DEN OF LIONS

At sunset the king walked, in misery and distress, to the den of lions. Though he spent his day spent in regret and consternation, he was unable to halt the capture of Daniel. As the day grew dark, Daniel was cast into the den of lions. A vicious death sentence. That night the king walked back to the palace. He did not sleep; he fasted. In the morning, early, he rushed to the den of lions. He cried out at the sight of Daniel, alive and unharmed. God had sent an angel. The mouths of the lions were closed because Daniel believed in his God. Relief swept through the king; the king who was unable to halt the unintended consequences of his own decree.

It is a beautiful account and a familiar one. It is chock-full of lesson. But there is more to the story; what were the circumstances that landed Daniel in the den of lions? When we read Daniel's story from the beginning, we realize that Daniel was in a figurative den of lions well-before he was ever cast into the literal one... protected by God in both.

• DEN OF LIONS

Daniel rose in the ranks of the king's men from the onset. Chosen by God to serve the kingdom before Nebuchadnezzar chose Daniel to serve in his court. Chosen by God and equipped by God, he thrived in the king's court; his great faith catalyzed by God into great wisdom. So instrumental in the court that Daniel continued to serve after Nebuchadnezzar's death, after even Nebuchadnezzar's grandson's death. 

Daniel's success and longevity in the court made him well-known. Respected by the kings who relied on his wisdom, but hated by his cohorts in the king's court. The king's court, the figurative lion's den. Daniel was surrounded by people who were jealous of his esteem. For king Darius preferred Daniel over all of them, above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him. Darius set Daniel over the whole realm. Like Joseph in Genesis, Daniel had the power of the king without the title. All arranged by God. 

The presidents and princes below Daniel's rank worked to unseat him. They were actively, viciously, against him. At every occasion they were ready to pounce on Daniel. Like predators, they circled Daniel ravenously, starved for him to make a mistake. At all times prepared to pounce on him for any mistake. 

But Daniel never made a mistake. Daniel had quality faith; he followed God's counsel, not his own. He did not falter in leadership because he did not falter in faith. Annoyed, they realized that there was no fault or error in Daniel for them to expose. But they were predators on the prowl; and they would not let their prey out of their sight.

The pride of lions conspired. Proud, indeed, arrogant. None of the humility in Daniel in them. Jealous, hungry for rank, power, esteem. Too foolish, too selfish, too greedy, to realize Daniel that had inadvertently gained all of three (rank, power, and esteem) through humble service. No wiles, none of the devious or cunning stratagems they corruptly plotted.

• HE MUST INCREASE

Daniel lived and served amongst these lions. Different from them in character, but also faith. Daniel believed emphatically in the Lord. And he served the Lord steadfastly. He lived the verse John 3:30; He must increase but I must decrease. Daniel's humble service in faith enabled God to increase the exertion of His will and presence. Daniel, like all faithful, obedient children of God was a vessel, a conduit through which the people received the blessed leadership, truth and provision of God. Daniel decreased in that he suppressed his own will (his own ego), in exchange and placement of God's will.

The lions believed in idols. In things. In the desperate, at-all-costs-and-without-any-principles, pursuit of power. They salivated for it. And don't many? Those people who will step on any head to get ahead. Those people who break the tenth commandment: thou shall not covet. The men coveted and it corrupted them. The same, sad story plays over-and-over; it is Satan's own story, Ezekiel 28, a covetous spirit corrupted by its own schemes. 

So many are unwilling to decrease; unwilling to jettison our own schemes for God's plans, our own will for God's will, our own ego for God's esteem, and the result is disastrous. In varied and seemingly-small ways, throughout life, we do not decrease. Our unwillingness to suppress our own desire, our own will/ego, blocks God's unflawed protection, provision, plan and power. God is the artist of many masterpieces, we're just spilling paint. Hand the paintbrush back to Him.

• A ROYAL DECREE

Daniel did not spill any paint because he never held the paintbrush. He believed, trusted and followed God. They lions tried to use that against him. They caused conflict, which, by the way, is listed among the seven things God hates, Proverbs 6:18. Daniel had a different faith because he was from a different place: Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered it and captured its people. Daniel was among strangers-in-faith, strangers who used Daniel's absolute devotion to God and assembled against him.

The lions approached the king with what they thought was a cleverly devised plan: they encouraged him to establish a royal stature, a firm decree that forbid every person from petitioning to any G/god, or person except the king for thirty days. They knew that Daniel was faithful to his God; they knew that he petitioned (prayed, appealed to God's authority) on a daily basis, multiple times. They arranged that those who disobeyed the decree would be cast into the den of lions.

Establish it, they said. Sign it, and in such a way that it cannot be reversed or altered. They figuratively drooled as they laid and set the trap for their prey! For Daniel. King Darius signed the decree, unaware of their plot against Daniel. He did not perceive that these men targeted the member of his court he most respected.

• WINDOWS OPEN

Daniel was the highest-ranked member of the king's court. He knew about the decree; he knew it was signed, sealed. He went to his house to petition to God. Daniel went directly to his house to the specific thing that had just been outlawed. He was not unaware; he was not ignorant, he knew about the decree. Then he went home and disobeyed it. Not to be obstinate, not to be disrespectful, not to be a big-shot, but because he regularly petitioned to God three times per day and it was time to do so.

With the windows opened, Daniel prayed toward Jerusalem, to God and gave thanks. The king had just effectively signed Daniel's death sentence, yet Daniel gave thanks. There was no interruption in Daniel's daily prayer, no disturbance of his lifelong faith. If obedience to God meant death, Daniel accepted it. He had lived much of his life alive and unharmed in a den of lions, in the king's corrupt court. But Daniel was surrounded by death all the time; targeted and plotted against, Daniel served the Lord among the prowling lions every day. They were never able to devour him; they never even got a taste.

So Daniel prayed with the windows open. He did not fear; he did not hide. He had lived boldly, unapologetically, in faith throughout the captivity of his nation, Jerusalem, and continued to do so. He gave thanks to God just as he had done the time, the day, before. Because he was grateful and would not neglect to be so. There was no man or decree that could restrain him from his walk with God.

• NO MANNER OF HURT

But they tried. The lions caught Daniel as he prayed, and then they trapped the king in his own decree. Of course, the king found Daniel without any manner of hurt. Daniel's faith served as a testimony; the king signed a new decree: reverence to Daniel's God.

Daniel was surrounded by lions before and after the decree, but he was protected-preserved-prospered by God in both situations. The story gives us hope, and caution:

Wicked schemes are deftly disassembled by God's dexterous hand. Live in accordance with God's will and avoid the disasters caused by our own. In diverse ways and places around the planet, in our daily lives, we are the figurative prey or predator of this story. We are the lion, or we are among them. We must be aware of instances in which we do not decrease enough, thus disabling God to increase enough to fix, cause, sustain the things we will fail to do without Him. He will not fix the blemish if you will not relinquish the brush.

The hope of the story is evident. It may not be relatable on the surface (it is unlikely that we will be cast into a literal den of lions as punishment, though certainly many who follow God face death for their belief), but when we realize that Daniel was among predators throughout his life and service to God, it feels more familiar. We both feel jealousy and cause it, even unwittingly. Daniel's story reminds us that we do not need to covet others' things and positions, indeed we must not, for God will bless us abundantly. For to follow God is to step into blessing. There is no need to be jealous; when we establish God as our provider, we have a provider who knows what we need better than we do, Matthew 6:8. And there is no need to be fearful of the plots of people who are jealous of our blessing. King Darius did not perceive, Daniel could not prevent, but God perceived and God prevented.

IN THE FIRE FAITH

The third chapter of Daniel contains one of the most well-known and powerful pieces of scripture: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand in the fiery furnace with Jesus. The story inspires awe and even envy, but . . . almost all of us overlook this obvious fact: if we want to stand in the fire with Jesus, we will need to stand in fire. And frankly, it requires tremendous faith to stand in fire. 

• AN IMAGE OF GOLD

1-7 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were members of a conquered kingdom: Jerusalem. A powerful king, Nebuchadnezzar, had chosen them (and Daniel) to be part of his court. He was not a king of their faith; and in a few instances, it caused major conflict for them. For above all, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, served in God's court; God's orders superseded Nebuchadnezzar's orders. Since Nebuchadnezzar did not believe in their God (our God, the God), their behavior would be perceived as treasonous to him. 

Major conflict arose: Nebuchadnezzar erected a 135-foot and 9-foot wide image of gold in the province of Babylon. He then called the people of his court to come to the dedication of the image. He commanded all of the people to worship the golden image. Whoever refused to worship the image would be "cast into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace." So the people came and worshiped the image/statue. 

• THEY SERVE NOT THY GODS

8-13 But a few did not, and their enemies noticed. Certain "Chaldeans" (rulers in Babylon) accused the "Jews" (people of the conquered-kingdom of Judah) of refusing to worship the image. They stood before the king, with flattery, and redundantly asked if he had indeed made a decree that commanded every man to worship the image. They knew that the king had made that decree, of course; they simply wanted to report Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for their refusal to do it. They wanted them to be sentenced to death. 

The Chaldeans told Nebuchadnezzar that those of Judah did not worship his gods, and did not regard the king himself highly-enough. Nebuchadnezzar was furious. He was a powerful, arrogant leader. To him, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's behavior equated with insurrection. They were not unknown, random people, (though they would have been in trouble too). These three men were chosen by the king for their excellence, their intelligence. They had power in their own right; Nebuchadnezzar likely recognized that. For even if he did not realize that they stood out because of their God, he would have noticed that they did stand out. As wise men, prominent, capable. A capable threat against his reign, if they were in fact against him. And their behavior seemed to suggest that they were.

14-23 But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not so much against Nebuchadnezzar as they were for God. They accepted that it was God's will for them to serve in the king's court. After all, it was because of God's blessings that they were chosen in the first place. As long as they did not receive any commands that contradicted commands given by God, they served the king's court peacefully and efficiently, without any plans of mutiny. 

Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar already had what he wanted from them. If he hadn't let his arrogance ignite his anger, he might have realized that peaceful, efficient members of court was the ultimate goal, achieved. Instead, he craved absolute control. He needed to feed his ego. Incensed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, King Nebuchadnezzar confronted them.

• IF IT BE SO

He asked them: is it true? And then he offered them a second chance to bow before his golden image, to worship it. It was an ultimatum: either they worshiped it or they would be put into the fire. He asked them: who shall deliver you? He mocked them; it was an effort to persuade them to worship. Nebuchadnezzar did not believe that the God they chose to serve instead of his was capable of saving them from their fate should they refuse.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were frank with Nebuchadnezzar. They told him that they would not skirt around the issue; they would not be careful with their words. Their answer was a flat, confident, fixed no. And even though Nebuchadnezzar's question about their God was mocking and rhetorical, they answered it. God could save them, if He would. If it be so, they said, meaning: if He chose to do it, he [would] be able to deliver [them] from the burning, fiery furnace.

They continued: but if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. That is stand-in-the-fire faith. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego served God so perfectly, loved Him so thoroughly, that they would embrace flames rather than worship a false god. They knew that God was capable; He could protect them from death by fire. Tremendous faith, certainly. But even more tremendous , they would continue to serve Him and love Him, they would still refuse to worship another supposed-god even if God chose not to save them from the fire.

• BUT IF NOT

This "but if not" type of faith is stand-in-the-fire faith. A lot of people love God in the good, but abandon him the bad. Others cling to him in the bad, but forget Him in the good. Not many have steady, concrete faith that remains determined and succeeds throughout life, and in the face of fire. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, knew that God could save them. That is a laudable, comprehensive understanding of God's character and capability. Yet they also trusted Him; they had faith to believe that He could save them... but more amazingly, they had the faith to trust His plan even if He chose not to save them.

Fear did not persuade them to abandon their faith. As Jesus said in Matthew 16:25, whosoever shall lose his life for my sake will find it. In tangible terms, that means that those who will stand, unyielding, despite even threats to their very life, for God, would ultimately retain their life. And the reason why we should do so is not because of pride or stubbornness or even merely commitment to God. We stand for God above everything, willing to lose everything, because to stand for God is to stand for justice, compassion, righteousness, truth, mercy, love, hope, for all manner of life, throughout life. To stand for God, is to stand against injustice, negligence, corruption, deception, destruction, hopelessness.

Stand-in-the-fire faith is the faith of the individual who, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, serves God above all else. Even above the preservation of self (knowing that, ultimately, the sacrifice of oneself for the kingdom of God is preservation of self). Stand-in-the-fire faith is the faith of the individual who actually steps into the fire.

• LO, I SEE FOUR

19-30 Nebuchadnezzar had the furnace heated seven-times hotter (for such was the level of his own outrage). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and thrown into the furnace. The fire, so hot that even the guards who brought the three men toward the fire, in mere proximity to it, were engulfed and killed by its heat. 

Still, none of them changed their mind. They fell down in the burning, fiery furnace and Nebuchadnezzar watched, likely smugly. But as he watched, something confused him. Startled, he asked his men: did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered: True. Three bound men. 

But in the furnace stood four figures without bonds. Unharmed. Untouched by flame. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and the fourth form... the Son of God. A sobering moment for Nebuchadnezzar's smug indignance. A sobering moment for us; for we must always remember that followers of Jesus must walk where He walks. And Jesus has walked through scorn, betrayal, temptation, and here: fire, and other forms of figurative fire. Unscathed in Spirit, indeed polished of spirit, yet a walk not without flames, blood, bruises, sorrow, and pain. All steps taken with purpose for purpose, but an arduous walk. Arduous for its requirement of courage in faith, but possible, and even blessed and glorious if the destination, as well as the motivation is God.

• AS YOU HAVE BELIEVED 

In no way should one be dissuaded from a walk with Jesus. This is encouragement to stand in the figurative flames. To defy the figurative king. To fight for justice. To stand for truth. To uncover deception. To disassemble corrupt systems. This story is a practical explanation of what that looks like, what it requires, not so that you are dissuaded, but so that you are prepared. So that you build the unyielding trust, the thorough love, and comprehensive knowledge of the character and capability of God that persevered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego through their walk with Jesus for God.

Two men in Matthew 8 had stand-in-the-fire faith. A man with leprosy, a chronic disease, approached Jesus and stated that he knew if Jesus would, he could heal him. Jesus healed the man. Another approached Jesus, a centurion (commander in the Roman army), who stated that he knew if Jesus would declare his soldier healed, he could be healed. Jesus healed the soldier and marveled at the centurion's stand-in-the-fire faith. Jesus marveled because even among those who were raised in this faith, who claimed to believe in and follow God (posterity of Noah, Abraham, and Jacob) that level of faith was rare, even nonexistent. 

And here we come to the main, and final point. Jesus told the centurion: Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. There is a deeper message in that salutation: as you have believed, so be it done unto thee. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed that God could/would save them from the fiery furnace. As they had believed, so it was done.

The outcome of stands-in-the-fire faith is survives-in-the-fire faith. If you have the faith to believe that all is possible with God, all is possible. God will exert that omnipotent power throughout the length, and breadth, and width of your faith. He will exert His power within the boundaries you set for Him in regard to your life. So be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, don't set any boundaries! Boundless faith equates with boundless blessing.

In this life of free will, God knocks (Revelation 3:20) and though He could force entry, He waits to be invited inside. In this life of free will, God invites you to knock (Matthew 7:7) and though He could force you to enter, He waits until you request to come inside. Your faith does not determine the amount of His power, it determines how much of it you invite into your life.

A DAILY PROVISION

Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, conquered Jerusalem. It was the fulfilment of God's prophecy in Jeremiah 27; that Judah, as a result of its collective, unrepentant wickedness, would be taken captive. The kingdom was given to Nebuchadnezzar by God, which meant that God had a plan for Nebuchadnezzar's reign. The ultimate purpose of God's plans are consistently to draw the children of God back to Him, (or to keep the children of God with Him).

Although the majority of Judah abandoned God, there were faithful people within the city who fell under Nebuchadnezzar's reign. In the Book of Daniel, we read of four such people: Belteshazzar/Daniel, Shadrach/Hananiah, Meshach/Mishael, and Abednego/Azariah). Their unparalleled faith in God brought them to the forefront.

• CHOSEN

Nebuchadnezzar valued wisdom. He was an arrogant man; likely caused and sustained by the power he had. To retain that power, he sought to surround himself with wise people. He directed his officials to procure people who were "without blemish, well favored, cunning in knowledge, understanding of science," and who had the ability to stand in the king's palace and teach the conquered people the language of their conqueror: a dialect of Aramaic. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were chosen.

• A DAILY PROVISION

Those chosen were to be nourished on the king's meat and wine for three years. At the end of three years, they would be presented to Nebuchadnezzar. For all intents and purposes, those chosen belonged to the king. Whatever plans he had for them, they had to follow. In many ways, it was a privilege to be chosen: it was an opportunity to serve their conqueror in a respected, official capacity, rather than as an unacknowledged slave. It would seem that refusal to comply with the king's orders would be unwise, and certainly dangerous. But refuse is exactly what Daniel did. 

Daniel was a wise man of great faith. He accepted that the king had chosen him as God's plan for him; but ultimately, Daniel served the Lord. And when Nebuchadnezzar ordered the chosen group to eat of his own meat and wine, Daniel refused. Again, you would think it would be ridiculous to reject the provisions the king himself ate. But Daniel rejected the food; he stated that it would defile him. And because he rejected it, a man of great faith, we know that the food was either improperly prepared (therefore: unsafe) or generally unhealthy (not listed among the foods we are advised to eat in scripture: Leviticus 11). 

In effort to comply, but with stipulations particular to his faith, Daniel appealed to the man who oversaw the king's chosen group. Typically, a conquered man's requests would be laughed at, and promptly rejected. But Daniel's heart was with God, so God was with Daniel. By God's arrangement, the overseer had compassion for Daniel. But he, unlike Daniel, was afraid to refuse the king. Nebuchadnezzar had ordered a specific diet because he expected specific results from it. 

Daniel made a deal with the overseer. He wanted the chance to eat "pulse" (of the seed/pod: vegetables, legumes) and water to drink for ten days, instead of the king's meat and wine. At the end of the ten days, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were the healthiest among the group and were thus allowed to continue with the diet that God approved.

• WISDOM AND DREAMS

God remained with Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The king was in search of wise men and he would find them in these four, for God gave them learning, wisdom and understanding and in Daniel's case: the ability to interpret prophetic dreams. The wisdom and reinforcements from God enabled the four to be the ones who would stand before the king. They were ten times more useful to Nebuchadnezzar than any of others, charlatans that they were. 

• PURPOSE

Neither Daniel, nor Shadrach, nor Meshach nor Abednego were purposeful in faith for their own benefit. Neither did they regard the position or the provision gifted to them by the king. Rather, they accepted their role in God's will. They stood before the king as servants foremost of God.

These four men stepped into executive offices. The arguably most powerful person on earth would heed the advice that came from their mouths. Indeed, through their mouths, but directly from God. 

They were not influenced nor consumed by the supposed-wonders of power and prominence. They were not ravenous for, nor impressed by, the fancy-fad food and wine of the king. We must ask ourselves: "would I be impressed, influenced and summarily consumed by what the world values, if it came in a place or position deceptively-veiled in prestige?" Hopefully not, as assuredly, every place, and every position is meant to promote God's agenda... and certainly not oneself, not your own agenda. 

And, "Would I be faithfully-bold enough to refuse?" We need the faith not merely to recognize what is wrong, but to stand for what is right. Daniel had the faith to do both. Because, frankly, Daniel only cared about God's opinion of him. He was not afraid to lose the prestigious position, the favor of the overseer, or his life to the king. Daniel is the manifestation of Jesus' words in Matthew 16:25, Paul's words in Galatians 1:10.

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." 

Matthew 16:25 

"...do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." 

Galatians 1:10

Such questions are our daily provision. The questions we are prompted to ask ourselves while reading scripture. They reveal our weaknesses, our blindness, and compel us to pray in faith to God for strength and sight. Our faith is an invitation and the initiation of a trade. Our will for His. We invite Him to take control; we release it. His gift to us is free will, our gift to Him is the returning of it. Daniel & company executed this perfectly (and will continue to do so in the next chapters). They showed us what it looks like to actually live in accordance with God's will, as a servant of God. To step into places and positions as adherents of God's will, and therefore productive conduits for God's will.

SALT OF THE EARTH

Salt and Light

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

If you think about it, an apathetic temperament is an insult to all of the earth, mineral and piece of stardust that were forged together to create you. We are each mini, complex universes pinned with a soul. We each have immense God-given purpose and the potential to fulfill it. God wants us to realize the blessed responsibility our influence has. A listless life neglects to adequately use that influence and the impact we have during our allotted time here. Jesus explains in the aforementioned verse that were constructed as lamps in order to shine. Form supports function. 

Our form was expertly created and intended to support our function. Therefore: function. Jesus came as a servant and exemplified the life of servitude in order that we would know how to function within it: what to expect physically, how to react emotionally, and how to respond spiritually. 

The manner in which we serve is different for each person. Based on our location, interests, inclinations and other personal intricacies. God places each of His children into a specific environment, one in which they, specifically, can thrive when united with Him.

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

God distributed spiritual gifts tailored specifically to their recipients. In an effort to reach every one of His children, God knew that one single method would not work for billions of people. Our passions and aspirations are different; our skills and abilities are different; and God knew that those differences were important. 

For example: Some have the gift of extroversion, and their extroversion helps them to readily form friendships that support others' emotional needs. Alternately, some have the gift of introversion, and in solitude they write books or plays or movies that inspire people to follow their own dreams. Of course, we are all more complex than that. We cannot be reduced to one specific quality. God is able to reign all of our characteristics into alignment with our environment and the people who inhabit it with us.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Whatever the gift we have been given, we were given to in order that we may give. What we received from God is our salt, meant to be potent not bland. We are, after all, fellow-workers with God, 1 Corinthians 3:9. We are instruments through which He delivers blessing throughout families and regions within the earth. God has invited is to participate in the manifestation of blessing. Though He could have kept the glory for Himself, He has chosen to delegate and share. 

In Matthew 14:19, Jesus did not feed 5,000; Jesus let His disciples feed the multitude. He handed the glory to His fellow-workers. God's greatest joy is the expression compassion. He felt that as His children, we would have inherited that quality from Him. The natural joy of empathy and mercy. We were made in His image, Genesis 1:27, not physically but spiritually. We require spiritual nourishment. Spiritual nourishment comes from seasoning the world with righteousness. 

We fulfill our role as salt of the earth when we provide shelter for the refugee. When we provide food for the hungry. When we provide water for the thirsty. When we provide friendship to the lonely. Hope to the downtrodden. Laughter to the sorrowful. This gospel to the empty. 

Literally.

Figuratively.

Our time and friendship and sense of humor and shoulder and listening ear are all lights we can use to pierce darkness. Our talents and skills and admirable traits were not meant to amuse us; they were meant for others. Self-importance and greed are baskets which mute the light we were given to shine on others. Such a life is contradictory to how we were intended to function. 

Similar to a solar system, God has placed us into dynamic networks. We have influence as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands, friends, cousins, grandchildren, teachers, leaders, scientists, mechanics, singers, actors, engineers, doctors, nurses, assistants, dancers, artists,... whatever our position in family, relationship or society, God has provided us the salt to use that position to its full potential.

One person cannot advocate for the entire world. A single individual's scope is too narrow, the reach too short. We cannot salt the entire earth by ourselves. But we can each be activists within our local environment, within our family and community. And when we do, the entire earth is seasoned. 

One lamp or even many lamps cannot light the entire earth; the sun cannot even do that. But billions of lamps? A light from every living soul? In Matthew 9:37 Jesus essentially tells us that there are simply not enough lamps. There is a lot of work to do among humanity; there are a lot of places that need salt and light. But there are not enough laborers willing to do the work of salting and lighting. 

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt..." Colossians 4:6 

Every day and conversation is an opportunity to season the earth. Therefore: Be salty; shine. You were made for it!

JESUS IS YOUR WEALTH

". . . the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;”

We can learn a lot from the people who set good examples... but maybe we can learn more from the people who set bad ones. Just as nobody is perfect in the world, nobody is perfect in scripture. At times, like us, they had lapses in judgement, weakness in faith, lack of self-awareness, or selfish motives. Through faith they overcame their short-comings and served as mighty examples-in-faith to us. But what about the shadier figures, like Judas Iscariot? Do we write him off as an enemy? Is he 'the betrayer', and nothing more? Or does his whole story have more to say, to teach? 

• JUDAS ISCARIOT

Listed among the 12 disciples in Matthew 10, Judas Iscariot; Jesus allowed him. Judas witnessed Jesus on earth. He was present for the events we read about in the gospels: saw Him heal people and subdue storms, he heard Jesus speak and explain parables about this life and the next, and like the others, built a unique relationship with Jesus on his unique path of life. The other disciples continued as apostles after Jesus' death and resurrection, but Judas did not. Were they perfect? No. But the consequences of their flaws were not so dire as the consequences of Judas's. Still, there was as much purpose to Jesus's life as there was to His death, and Judas was one of the cogs in the machine that caused it to occur... but he did not do it alone. 

Scripture informed us of Judas' glaring character flaw: greed. He tried to mask it, either from others or from himself. We know that from John 12, in which Mary of Bethany used an expensive ointment on Jesus. Judas was aghast. He said that she should have sold that ointment and used the money for the poor. But scripture tells us that Judas actually wanted the money for himself. He was a sort of treasurer for the group, and also: a thief. 

Mary understood something that Judas did not understand until much later: Jesus was their wealth. 

• WHICH OF THEM WILL LOVE HIM MOST?

Keep Mary in mind, but first journey to Luke 7:37-50. Jesus spoke a parable about a creditor and two people who were in his debt. One of the men in debt owed a little, the other owed a lot. They creditor forgive both of them their debts. Jesus asked Simon, 'which of the debtors would love the creditor most?' Simon correctly answered: 'to whom he forgave most.'

The lesson was given as a woman, a sinner, washed Jesus' feet. She expressed her love and gratitude for Jesus by washing His feet, kissing Him, and anointing Him with oil. Simon had not done any of that. She was more in debt than Simon, and so she better understood that Jesus was her wealth. 

Mary of Bethany had just witnessed Jesus raise her brother from the dead (John 11). She understood the scope, the depth of Jesus' love just as the sinful woman had. But Judas, and even Simon, did not quite. Not yet. Even though they loved and followed Him, their life, their flaw, had not yet surfaced in a way that might evolve their faith into the depth of humility and, subsequently, gratitude. Into the quality of faith that we all should endeavor to have.

• . . . BUT HE DID NOT DO IT ALONE

Judas was a piece in a bigger plot. He was responsible for his flaw; whether he worked on it or not, we do not know, but his greed continued to steer him. And his unchecked greed over faith made him susceptible to that which faith over greed would have prevented. He became a vessel in Satan's plot against Jesus. John 13:27 verse and Luke 22:3 verse tell us that Satan/the devil entered into Judas.

His faith shield was not up; and if it was, there was a hole in it and that hole was his greed. It allowed Satan to enter in. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that our adversary the devil, walks about seeking out whom he can devour. He must be resisted with steadfast faith. He can be resisted with steadfast faith: James 4:7 resist the devil and he will flee from you.

It is so important to actively, steadfastly work in faith to overcome the flaws within you that make you susceptible to doing Satan's dirty work for him. Satan failed and so will you, if you are unwilling to dominate with spirit, flesh which wrestles for control. There was a worldly/fleshly flaw in Judas that he had not yet dismissed. Even though he was present when Jesus spoke about the temporary nature of this world, and the permanence of the next, Judas kept living for the temporary world.

Jesus told us: 

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

It applied directly to Judas' flaw. It applies directly, or even indirectly, to ours... whatever it may be. We all have some flaw that is a chink in our shield, or maybe even a gaping hole, through which Satan could enter. Satan is a master-manipulator; he's clever, once he is in your ear, he has the skill to influence the rest of you. So keep him away, as scripture has told us you have the power to do! Overcome that thing, that worldly flaw, which prevents you from the discovery of the depth of humility, and subsequently, gratitude, from the faith which is impenetrable. 

•  . . . UNTIL MUCH LATER

Judas reached that level by the end. When the consequence of his greed came to a head, suddenly everything Jesus did and taught clicked for him. He did not want the money he earned for the betrayal. That money was once the most precious thing to him... but when he had it, instead of Jesus, he realized that Jesus was his wealth. What is most precious to you, right now? What you have? Want you want? How you look? How you a perceived by others? It's easy to pretend to put Jesus first; we can convince ourselves, as maybe Judas had, that the worldly things in our life come second to the spiritual. But there will come a major point, and a lot of little ones in between, where we will have to choose. Our choice will show the truth, and it might be ugly. As Judas's truth was ugly.

But it does not have to be. Jesus told us: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, Matthew 26:41. He told us to know that, to be vigilant about it, and to pray. Pray to God for the spiritual strength to overcome fleshly weakness. We often choose to pursue, to covet, that which our body wants over what our spirit needs. We do not frequently, naturally enough choose the humble option. We do not eagerly, readily elect to make the choices that promote, establish us in heaven. Rather, we make choices that promote, establish us here on earth.

• THE PRICE OF BLOOD

Judas repented. He threw the silver into the temple. And then, he died. Matthew 27:5 states that he killed himself; Acts 1:18 suggests that he died another way. Intentional death or not, Judas is our cautionary tale. His story teaches us not to tell our soul for things, not to put anything above what Jesus taught. Jesus taught us to focus our effort on people, not things. To focus our attention on God, not ourselves. 

He taught us those lessons for our own benefit. He does not give orders just to be obeyed. He gives advice to save us. He tells us beforehand that we will not find fulfilment in the things and people we think we will... to save us from harsh consequences and empty realities. Since he has told us beforehand, do we have to learn as Judas did? When it's too late, when it's too overwhelming? No, we can work on ourselves now. Desire to go after Jesus more than you desire anything else, Matthew 16:24-26: 

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Challenge yourself: Deny yourself the things your body, your ego wants, the things that block you from full-force, whole-hearted, dogged faith and obedience to God. Put that time, those resources, into the emulation of Jesus. Into gratitude to God through service in His kingdom, and here on earth. Thirty pieces of silver was a poor substitute for Jesus. So is whatever you covet. Jesus is your wealth.

• HE THAT DIPPETH HIS HAND WITH ME IN THE DISH

Look at Matthew 26:23,

“And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.”

Consider that earth is the dish. Earlier, we talked about Judas as a vessel for Satan's plots. Satan's influence is here on earth. Well, so is Jesus's influence here on earth. Judas literally dipped into the dish; Satan figuratively dipped/dips in the dish, into earth. There are two influences here, two hands in the dish, in the earth. One belongs to Jesus, one belongs to Satan. Light against darkness. Good against evil. Righteousness against corruption. Each has its hand in how life plays out here on earth. Of which hand are you a finger? A vessel, an instrument. 

Satan betrayed God, in heaven, a long time ago, Ezekiel 28. He lost. He betrays Jesus, on earth, presently. He will lose again, has already lost, and wants to bring you down with him. Do not give him the chance. The life Jesus lived and preached is the way.

LITTLE FLOCK

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

In scripture, the use of the word 'sheep' is a term of endearment. In the world, the use of the word 'sheep' is an insult. In the world, people referred to as 'sheep' are those who are easily influenced and manipulated by another person, institution or government. In other words, they are accused of being blind followers. 

But in scripture, sheep is connected to the word 'shepherd'. The two go hand-in-hand. The sheep choose to follow the shepherd, the shepherd chooses to lead the sheep. The sheep follow the shepherd for provision and protection. The shepherd leads the sheep to provide and protect.

The sheep are not blind followers; they actively follow the shepherd because they trust Him, and they trust Him because He has provided, protected and led them well. The same is true for Jesus and His followers. Just as Jesus is an active shepherd, they are active followers. They do not blindly follow, they follow because they have seen and walked His path; He is verified.

• THE DOOR OF THE SHEEP

10:1-8

Not all are welcome into the sheepfold; in Matthew 10:16, Jesus warned the disciples that they would be sent out as sheep in the midst of wolves. There are some who want not to be part of the sheepfold, but to ravage the pasture. There are some who want to glean the benefits of the sheepfold despite their rejection of the shepherd. Jesus is able to distinguish between the sheep and the wolves. In fact, He is a door through which a wolf cannot pass. 

Jesus is a door in that He is the way. None can reach the Kingdom of God without emulation of Jesus. But wolves try. False persons, prophets, and preachers try to scheme their way into what scripture metaphorically refers to as the sheepfold. In Matthew 7:23 Jesus assures both the sheep and the wolves that God Himself will reject such workers of iniquity. But the sheep will be claimed and called by name; they will recognize the voice that calls them, because they have followed it all life-long.

The sheep loyal to the shepherd will not follow a stranger. That stranger's voice, their message, is unfamiliar to them. It is contradictory to what Jesus, the True Shepherd, has taught them; they will not walk through that door, the den of the wolves, disguised. Because sheep in scripture do not blindly follow for, Matthew 10:16 continued: they are wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

• AND WILL FIND PASTURE

10:9-11

Jesus has graciously volunteered to be our shepherd. In doing so, He has become our savior. As savior and shepherd, He provides pasture. By His own explanation, He does so that we may have life, and life more abundantly. To be a sheep in Jesus's pasture is not only to be safe physically, but to be saved spiritually. We are safe from the teeth and the devices of the wolves. 

Jesus dedicated His life on earth not to enforce the word of God but to proffer it. Assuredly the will of God prevails; because of Jesus, each individual has the opportunity to choose to live in accordance with the prevailing will of God by living in accordance with the word of God. And that choice comes with not only a shepherd, but also a lush, sprawling pasture. Jesus's objective is to provide life, abundantly. His pasture is fertile for God's blessing; Jesus has come so that we would have access to it; to God, through Him.

Based on His promises and assurances, the characteristics of an abundant life include love and joy, protection and provision, compassion and charity, truth and justice, mercy and renewal, Jesus and God, life and death...and life again, abundant, in the Kingdom of God. It is a blessed field for a sheep, a follower of God.

• THE GOOD SHEPHERD

10:12-21

Jesus gave His life for His sheep. Often preachers and students focus on the fact that Jesus died for us, but He came here and lived for us too. It is equally gracious of Him to dedicate His limited time and unflagging effort in order to exemplify righteousness in men, serve as compassion in action, and simultaneously, be God-with-us. No other shepherd has or will ever do that for us. For that reason, Jesus warns us to be wary of hirelings: false people, preachers or prophets who, for some personal gain, pose as shepherds but abandon and even endanger the sheep.

It is critically important that we choose and firmly establish Jesus as our shepherd. Other shepherds, even those with good intentions, can lead us astray or cause us to be scattered. Our leader, ultimately, must be Jesus. We must not allow the varied leaders of the world to claim us into their sheepfold, whether they be people, ideologies or institutions. Rather, we will consciously walk through the door of Jesus into the sheepfold of Jesus to be led by the shepherd, Jesus. Because other doors, even if they do not open into the den of the wolves, are not the sheepfold. They will not provide the spiritual nourishment of the pasture of Jesus. Therefore keep the word of God as the foundation of your life, the measuring stick in your hand, the judgement in your mind, the guide in your heart and the path of your feet.

• THE WORKS BEAR WITNESS

10:22-30

Jesus's works verified Him as savior, shepherd and Son of God. His works also qualified Him to distribute access to the Kingdom of God, eternal life. He led the sheep so righteously, so compassionately, so capably, that God gave Him the sheepfold. Then, now, and eternally. Shepherd and sheep cannot be separated; they are fused by the unrivaled, illimitable strength of God.

We are Jesus's sheep; God refers to His children as 'little flock' (Luke 12:32). Though we may never understand how their wells patience and tolerance run so graciously deep for us, they do. But the only way to discover that is to endeavor toward the door, toward Jesus. To read about Him, to learn from Him, to talk to Him and ultimately to trust in Him. It is a natural, unfailing process when it is undertaken wholeheartedly, steadfastly (Jeremiah 29:13). Just as Jesus's works established Him as shepherd, so will your works establish you as sheep. And no matter who you are, you want to be in His sheepfold, His pasture. So learn His voice, let Him hear yours. When God says "never fear, little flock", let that reassurance belong to you.

Scripture: John 10:1-30; Matthew 7; Matthew 10; Luke 12; Jeremiah 29

WHAT MAN IS LIKE JOB?

 "Behold, the fear/reverence of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. . ." Job 28:28

• A PERFECT AND UPRIGHT MAN

Much of the book of Job are chapters and chapters of four people who try, but fail, to understand Job's plight. Once a happy, wealthy, faithful, esteemed, family man, Job became a wretch through the devices of Satan. He lost everyone, everything . . . except for his faith. And most of the Book of Job is his and others' response to that. The four others accuse Job of sin. Job, though willing to accept blame if it were true, knew that it was not and denied them. None of them yet knew that Job underwent those trials as an example of a faithful child of God.

In a previous sermon, WE ARE 'JOB', we addressed the ultimate purpose of Satan's experiment with Job. Now we will examine why God picked Job of all people. The back-and-forth conversations between the four men are nearly irrelevant because we know Job did not sin. Quite contrarily, God described Job in this way: 

"Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that fears [reveres] God, and eschews [deliberately avoids; abstains from] evil?" Job 1:8

Job was God's choice to exemplify to Satan that a person could love God for who He is, rather than for what He gives. But let's set aside that debate with Satan. God called Job a perfect and upright man. That's a man we want to learn from, a life we want to emulate.

• THE CHARACTER OF JOB

Job was chosen and loved by God, respected and consulted by his contemporaries. . .

. . ."Because I delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,
And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
I was eyes to the blind,
And I was feet to the lame.
I was a father to the poor,
And I searched out the case that I did not know.
I broke the fangs of the wicked, . . .

Notice a pattern: Job took care of people. He used his blessings, his resources, to ensure that his surplus filled others' lack. And not only his surplus, Job devoted his whole self to God, his time and effort to God's children. He was the perfect embodiment of what Jesus taught us in Matthew 25:31-46. When we nourish others, we nourish God. When we neglect others, we neglect God. Whatever we do for/against others, God considers an act for/against Himself. How well or poorly we treat others, especially the misfortunate, is watched and weighed by God.

God values our love for Him; He appreciates our faith. But the epistle of James reminds us that faith without works is dead. Give close attention to the example used:

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:14-17

In the example, the supposedly faithful person who does not actively assist the one in need is not an actually-faithful person. At its core, faith is action on behalf of others. As Job has exemplified, God notes and chooses and the people who help people. We all need to do frequent self-evaluations: is our behavior esteemed by men by God? 

And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15

The things that people gawk over are irrelevant or even an abomination to God. Do we use our life, our time and resources to elevate our status in society or our usefulness in the kingdom of God? Job was useful in the kingdom of God because he used his life, his time and resources help people who had no helper. He was useful to the kingdom of God because he was purposeful on earth.

Job loved, revered, obeyed God. Then he put his love into action. He helped, lifted, clothed, led, fed people. God called him perfect.

• LET ME BE WEIGHTED IN AN EVEN BALANCE

Throughout Chapter 31, Job discusses the things he did not do. Pay attention to their literal and figurative meaning. Since Job did not do these things, and God called him perfect, we should do do these things:

Job did not allow himself to be tempted or deceived. He did not despise or mistreat his servants. He did not ignore the poor; He did not mislead the widow. He did not allow the hungry to starve. He did not leave the naked unclothed or cold. He did not neglect the orphan. He did not make wealth his hope or his idol. He did not have any false idols; he rightly-attributed all good things to God. He was pompous. He did not delight in even his enemy's pain. He did not curse anyone. He did not leave a stranger stranded. He did not try to hide his transgressions; he did not live a deceitful life.

Job stated that if he had done any of that, he would hold himself accountable for it. He wanted to be held accountable for it. He was a good man, not a self-proclaimed perfect one, but good. If he had erred, he wanted to be made aware so that he could repent and correct it. Just as he wanted to, and did, use his resources/blessings to help others. We should be similarly-minded. We should be careful to eschew evil, hold ourselves accountable for our transgressions, and endeavor to change (meanwhile, helping others).

A lot of what Job did, and did not do, is both literal and metaphor. There are numerous ways to help people. There are numerous recourses with which to help people. The help that people need is sometimes food, clothing and/or shelter. There are widows and orphans in the world who need family and support. You may not have every resource every person needs. But you have something. If friendship is all you have to give, give it. Perhaps one day God will say to you, when I needed a friend, you were my friend. Pray to God for the resources and the opportunity to help people. And then use those resources, whatever they may be, to do it. 

Give glory to God and goodness to others. 

Scripture: Job 1; 28; 29; 31; James 2; Luke 15; Matthew 25

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Matthew 22:36

 

• THE GREAT COMMANDMENT

We have spoken about the new commandment; now lets talk about the great commandment. The question was actually posed by a foe. The Pharisee tried to tempt Jesus into an answer that would cause the other commandments (of Exodus 20) to be disregarded. The foe wanted to cause outrage, or at least disruption amongst Jesus' students. What is the most important commandment? Well, Jesus chose . . .

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matthew 22:37-39

And He chose that commandment above all else not merely because God deserves our praise but because . . .

"On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:40

Jesus chose the commandment that encompassed all of the other commandments. The foe, and maybe even Jesus' students, did not realize there even was a commandment that encompassed all of the others. The great commandment encompasses all of the other commandments because to truly love God is to love His character. The 10 commandments uphold His character. God does not lie, cheat, steal, etc. We cannot do those things and love Him. It would not be love; when you love someone, what is important to them becomes important to you; because if you disregard what is important to them, you hurt them. You do not hurt the ones you love with all your heart. Therefore, if you love God properly, there's little-to-no chance of breaking the other commandments.

• THE COMMANDMENT IS LOVE

We are quite fortunate (understatement of the eternity) that God values our love. So many others, and aspects of life require payment, or some transaction, in order to receive much less than what God gives us for free. God's value of our love causes us to be blessed for another reason: it's the only thing we can give Him. He created everything; everything belongs to Him.

It's like when you are a child and it's your parent's birthday. You do not have money or a vehicle, or even any realistic idea of what they would want even if you could get it. So you give them a handmade coupon book. Value: nil. Unless they value your love, which is all a handmade coupon book is: a way to say 'I love you; I will donate my time and effort to do the things I have noticed you enjoy done so that you will see that.'

In Hosea 6:6 God, in a state of weariness, tried to explain that He does not want burnt sacrifices, offerings. He does not want gifts, and not simply because it's unnecessary, not merely because they already belong to Him, but because what He actually considers a gift is our mercy. Our compassionate heart toward Him and others.

Following the great commandment is to make a handmade coupon book for God. It is to say 'I love you; I will donate my time and effort to do the things I have noticed you enjoy done so that you will see that.' Moreover, it means: 'I love you; I will donate my time and effort to ensure that I do not do the things I have noticed you do not enjoy... so that you will see that.'

• SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD

How do we stay the course of love for God? How do we follow the 10 commandments when the circumstances of life tempt us to break away from them? We follow Jesus' advice:

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus told us several important things there, primarily: we do not need to worry, and we do not need to take matters into our own hands. Well. If we do not have to take matters into our own hands, because God's hands are willing and more capable, then why would we ever need to break a commandment. We do not have to stoop to our base behavior to get what we need; what is meant for us, what we need, will be given to us by God.

We do not have to covet things or people. We do not have to cheat to escape bad relationships. We do not have to steal for food or material we do not have. We do not have to lie to accomplish or escape certain circumstances. We do no have to dishonor our parents, because God will help us heal or leave bad parental relationships. We do not have to murder in vengeance (Romans 12:19). 

And so again: How do we follow the 10 commandments when the circumstances of life tempt us to break away from them? We follow Matthew 6:33. We follow/obey the great commandment...that is love God, and know that as we do so, God takes care of everything else!

Scripture: Matthew 22:35-40; Exodus 20, Matthew 6, Romans 12, Hosea 6

THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, 

that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. . ."

• BE STRONG IN THE LORD

6:10-13

At times in life we will need to quench, as this very book of Ephesians would say: the fiery darts of the wicked. How do we quench fiery darts? In this moment we ask that question in serene curiosity; it may even seem like the start of a philosophical discussion. But when fiery darts are actually aimed or moving toward us, the question ricochets within us in frantic panic.  Therefore it is better if we answer the question now so we are prepared later. We quench the fiery darts of the wicked with the living water of God. We put on the whole armor of God now so we are protected later. 

We must consciously put our armor on each day. The more consistently we put it on, the more strength and movability we have while we wear it. We become familiar with it, dependent on it, nimble in it. We make smooth and right movements in our behavior when we fit God's will to our body, mind and soul like a whole-body glove.

It is a process that requires consistent, daily, lifelong effort. When we first put it on, it might feel clunky. Unpracticed in it, we may not operate within it with ease. But as long as we keep it on the protection is sure. In Ephesians 6, Paul teaches us what the whole armor of God is and we will explore it in detail. But first, let's be super-clear about those fiery darts.

We cannot change the nature of the world. People have free will here and we can count on them to use it... for good or for bad. It would be impossible not to get negatively caught up in their (or our own) choices sometimes. Moreover there are negatives in life we cannot trace back to a single person or event, things like: illness, death, or failure. The whole armor of God is presented to us as both protection and weapon against all of it. It will get you through, but you must put/keep it on!

To put it on is relatively easy. We need only to remember our relationship with God and what we know about Him.

We need to wake each morning and remind ourselves: 

I am a child of a/the God with a plan. His plan has ultimate purpose and promise within it. I am here because He placed me. He placed me here with whole armor so that I will be prepared to endure, survive, rebound, live joyfully, work faithfully and thus accomplish my small, but active and beloved part in His plan.

That is how we put it on. But to keep it on... we will have had to put in the work. For we cannot rely or rest in those statements if we do not have a strong relationship with God as its foundation. We have to learn from Him and then put into practice everything He has said until we, to the best of our ability, emulate the life Jesus led. That is to say, living in such a way that we love others, exercise mercy, converse with God (pray often and wholeheartedly), and become familiar with His word. When we do that, we are ready not only to receive our armor but to wear it for even more purpose than navigating our personal lives.

Ephesians 6:12 explains that there is a battle that supersedes, but connects to, the smaller-scale battles we face on a personal level: 

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

With that in mind, we are able to emulate Jesus in these ways as well: to reject evil, to deny/resist temptation, and to thwart corruption. And it is important that we can do that and that we are aware of the fact that in doing so, we are participants in a larger battle. For God has waged a war against evil, even against its 'little' iterations here on earth that come in the form of greed, jealously, spite, anger, impatience, etc. We want/need to have God's whole armor on! Otherwise, we will either be collateral damage, desolate victims, or even supporters of the other side. 

Unless we put our armor on each day, we are vulnerable. We are vulnerable to the behavior of the wicked. We

If we do not put our armor on each day, we will be vulnerable to the fiery darts. If we do not put our armor on each day, we will be susceptible to steadily joining the side that fires them. It may seem dramatic, but honestly, we pick up the bow of destruction every time we lose patience, act on anger, choose selfishly, give in to temptation bit-by-bit. Much better than we equip ourselves with this armor, the whole armor of God.

• THE GIRDLE OF TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

6:14 

The Holy Spirit is our inner guide, a gift from God through the request of Jesus (John 14:16-17). 

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

Scripture teaches us to be wise... it invites us into a cavern of truth that only God and His children have access to. When we reach the limits of our own wisdom, the Holy Spirit of truth is there for our utilization. It is there to be called upon and consulted with so that we will not be deceived by false prophets, false intentions, or any other invasive falsity. Use your armor! 

Our own righteousness is armor. How so? Consider verse 8 of this chapter: "...whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord,...". We render, proliferate righteousness, we send it back to ourselves, when we extend it to others. God has designed that system and informed us of it. It would be ridiculous not to use that piece of 'symbiotic' armor.

• THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE (ON YOUR FEET)

6:15

Make prepared movements of peace toward the place God sends you, within the sphere God has placed you. Much of the world lives and moves haphazardly. Why would we live inconsistently or loiter when God has prepared us to establish peace? With peace in mind, our destination is clear. Our direction is that which promotes, restores, establishes, upholds peace. Resolution. Justice. Equality.

With our feet "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" we put on a piece of armor that will keep us from veering off of God's path and definitely from traveling on any other.

• THE SHIELD OF FAITH

6:16

The shield of faith, the most crucial piece! Our main defense will always be our faith. Our faith is a shield in that faith equips us with all we need to block the brunt of the any force against us. Lets unpack faith.

Faith is our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is equipped with the most powerful, vigilant, intelligent being in all of creation, the comforter and spirit of truth that is the Holy Spirit, and the friendship of the savior of the world. Within all of that we have guidance, hope, counsel, provision, support, protection and sustenance. Grow that relationships! Talk to Him. Follow Him. Listen to His quiet, firm voice. For certain there will be a time you will need to use your shield. You will find yourself in a trench, surrounded, and you will need your shield of faith. Because surrounded though you may be by the enemy, by despair or whatever form of enemy, the angel of the Lord encamps around those who revere Him, and He delivers them (Psalm 34:7). With the shield of faith, there is always a layer of protection between you and the enemy, you and the depression, you and the failure, and that protection is the angel of the Lord. It cannot be pierced. 

• THE HELMET OF SALVATION, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT 

6:17

You will need the helmet of salvation primarily when you lose faith in yourself, when you feel like you are more comprised of mistake than anything else. You will need the helmet, the gift, of salvation when life destructs. God and Jesus have declared us worthy, and Their opinion of us is the only one that counts. It counts even above our own. They pull us through the wreckage, they save us from ourselves and from others. We are saved from the fiery darts pelted at us here on earth; we are saved from the spiritual death that comes from firing them off ourselves, too... if we put that helmet on, if we undergo the process of salvation.

We cut through that veil of death when we use the sword of the spirit, the word of God. Scripture has taught us about good and evil. The word of God is a sword in that we cleave good from evil in all that we see and do.

• PRAYER 

6:18

A final piece of the armor: prayer. Pray to God. 

Nothing on earth, no form of self-help guide or counselor or meditation, no friendship or relationship or anything else can compare to how comprehensive a simple conversation with God is. We bear it all to Him and He guides our spirit to resolution, decision and comfort. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

"Pray without ceasing."

Let your life be a constant conversation with God. In conversation with Him, alternate naturally between the genuine things that you feel throughout the day, the good and the bad. The requests and the gratitude. The sorrow and the joy. If you see something sweet, tell Him. If you feel doubt, tell Him. If you do not understand, ask Him. Observe all that He has created, learn about the things that most speak to you and ask Him about His choices, His process. 

Speak to Him throughout the day; take small pauses to speak to others rather than talking all day to others and only making small pauses to speak to Him. Learn to recognize His voice, the one beyond description: gentle but definite, invisible and soundless but undeniable. Talking to God is like taking ourselves in not just for counsel or comfort but also for service.

When we talk to God, we let a heart surgeon, a spirit-surgeon, an experienced mechanic fix and fine-tune and even nudge or restart our heart. Our conversation with God provides the subtle changes we need to make within ourselves to progress, to endure, to understand, to change or persevere. God's adept dexterity takes place while we blab away to Him and suddenly major reconstruction is accomplished. His special touch on our heart leaves imprints that sweeten and endure this lifetime and the next.

Indeed we 'blab' to Him because we trust and love Him, and it endears us to Him. After all, prayer encompasses each of the very few things we can ever actually give God (in return for all He does and will do for us): our attention, gratitude, time, love and trust. None of it is equal to everything He offers us, but He accepts it and cherishes it as though it is. Prayer provides you with what you need (and more) and God with what He deserves.

• SUPPLICATION

The other element of prayer is supplication. To supplicate is to humbly, earnestly ask. Ask of God and then accept His answer and His timing. Ultimately, He knows what we need, and better than we do (Matthew 6:8), but He has also opened a channel through which we can make requests. This channel is not in place to be jammed up with a barrage of unimportant, material requests. Rather the channel serves as a way for us to pray for the health and wellbeing of others and their places, and ourselves, in whatever capacity each individual might benefit.

Only ask for things which are motivated by pure intentions. We should always make our requests from a place of humility, acknowledging both God's power and our lack of it. For when we are weak, then are we made strong by God (2 Corinthians 12:10). For it is when we reach our limits that He steps in. When we have put in the effort, shown that we earnestly care about someone, and work toward something, God understands that our request is made with good, selfless intention. In all things show Him that you truly would do it, if you could... by doing what you can, because, as they say: talk is cheap. And then He will know that you are humble and earnest. And that is important because He trains/raises us to be the high quality character residence in heaven requires, and earth desperately needs.

Make supplications that are worthy of God and you will find that He provides other gifts, too... all the more sweet because though you did not ask for them, He knew you would like them.

• WATCHING WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE AND SUPPLICATION

We serve our God well, we wear our armor usefully when in it, we remain vigilant. God wants us to watch with perseverance and supplication for saints, people working for God's cause (within and without the church). Someone does not have to preach to be a vital worker in God's cause. Support those people who do good through supplication. Watch their surroundings, watch yours, so that evil cannot encroach and thwart.

Finally, persevere. Even when it is hard. Even when you do not want to. Push forward, you are moving toward the light. No matter what the situation suggests, no matter what the enemy says, no matter how dark the night, how long the day, persevere. When you do not know what to do, keep your eyes on God, like Jehoshaphat in his seemingly winless battle (2 Chronicles 20:12). He will be always ahead of you as you commit to persevere. You will not see it, as Elisha's servant did not see, but the mountain is full of horses and chariots of fire all around you  (2 Kings 6:17). God's army. God's armor and army, and God Himself, surrounds you on your mountain, your barrier, your difficulty, your pain or sorrow and he has lit it up. 

Scripture: Ephesians 6, John 16, Psalm 34, 1 Thessalonians, Matthew 6, 2 Chronicles, 2 Kings

WE ARE 'JOB'

 Has thou considered my servant Job . . . ?

• THE BURDEN OF THE FREEDOM OF FREE WILL

When ready to take a step forward in faith, Job is the place to start. It is one of the hardest pieces of scripture to read and can be even more difficult to understand. Even though it ends well, Job experiences deep anguish throughout the story. That anguish might cause us to remember our own or to fear the experience of it. 

The fact is that Jesus called us to take up our cross and follow Him. He promised us love, advocacy, hope, fulfillment, guidance and companionship, indeed He promised even more than that, because we need it. We build strong faith in Him, we lean heavily on His promises, we utilize the tools He gives us for a purpose. We have difficulties to battle in life, and we need His help through them. As His followers, we also participate in a bigger battle. Let Ephesians 6:12 remind you that...

"... we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Job's story is situated in such a way that it exhibits both battles... life. On one hand, we have family and livelihood; on the other hand, we have faith and kingdom. In both cases we we wrestle to be good/worthy, capable/productive... amidst a slew of the full ranges of adversity, emotion, and the burden of the freedom of free will.

Job is our special example in that he near-mastered (for all fall short of the glory of God) the elements of family, livelihood and faith and kingdom. Like him, with steadfast diligence, wholehearted love and commitment to God, we can maintain the beautiful blessings God builds within and around us. It is simple, yet it requires arduous work. It is good, fulfilling, rewarding work... but it is work and we must be glad to do it (after all, we are fellow-workers with God, 1 Corinthians 3:9).

• DEFY SATAN'S POSTULATIONS

Yes, we are fellow workers. Our actions are examples to others. The life we lead is a path; we are, to varying extents, responsible for those we convince (deliberately or even inadvertently) to follow it. We set an examples for our family, friends, or neighbors and acquaintances and even the people we may not see, who stand in or outside of our periphery. The story of Job reminds us that we are an example, also, to those who supersede this life, this earth: sons of God (angels), the good and the corrupt. Job was an example to Satan. God was proud to showcase Job as a faithful man, one who defied all of Satan's postulations that true love/faith does not exist.

• BATTLE WITHIN THE KINGDOM

Satan did not believe that Job truly loved God. Satan believed that Job loved what God did for him. When he made this statement, not only did Satan manipulate the relationship between God and his child, but he also endeavored to fracture the very foundation of the kingdom of God. Here we can see the battle within the kingdom, and how all four elements are interwoven. We are Job in the sense that each of these four elements of life: family, livelihood, faith and kingdom, are relevant and active today.

Consider your tribulation, consider your blessing. Could there be, right now, an ongoing debate in heaven about your commitment? Your resilience? Your faith and love for God? Surely we know that God roots for you, and more even than that. He has put Himself on the line for you. He believes in you. His doubters do not. Do not give them, the doubters, the pleasure of being right. Fight. Believe in God as He believes in you.

• THE SELF-PITY BUS IS FULL AND HEADED NOWHERE

We all fall prey sometimes to well... self-pity-parties. In those moments, we forget who we are. We are God's children. As God's children, promises have been made to us. There is purpose even we we do not see it; even when we do not hear it, as Job did not hear Satan's conversation with God. That which is meant for evil against us is changed, is meant for good from God (Genesis 50:20). In our lowest moments, it is crucial to consider that perhaps there is a debate about us and that God has presently, vehemently taken our side.

Satan's darkness tries to tempt us. God's light tries to test us. Satan tries to wither us down to nothing. God tries to refine us down to our solid core. Our strength. Our resilience, our unbreakable part. Our spiritual backbone. Job wailed, the loss of just about everything, everyone nearly destroyed him. The one spark of life he had left was his relationship with God. His solid core that enabled him to withstand the pain, everything until God re-manifested blessing. Job hung his head. He was defeated in many ways. It is okay for you, too, to hang your head. But pray while you do it. Do so and there will be purpose in the pain, a beginning for an end.

And because our relationship with God is our solid core, we should not blame God. It is the nature of the world to cause disruptions in life. It is not the nature of God or the kingdom. Satan's intention is to prove you weak. God's intention is to prove you strong. Satan uses his (limited) power, time and effort to dismantle, to confuse, to destroy. But God is limitless. Powerful, exceeding the bounds of time and effort. God builds, explains, restores. We must know the nature of both God and Satan. We have to know who we are dealing with... who is gambling for or against us. We have to decide who will we prove right, through how we live here and now.

We have to choose God. And when we do, there is no reason for pity. We are blessed even when we are down, and we will not be down long.

• MUCH IS REQUIRED

It is important to mention the Bible verse "to whom much is given, much is required"(Luke 12:48). This was the case for Job. He had many blessings. His big-blessing required, though we could more accurately say, elected or qualified him, to be an example for the purpose of the kingdom. He was qualified, elected to do the hard work of fighting against those principalities and powers, rulers of darkness and wickedness. Job's case teaches us that hard work probably looks different from what we expect. Just because a person is not a preacher does not mean they are not orating an important message directly to an audience in which Satan himself is sitting. Each of us, in our way, preach a message that is crucial to the kingdom.

The verse from Luke 12 should not frighten you. Our blessing requires things that are easy to give, we just have to be diligent to give them. Things such as our gratitude to God, our surplus (more if we are inclined) to others, or time, our effort, our concern, our light to places and people that are deficient. And most importantly, to give our example to the world. We do not have to act or be perfect, we simply have to live well, in accordance with the scripture we represent as children of God. It is simple. It is much only in that it is so important and must be done without lapse. When it does feel like much, remember that God is with us every day and each moment offering to bear the weight, Matthew 11:28.

EVEN IF WE CANNOT YET SEE IT

Our tribulation may look different from Job's but the purpose is the same. Even if we cannot yet see it, as Job could not yet see it. The battle is the same; do you maintain the light of the kingdom? Do you serve as an example of its truth? Have you the faith to persevere? Hate says you cannot, you do not, you will not. Love says you can. You do. You will.

Scripture: Job 1