November 2010

God’s higher math

Relationship with God /

God’s math is higher than our math. In God’s economy if you want to multiply something you must first divide it and if you want to add something you must first subtract from it. It makes us scratch our heads and wonder how it works, but it just does. Consider the way in which Jesus fed the 5000 starting with just five loaves and two fishes. We are told that He divided them among the multitude and they all ate and were satisfied. When the disciples collected the leftovers, miraculously they had multiplied into twelve baskets full of bread and fish. (Mark 6:41-44) Go figure. How did He do that? The little boy who gave his lunch away ended up with a staggering return on his investment.

Walking with God requires faith and the ways of faith defy logic. (Habakkuk 2:4) God’s higher math applies to time. Think about the Sabbath principle. God created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established the seventh day as a day of rest. He then commanded His creation to incorporate a Sabbath rest in giving a day to Him, into the rhythm of our lives as well. When the demands of work and projects overwhelm us, the temptation is to skip the resting part and our time with God.

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Friendliness is next to Godliness

4 Comments / Communication, Relationships /

“Wake up and look around, the fields are already ripe for harvest.” John 4:35

Jesus’ way of lovingly engaging with people, disarming their defense mechanisms and speaking insight-fully into their lives never ceases to amaze me. He exemplifies, like no one else, the ability to reach across every barrier and befriend people no matter what their age, gender, social status, ethnicity or religious persuasion. The fact that he was criticized for being a “friend of publicans (tax collectors) and sinners” testifies to that fact. (Matthew 11:19)

What was Jesus’ secret? How did he engage with people and direct the conversation toward spiritual things?

His encounter with the woman at the well in John 4 provides four wonderful insights into how to befriend people for eternal purposes.

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A prescription for waning spiritual passion

2 Comments / Overcoming, Relationship with God /

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Isaiah 42:3

In my late twenties, several years following my conversion to Christ, I found myself struggling in my relationship with Him. I had been burning the candle at both ends carrying a full time job, trying to be a Godly husband and father with two little children while seeking to maximize whatever time was left over in serving Him. In the midst of leading a small group, teaching Sunday school, volunteering in a prison ministry and trying to be at church every time the doors were open I suddenly found myself without any passion in my personal relationship with Jesus.

Feeling overwhelmed and the need to cutback on my commitments to the church I went to the pastor to tell him about my burnout and feelings of estrangement from Jesus. With trepidation I approached him after a Sunday service and asked if he would release me from several of my serving commitments at church and pray for me.

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God’s tipping point

8 Comments / Relationship with God /

In 2006 “thought leader” Malcolm Gladwell published a book entitled “The Tipping Point.” His premise was that the viral spread of an idea, product or disease is the result of repeated behaviors that builds an accumulative effect to a critical mass. When that threshold or “tipping point” is reached, a breakthrough occurs not unlike the collapse of a dam, turning a persistent trickle turns into a flood.

This same principle is applicable in spiritual matters also. There are tipping points in the realm of the Spirit when God releases breakthroughs. Tipping points with God are always linked to prayer or the lack thereof. That is why God so earnestly looks for intercessors, those who will stand in the gap before Him for His purposes to be accomplished in the earth. (Ezekiel 22:30) Prayer and intercession move His hand to pour out blessings and stay His hand in holding back judgment. (Revelation 5:8 & 16:1)

One of the names ascribed to God by King David was Baal-perazim – the “Lord who breaks through.” The occasion was one of the times when the Philistines attacked Israel. As was David’s practice, he first sought the Lord in prayer. “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The LORD replied, “Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you.” (1 Chronicles 14:10) So when David’s troops defeated them he exclaimed “God did it! …He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” (1 Chronicles 14:11)

Jesus gave us very specific instructions about the Father’s tipping points and how to trigger breakthroughs in our lives. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus encouraged three things that every believer must do to move the Father’s hand to tipping points of blessing. (Matthew 6:1-8) Those three things, all forms of intercession, are alms giving, prayer and fasting. Jesus promised that when we do these things in secret, exclusively for Him and not for show, He will reward us openly.

In both the Old and New Testaments prayer and fasting were often triggers for releasing amazing breakthroughs.

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