making the whole journey.  Everyone else that is an adult will end up dying off within the next 40 years.  They didn't do anything to earn this deliverance of God.  But, thank God that God had mercy on them.  I pray that God also has mercy on me when I question or fail to walk by faith.  I thank God that he is a forgiving God and patient with me.
  
    

The Generosity of Rebekah

    In Genesis 24 it says that Abraham had his chief servant go to Abraham's homeland to look for a wife for his son Isaac.  The servant asked God to show him a sign.  It says that he prayed in verse 12-14-

 “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” NIV


   The servant hadn't even stopped talking and Rebekah shows up.  And Rebekah goes about fulfilling exactly word for word what the servant asked God to show him.  A couple of things struck me about this.  One was that this servant has been traveling for a while and Rebekah does not know him and who he is.  For all she knows they could be thieves.  But, she offers to water their camels.  This was a big job.  The men stood around and watched her do it too.  Nobody helped her.  It was an incredibly generous thing for Rebekah to do.  She didn't know they were going to turn around and offer her a wedding ring to a wealthy family.  For all she knew they were getting on their camels and moving on and she would never see them again.

   There are numerous passages in the Bible that tells us that there is a reward for those who remember those who are in need and who are generous.  We can't always respond to all needs.  Be we need to be aware of what we can do.  Rebekah was aware of a group of men who had traveled a long ways and aware that she had the time to help them with their flock and took the time to do it.  It was not an easy thing to do.  It took time to do it.  She didn't do it expecting a big reward.  If she hadn't said those words though we wouldn't know who she was today.  It was the thing that set her apart from the rest of the ladies that day that came to draw water from that well.  Moments later, the servant would be put a big gold braclet on her wrist and he would begin to reveal to her who he was.  It is a great story.  Check it out in Genesis 24.

"The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered." Proverbs 11:25, NASV

The Past Is Forgiven

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1, NIV

      In the book "Search for Significance" one of the lies that the devil likes to tell believers is that you can never change.  Therefore, he likes to suggest to us that it isn't worth the effort to continue to try to change because we will never become any better, stronger or overcome the obstacles of the past.  He does this often by reminding the believer of past mistakes.  With most of us, he has plenty of material to work with.  Times when we should have kept our mouth shut and did not.   Times when we got angry and lost our credibility and witness.  Times which we would rather forget.

        These are instances which we should bring to God to ask for forgiveness over.  In 1 John it says that if we say that we have not sinned then we call God a liar.  It is God who says that we have sinned.  Rather, 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins and ask God to forgive us, then based on his faithfulness he cleanses us and forgives us from all unrighteousness.  The key word there is all.  I don't have to worry about whether or not I have forgotten some sin like Martin Luther did as he agonized in prayer for hours worried that he had forgotten some sin that he didn't repent of.  I confess what I remember and by faith believe that God has forgiven me and believe Romans 8:1.

      I like how this is pictured in the Old Testament.  In the Old Testament, the outer part of the temple is made up of bronze instruments.  This is where the sacrifice took place.  Bronze was symbolic of judgment.  Everything there was a reminder of the judgment of God.  The person laid their hands on the sacrifice and it was slain for that person.  But, what the blood of bulls and goats could never do, Jesus did for us.  He took that judgment away forever.  So we never walk into a room of bronze again.

     The next room the person walked into was a room of gold.  There was no bronze present.  The gold signified the presence of God.  Everything, the table, the walls, the lamps, the instruments, the bowls, the snuffers, the candles, the plates, all of it was gold.  The light reflected the gold.  It must have been beautiful.  God spared no expense in this extravagent beauty to enjoy His people.   I like Romans 8:1 because it reminds me of this.  That while I am still in this earthly body and make mistakes that in God's eyes I am totally forgiven, washed clean by his blood and purified in his sight.  There is no more mention of judgment.  The one who accuses me is mentioning things that have been forgiven.  Not because of what I did, but because of what the Lamb of God did.

Waiting on God

"My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold, I shall not be shaken."

       I've mentioned on this blog before, that I am a frequently in God's waiting room waiting for something to happen that I am praying for.  This is a pet peeve of mine that I am not a patient person and that I hate to wait time.  In fact, I might go one step further and say if it might be the easiest way to get on my nerves.  I sit there thinking of all the things I need to do and want to do and could be doing and it really bothers me.

       Maybe that is why I seem to have relearn this lesson over and over again is that I have been such a poor student at it.  One thing I have realized is that God's time and mine are not the same.  God is content to show up one time and not early.  God is content not to hurry.  God is not in a panic like I am.  God doesn't have tunnel vision like I sometimes do.  God sees the big picture while I am in my own little world and see only one little piece.  While my little piece might be important, I have to trust God that he does see the whole big picture and knows what is best.

      "Trust in the Lord with You all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him. And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones."   Proverbs 3: 5-8

        One other thing is that I need to trust God when I do not see him at work.  Sometimes God is at work putting things into place even before we pray.  He knows what is going to happen even before the world began.  He knew what day you would pray and what you would say.  He knows what you would you would need before you did.  You have to realize your problem didn't surprise God.

        Also you have to trust God that sometimes advice comes from unexpected places.  I've sometimes had people who I didn't particularly like offer really good advice to me.  After considering what they had to say and getting over my first reaction to them I had to admit that what they said sounded good.  God doesn't play favorites.  Sometimes good advice can come from unexpected places if your open to it.  It doesn't always have to come from the pulpit.  I can remember when I worked retail back in 1992, I got turned down for a job offer in South Carolina that I really wanted.  A lady named Betty who I worked with saw that I was depressed and walked up to me and said "Where is your faith?" and shocked me.  But, she was right.  God closed that door for a reason.

       Also, sometimes God delays in answering a prayer because he has sometimes different in mine all together.  He wants us to spend more time in prayer about it.  I've had times when I had to spend more time in prayer about it and my desire changes over time.  By the time the door finally did open I no longer wanted to walk through it.  I saw the opportunity in a different light or another opportunity became available.  Sometimes when we get into a rush we can be making a big mistake.  God wants us to slow down and think about it before we make a mistake we will regret later.   I've had those experiences with jobs where one job looked good and then when it became available I didn't want it because I learned something about it that made me realize it was a bad decision.