Comforter (Part 2)

There is one essential spiritual ingredient needed. That essential ingredient is intercession. This is seen in the account of Job for God finally broke through to Job after Elihu shared this truth:

Job 33:19-26 "A man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones, so that his very being finds food repulsive and his soul loathes the choicest meal. His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out. His soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the messengers of death."Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,to be gracious to him and say, `Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him'--then his flesh is renewed like a child's; it is restored as in the days of his youth. He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state." 

Today spiritually we understand that the ‘mediator' Elihu speaks of is Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us according to Hebrews 7:25. Believers in Christ are empowered by the Holy Spirit to share in this ministry of intercession.

When we visit the afflicted, we don't need to explain to them why they are suffering. We do not need to tell them what to do, unless they specifically ask our advice. Instead, we should let them know: "I will walk with you through this. I will be a shoulder you can cry on. I will bring you before the Lord in prayer so that He may touch you." When we intercede in this fashion, it is not we who are interceding but the Spirit of Jesus Himself who is interceding through us.

Don't ever place religious condemnation on the sufferer. Don't say to him, "Strengthen your faith, pray, and God will restore you." This is not comfort, it's a Satanic accusation. If your faith is so strong, then you should pray. The book of James specifically states that those who are sick should be healed through the prayers of others in James 5:14-16. Should a doctor say to a patient: "Make yourself well"? When another person is afflicted, spiritually we are the doctors, and the afflicted is the patient. We are the ones who should exercise faith. Of course, the sufferer should confess any sins in his/her heart, but the Holy Spirit is the one who should convict of sin. It's not up to us to point out secret sins which we imagine they must be hiding. 

Speculation over the why things happen can prevent the where they end. Just be an encourager and burden bearer for those that are hurting around you.

Comforter (Part 3)

Hebrew 2:18 NIV "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

To offer true comfort to others, we must also intercede for them. How do we learn to intercede for others?
God has a school where he teaches intercession. This school teaches only one course, which is called suffering. No one likes to suffer, but we will all face it in our lifetime. We cannot reject the fact that even the righteous suffer.

We must, in fact, embrace suffering as the means by which we become effective intercessors. Kathryn Kuhlman, who ministered healing to thousands, herself took medicine every day. Her experience of poor health made her able to intercede effectively for others who were sick. I have more sympathy and understanding today for stroke victims and what they go through trying to recover because I am one. I thought I knew how to minister to people who had faced this adversity, but now I really know.

Remember that Jesus Himself helps us in our sufferings because He shared in them according to Hebrews 2:18. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that He suffered as a sinner, though He committed no sin. He does not point His finger down at us from a high pedestal. It is true that Jesus rebukes us, just as He rebuked His disciples for lack of faith in the storm on the Sea of Galilee in Luke 8:24-25. But remember, He was in the same boat with them as He rebuked them. 

The same principle holds for the prophets. Jeremiah warned and rebuked Israel for her sin, but when God's punishment came, Jeremiah did not separate himself from the people, but suffered through the same consequences. When righteous Daniel interceded for his people, he did not refer to "their sin" but "our sin" in Daniel 9:4-19. So if we, though blameless, suffer the same troubles that sinners suffer, we should thank God as Paul said, to the church at Corinth, for He "comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, by the comfort which God has ministered to us."

Comforter (Part 1)

Job 6:14 NIV "A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty."

Job, in his affliction, called his three friends "miserable comforters" in Job 16:2. However, when we look at what they did on Job's behalf, we see how far beyond our feeble efforts they went to comfort the afflicted. How then can we possibly avoid the thoughts of being "miserable comforters"?

First of all, we should recognize that comfort is more in the heart than in the words. Although Job's friends stayed with Job, spiritually their hearts were not "with" him. Rather, they kept themselves above Job. They said, "Pray and God will lift you up to be as we are". True comfort says, "I am willing to go down where you are to share your feelings of grief, anger, loneliness, and despair". For comfort to be transferred, the comforter must place himself at the same level as the afflicted. It's just like plugging a plug into an outlet. In order for a connection to be made, the plug must line up at the same level with the outlet. Job's friends gave no indication that they had ever been in a similar predicament. They gave no hint that they understood or sympathized with his feelings.

Secondly, we should never react defensively when the sufferer attacks us. Like a wounded animal, the sufferer will lash out at anyone, even those who are sincerely trying to help. We should expect this, and not answer back when they wound us. Job's friends did not do this. When Job lashed out at his friends, first they tried to justify themselves, and then they returned the attack. They became more and more defensive, more and more strident in their accusations against Job, and less and less concerned with Job's suffering.

Many times during his speeches, Job even lashes out at God. But God understood that Job was reacting from his deep pain, and does not count his words against him as sin. Just as God overlooked Job's tirades against Him, so we also should overlook when the afflicted attack us with their words. Don't be a miserable comforter. Be one who truly identifies with what the afflicted one is going through and be a way maker for the one that is hurting.

Running With Horses (Part 3)

Jeremiah 12:5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? For even your brothers, the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, even though they speak smooth words to you.”

We have learned to be content with the average and mundane in todays world. Instead of rising up to meet high standards, we make excuses to just get by. Rather than increase our endurance and seek greater achievements most folks just want to survive. It is with that in mind that God spoke these words of truth to Jeremiah. The Lord knew that his journey would be filled with disgrace and ridicule, but he wanted him to be strong and above average for the long haul ahead.

You might be able to keep up with those around you on foot, but when it comes to running with horses it's a different story. Not only is it an incredible pace, but it's one that requires stamina and intestinal fortitude. In other words, you got to have guts to rise above the crowd and be what you are capable of being.

Earlier today on the radio I heard the announcer say,"If we all could go back in time and do life all over again what a different story we would tell." Well, that's why Jesus came and paid the price for us that we might have "new" life and have it more abundantly. Does that mean you'll be richer, healthier, or better looking? No, but it means you will take advantage of every opportunity that God makes available to you with a greater fervor than ever before. You will not let one day pass without the knowledge that you gave it your very best regardless of the outcome.

Jeremiah knew he had opposition, and you will to if you try to be the best you can be for God. I'm not talking about being so heavenly minded that you're no earthly good or setting an unreasonable expectation that will surely meet failure. I'm just simply saying don't let the dilemmas of your past prevent you from the possibilities of your future. The only thing that stands between you and the supernatural blessings of God is what you allow.

You will deal with naysayers, jealousy, envy, strife bearers, and other things seeking to prevent you from reaching your potential. Don't grow weary from running with the footmen or hanging around a bunch of turkeys; Set your affections on things above and finish the race you are blessed to run. The two most important words you want to hear at the end of it, are "Well Done!"

Running With Horses (Part 2)

Jeremiah 12:5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? For even your brothers, the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, even though they speak smooth words to you.”

God’s words to Jeremiah were both powerful and profound. God encouraged Jeremiah to regard his present challenge as a preparation for greater challenges to come. Jeremiah was certainly in a challenge like a hard fought race with the footmen. There was a sense of spiritual, mental, and emotional exertion involved with the persecution from his fellow villagers from Anathoth and his question regarding the prosperity of the wicked and why God did not seem to deliver justice to them. Yet even with the appreciation of that challenge, there were greater challenges to come. 

By analogy, Jeremiah could expect to run against horses in the future. He needed to learn how to trust God and to draw on His strength in his present challenge, in order to prepare him for the greater challenges in the future.  If he found it difficult in Anathoth, how would he fare in the Jerusalem? Later on, Jeremiah would have to spend a night in the stocks, confinement in a cistern, and imprisonment in the court of the guard. The troubles he was having in Anathoth were nothing compared to the troubles he would have later in Jerusalem, Babylon, or Egypt.

This analogy supplies the same lesson as the analogy of the footmen and the horses. Your present circumstance is a challenge, yet a greater one waits for you today. If you complain about the simple things God has already asked you to do, then you lack the spiritual strength to do what He wants you to do next. The effect of the questions must have been that of emphasizing the prophet’s sense of his own weakness, and thus driving him to yet completer dependence upon God. God never calls us to content with horsemen, until He has trained us by the lesser strain of contending with footmen. 

Jeremiah also seems to have been a little afraid of the people among whom he dwelt. They had evidently persecuted him very much, mocked him, and laughed him to scorn; but God tells him to make his face like flint, and not to care what they say. God says,"If thou art afraid of them, ‘How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" This ought to be a rebuke to every Christian who is subject to the fear of man. You can live less than you should as a Christian or more depending on your faith. Its time to not be fearful of Satan, but to rebuke him and carry on for Christ.

The region surrounding the Jordan was a place of jungle growth and the lair of lions. Jeremiah was not fearful of the wild beasts. For Jeremiah, the smaller challenge was the adversity and hatred he faced from the men of Anathoth, men of his own village, and family. The greater challenge was the multitude they had called against him. The open adversity comes when you try to run with the horsemen. The bigger challenge comes when you stand against the flood of discouragement the enemy will send against you. People will always attack those who seek a close relationship with God. I don't know why, but its inevitable. Just like Jeremiah you must have the faith that you can rise above your adversity. You must believe you can hang with the horsemen and stand against the flood.

"If God be for you, who can be against you?"

They Shall Mount Up With Wings As Eagles (Part 2)

When ready to lay eggs, the female and male eagle identify a place very high on a cliff where no predators can reach. The male flies to earth and picks thorns and lays them on the crevice of the cliff, then flies to earth again to collect twigs which he lays in the intended nest. He flies back to earth and picks thorns laying them on top of the twigs. He flies back to earth and picks soft grass to cover the thorns. When this first layering is complete the male eagle goes back to earth and picks more thorns and lays them on the nest. He goes back to get grass to put on top of the thorns, then plucks his feathers to complete the nest. The thorns on the outside of the nest protect it from possible intruders.

Both male and female eagles participate in raising the eagle family. She lays the eggs and protects them; he builds the nest and hunts. During the time of training the young ones to fly, the mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest. Because they are scared, they jump into the nest again.

Next, she throws them out and then takes off the soft layers of the nest, leaving the thorns bare. When the scared eaglets again jump into the nest, they are pricked by thorns. Shrieking and bleeding they jump out again this time wondering why the mother and father who love them so much are torturing them. 

Next, the mother eagle pushes them off the cliff into the air. As they shriek in fear, the father eagle flies out and catches them up on his back before they fall and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for sometime until they start flapping their wings. They get excited at this newfound knowledge that they can fly.

The preparation of the nest teaches us to prepare for changes, the preparation for the family teaches us that active participation of both partners leads to success.
Being pricked by the thorns tells us that sometimes being too comfortable where we are may result in our not experiencing life, not progressing and not learning at all. The thorns of life come to teach us that we need to grow, get out of the nest, and fly. We may not know it but the seemingly comfortable and safe haven may have thorns. Isaiah wanted his people not to languish in bondage, but to grow and prosper. God still has a purpose for every thing we go through so He can push us farther in life than we can imagine. 

When an Eagle grows old, his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as they should. When he feels weak and about to die, he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there, he plucks out every feather on his body until he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, then he can come out. We occasionally need to shed off old habits and items that burden us without adding to our lives. If we want eagles wings we will change our thinking and our ways for the glory of God.

Child of God, its time to fly!

Running With Horses (Part 1)

Jeremiah had a calling to preach and live out the word of God to a people who were all but apostate, with their hearts hardened against the One True God. His would not be an easy calling. He would face intense opposition, persecution and experience great suffering. This event created a “standing at the crossroads,” “personal moment of truth,” or a “defining time” for Jeremiah.

These are the kinds of defining moments that leaders who will be used by God experience. These are the times when we make decisions that will set us on a path to becoming a certain kind of person and a certain kind of leader. May Jesus grant us the will to choose abundant life and the ability to run with the horses.

Jeremiah 12:5 is a memorable passage concerning Jeremiah’s life when, worn down by the opposition and absorbed in self-pity, he was about to give in to a premature death. He was ready to abandon his unique calling in God and settle for being a Jerusalem statistic. At that critical moment he heard the reprimand: 

“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordon?” 

God was saying to Jeremiah:
"What do you want to achieve? Greater riches? A happier life, a longer life? Is it power over your neighbors that you are after? Are you only running away from your death or are you seeking greater wisdom, deeper piety? Life is difficult Jeremiah. Are you going to quit at the first wave of opposition? Are you going to retreat when you find that there is more to life than finding three meals a day and a dry place to sleep at night? Are you going to run home the minute you find that the mass of men and women are more interested in keeping their feet warm than in living at risk to the glory of God? Are you going to live cautiously or courageously? I called you to live at your best, to pursue righteousness, and to sustain a drive toward excellence."

It is easier, I know, to be neurotic. It is easier to be parasitic. It is easier to relax in the embracing arms of the average. Easier, but not better, not more significant, or not more fulfilling.

God said to Jeremiah,"I called you to live a life of purpose far beyond what you think yourself capable of living and promised you adequate strength to fulfill your destiny. Now at the first sign of difficulty you are ready to quit. If you are fatigued by this run-of-the-mill crowd of apathetic mediocrities, what will you do when the real race starts, the race with the swift and determined horses of excellence? What is it you really want, Jeremiah? Do you want to shuffle along with the crowd, or run with the horses?"

It is understandable that there are retreats from excellence, veering away from risk, even withdrawals from faith. It is easier to define oneself minimally and live securely within that definition than to be defined maximally and live adventurously in that reality.

It is unlikely, I think, that Jeremiah was spontaneous or quick in his reply to God’s question. The ideals for a new life had been splattered with the world’s cynicism. The impetus of youthful enthusiasm no longer carried him. He weighed the options. He counted the cost. He tossed and turned in hesitation. The response when it came was not verbal but biographical. His life became his answer.

He determined, “I’ll run with the horses.” 

Hey friend, will you run with the horses?