Uncategorized – Page 17 – Wisdom From the Word

Freedom?

I think what is often missed in discussing freedom is the distinction between ‘freedom to’ and ‘freedom from.’ I may be free to engage in illegal activities, I am not free from the physical consequences if caught and in God’s economy I am never free from the moral consequences. A further example, I am free to jump off a very high cliff, I am not free from the sudden stop at the bottom, unless of course I have a parachute, glider or squirrel suit! Any of these additions enhance my freedom to overcome my freedom from.

Romans 8 encapsulates how Jesus provides freedom from when we exercise our freedom to embrace the gospel.

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1–4 (NKJV)

The law of the Spirit of life in Jesus provides freedom from the penalty of the law, I overcome the law of sin and death when I walk according to the Spirit. Given the freedom to that is found in following the Spirit let us turn to prayer and apply the concept.

I don’t know about you, I do know about me, I don’t always find prayer a delight, in fact often it can be difficult. I know that I always have freedom to pray. I also know that I am not free from the things that hinder prayer, things that include distractions, time pressures or just a feeling of trying to slog through spiritual mud. The reality is that prayer works, which is why it is so opposed in the spiritual realm. This leads to a question of how we incorporate freedom from into our prayer lives, something that would provide the ability to overcome the hinderances in our freedom to.

To go back to my analogy of needing a parachute or something similar as freedom from the restrictions of gravity, in prayer my freedom from is anchored in a verse He spoke to me over 30 years ago. I have never forgotten it.

¹³A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out. (Leviticus 6:13 NKJV)

The original version of the NKJV said, “There shall be a perpetual fire on the altar; It shall never go out.” What stood out for me all those years ago was the phrase “perpetual fire.”

A fire needs fuel, without fire the sacrifice would simply lay on the altar and without fuel a fire cannot be sustained. In my experience I find that worship is the fuel that feeds the fire of intercession. Whether worshipping in a corporate setting or hiking in the mountains and quietly worshipping as I walk, I find prayer rising up from my spirit. There are other occasions in any given day that I am drawn to pray for someone or something but the regular fuel is worship. When I choose to worship intercession is released. The next time you find prayer a challenge try adding some fuel to your fire. Engage in worship, become from restrictions and let the incense ascend.

Here is a good song to kickstart the process. Jason Upton, Freedom Reigns

By the Blessing

Last week I wrote about the need for cultural transformation. This week I want to focus on one aspect of how.

¹¹ By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 11:11 (NKJV)

The verse above focuses on cities; however, I believe it can also be applied to families, a small group, provinces and nations. After all, the verse is about how a the behaviour of individuals within a group of people causes the group to prosper or break down.

To have a better grasp of the concept it is important to look at the meaning of blessing. It refers to the idea of good or prosperity. Not prosperity in the sense of necessarily being rich in material things but prospering in what is right. Think of Matthew 6:33 where Jesus tells us that if we seek first God’s kingdom then all the other things we need will be added. This verse could be viewed as a commentary on Proverbs 11:11.

Given that, there are a couple of ways to look at the concept of blessing by the upright. One is the blessing they convey through their words; the other is the blessing they bring by their presence. Think of a time when you felt better simply being around someone. You had a sense that things were going to be okay. That is the blessing that a true shepherd brings to a congregation. The congregation is settled and at ease when a true shepherd is present, leading and functioning in their calling.

The same is true of words. Think of John 6:67-68. Jesus shared some hard truths and many of the crowd left. Jesus then asked the disciples if they wanted to leave as well. Look at Peter’s response.

⁶⁸ But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68 (NKJV)

Peter recognized the blessing in Jesus words, they carried life!

Whether we consider our words or our behaviour, there is a ripple effect. Like a stone cast into a pond that sends out ever expanding ripples, our words and actions send out an expanding influence. Of course, the problem comes in when we are not a blessing but a detriment. I believe this extends not only to our public words and deeds, it also includes our private words and deeds. The spiritual realm is not like the visible realm, it has a window into our lives and we have an effect there that while unseen by many has a visible effect over time. In conclusion, if we want to see our culture transformed, we need to be what we want to see in our public and private lives and encourage the same in others. In this way all of the ripples have a reinforcing impact. All that we do is a point of demarcation between two kingdoms. Let’s focus on building His.

I Will be Found by You

We will look at a verse in Jeremiah, the context, and how we can apply it to our lives today.

¹⁴I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. Jeremiah 29:14 (NKJV)

The phrase I am focusing on is the first six words, ‘I will be found by you.’ Through Jeremiah the Lord was speaking to the nation of Judah who were going into captivity in Babylon. After 70 years in captivity, they would begin to wholeheartedly seek the Lord and would encounter Him. This is the promise Daniel brought before the Lord in praying for the return to Jerusalem. That is our context.

Given that this verse what written for us rather than to us it is important to see how we apply it to our lives. In our present circumstances church attendance in Canada and the US has been on the decline for decades. During this period our culture has continued to head down the wrong road, and barring a revival or turning on a large scale, this slide will continue and likely accelerate. This is what was happening in Israel (Judah) prior to their deportation to Babylon.

Notice the statement again, ‘I will be found by you.’ Inherent in the statement is seeking. This is a principle in scripture. The Lord promises that when we genuinely seek Him we will find Him. In fact, that is what the preceding verse promises.

¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

Seeing the end from the beginning the Lord referenced this taking place even before Israel became a nation or had a king. While I think this prophetic word from Moses has a broader application than just the return from Babylon the principle and message are there. When we turn our hearts to Him our captivity is broken.

¹ “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, ² and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, ³ that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. Deuteronomy 30:1–3 (NKJV)

Applying this to our lives and situation requires that we view our situation differently. The church is not a nation like Israel that has been scattered to be regathered. We are scattered among the nations to be salt and light. However, given the state of our culture our light is dim and our salt is presently ineffective. For that to change we need to wholeheartedly seek Him. Our desire needs to be knowing Him and having Him move through us to capture hearts and minds for His kingdom. Our goal must not be a better or nicer lifestyle, a more comfortable or friendlier culture. Our goal needs to be transformation into His image so that our culture will see Jesus.

The testimony of scripture is that people were drawn to Jesus. Some were threatened by Him but most wanted to hear Him and be near Him. May we be like that so that those around us want to be near us and hear us. Let us seek Him and find Him in a deeper corporate way that others may see Him. Next week I will delve into the how of shifting culture.

Attaining Full Assurance

In our current culture it is important to look at where we find meaning and assurance as followers of Jesus. There are obvious pressures in any culture, peer group or family to push us toward conformity. For better or worse that is the nature of life. Yet, while it is common it varies in intensity. In the time of the early church many risked their lives by being counter cultural. Those from the Jewish community who embraced Yeshua as the Messiah would be removed from the synagogue and ostracized from their family and friends. They could only pray that others from their previous community would join them, or seek to build an alternate community. Those in the Gentile community had their gods, in particular Caesar, that they were supposed to worship. They underwent similar hardships upon conversion. The church became that alternate community.

As an aside, if you want to understand how these same pressures affect some of our fellow believers around the world look at Voice of the Martyrs website.

https://www.vomcanada.com/

In our modern western culture, we don’t face the same pressures around danger to our physical lives for following Jesus, though there are at times serious family issues, particularly if converting from another faith. However, in general persecution is not an issue for western believers. What is an issue is drift and the accompanying pressure to conform to the surrounding culture. The writer of Hebrews and Paul put it this way.

¹ Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. Hebrews 2:1 (NKJV)

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1–2 (NKJV)

We are likely familiar with these warnings in scripture. It is easy to drift if we are not paying attention. For example, I love hiking. In the mountains it is easy to focus on navigating a difficult trail, eyes down to avoid obstacles. After 15-20 minutes you look up and are amazed at how much elevation you have gained. You have gone further than anticipated. While this is not an example of drift it does illustrate the point. When we become caught up and focused on our immediate surroundings we are not attending to the larger picture. The same is true in our spiritual walk.

The calling for each of us is not to ‘live our best life’ or to ‘become all that we can be.’ Embracing those ideals merely demonstrates that we have already been conformed to the surrounding culture. We are called to high ideals and a life of excellence. The qualifier is the context, we are to be our best at building up the body, our fellow believers, and the best at being salt and light to those around us. Let us look at an example of Paul’s apostolic heart cry. I see the following verses as a fuller expression of Galatians 4:19, Paul’s desire to see Christ formed in us.

¹ For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:1–3 (NKJV)

Paul’s teaching, challenging and praying were all focused on one goal, attaining a full assurance. In breaking these verses down, we see the importance of the body to which we have been joined. Paul says it is through being ‘knit together in love,’ that everything else is attained. There is a positive side to conformity, the pressure to being conformed to the image of Jesus. Loving and caring for one another. The pressure to follow the godly example of others.

With this in mind let us seek to respond to and be the pressure to others to conform to the image of Jesus that we might corporately attain ‘the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” The more we grow together the deeper encounter with, and understanding of, we have of the Father and Jesus. This helps us all to ‘live our best corporate life’ reflecting Jesus to others.

Accommodation and Space Part 2

Accommodation and Space. In our relationship with Jesus, He accommodates our individual gifts and callings as He made us that way. We accommodate Him by submitting to His leading and lordship, by making Him the priority in our lives. Now we need to look at how we can accommodate and make space for our fellow travelers on our journey to Christ likeness. To that end…

Scripture exhorts us to ‘keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3). To understand how to walk this is out it is necessary to recognize that unity and uniformity are not the same thing. Consider a husband and wife – children are the result of a unity that is focused on appreciating the differences!

Ephesians has something further to say on the issue.

⁷In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, Ephesians 1:7-8 NKJV

In what is currently taking place in our culture and in the church culture we need to embrace wisdom and prudence. Prudence is not a word we often hear and it refers to wisdom in how we manage relationships. Paul seems to be emphasizing the importance of practical wisdom. Being prudent in our decision making is demonstrated in exercising wisdom and foresight in the context of respectful words and actions. Jesus demonstrates that in His relationship to us, and we are called to do the same in our relationships with others, both within and outside of the church.

This is where Accommodation and Space come in. We are not called to try and shape others into clones of ourselves or anyone else. We are called to discern their gifts and callings and help them grow in those gifts and callings to build up His body. He loves diversity and makes every snowflake different to demonstrate it.

Creating a respectful psychological, physical and emotional atmosphere creates the opportunity for change and growth. It isn’t a matter of setting aside a scriptural standard of righteousness, it is respecting different gifts and callings in the context of righteousness. True unity is established in the context of diversity. After all, the original meaning of the word university for our institutions of higher learning referred to seeing the unity across diverse subject areas. A liberal arts education, which had nothing to do with a political party.

In our current culture, including the church, we need to learn to appreciate the differences. We need to learn to lean on discernment from the Spirit not media, social or otherwise. Now to a very current cultural example that we in the church can learn from.

I have been a part time mediator for almost three decades and have trained literally hundreds of people in the process. When the process was becoming popular in the US and Canada the dominant model was the Interest Based approach and the first stage in the process was referred to as Story Telling. The reason for this was the recognition that even more than in normal discourse, people in conflict or in trauma have a need to be heard. One of the most respectful things we can do for others, a demonstration of Accommodation and Space, is to give them our attention and listen to their story. Listening, actually focusing on someone else and listening, defuses a great deal of anger and frustration. Understanding does not equal agreement; it does demonstrate respect. Seeking understanding is a tool to build bridges and a demonstration of respect for those we disagree with.

Currently in Canada as I write this, we have had the Freedom Convoy in our nation’s capital, Ottawa, for a week. Whether or not we are in agreement with their demand for change, surely, we can agree that mostly they are simply expressing their frustration out of a desire to be heard, to be listened to, to be given Accommodation and Space. Sadly, not only has our Prime Minister refused to meet with them, in his own words, their views are “unacceptable.” Why are they unacceptable? Because he doesn’t agree with them! Many of the protesters have raised cries of tyranny. Our Prime Minister and the governing Liberal party have responded by seeking to marginalize and demonize those they disagree with. While I do not understand or know his heart, and seek to respect his office, I do know that based on the fruit of his behaviour and the governing party this approach is bringing further division in our nation.

We as the church are called to be salt and light. Salt is a preservative; light helps us to see. There are people from inside and outside the church that are part of the protest and on both sides of the issue. While not everything been done correctly, focusing on the misdeeds of the few to marginalize the all merely exacerbates the process and deepens the divide. Conflicts in life are inevitable, how we respond to them is a choice. So, as we seek to navigate the current issues let us join together in praying for wisdom and prudence to prevail. That voices on both sides of the issue would be heard and respected and understanding sought. May it be a marker for how we navigate the future as well. As Paul wrote so long ago.

²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 (NKJV)

A friend forwarded a song this week that can be turned into intercession. Apply it to your nation wherever you are.

Lianna Klassen, Song for Canada

Accommodation and Space Part 1

For decades I have believed that Paul’s apostolic heart cry is summed up in Galatians 4:19.

¹⁹ My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, Galatians 4:19 (NKJV)

This is what we are called and created for, the revealing of Jesus to us and then through us. It is clear that Jesus desire is to form Himself in us. However, He won’t do our part and we can’t do His part. If we read the rest of Galatians, it is clear that Paul’s rebuke of the Galatian Christians was that if Christ had already been formed in them it would be evident in their lives. The forming of Jesus in us is subsequent to our conversion and is a process, not an instant event.

The forming of Jesus comes about not through focusing on ourselves. The Lord knows that self absorption is one of the primary curses of our current culture. It comes from focusing on Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is through focusing on Jesus and His word that we mature.

A number of years ago I was on a road trip with my supervisor and he shared the concept of Accommodation and Space. It has always stayed with me and is a concept we would do well to embrace in the church. He had learned it from a friend and colleague named Audrey. She was an Elder, Lawyer and Hereditary Chief from the Gitxsan nation in Northwest British Columbia, Canada. The English translation of the Gitxsan is “People of the River of Mist.” The Gitxsan have lived in community in their traditional territory since long before the nation of Canada existed as a political entity. Part of their belief system as a community and Indigenous nation was that Accommodation and Space needed to be held to create a psychological, physical and emotional atmosphere that would allow change to take place. That is, differences were accommodated and space was allowed for reflection and dialogue together.

Let us apply that concept to our relationship with Jesus. He is real, He desires to be personal. He invites us to accommodate Him in every area of our lives and to make space for Him. However, we all have a limited amount of emotional and psychological space in our lives. There is the expression ‘nature abhors a vacuum.’ It is similar to the expression, ‘the meeting fills the time allotted.’ Our lives fill up with tasks and commitments. I have long believed we need to organize our lives around our priorities, not seek to manage our time.

Thus, we need to consider whether we organize our lives around Jesus and His word or if He is an add on. Serving Him can be reflective of a deep relationship with Him or it can reflect our need to appear to be a certain way.

I recently read an account from a prophetic individual with an established international platform. Had you asked him if he was serving and living for Jesus two years ago, he would have replied in the affirmative. He was indeed a deeply passionate follower of Jesus who blessed countless lives. He publicly promoted a word with national significance that didn’t come to pass. Afterward Jesus showed him why he had been wrong and he publicly repented. He later acknowledged he went through a humbling trial because his focus had been wrong. He had been seeking to promote something other than Jesus and it had affected His ability to hear what the Spirit was saying.

Given our psychological and emotional space is limited we need to consider not whether we are sincere but whether our focus is on Jesus. After all, Jesus is formed in us as we accommodate and make space for Him. May He be our first love.

Below is a song from the Helser’s new album that directly addresses this issue. Enjoy.

We Make Space by Melissa Helser

Next week I will look at how we can accommodate and make space for our fellow travelers on our journey to Christ likeness.

Discerning Life and Truth

The verses below are a quote from Psalm 118:22-23.

¹⁰ Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. ¹¹ This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Mark 12:10–11 (NKJV)

In context Jesus was disputing with the priests, scribes and elders. He had just told the parable of the unjust stewards of the vineyard and informed them that they were going to lose it, the vineyard, in this case representing Israel. Then in His quotation of Psalm 118 Jesus was doing two things. He was pointing out something His challengers had missed, or at least missed the significance of in scripture, and He was letting them know they were wrong in their views.

Here we will look at the message inherent in construction and then apply it to discernment. In building the right stones needed to be selected to fit together. The cornerstone was foundational and every other stone need to be shaped to align with it. The leaders were charged with building and stewarding the nation of Israel and Jesus was pointing out that in their rejection of Him they were rejecting the very cornerstone they needed to build upon.

There is a discernment principle here. When we consider why they would reject the very one they were waiting for the answer is obvious. They had expectations, rules and a checklist. Jesus didn’t tick the right boxes. When they looked at Jesus, they saw not a cornerstone but a stone that didn’t into what they wanted to build. It never occurred to them that what they wanted to build wasn’t what Yahweh was building. After all, they knew and determined what was right.

This pattern is repeated over and over in the gospels. It isn’t always about rejection; it is always about how we see and what we expect. In John 4, the woman at the well and the disciples both initially missed what Jesus was pointing to because their minds and hearts were directed elsewhere. Jesus had to shift their focus.

Often our current views blind us to new views. We are unable to see the new because we are fixated on the old. In the season we have been in for the last two years we hear from many a desire to return to normal. I think if that is our vision, we are missing the point of this season. We need to seek His heart and discern where He wants us to go from here. How do we do church in a way that community and relationships are strong for the next thing that comes? Covid exposed fault lines within culture and within the church. We need to learn from this and consider whether we have been building on the right things. Has Jesus been the cornerstone the last two years? Have we built our church communities around Jesus? If not, how do we shift in a way that sincere believers on both sides of our current divides will have a bridge to cross over and remain?

Where Wisdom Rests

This verse, specifically the first phrase, has carried great significance for me for many years.

³³ Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known. Proverbs 14:33 (NKJV)

The significance lies in the fact that when I think of wisdom I think of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus is wisdom to us from God. Thus, when I consider the idea of wisdom resting within me I think of Jesus resting in my heart. There is however a qualifier, it says that wisdom/Jesus rests in the heart of those with understanding. Which means there is a need to look at what understanding means.

The Hebrew word translated as understanding is bin and refers to discerning or carefully considering. It could be translated as ‘Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has discernment/is discerning’ and we know from Hebrews 5:13-14 that wisdom is the fruit of maturity.

We have the word in understanding context in the verse and then the broader context of Proverbs. We also have a contrast in this proverb with wisdom resting in the heart of the wise, in a sense hidden, waiting to be revealed at the right time, while what is in the heart of the fool is exposed. In Proverbs the word ‘fool’ refers not to one who lacks intelligence, rather it refers to one who does not seek and honour God.

A clear implication here is that the wise and mature have less to say than the fools. The wise and discerning weigh their words carefully. We live in a time when civility has greatly decreased, in particular in online discourse. What is needed in this hour is wisdom; wisdom coming from the hearts of those who take the time to listen, weigh and consider before speaking, those who have Jesus resting in their hearts. In this hour we need not bombast and hype – we need wise words that point the way.

Knowing that the understanding or discerning create a place for Jesus to rest in their hearts and then speak when He is speaking or prompting from within, we need to do two things. We need to practice restraint if we are not already doing so. We then need to discern and speak what Jesus is speaking into the lives and circumstances of those around. After all Jesus pointed us to the fruit of wisdom, let us heed Him.

³⁵ “But wisdom is justified by all her children.” Luke 7:35 NKJV

The Danger of Offense – the Blessing of Grace

Let’s look at a story that involves Jesus, Judas, Mary and an audience who had to make a choice regarding how they would respond. I think Judas began following Jesus out of a genuine desire for change. I suspect that he, like the rest, was expecting a warrior king messiah, another David, who would free the nation from the oppressive yoke of Roman rule. Whether or not my thoughts are accurate, we know from scripture how the story of his life ended. Mary began following Jesus because Jesus set her free and she loved Him deeply. Judas began following Jesus and came into bondage because he sought a freedom other than what Jesus was offering in His earthly ministry. Jesus was clear about His mission in Luke 4:18-19, preaching the gospel, healing hearts and setting captives free. All of which Judas would have known. Here I look at a key moment that I see as leading to the terrible ending for Judas and an enduring tribute for Mary. The story centres around one of the many meals Jesus had with others.

Our story takes place in John 12:1-8, Mark 14:1-11 and Matthew 26:6-16. I have included the passages at the end for your reference but will highlight key verses as we look at the event. We start with the scene, a supper. The meal takes place at the home of Simon the Leper (Mark 14:3), obviously Jesus had healed him as Simon was hosting a meal. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were guests and Martha was helping with the serving. It was also someone else’s home, which we will come to shortly. During the meal Mary comes and pours out costly perfumed oil on Jesus (John 12:3). We know that a number of the disciples complained but for John the focus is on Judas, for the meal is in his family home. Here is Judas’s response to Mary’s sacrifice.

4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” John 12:4-5 NKJV

Now look at Jesus response. He says two things. He rebukes Judas and honours Mary.

7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” John 12:7-8 NKJV

6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” Mark 14:6-9 NKJV

How does Judas respond?

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. Mark 14:10-11 NKJV

Consider the setting again, Judas’s father, Simon is hosting a meal. Judas and the other apostles are there along with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. We don’t know if there were others. We know Judas took offense at being rebuked in front of others the family home and that settled his decision to betray Jesus. We know that Mary, without any agenda, anointed Jesus with fragrant oil. The outcome of Judas offense was to be damned. The outcome of Mary’s sacrifice, a response to grace, was to be honoured everywhere the gospel was to be preached.

Judas was unaware he was sealing his fate because he valued his reputation. Mary didn’t know she was anointing Jesus for His burial – she was pouring out what she valued because she valued Jesus more!

In this tumultuous time, as in years past, we will have plenty of opportunities to take up offense and do the wrong thing. This year we will also have plenty of opportunities to value Jesus more, move in grace and pour out upon Jesus by blessing others. I pray we choose wisely each day.

John 12:1–8 (NKJV) — 1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Mark 14:1–11 (NKJV) — 1 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.” 3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

Matthew 26:6–16 (NKJV) — 6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” 10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Authority and Power

In the last two years the world has battled the power of Covid. We as the church have also engaged in this battle, though our battle is both with Covid and the spiritual power behind it. There have been conflicting perspectives on it, failed prophecies on when it will end and on and on. Many of us have prayed and not yet received the answer or outcome that we sought and so we live with the certainty of uncertainty, and for many of us a sense of growing weary in the battle.

So, we will take a look at what we are battling against. In scripture horns represent power. In the Old and New Testaments, we see it in both a positive and negative light.

¹And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.” 1 Samuel 2:1 (NKJV)

¹⁰But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. Psalm 92:10 (NKJV)

⁸I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. ⁹“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; ¹⁰ A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened. ¹¹“I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. Daniel 7:8-11 (NKJV)

⁶And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:6 (NKJV)

¹¹Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. ¹²And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. Revelation 13:11-12 (NKJV)

In the passages where we see a horn or horns representing power. Yet the power of the enemy is always defeated by the authority and power of the Lord. No matter how long it takes or what we have to face we can be confident in something Jesus said.

¹⁹Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.Luke 10:19 (NKJV)

We also see the extent of Jesus authority in The Great Commission.

¹⁸And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth and He has delegated us to exercise His authority in the earth. To do so we must be actively engaged in the battle that we are all in and the battle is first fought in the realm of prayer. We not have seen the things we would like to see in the last two years. In spite of what we have not seen our response needs to be one of continuing to look to Him. A response of repenting of anything that He has put His finger on in our lives (2 Chronicles 7:14) and coming before His throne seeking His face. The world needs to see a testimony of a church that reflects the Jesus of scripture not the Jesus of our culture. There are pockets of this so let us press in for more and obey what Jesus said.

⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.⁸For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV)

Jesus never told us to pray once, never to pray until we are tired, never to pray when we feel good. He told us to pray until the answer comes. In fact, the Amplified Bible captures the Greek tense in the above verses and says to ‘…keep on asking…keep on seeking…keep on knocking.’

What we are facing looks intimidating. We need to face it with confidence in the authority that we carry. When we look at scripture and history we see these strong horns, these horns of power rising up again and again but ultimately always bowing to the authority of the King of kings and
Lord of lords. We are also assured in Revelation that this will continue until consummated in the final outcome!

So, as this year ends and we step into the coming year let us continue to battle to overcome the power of the enemy, persisting in prayer, seeking His wisdom and exercising His delegated authority. Let our lives be an emphatic yes to Jesus’ question, “when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).