Matthew 23:13 – 15

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

One of the things that I’ve come across quite a bit during my time in working with people is the condition of chronic insecurity. Many leaders, and people in general, have it, religious or otherwise. It masks itself in many forms, pride, bullying, anger, cowardice, self-indulgence, hypocrisy, and just about anything else you can imagine. Some are eager for notoriety and want to add to their numbers, building movements after themselves. Others prefer, small, hidden circles, where they get a bigger share of whatever spoils they are seeking. (Organizations like cults and criminal networks tend to prefer smaller.) Sin never stays secret for long; it’s brazen and recruits with enthusiasm. Satan, highly motivated and infused with ungodly motivation, deceived one-third of the angels by offering them a new way. Jesus warns, those that follow the deceived, end off twice as bad.

Scripture is consistent when speaking about sin; it’s lawlessness. There is no rest in it, and the longer one lives in it, the more insecurity sets in the soul. Folks want to have their independence and escape the fruit of their actions, but they can’t. Although conscience communicates avoiding accountability is impossible, they burrow into their sins and create shelters out of lies, encouraging others to follow them. This way of life is what they know, reward, and codify. They offer it as the only solution to what you are seeking out of life, and boast of the promise, power and privilege afforded them by their commitment. What is the reward for such a commitment? Well, one becomes a false authority in the form of a shepherd, prophet, teacher, or any other type of leader. In the end, they become takers, not givers.

Satan is called, “The prince of the power of the air.” Although through God’s providence, the devil empowers such people, he also readily disposes of them. He devours the devourers and preys on the predators when he finds another candidate more suitable for his insatiable, evil aims. One of the marks of these problem people he raises up, is their chronic insecurity. “No rest for the wicked,” is clearly stated in Isaiah. This restlessness increases the paranoia, distrust, and disdain. They rail against anything that challenges them, lie, disrupt, sabotage and kill. They are perpetual barriers to change and prevent progress toward anything that will harm their agenda. This is their bent. As Christians, we must forgive, but we must also not cast our pearls before swine. Being “as gentle as a dove, and as wise as a serpent,” is more relevant now than ever. Paul exhorted us, “to live in peace as far as it depends on us,” but be warned saints, rarely will it depend on us moving forward in the days ahead. Especially those of us with influence.

Age has a way of bringing us to a point where we can’t help but reflect on things. Thoughts of what could have been or should have been ruminate in our minds and although we can’t get back the years, we can choose to make the most of the years left. Although I have accomplished far more than I ever envisioned in my life through the grace of God and gifts given to me, I am quite sure of my salvation, not because of works, but because of His faithfulness. When God speaks of His love and its persevering power, we can all be assured we are one of the many fruits of His love, known as saints.

Matthew 6:21 tells us this, “Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be there also.” God treasures us. That is a most profound statement. Although this verse was a descriptive instruction for man in terms of prioritization of the heart, the one who spoke it, Christ, demonstrated over and over again what He treasured. His love secured the treasure, us. Consider your day to day activities, your passions, efforts, and perseverance toward tasks. What, at the end of the day, are you trying to secure, complete? In the presence of God, I won’t lie, I don’t think of people as treasure enough. I find people confusing, frustrating, irritating, and at times, downright evil, as am I. So love does not have much to do with how I feel or even think about them in frustrating moments or exhilarating ones. After reading scripture, hearing an amazing song, or being in the presence of the Spirit, I know feeling has little do with the instruction to love. That instruction does not change. It has much more to do with how I act in terms of what I know God has put on my heart to do for His kingdom and people in general. The best way I can love people is by doing what God put me here to do. In other words, the work God gives me to do, is the best way I can serve and love people. If I do the work, and refrain from getting caught up in how I feel or think in certain situations, I’ll be productive. Our perspectives and feelings are secondary to obedience to the call.

Over and over again, I have come across people from my past that I did not want to be around or talk to. I showed them respect and kindness when they did not deserve it, or even put them in check when they did not expect it. They thanked me later. Frankly, when I saw them, I did not want to have a conversation, but I was glad I did. It boiled down to this conviction each time, every believer’s life is a mission at its core, since they were born again. This truth requires us to embrace the things that God has set out for us to do. It requires the fruit of the Spirit, love for enemies, humility, a keen sense of justice, self-control, and disposition to serve. We need to cease all grandiose thinking about what our lives should be like and simply seek God’s face day to day to see how we might serve in our callings more efficiently. The New Covenant has provided us with everything we need to be coworkers with Christ. He seeks to add others to His “treasured possession.” He has given us the privilege of being part of this work.

Mark 14:50: “And they all left him and fled”

It happens often in life when you are in a pinch. Folks try to figure out who they can trust and turn to or who is for or against them. When you take a stand for what is right and based on principle, you may just find out that there are very few people in your corner, and the people you thought would ride or die till the end, were not ready at best, or at worse, pretenders.

You see the problem with allies is, they align with whatever benefits them the most at any given time. In Jesus day, we see some strange alliances popping up often. We see enemies united to kill the King of the Heavens and earth, Almighty God Himself. Judas, a former disciple, Romans, Jews, and Satan’s horde, all perceived Him too great a threat to their power, influence, or agenda. Christ had legions of angels that He could dispatch in a moment’s notice to rid the world of all its perpetrators. He refused that approach. He accepted the fact that whatever consequences would come His way from this dark world for obedience to the Father’s will, would pale in comparison to the glory God would receive, and the benefits creation would reap.

The world raged, tortured, killed its savior, and blasphemed His name after death. Many who understood Jesus as an ally, fled, remained silent, or turned to enemies. God did not want allies then, and He does not seek them now. He wants a devoted family. He calls us sons and daughters, brothers, and sisters. Even more, He seeks faithful friends. He seeks followers willing to choose Him over any consequence man can impose.

Perhaps you have been calculating in your relationship with Christ. Perhaps you have built a life nurturing allies, and deceived yourself into believing God is another one. If so, repent of your self-deception. You may be one that is really plugged into what faith is all about, and are experiencing many turning against you for doing the right thing. (Christians have turned to allies and idols too long for support. God is weaning us off these. They are falling away.) If this is the case, and people you thought were friends, were really allies, you should rest assured and know you are in good company. God’s got you.

God spoke these words to the prophet Isaiah as an indicator of His ongoing plan to shape His people into something worthy of His name.

(ESV) Isaiah 48:8-11 sets the stage:

8 “You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before your birth you were called a rebel.

9 For my name’s sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off.

10 Behold I have refined you , but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.”

I came to know the the Lord at age 26. I struggled to understand His love and mercy, and still do to this very day. My faith journey has been mixed with ups and downs, seasons of a cold heart, and questions that sometimes go unanswered. Over the decades, God has been faithful to shape me, not by my own hand or diligence, but by transformative crucibles.

Now it is somewhat counter intuitive to welcome crucibles when we suffer, we wonder why God would allow it? When we are blessed materially, in our health, or in relationships, we think we somehow earned it by doing something right. I mean, the aim of following God is to to secure blessings right? Developing a good name with the Creator helps, right? In this way, we avoid the unpleasant things in life, and gain the good things, at least that is what we were trained to believe. The problem is, that all religions are based on the premise that leads us to believe we can get things from the Creator or His creation by adhering to a moral set of rules or principles that give us the good life in a temporal rather than eternal sense. The problem with this thinking is it never leads to self-reflection regarding our motivations. It is really self-seeking clothed in righteousness, something God despises. So how does He address this rebellious creature?

God places us in trials, tribulations, and furnaces. Crucibles are His answer. We may think we have a sufficient character and equipping to carry out His calling on our lives individually or collectively, but we do not. We must be tried in various trials and tribulations in order to develop into the type of people we need to be. The problem that many of us face is thinking we can pray, surround ourselves with certain people, attend church, do devotionals, and all sorts of religious activities and call it good enough. Sadly, we are in charge of those things and we choose them as a way of drawing nearer to God, but He chooses the crucibles that will actually cause us to draw nearer, and those things we choose, are secondary to His. Further, at times they hinder what God is doing, because people often seek to comfort us, while God seeks to equip, no matter the level of discomfort. Crucibles purge us of sin, dependency, erroneous thinking, and our own assessments of our spiritual progress.

Dear saint, God has various crucibles with your name on them that will prepare you for the work He has called you to and as a means to making you worthy of the His name. He does it because of the eternal relationship He has already enjoyed with His precious Son and Spirit. He knows the value of this relationship and must teach us to value it if we are to get to know him more fully. We must become more like Him to even fathom the blessings of oneness. He has invested in you from eternity’s past and will not divest. His decisions are perfect and He needs no advice from us. He has adopted us into His eternal family. He ransomed you and sealed the purchase with the blood of His Son. The process of forming you into someone worthy are in the hands of the Father who called you, the Son who died for you and intercedes for you, and the Spirit who bears patiently with you as He sanctifies and transforms you. Let us rejoice in the aim of the crucible and its necessity in our lives. Let God be glorified as you emerge from each one. Let no man judge your crucible or look down on you as you go through it, and let no one place you under pharaoh’s whip to transform you into their servant. We serve the living God.

Saints we are living in a time of great uncertainty. Questions arise in our minds as to what is next, who knows what they are talking about, competency, finances, health, fellowship, and the purpose in the season we are going through. Some of the things we have dreamed about, sacrificed for, labored and prayed over, are now memories — perhaps vestiges of a past life. Hope is deferred in so many endeavors, and we are weary of the questions.

To be clear, pandemics are bad news, but there is good news in any situation. The good news is this, God is in control when we are not. God gives wisdom, deliverance, hope, purpose, and direction in any situation. We continue to receive dire updates on things and look for a return to some semblance of the lives we once had. Let’s try looking to Him, even more now. I would encourage everyone to look to the life that God has already given us in His Son. This world will bring uncertainty with every new day, and challenges along with it, but God promises to be with us through it all. Concern is a normal thing for everyone, and not sinful, but worry is, and believers are instructed not to worry.

I get it. Our health and resources are very important to us, but they are not, or at least should not be the driving impetuses behind our lives that give meaning. Resources and health continue to help us serve the One who gave us life and a purpose that includes building a relationship with Him and others. Our health and resources are in service to Him. The pandemic does not keep us from serving. There is a larger question that we need to answer? It emerges often from my conscience, in a whisper, arresting my attention, asking, “How am I becoming more like Christ?” If we are attentive, we will receive instruction and grow during this. Remember this about your resources and health, it’s not what you have, it is Who has you. Things may be removed from us, but we will never be removed from His grasp.

The writer of Hebrews 13:5 has great instruction: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Contentment is a remedy for a host of issues we are struggling with. It comes from knowing where the true riches are, and from knowing the One who can heal and resurrect your body. That verse should not just be enough for a believer, it should be the cause of much rejoicing. Be well and content my friends.

John 11: 45-53

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

When we review the scriptures above, we see the progressive strategy of Christ’s enemies manifesting. From the temptations in the wilderness, to the final attempt to persuade him to reconsider His position and take His place among the people in the religious establishment. In the wilderness, Satan targeted Christ as he does all men. He did not fully understand the superior motivations of the God-man. He offered him the world, but Christ refused and set out to do God’s work. Jesus demonstrated that He was firmly opposed to all the world had to offer and began to dismantle the works of the devil. He rejected lust of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life, spoken of by the Apostle John (1 John 2:16). These temptations were not worthy of His attention. (Lust of the flesh is an inordinate desire for pleasure and comfort. Lust of the eyes is inordinate desire for possessions. Pride of life is an inordinate desire for exaltation and status among others, or being like God, apart from His instruction and will.) Satan’s targeting failed with these and he tried to arouse fear as well. When these temptations did not work, the accuser used slander in an attempt to discredit His work, but people believed despite the lies. Undeterred, our Lord was persistent in the Father’s work. Satan decided that he had to kill Jesus if he was going to slow down His momentum.

Satan’s strategies have not changed, we just fall for them frequently. Consider the offers that come to us clothed in the things mentioned above: diverse lusts, pride, and fear. Think about how quick we are sometimes to declare them from God, because they have a spiritual sound to them. When we are not motivated by these things, we can triumph over temptation. Consider what the world values and how we exalt Christians in possession of wealth, fame, and titles. The devil can make a person rich, boastful, proud, independent, and a worldly role model for others to emulate. He can also keep those things flowing in a person’s life in order to entangle and distract them from God’s calling. Lawlessness always attempts to cloak itself in righteousness. It will walk, talk, and act spiritual, but we suspect that there is something sinister at work. When worldliness has overtaken us and we are thriled by it, it overtakes our vision and chokes out the leading of the Spirit. The moment we truly begin to think we possess anything, including our next breath — we are deceived into thinking we are gods independent of the One true God.  

Our challenge is to take inventory and examine ourselves in the light of scripture and the Holy Spirit. In doing so, we get a chance to see where we are at and how we are combating Satan’s strategies. All of us have areas of temptations that we struggle with more, and those are the areas he inflames the most. If our pursuits are filled with diverse lusts and self -seeking, and we are deterred by fear when God is calling, we have fallen for his temptations and need an intervention. Ask yourself what you get most excited about, and what you are willing to sacrifice for? We sacrifice a lot for our work, goals, families, possessions, and even our faith communities. At the end of the day, we need to ask if these things are aligned with God’s intentions.

Hebrews 13:8 states, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” He is an overcomer who trains his followers to overcome. Satan wants us to believe that the path of God is boring, hard, and unrewarding. We must reject his lies and cultivate a mindset of obedience to what God wants from our lives. The instruction to overcome is simple; implementation is difficult. Believe in God’s will. It is the only reliable, pure, and noble endeavor we will ever set our hearts upon. Let us persevere.

John 10:27 ESV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

ISAIAH 65:2 ESV

I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices…

MATTHEW 26:36-44 ESV

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” ³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” ⁴⁰ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ⁴² Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³ And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

PHILLIPPIANS 3:17-21

17Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

MATTHEW 22:29

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”
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Saints hear the voice of God and He speaks in diverse ways, primarily from the scriptures. Many saints have experience in the scriptures and the power of God and testify of these with others. Conversely, we have pretenders and false leaders who prey on naive, gullible, carnal believers. These false instructors will continue to share endless testimonies of the works of God, snaring people in the process. Mark them and watch the pride in your own heart. Error comes when we believe we know God so well that we need no further instruction, or are above correction.

In First Corinthians 8:1, Paul said, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” He was essentially pointing out that there is a temptation to accumulate knowledge of the scriptures, and experiences, while neglecting active obedience in terms of loving others. The enemy can deceive us into thinking our walk with God is progressing based on our own objectives, benchmarks, and achievements. The problem is our reference points can be worldly or carnal in nature. We may be tempted to point to something temporal as proof of God being with us. This approach, when left unchecked, makes us feel important and gives us a sense of pride. The logical consequence is self-righteousness, a condition that metastasizes into every area of our worldview.

Scripture is replete with people who knew things about God that others did not. They tended to hold it over others in some way and make them pay or jump through hoops to access it. This was the game believers were playing among themselves when He came to the earth, and many have continued in this today. They were institutional folks who knew so much about God, they refused to hear the vantage-point of the Creator, He could not teach them. They were full of knowledge, pride, and error. Their voice mattered; His did not, and we, along with them, killed the Creator, because our sinful hearts would not yield to truth. Keep in mind, they did this in the name of God.

Christ was clear in His teaching. The sheep would hear His voice, know Him personally, and follow after Him. Christ also pointed out that His sheep are wayward and in many places in scripture He dealt with this reality, reminding them to return to their first love. Man tends to love his idols, things he is familiar with, and can above all — control. Our bodies, wants, desires, and emotions speak to us constantly. We are familiar with them, serve them, and also decide how we will be in control of the ways we meet their appetites. Often, the patterns of our lives and affections revolve around these. These natural impulses call for our attention often. The scriptures speak of our natural and carnal desires as flesh or fleshy impulses. The flesh is often aligned with our will. When God speaks, we check in with the things previously listed, to see if they approve. (Will our god — our bellies — approve?) Jesus cautioned Peter about this when He instructed him to tarry in prayer. “The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.” The flesh has a way of listening to what it wants and what will further it’s agenda. It resists the voice of the Savior. The challenge for us is to bring our will under subjection so that we might walk in the spirit. We can only walk in the spirit through love.

A carnal saint — fleshly oriented and self-seeking — is easily deceived into following the spirit and leader of this age. We know him as the “prince of the power of the air.” Satan cannot deceive us when we are walking in the spirit. He can only orient us toward his temptations, when we are focused on the things we want more than pleasing the Father. “Not my will….” is the greatest defense against deception. It is not enough to say it, we must demonstrate this without pretense and in sincerity. Jesus called believers to fast and pray in order to train and discipline their minds and bodies to yield to conscience and the Holy Spirit’s instruction. Believers have neglected this instruction to their own peril. Our love for others rarely includes sacrificing our own appetites or comforts. True love includes this and has the greatest impact. Preaching to people without a demonstration of this, falls flat. Try spending quality time with them, buying a meal, changing a tire, or some other form of service mixed in with your message.

Christ voice will always lead us to consider love for Him and others first and foremost. If we work miracles, but omit love, we gain nothing. In fact, we may just be hardening our hearts to His voice, or possibly, involved in some type of religious sorcery, which is a work of the flesh. In Paul’s day, for every true apostle, there were several pretenders, and for every true apostolic letter, there were numerous false ones. False leaders always speak to the flesh and appeal to the base, works oriented instincts of people. Satan knows people are willing to sacrifice on their own terms but unwilling to obey. Sacrifice makes folks feel better about their character, but it falls short of transformation and renewal. False religion is based on sacrifice and the results are always filled with: envy, selfish ambition, competition, gossip, and every form of disorder listed in James 3:14-17.

Today we find ourselves longing for oneness in the body, while the voice of the evil one targets our fears, insecurities, and selfish desires in an ongoing effort to hinder unity. If we have ever followed the voice of the Savior and have been in one accord with other believers, then we have experienced what life is like when the sheep heed His voice. God calls us individually, and collectively to spur one another to obedient and faithful lives — primarily through service and being a living example. Healthy fellowship can only occur when saints heed the voice of the One who called and redeemed them. This begins with our focus. Let us rejoice in His persistent seeking of our hearts. Hebrews 12:2 tells us we should continue, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” God knows that we truly desire Him, even in our wayward ways. Let us trust His assessment of us, despite our shortcomings. True revival begins with us heeding His voice. He will break our faith in other voices by allowing us to reap from following counsel contrary to His will. He will restore and build our faith as the author and finisher of it.

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled:” ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’

Often people look at relationships in terms of what they have in common with others, what they can get, and ultimatedly what’s in it for them. I have always kept a small circle and I think that is one of the wisest decisions I’ve have made. In an age of social media and network friends, people disappear with a click from those circles. Today I wanted to acknowledge the work and commitment of a few friends of mine and the origins of Freedom Squared.

When the late summer of 2008 concluded, and Dan Jackson and I were down in his man cave, reminiscing over some tough loses our 16 U basketball team suffered. We had a great deal of pride in those young men we trained and prepared for 6 weeks. They worked hard and played against tough competition, even watched some future NBA players in the process. We were winless in that tournament and we gave up height, weight, experience, but never heart. The players we faced came from all over the West, and other states from across the country. The lesson for our kids was to compete at the highest level. One of the highlights was when our 6-0 155 lb. post player blocked the shot of a 6-10 300 lb. Seattle player. That play showed the fight that was instilled in them. Every single player on that team thanked us and years later still point to that tournament as the highlight of their basketball lives. (Collaborating with Dan then was the start of future collaborations.)
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The conversation late that evening turned to the plight of men in general, and why so many of us run away from fights and challenges in general. We mused about our professions, challenges, legacies, families and ultimately the truth of Christ and what God calls us to do in terms of preaching the gospel, equipping the saints, putting others before ourselves, and contributing to the greater good. Dan always had lots of insights into human nature and a way of capturing things in brief snippets of thought when he discusses things and I like to put things in memorable forms, so if something is interesting, I’ll make a catch phrase for it. As the evening concluded, I said aloud, “You know if we continue to do this, we have to share it. God will hold us accountable, because we can’t keep it to ourselves. Down the road I reached out to my childhood friend Charles Holmes and another brother and friend I have known for years, Dracy Jenkins. They both agreed to go on this journey with us. In April of 2011, we launched the site and have had an awesome time sharing some of the truths contain within it.

We have met monthly since that time and have challenged one another to live this New Covenant life to the fullest. The writings are biproducts of the challenges we face, the thoughts that emerge from them, and the service we render to others. We hope some have benefitted from grazing and gleaning here, and we are thankful to those of have published and distributed some of our works over the years. We will continue onward and upward in the years to come. Please pray for us. Being in fellowship with high character people will develop you in many ways. Choose your friends and joint pursuits wisely.

The Call of Gideon

Judges 6:11-16 ESV

¹¹ Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to hide it from the Midianites. ¹² And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”¹³ And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” ¹⁴ And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” ¹⁵ And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” ¹⁶ And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

The story of Gideon is a story that I’ve thought about quite a bit as I look back at my past struggles, losses, and triumphs. (No doubt, I’ll have more.) It seems obvious in retrospect that God always intends for us to live victoriously, but the process and road to victory is what we struggle with. We want to watch God do mighty things from the comfort of our air conditioned offices and homes. We want victory without risk and pain. We want an escorted, unburdened, expedited path to fulfillment of the promises. We know this is unrealistic, but somehow our flesh and natural minds believe that God may make an exception in our case. Gideon is like us. He just wanted God to establish victory, without utilizing him in the process. God said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian, do not I send you?”

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Gideon protests the words. He reminds God that he is the least in his clan and family. He doubts God can really believe this about him, because he knows his own heart and actions well. But God sees deeper than his experiences. He sees how He designed Gideon. Despite his objections, God summoned him, and sent him, so that he could succeed as a deliverer, champion, and judge of Israel. The election is final. Gideon must now confront and wrestle with his internal enemies: thoughts, beliefs, fears, and doubts. He must please the Visitor who called him. Little by little he grew into a warrior by confronting his self-defeating thoughts. Once that was done, he was ready to face his external enemies — the Midianites. The shot of faith and confidence administered to him by the Almighty, now equipped him with one salient thought, “I am who God says I am.” The story of Gideon concludes in success. We witness in the pages of scripture how one can go from a cowering position before his foes, to a towering position in the midst of them. Summoned and sent to succeed.

Friend, what has God summoned you to do. Have you acknowledged that you are being sent? Are you waiting to go until the path is easier? God created you to walk the path that He created you for. No one else can walk that path. No one else can do the work you were designed to do. The place you once cowered in, you may one day tower in. You were summoned and sent to succeed. Don’t diminish yourself, and calling by indulging your fear.

ESV Matthew 16:1-4: 1. And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2.He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3. And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

BSB: Romans 1:18: The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

God gave man the ability to think and reason. One of the most important reasoning capacities He gave us (and various creatures in the animal kingdom), was the ability to recognize patterns in things. We see it in all aspects of nature, and we set the course of our day around the evening and night. Dividing the year into seasons and preparing for them, has been practiced before written history. Man is dedicated to the study of the laws of nature and makes use of them. We categorize people based on their traits. Even more importantly, we know our life spans are limited and we plan for every stage of life for ourselves and loved ones, providing careful plans to meet the needs of each decade across the age spectrum. Our Creator knows this about us and calls us out on our hypocrisy when we ask Him for a sign or proof to overcome our inaction toward the claims He places on us. God knows our stalling tactics, and pretense toward ignorance, and He will not be put on trial by us when we deny the truth that is already in our possession.
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Self- justification (or self-righteousness) is a form of self-deception that God singled out time and time again. So steeped were religious leaders in this practice, they denied the God they claimed to serve. Jesus’ adversaries (the religious hierarchy) already knew what God expected, but they chose to be the judge and jury regarding His Son’s claims. (This was their pattern with the prophets and witnesses before, and it is the pattern of mankind in general.) Their strategy and the tactics centered on setting an ever changing, arbitrary standard of proof that could never be met. If Christ granted their requests, they would then render a decision regarding its validity. Next, the people would then look to the rulers to see what they would say, keeping a settled debate alive. Christ had already done enough signs and wonders to verify His claims. They now wanted to use this against Him and keep the balance of influence and power in their hands, ensuring some level of relevance to the status quo – by rendering judgment if He complied. Their response would be filled with scriptural references as to why this could not be God, and they would no doubt delight in telling the people why the sign was deficient, or from an origin other than God — as they had before. The next step employed against Christ would simply be to say, “Do something else.” This never-ending facade is the classic pattern of a hardened heart.

Now there is a place for the mighty works of God. That place is found clearly in scripture. These works take place, because God intends for them to happen. In Acts 4:30, the believers prayed, “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Their minds were made up about Christ, not hardened. They were already walking in obedience. God’s proof was already sufficient. They were asking Him to simply continue in His pattern. The pattern of Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  Keep in mind, our faith — and this too is a pattern — is often deficient. We are often, willfully ignorant when it comes to things we do not want to deal with, work at, or acknowledge. We don’t need signs, we need obedience to what we know.  Obedience toward the things of God is our greatest testimony and gift to Him. So, let us continue to seek God’s face. Satan’s approach to God has always been, “I want what you have, I just don’t want a relationship with you to get it.” We know what we need to know. We have enough truth and experiences with God to do what He has placed on our hearts. If we tarry longer, trying to impress people with our spirituality, we will leave fruitless legacies – void of God’s approval. Man can point to fruit that pleases man, but it will never last. A life lived for Him produces eternal fruit. Suppression of truth is an active, willful practice of holding back what God has made real to us to do. Fighting against the truth is being at war with God.