The Intervention

“O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your Servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.” Nehemiah 1:11

Nehemiah served in the court of a pagan king, providing protection from poisoning and personal security to the monarch, but His Sovereign was Almighty God. He appealed to the Sovereign Lord of Creation to influence the heart of a king who had the earthly power to provide relief to the cries of God’s people on earth.

Nehemiah turned to intercession as the primary means of inviting God’s intervention into the affairs of man. With our own nation in crisis, we should do no less.

“…Be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name…”

Intercession is an expression of great personal concern being pointed towards God calling for His intervention. Still, it is a form of spiritual delusion on the part of any prayer warrior to believe, in the midst of the battle, that they fight alone.

Nehemiah didn’t allow himself to be deceived by the clamor and the chaos of the crisis. He called on God to be attentive, not only to his prayers, but to all the prayers of His servants. Nehemiah reminds us of those who take great delight in revering God’s name. His words bring great comfort in the midst of the battle.

The power of intercessory prayer is not found in eloquence, but in reverence. Listen carefully to the prayers of people and you can discern very easily the difference between those who “delight to revere Your name” and those who are trying to make a name for themselves. Nehemiah was only interested in lifting up and honoring the name of God. Pray like him.

At a recent prayer event I attended, one man couldn’t resist the temptation to slip his website into his remarks. He did it twice. He was more interested in connecting the people with himself than he was in connecting the people with God. At another prayer event, men who were given the responsibility to intercede, couldn’t resist a hot microphone, and succumbed to the tempter’s snare to address the audience with a few well-chosen remarks before entering into a conversation with God. It was disappointing to me. More importantly, it was grieving to the Holy Spirit. This foolishness needs to stop!

Being eloquent before men is not always being reverent to God. Answered prayer is not concerned with being heard by men. Intercessory prayer becomes answered prayer only by being heard by God.

Putting God on hold before you pray does not revere His name. It is an insult. Warming up the crowd with a fit of eloquence does not warm up the heart of God. It is irreverence.

Nehemiah was interested in God’s undivided attention, not the attention of man. Though he was a cupbearer to the king of a great empire, before he placed his request for aid before a man of earthly power, he pointed his prayer to the source of spiritual power, Almighty God. Follow his lead.

This is the great need of the day, men and women of Issachar who are able to discern the times for a nation in crisis. They will not only make the effort to intercede for God to intervene. They will be willing to take their intercession to the next level and be instruments of God’s intervention.

Nehemiah entered into intercession, and became an instrument of intervention. As a cup-bearer to the king, he held a position of privilege and responsibility. It was not an accident, but a Divine appointment.

The privilege of intercession led him to take personal responsibility for the intervention that was needed. His burden for his nation left him tearful over the condition of His people and fearful of the consequences of intervening. He could lose his job, and his life. He did it anyway. Thank God he did.

Nehemiah prayed for God to intervene in the heart of one man before he spoke one word to him. Nehemiah didn’t lean on his own eloquence or confidence to create compassion in his heart for the cause of God’s people. He turned to God. Nehemiah’s prayer appealed to God, to move the heart of the king to express compassion. Without asking, God moved in Nehemiah’s heart to create great courage. Prayer always does.

NOTE TO SELF: God may place a burden on your heart and call you to intercede for a specific person or a specific need. Don’t be surprised if he uses you as a personal instrument to carry out His plan for intervention. Encourage pastors and key lay people all over this nation to pray for their country to turn back to God. Pray for them to be willing to be instruments of His intervention in this nation. Nehemiah did, and God used him. The rest as they say is HIS story.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Reports

“Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2

There was a time before news “journalists,” when those who delivered the news were called reporters. They didn’t invent the news. They just reported it. Those days are gone forever, but the reports keep coming, as the heads keep talking. Empty though they may be.

The prayer of the prophet Habakkuk was prompted by a report he had heard about God, and driven by the fear of God. He appealed for mercy. This is the desperate cry of a man who knew what he needed, was convicted he didn’t deserve it, and believed God was his only hope for it.

Scripture connects the dots and provides a picture of what revival looks like. It is an outpouring of God’s mercy upon people who deserve his wrath. It is a response to the humble death cries of people who know they are in a desperate condition, and they have no one else to blame but themselves.

Revival is not a new and improved work of the flesh, glorifying the achievements of an ambitious pastor and a self-centered church. Revival sets a man on fire, but it doesn’t necessarily put his name in lights.. Revival is not the result of a man making a name. It is God making a difference.

Never forget this. Revival is the work of God The prophet prayed, “…revive Your work in the midst of the years.” Those who long for revival are on their way to receiving it, when they admit they don’t deserve it, and they can’t create it.

The airwaves and news pages of this nation have been filled with bad reports for years. In recent days the level of malignant messages have spread like a cancer eating away at the soul of America. The response to these reports has been varied, yet relentless. For some the news has been joyful, but for others it has left them hopeless. The prophet gives direction to us “in the midst of the years.”

The prophet did not expect God to dilute His righteousness by minimizing His wrath. He called on God in all His holy anger to transform it into a powerful, purifying outpouring of His mercy. Mercy is healing, but it is not painless. Those who receive it are purified. Anyone who has ever had peroxide poured into a puss-filled cut knows the experience. Expect tears.

This is the very essence of revival. God descends from Heaven and by His Spirit, He walks among His people, purifying them by His undiluted Presence. When His people pray, God brings revival. Revival is God. We pray. He stays. Is your church praying for the Presence of God. The only other option is the wrath of God.

Revival is not series of meetings. It is a prolonged, outpouring of God’s mercy upon His own people, until they become saturated by His Presence. Revival pours out from the four walls of the church and into the public square when purified people are more concerned about receiving the approval of God, than they are about seeking the approval of man.

“Revival is a community saturated with God.” Duncan Campbell

Revival will be rejected by people inside the church, as well as by those outside of the church. The purification process is painful because it is humbling. Prideful people are prayerless people. Admitting failure is more painful than the failure itself. Calling upon God for mercy for your own sin is more painful than pointing out the sin in others. Revival gets personal before you get right with God. Get the picture?

NOTE TO SELF: Pray for mercy. You don’t deserve it. You need it. Pray for your nation to experience a fresh work of God’s mercy “in the midst of the years.” The spirit of desperation precedes the outpouring of revival. Pray for God’s people to become desperate enough to come to the end of themselves and the beginning of God. The wrath of God is kindled to its greatest intensity by the rebellion of His own people. Pray for the church to repent and to turn back to God, praying to Him, in the name of Jesus, these same words, “in wrath remember mercy.”

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Words

“When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before God of heaven. I said,

‘I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.” Nehemiah 1:1-7

The Words from the recent Supreme Court decisions unleashed upon our nation an endless stream of comments spewing over the airwaves and released a floodgate of posts on social media. As the judgments of man collide with the judgment of God, cultural Christianity is being called to account for what they truly believe. The fundamental choice in life is to choose between wisdom and foolishness, between a fear of God and the fear of man. Some will choose wisely. Some will play the fool.

The purification of the church is never a pretty picture, but it is part of God’s plan for Spiritual Awakening. Those who are determined to come down on the right side of history, while landing on the wrong side of God’s commandments are in store for a rude awakening. Those who remain faithful to God’s commandments are in store for a Great Awakening. Make sure you stick the landing.

One of the least popular passages of Scripture in the Bible may very well be, “Judgment begins at the house of God.” The birth of the next Great Awakening won’t begin in The White House, the schoolhouse or the state house. It will begin at your house.

Nehemiah’s response to the words that came to him about the condition of his nation brought him to great sorrow and sadness, but they led him to personal repentance.  This is always the right response for God’s people to a national tragedy.

Fixing the blame where it belongs is the key to fixing the problem. Repentance comes from the mind of God. It is not meant to punish or shame. It unlocks the door to personal as well as corporate revival, by renewing and refreshing companionship between The Father and His children.

Nehemiah didn’t try to pray down the wrath of God on the enemies of his nation. He was moved to pray and to intercede for the people of Jerusalem. To be sure, they were suffering under the hands of their enemies, but he didn’t voice a prayer for blessing, but a prayer of confessing.

“…confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.”

The point of repentance is where the next Great Awakening begins. This is the turning point. It is not a matter of taking a nation back, but turning a nation back to God, one heart at a time. The contemporary church may try to postpone it or deflect it, but the ancient message from the book of Nehemiah calls the church to do it. Nehemiah didn’t try to blame others for the condition of his nation. He held himself accountable, and said, “I and my father’s house have sinned.”

In America, a tearless, prayerless church has presided over the creation of a form of Christianity that values style over substance, and image over integrity. Before God heals a land, He holds His people accountable to express a spirit of humility, not a spirit of independence.

Recently fireworks exploded all over the land celebrating the birth of our nation. They are always spectacular, drawing “oohs” and “ahhs” from delighted crowds of people watching in the darkness. Rockets fired into the air paint vivid, beautiful, multicolored lines upon a velvet backdrop, but they only last a few seconds.  Even so, the experience can be an inspiration. The author of our National Anthem found this to be true.

“The rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof to the sight, that our flag was still there.” Francis Scott Key

The Words heard by Nehemiah broke his heart. They drove him to prayer, but not to despair. He was desperate for a solution, not despondent over the bad report. He turned to God. This is the only way for God’s people to respond when they discover they have lost their way.

The church of Jesus Christ is not a rocket thrown into the air, to briefly light the night. The church is built upon The Rock, and called to be just like their Savior, “The Light of the world.”

NOTE TO SELF: Take the words that have come your way, and darkened your nation, and place them in God’s hands. Allow Him to shed His light on any area of your life that has contributed to the weakening of your church’s or your nation’s respect for His Word. Repent of it. Restore consistent companionship with Him. This world is dark, and His Word will still light the way home.  While you are in it, light it up. Like the old songs says, “Let it shine!. Let it shine! Let it shine!”

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Declaration

In 1776, the Continental Congress approved what has become known as “The Declaration of Independence.” Though this title is not mentioned in the document itself, posterity and the content of the document established the title. It was, indeed, a declaration of independence.

The Declaration begins with a soul-stirring reminder of the significance of this act, and the God-given entitlement to respond to tyranny.

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them…”

The causes for the separation are are preceded by The Preamble. This may very well be one of the most powerful statements ever expressed in the English language.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

“The pursuit of Happiness” was an 18th Century expression best described as self-rule. Jefferson understood real freedom to be found in self-sufficiency, not in government dependency.  This kind of happiness cannot thrive or survive under governmental tyranny.

In the 21st Century, “pursuit of happiness” has been dissected and tortured by secularists until it is barely recognizable. It has become a tired horse mounted by the forces of liberalism. Assisted by tyrannical judges, it has been ridden into the ground in an attempt to turn self-sufficiency and freedom from tyranny into a passion for personal licentiousness.

The body of The Declaration contains  “the causes which impel them to separation.” They express an American virtue, the absolute intolerance for tyranny. It is in the DNA of the American idea.

“It is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

Though addressed to King George, the causes of the separation are not driven by a personal grudge against the King of England, or a hatred for the people of Great Britain. They are referred to as facts that must be stated.

“The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”

What follows is the list of causes that brought about the crisis, and severed ties between a free people and the source of the tyranny they abhorred. The birth of a free people was based upon a rejection of tyranny. The death of a free people begins the day they begin to ignore it. Growing accustomed to tyranny a slow but sure process to complete the suicide of a free people. No one has described this better than Os Guinness in his book, “A Free People’s Suicide.”

“A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”  

The Declaration held The King responsible for being the tyrant, but it also held the people of England accountable for allowing the tyranny to be directed towards their fellow-citizens in America. The Declaration called for an absolute separation from the English government and the creation of another one in America. The Declaration would lead to war, but it also contained a hope for peace.

“We must therefore…hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.”

The Conclusion of The Declaration of Independence expresses the level of commitment the signers of the document brought to the causes they had expressed.

“And for the support of this Declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

The signers were not blind to the consequences of their action, but they were not clairvoyant. They were separating themselves from the richest nation in the world, and challenging the combined might of the largest navy and most successful army on earth. They could not have possible foreseen what it would cost them.  Thank God they didn’t flinch when it came to paying the price.

It took the vision of John Adams to see beyond the storm clouds of war and into a brighter future for these United States.

“I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom I see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth all the means. This is our day of deliverance.” – John Adams

Adams would write to his wife, Abigail, about this special day. To be clear, he thought it would be celebrated on July 2nd. He missed the date, but his sentiment was spot on. You can’t miss it.

“It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” – John Adams

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Go out and celebrate accordingly. Observing the local ordinances of your city and state, FIRE AWAY!

May these words of John Adams be ever true, and may we be faithful to pass his priceless legacy on to our children.  Pray for our nation. It is in great danger, but the greatest enemy of this nation may very well be a prayerless church. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Judge

“Judge not…” Matthew 7:1

Apparently these two words are all some people need to know to become experts about the Bible, and the mind of God. For them it is enough information to dispense with a proven standard for marriage, and to invent a new right for something God never had in mind. It is not enough to tolerate their new creation. They expect everyone to celebrate it. Those who don’t are marginalized an ostracized as bigots.

My alma mater recently removed sodomy from their student manual. It is no longer considered inappropriate behavior for their students. Time will tell, but I expect the next step in this journey off God’s grid will be campus weddings for same-sex marriage. Toleration of sin is the first step towards the celebration of it. Those who don’t celebrate what they can’t tolerate will face the wrath of the tolerant.

People who attempt to quench their thirst at the well of self-gratification discover it leads to self-destruction.  Hungering for the approval of others more than the approval of God leads to a famine of the soul.  When it comes to the Word of God, ignoring the obvious and embracing the obscure leads to the ridiculous.

Justice Anthony Scalia wrote a powerfully prophetic and a scathing dissenting opinion to the recent Supreme Court decision. He accused the five lawyers of judicial arrogance, creating a right that never existed before in the mind of God or in the language of The Constitution. This will result in a floodgate of consequences. They have yet to hit the beach of this nation, but the wave is coming.

“It is one thing for a society to elect change; it is another for a court of law to impose change by adjudging those who oppose it hostes humani generis, enemies of the human race.” Justice Scalia

When Roe vs. Wade became the law of the land no one could possibly have imagined it would lead to the deaths of 60 million children. Creating rights that God never created is not creative, but judicial arrogance. Anyone who ignores the counsel of God and shreds The Constitution is blinded by the light of their own self-importance. It is always a dim bulb.

Comedians have wryly stated, “I have no problem with gay marriage. Gay people have every right to be as miserable as the rest of us.” Behind this humorous remark hides the proverbial sliver of truth that cuts to the quick and gets under the skin.

It is true. More marriages are made in heat than in Heaven. Therefore, it is hard to hold up the sanctity of marriage and the sacred bonds of matrimony while installing a revolving door at the marriage altar. Mountains of wedding cakes and miles of train from expensive bridal gowns have not produced indestructible marriages that model God’s standard.

“No fault” Divorce is another one of those flawed gems of bureaucratic language and governmental logic that lulled the church into thinking that ending a marriage without fixing the blame would fix the problem. It didn’t. Shame on us for taking the bait.

“But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery;…” Matthew 5:32

Critics of “same-sex” marriage have every right to refuse to recognize it as marriage. Jesus didn’t. He was very clear. Marriage is between a man and his wife. He didn’t create a new right. He died to give people a new life.

When the early church welcomed homosexuals into the church it was not based on a misguided toleration of their sin. Their presence was met with a celebration of their new life. There is a huge difference between toleration and sanctification. There is nothing to celebrate when the church changes the price tags of anything that cost Jesus Christ his life’s blood on The Cross.

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of Jesus.” 1 Cor. 6:11

On the other hand, heterosexual marriages that do not reflect God’s standard should not be tolerated or celebrated. The number of young people entering into marriage as chaste virgins is probably hard to document, but it is hardly an overwhelming statistic. The Bible has more to say about fornication and adultery than it does about homosexual behavior. This truth hurts, but it is meant to heal. It is time for the church to take its own medicine.

Church members have been negligent to abide by God’s standards, and pastors have been quick to break them. Hardly a day goes by without the news of another “evangelical” pastor who has been exposed as a heterosexual deviate. The gay community has grounds to say to the church.

“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye.” Matthew 7:5

The talking points of the secular media and the homosexual agenda are meant to shame conservative Christians into denying their Biblical root system in order to be accepted in this brave new world. The church is told they must move on and come down on the right side of history. This will bear bitter fruit if the church swallows this line of thinking.

History is HIS story.  Removing something from a student manual doesn’t change God’s mind about it. What is in His Word still reveals His mind. HIS story has a happy ending for those who follow Him. It is a disaster for those who rebel against Him. Make sure you land on the right side of HIS story.

Creating something new out of nothing by court jesters doesn’t change the law of God. God will have the last word. He is The Judge. Not me. Not you. Not the media. Not the Supreme Court of the land. What is wrong, He will make right. If not here on earth, then certainly He will do it in the court of Heaven.

NOTE TO SELF:  Don’t judge. Leave that to God. He is going to judge behavior that is out of line with His will. That includes yours. Don’t be intimidated by the pressure of the secular media, spineless politicians, and compromising pastors. You don’t’ have to move on. Moving in the wrong direction may be the path of least resistance, but it doesn’t avoid the judgment of God. Strengthen your marriage. Reflect God’s best in the worst of times. Challenge the church to stop ranting and to start repenting. This nation is where it is, not because it was led to this point by the gay agenda, but because it was abandoned by Christian apathy. Pray for mercy. You don’t deserve it, but you need it. So does your nation.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Tie

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18

Saturday, June 20, 2015 I was invited to take part in a prayer service in Charleston, SC. It was led by the pastors of the city in the wake of the shooting deaths of nine people the previous Wednesday night.

South Carolina Pastor Brad Atkins and I arrived in Charleston on Thursday to represent The American Renewal Project and to pray with pastors and people impacted by the tragic deaths of the pastors and parishioners at Mother Emmanuel A.M.E. Church.

This was a return trip to Charleston for us. We had taken part in The Response South Carolina prayer event just a few days before the shootings. Over 4,000 people, led by Doug Stringer, had gathered together across denominational, generational and racial lines to pray for a nation in crisis. It was a powerful six hours.

The Response USA is a ministry of The American Renewal Project. These prayer events are scheduled when a state governor is impressed to call for prayer on behalf of a nation in crisis. The original plan for the SC event called for it to be held in the cities of Columbia or Greenville. Since adequate facilities were not available, it was decided to hold it in Charleston. Hindsight provides the insight to see why God’s hand guided this prayer event to Charleston four days before the tragedy. There could not have been a more strategic location for it.

I was particularly appreciative of Apostle Herman R. Robinson’s invitation to take part in the Saturday prayer gathering, one week after The Response: SC. His meeting had been on the calendar for over a year. Including us in the program was a generous gesture on his part. It was an equal measure of Christian, and Southern hospitality. Brad and I were honored. Thank you, pastor.

The prayer meeting took place on the highest point of the city, a 14-story hotel overlooking downtown Charleston. The beautiful skyline, marked by the spires of some of the oldest churches in America, has earned Charleston, the nickname of “The Holy City.” Church steeples are designed as symbols of praying hands pointing the eyes of the people towards Heaven. This week substance triumphed over symbolism as pastors of Charleston called their people to pray.

For four hours 120 pastors and spouses gathered for prayer, sharpening and swinging the church’s world-class weapon in battle against an ancient evil. In the hands of men and women of God, this weapon is a powerful force. Intercessory prayer puts the enemy on the defensive by calling on the name of Jesus. The enemy fears the sound of God’s children calling on the name of His Son. When Jesus takes the field, Satan flees.

“The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work or prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” Samuel Chadwick

The pastors of Charleston have responded to their local tragedy, and they have led the way for a nation in crisis, pointing the way back to God. With God’s grace they have turned to prayer and forgiveness, rather than anger and rioting. Secular news channels are describing prayer meetings breaking out all over the country. This may be the beginning of the next Great Awakening. Time will tell.

Great Awakenings have all been preceded by passionate, prevailing prayer. There is no substitute for answered prayer. People who prevail in prayer breathe in the air of desperation, and breathe out the prayer of intercession. Genuine intercession is driven by brokenhearted desperation.

Prevailing prayer is not a devotional exercise. It is war. The art of Spiritual Warfare, delivers a powerful weapon of war into the heart of the enemy on every battlefield. The enemies of God refuse to leave ground they have taken without a fight. Jesus is The Light. Prayer calls on Him to take the fight to the enemy, putting the forces of darkness to flight.

“The prayer that prevails is not the work of lips and fingertips. It is the cry of a broken heart and the travail of a stricken soul.” Samuel Chadwick

As I was leaving the prayer meeting, I approached Brother Robinson and asked him if he was familiar with the old Baptist hymn that carries the message, “Blessed be the tie that binds.”

When he assured me he knew it well. I took off my tie, and gave it to him. I told him, I considered tonight a special occasion in my life. His hospitality called for a personal response. I told him to take my tie as a gift, and to be assured that I would be praying for him daily, especially when he stepped into the pulpit to preach. I told him I was not alone, and that thousands of pastors affiliated with The American Renewal Project would be praying for him and the pastors of this city. Sunday morning as I was boarding a plane to return home to Texas, the pastor texted me and told me he was entering the pulpit to preach, and was wearing my tie. “Blessed be the tie that binds,” indeed.

“Blessed be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.” John Fawcett

Pray for Charleston, but don’t forget to pray for your own church, city and community. The same enemy that attacked a small prayer meeting in Charleston seeks to steal, kill and destroy all that is precious to you. Don’t think that removing guns from the public square will save your church from attack. A million victims killed with machetes in Rwanda should be enough stark, historical evidence of evil’s willingness to use any means of death available to it. In the beginning, all Cain needed was a rock. Evil doesn’t need any more than that.

From my father’s deathbed he shared these words with me, “Prayer is the treasure. Prayer is the threshold of Heaven. Awakening is only a breath away. It can come in the next moment. PASS IT ON! PASS IT ON! PASS IT ON!”

Note to self: Don’t waste the blood of the Charleston victims or be frivolous with your grief. Invest your prayers. The treasure of prayer has been inspired by their deaths. Now invest them. Call out to God for what this nation needs most, but deserves the least, His mercy. With His mercy, Awakening is sure to follow. Pass it on!

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Truth

“Stand beside your burn offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” Numbers 23: 3

In the pantheon of Old Testament prophets, Balaam is remembered more for his talking donkey than for his prayer life with God. He was hired by Balak to put a curse on the people of Israel. As mercenary as Balaam’s motives may have been, God condescended to meet with him. This is a gentle biblical reminder to all those who want to make prayer so sacred that no one is qualified to do it.

“Now God met Balaam…” V.  4

When Balaam met with God, he received a word of blessing for the people Balak wanted him to curse. Any preacher can tell you that telling a congregation what they don’t want to hear rarely improves the love offering or secures a pay raise. Balaam may have been a postman for hire, but he delivered the mail. This was no talking donkey. He was a man speaking for God.

“Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth…” V. 5

Balak protested the blessing Balaam spoke over the people of God. The prophet gave the only defense a preacher can have. Over the past 40 years, the truth of this passage of Scripture has served me well. Preachers in the contemporary church would be wise to rediscover the power and the protection that is contained in it.

“Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?” V. 12

Balaam may have been a prophet for hire, but when it came right down to the chain of command, he knew he worked for God. Preachers who believe they are the lowest link on the food chain would be wise to remember the same thing.

Balaam called on Balak to build seven altars and make a tremendous sacrifice. Balak put skin in the game, but Balaam put his life on the line. He turned his back on Balak and turned his face towards God.

Turning towards God, as the source for the solution is the fundamental key to finding His will through answered prayer.

Talking about the problem with people often postpones the answer. There must come a point in time when getting with Sovereign God takes priority over belaboring a discussion with helpless people.

People pleasing platitudes are a poor substitute for prophetic preaching. Balaam proved to be an honest broker by turning his back on financial reward and praying his way into The Presence of God. Praying preachers are the greatest need in the world today. With them there is hope for a Great Awakening. Without them the church will never be mobilized to pray for it.

“Stand by your burnt offering while I myself meet the LORD over there.” V. 15

It wasn’t until Balaam met with God that he received a word from God. Preachers who speak for God, without spending time with God are some of the most dangerous people in the world.

They develop the unwise habit of turning every a good idea they have into God’s idea. Speaking for God without spending time with God may produce an eloquent message, but it will never provide God’s sense of direction.

“Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth…” V. 16

Once again, Balak protested when Balaam reported after His encounter with God, “Behold, I have received a command to bless. When He has blessed then I cannot revoke it…The LORD his God is with him…Behold a people rises like a lioness.” V. 20-24

While living in East Africa I was surprised to learn that the lioness does a great deal of the hunting, and most of her hunting is done at night. Driving my Land Rover through a game reserve, it was not unusual for me to see lionesses sleeping after a long night of prowling and devouring fresh prey. Sleeping lionesses are no real danger. Rising lionesses are prepared to hunt.

Balaam’s words warned Balak he was facing people who were rising up under the blessing of God. What an awesome word-picture.

A prayerful perspective is essential to assess the balance of power in world increasing hostile to the people of God. Balaam was praying to God. Balak was preying on the people of God. God saw Balak as the prey of His people.  The contemporary church would do well to stop acting like a victim hiding in the tall grass, and simple rise up and do what they were born to do.

Prophetic preachers should be the clearest role models of immediate obedience, and the greatest enemies of political correctness the world has ever seen. Balaam cut himself off from his meal ticket to tell Balak the truth. It was the wisest move he ever made. Wise men still tell the truth. Fools don’t.

“Did I not tell you, ‘Whatever the LORD speaks, that I must do’?” v. 26

NOTE TO SELF: You are not a hireling. You were called to preach the truth, not to do the bidding of those who think they pay your salary. When you rise up from the tall grass, you will come into conflict with those in the church and outside of the church who do not want to hear a clear message from The Word of God. Preach it any way. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Journey

“We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He my remove the serpents from us. And Moses interceded for the people.” Numbers 21:7

2015 is the year the drought in Texas officially ended. In the DFW area we have had more rain in five months than we had all of last year. In the middle of the most recent drought, Gov. Rick Perry called for people to pray for rain. The son of a Texas dry land farmer, he knew from experience, God answers prayer. The outcry to his request was equal parts ridicule from the press, and petition from God’s people Now, Texans are complaining of the flooding. I guess we can stop praying for rain. Thank you Governor for calling for prayer. Thank you God for the rain!

In Numbers, the people were chronic complainers. The stinking thinking that stewed in their minds spewed out of their foul mouths. They cursed God and Moses for bringing them into The Wilderness, and accused them of attempted genocide. 

There is no logic to their argument. Like petulant children they chafed under the hand of authority. If Moses had wanted to see them dead, he would have just stopped praying of them. If God had wanted His people to be annihilated, all He had to do was leave them in Egypt. Complaining about God and His leaders reveals a rebel’s heart.

The Journey from slavery to the Land of Promise was wearisome. It was made more difficult by the worrisome whining of ungrateful people whose memories were as short as their tempers. Refusing to remember God’s deliverance they chose to rebel against His sovereignty.  Many times God had delivered the people. Often Moses had interceded for them. Still, they grew impatient with the pace, and the apparent lack of progress in The Journey. This only happens…EVERY TIME.

“The people became impatient because of the journey. The people spoke against God and Moses, ‘Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food or water and we loathe this miserable food.’ “  V.5

This time God moved in response to the complaints of the people by sending to them a visible image of their sin. The poison serpents He sent into the camp were His personal assessment of all their constant complaining. They were guilty of injecting poisonous venom into the body politic. By doing so, they were attempting to dethrone God by undermining His leader. 

The people knew they were in trouble, so once again they ran to Moses and cried out for him to intercede for them.  The admitting of sin is not the same as repentance of sin. A crook may admit he got caught, but his confession does not mean he intends to turn his life in a new direction. He merely bides his time until he has an opportunity to steal again. The same can be said of any sinner.  Repentance is not revealed, by a sad face. Repentance is an about face.

God intended the people to face their sin, and then make an about face from it. Victims of the snakes were told to look to the bronze snake Moses held up in front of them, and they would not die.

This deliverance from the poisonous snakes was an answer to prayer, but it was most certainly not what the poisonous people had in mind.  God is not only interested in giving His people direction and protection. He intends to bring correction.  The Journey is marked by many “U-Turn” signs. Don’t ignore them.

“It came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.” V. 9

NOTE TO SELF: Leaders are often ridiculed, and mocked for not meeting the expectations of the people. They are in good company. Complaining people resist and resent God’s direction, protection, and correction. The leader just happens to be in the line of fire because they are standing next to The Champion. Sin has consequences that require not only an admission of personal responsibility, but also an acceptance of personal accountability.  Looking to the bronze serpent revealed a willingness on the part of the people to own their sin. Excusing and justifying sin is not an expression of genuine repentance. They reveal continued rebellion. Praying for deliverance without any intention of turning in a new direction makes a mockery of prayer, and repentance. Turnaround!

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! 

The Offense

“Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, ‘Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.’ “ Numbers 16:15

Moses directed his anger at a spirit of rebellion that was gnawing at the soul of the people of Israel. Like a flesh eating cancer, rebellion was destroying the body life of the camp.

Korah’s rebellion was generated by his desire to take the place of Moses. He considered himself well equipped to usurp the God-given leadership roles of Moses and Aaron.

Self-righteous, prideful posers won’t humble themselves. They crave to be in authority, but refuse to be under authority. They always steal what they want from God-ordained leaders. They do it under the guise of protecting the rights of the oppressed majority. By manipulating the emotions of those they claim to represent, they try to build a sympathetic following.

“You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” V. 3

Never forget this. Rebellion is all about the rights of the rebel, not the rights others. Pious posers may speak softly, and smile at your face, but they intend to get their way by going behind your back.

When Moses was accused of leading the people of Israel in the wrong direction, his first reaction was to fall on his face before God. His anger was not just driven by a desire to be vindicated. It was a call for the worship of the rebellious to be invalidated.

“Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near Himself.” V. 5

As personal as the attack was, Moses chose not to dwell on the personal nature of it. Moses recognized rebellion for what it truly was, and what it always is. Rebellion is an end run around God, using God-given leaders as speed bumps.

Moses said to Korah, “Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD; ” V. 11

Moses was attacked because he had not met the expectations of people who were unsatisfied with the provision and Presence of God. The last straw for Moses was the unwillingness of those under the influence of Korah’s rebellion, to step up and to seek a righteous remedy. They complained,

“You have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey.” V. 14

There is no way a leader can ever provide satisfaction to those who are discontent with God’s leadership, and companionship. Just because Moses chose not to take offense over the rebellions remarks directed towards him does not mean the comments were not offensive. He did the best thing a leader can do under the circumstances. He took the offensive attacks to God, and trusted Him to sort it out.  He always does.

“And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation. Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly. But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?’ “ V. 22

It was the intercession of Moses and Aaron that moved God to measure His wrath towards the rebellious. Make no mistake about it. God measured His wrath, but He drew the line at associating with the rebellious behavior of unrepentant rebels.

“Depart now from the tents of these wicked men,…or you will be swept away by their sin.” V. 26

After the earth swallowed up the dwellings of the rebels, “Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.” V. 35

God’s measured wrath did not end the rebellion. The very next day the murmuring began, and God’s correction continued.  

 “But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’s people.’ “ V. 41

NOTE TO SELF: Pray for God’s mercy, but pray for people to repent. Never pray to postpone God’s righteous correction. It may very well bring about repentance.  Pray for God’s mercy, but pray for genuine repentance on the part of the people of God.

Moses took His anger to the LORD in prayer. Just because you choose not to take offense does not mean something was not offensive. Tell it to Jesus.  Interceding is not whining. Prayer releases the offense, and leaves it in the hands of God. Don’t ignore or protect rebellious people. Call them to repentance. If they don’t’ turn to Him, turn from them.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!