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I still clearly remember when my dad bought a rusted-out 1914 Model T Ford Touring sitting in a farmer’s tree grove.  Many parts were missing but to him it was a treasure.  He then set out to take the body off the frame as well as locate and purchase the missing brass sidelights, headlamps, radiator and all the other missing parts.  He invested a great deal of his spare time and money he could scrounge up restoring that car.  He took me with him to pick up the parts as well as sand the rust off the parts we did have.  He did not do all that because of the value of the car nor because of me.  He invested in that car because of the dream he had in his mind of how it would look and feel like to drive when it was finished.  He was so proud of that antique car when it was finished.  He had to show anyone who came to our house, take friends for a ride in it and drive it in parades.  You might say the finished product was his inheritance related to all he (and I) invested in it.

In a recent quiet time with God, I was reflecting on the prayer Paul recorded for the believers at Ephesus, Laodicea and other surrounding communities where it would be read, as well as for you and I today.  The part of the prayer that captured my attention were the words, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:18, ESV)  Given our predisposition to interpret the Bible to be all about us, we typically interpret these words to mean Paul wanted all believers to be able to grasp the hope to which God has called us, that being our glorious eternal inheritance as believers.  Certainly, this is partially true but only in an incidental way.  The more crucial thing this is saying is, like my dad investing so much in that 1914 Model T Ford, God has been investing to restore each of us because of His dream of His own glorious inheritance.  As Paul wrote when describing how husbands should love their wife, For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her TO HIMSELF as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault (Ephesians 5:25-27, NLT2). 

Please understand, each of us is a VERY PRIVILEGED person, a trophy of God’s workmanship, shaped to be able to do the work He purposed for each of us to do (Eph. 2:10).  But all that He is doing in and through us is NOT just to give us a sense of comfort, pleasure or elevated ego.  Paul clarifies the real reason by declaring So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7, NLT2). 

When I look at myself as the rusted out 1914 Model T Ford and God restoring me to the beauty He had designed me to be in order to bring honor and praise to Himself, it deeply humbles, encourages as well as challenges me.  Our God wants each of us to grow up to the measure of the full stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13).  If I am lollygagging, caught up with myself and my circumstances, I will never reach Christ’s full stature and be an example of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness He has shown me.  That thought compels me to dismiss my disappointments, discomfort, disappointments in Him not doing for me what I want done; and press on to the mark of full spiritual maturity of loving Him as Jesus so incredibly modeled in His love for His Father.  That is my personal life goal.  What is your goal in life?  Consider with me what the Spirit might be saying is the next step you might need to take in order to bring God great pleasure when exhibiting His craftmanship in your life.  A believer’s life is all about glorifying our incredible King.

Not long ago I encountered a person who spoke very respectfully to me which I appreciated.  Albeit based upon this person’s past behavior towards me, I also felt mixed thoughts and feelings swirling furiously within me.  No doubt you have also experienced that type of thing.  In my case I chose to believe there had been a change of heart and the kind words spoken were authentically heart-felt.  Yet skepticism continued lurking in the shadows. 

Jesus must have experienced something very similar.  The Pharisees and teachers of the law challenged Him about His disciples failing to follow the traditions of the elders.  He responded saying, These people [Jewish leaders] honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me (Matthew 15:8, NIV)   Isaiah also witnessed the same.  Ironically, the outward religious activities the Jews who he was addressing appeared to be stellar if considered today.  Isaiah 1:11-15 records the people were practicing the very things we would identify to be signs of authentic spirituality:

• offering multitudes of sacrifices
• appearing faithfully to worship before the Lord
• keeping the special traditional religious days of worship
• spreading out their hands [the Hebrew indicates a classic act of humility] as they prayed
• offering many prayers.

Through Isaiah God called out their empty rhetoric saying stop it, these things are detestable to me, I’m sick and tired of them, I will not listen to you.  What? These people were following God’s instructions for worship and now He is saying stop all this vain and empty activity.  Why?  “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men (Isaiah 29:13, NIV). 

Writing a prophetic letter, John called out one of the more reputable churches having believers doing many good things by saying, I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent (Revelation 2:2-5, ESV)

Like me, I believe God wanted to believe the best in believers, yet His righteous character motivated Him to flash a warning light calling them to reexamine the condition of love in their inner being towards Him.  Spiritually adulterous thoughts had slowly been contaminating their pure, loving worship towards Him.  

Worship is essentially recognizing God’s honor, gladly feeling the worth of it and ascribing such to Him in all ways appropriate to His character.  Yes, I’m ashamed to admit that while I express worship to Him, there are times when it is adulteress in that my mind is on the music (whether I like the song selection, how the worship leader is performing, what the musicians are wearing, the rhythm, level of performance, etc.), the speaker’s content and delivery, or who is or is not in church that day. You understand because I am sure this occasionally happens to all of us. 

Let’s not allow this to defeat us but rather to prompt us to take more deliberate initiative to prepare our mind and body before we come to worship so that we can JOYFULLY worship Him for who He is.

Some words we use mean very different things depending on the context in which they are being used.  We use the word love when we reference an idea, a friend, a picture or animal but also use it when referencing our feelings for our spouse, parent, or even a sexual experience. Obviously, the meaning of the word changes depending on how we use the word. 

I was in a discussion group where a person referenced a Bible verse of which the latter part reads this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith (1 John 5:4).  Great, encouraging words.  In my mind snapped the question, “Is this faith a cerebral or divine type faith”?  I asked the question and received a lot of puzzled looks which sort of caught me off-guard. 

You may believe a chair will hold you up, a gondola will carry you across a chasm, the sun will rise tomorrow, or God does exist.  Those all reference a belief that is based on how you think of any of those things.  But is that the same definition Jesus used when He said If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer (Matthew 21:22, NIV) or The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news! (Mark 1:15, NIV) or Paul used when he wrote That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9, NIV)?  Absolutely not!   

Whether you use any of the related terms like believe, faith or trust as the Bible primarily does, the words are intended to call for there being be an internal conviction, relying fully on, or having deep confidence in God.  Paul says this type of faith doesn’t come from a person’s mind, rather … God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Romans 12:3, KJV).  The Bible defines this type of faith as … the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1, ESV).  John’s use of the word faith referred to earlier (1 John 5:4) is the type of faith that brings about the victory that has overcome the world. 

You can identify the source of your faith by pausing for a moment and considering if it came from your mind or emotions (soul) or from your intuition (spirit).  We often think because Jesus was also God that His knowledge came from His deity.  However, He chose to set aside His deity (Phil. 2:7) in order to limit Himself to live with the very same tools you and I have available to us.  Notice how He operated.  And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? (Mark 2:8, ESV).  His spirit had a direct link to the very same spirit that is within each believer.  This Holy Spirit gives us His faith and knowledge just as the Holy Spirit did with Jesus.  I’m currently taking a step of faith to do what I intuitively sense may be the Spirit urging me to take.  I am fully confident if I step in the wrong direction, He will let me know and will not chide me.  He will do the same for you.  That is kind of Heavenly Father we serve! 

This begs the question: Is the faith you possess and knowledge you practice based on the same divinely revealed source Jesus depended upon, or, could it be your faith and knowledge of God is based on cerebral indoctrination?  I sense that all believers do want to receive supernatural faith and knowledge as Jesus did through divine revelation.  If you sense deep within that the Spirit is urging your intuition to do something, step out and take a chance.  At least test the water as Peter did.  He won’t chide you or let you sink but instead move you forward in your faith journey. 

A test I once took classified me as a strategic leader.  That is an asset as well a liability.   My default has been to first assess what I perceive to be the current reality in front of me then begin to formulate a strategy to either solve the apparent problem or, if things are working inefficiently, try to find ways to improve them.  Unfortunately, it is not until I am overwhelmed with too many variables that are totally out of my control, does it occur to me to seek God for His direction.  While this pattern is also true of both genders, it is generally thought to be more typical of a male.  We instinctively feel a need to fix things while females tend to feel a need to nurture. 

Beyond all that the bigger question arises.  What is our real motive for seeking God?  Do we seek Him only to satisfy our felt need to fix or nurture or maybe provide us a soft cushioned landing in our tomorrow?  We all in some measure share in the human anxiety about the future.  In this point in time, the anxiety is certainly at higher a higher level as we try to stare into our pandemic filled tomorrow.   

I fear that many of us seek to hear God solely as a device for securing our own safety, comfort, and righteousness.  If you and I drill down to discover what our fundamental motives are for seeking God, do we find something closer to a form of fear of our future (or that of our children), or is it closer to genuinely longing to know God Himself, His ways, character or truth.  If it’s the earlier, such motives reveal we are overly concerned about our self/ego in contrast to having a passion for greater experiential knowledge of the Almighty God.  It reminds me of a suiter pursuing a marriage relationship based on how the other person’s wealth, power, prestige or social position would benefit them instead of having a heart-felt love for that person.    

Frederick B. Meyer wrote, “So long as there is some thought of personal advantage, some idea of acquiring the praise and commendation of men, some aim of self-aggrandizement, it will be simply impossible to find out God’s purpose concerning us.” Nothing will go right in our effort to hear God if this false motivation is its foundation. God will not cooperate. We must discover a different motivation for seeking God’s will or help in solving our problems—or hearing His  frequent whispers.

Frequently, we are our own worst enemy.  I’ve learned the quicker I can recognize that I stumbled in this area, and humble myself by confessing that failure to God, the sooner the self-induced pressure to perform subsides allowing me to enjoy His peace.  I remember playing a classical song and envisioning myself dancing as a child chasing butterflies in a meadow.  I can’t describe the relief and pleasure I experienced.  The load of fear of my tomorrow robs me of the childlike trust in God—life most abundant.  As you reflect on your current inner thoughts and feelings, do you find yourself anxious or at peace, stressed or like a child chasing butterflies.  If it is the earlier, remember that God has provided you a preferable alternative that comes by seeking Him, not His gifts or life insurance, simply His presence. 

I was serving as a Music/Youth Pastor in Oregon when I experienced one of my most discouraging times.  I looked at other ministers who led more significant ministries and asked God many times why He had put me on His proverbial shelf.  This memory represented scores of similar frustrating times, especially in the earlier decades of my ministry.  I know this has been a common inner battle many have fought.  We fantasize that our capacity is great enough to perform at a much greater level than we have been serving. 

Looking back I’m reminded of Peter’s exaggerated confidence of his capacity to serve Jesus.  Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you” (Luke 22:33, NLT2).  We’ve all been guilty of similar thoughts.  It comes out very early in the fantasy of children who imagine themselves doing far more than they are physically, mentally or emotionally capable of doing. 

God knows us far better than we know ourselves.  Jesus responded to Peter by saying, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me” (Luke 22:34, NLT2).  There are so many variables of our self that only God can see and understand, including the limits of our faith.  He alone knows what we can handle.  He is never misled by our imaginations or exaggerated promises. 

The Psalmist wrote No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another (Psalm 75:6-7, NIV).  We must remind our self that God is far more interested in accomplishing His kingdom purposes than you or I.  He will move us into every assignment He knows we are ready to take on.  It may be that a dream we receive will be fulfilled in the future, but not as soon as we envision.  God gave Joseph a dream of his family bowing before him.  However, when he prematurely told it to his brothers, it sent him into a series of one dark experience after another.  After he had gone through the Spirit school of hard knocks, He was elevated to do just as he had dreamed—but with a humility and tenderness towards God he did not have when he received the dream.  I am unable to imagine how badly things would have gone if the Spirit would have allowed him to become such a ruler in the early days after receiving his dream.

So much comes down to the level of trust we have in God knowing us and ordering our steps.  In our pride, like a child we arrogantly think we are ready to do whatever we dream of doing with or without God’s empowerment or guidance.  In such a case, we expect God to bless our timing, our foolish pride and underdeveloped knowledge or skill set.  We even become frustrated with God when He doesn’t do what, when or how we schedule for Him to perform His assigned task.

Each of us can experience the faith and level of trust that resulted in the spiritual success Paul attained when as an individual we can honestly say with the apostle Paul, I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t (Romans 7:18, NLT2).  Authentic trust increases in me when I am genuinely humble before God and man.  Let us commit to helping each other resist the culture’s pressure to build and protect our ego and pursue greater knowledge of our Lord.  The more we know Him the more we will trust Him.  

I can’t explain it but I intuitively sense the coronavirus or Covid 19 is not really about the pandemic that has struck fear in the hearts of people around the globe.  I am not saying what we are experiencing is not serious or killing people.  Nor am I suggesting that the precautions we have been told to take are misguided.  Connie and I know how it feels to be virtually captive in our own home just like everyone else.  One exception is we didn’t stock up or hoard toilet paper.  What I am saying is there is something far more to what is going on than what it appears on the surface.   

The story in 2 Kings 6 casts a pale semblance of what I’m sensing.  Elisha, the man of God, had incurred the anger of the king of Syria so he sent his army to kill Elisha. When Elisha’s servant got up one morning to see what the new day was like, he noticed the Syrian army had surrounded the city where they had been staying.  He rushes back to Elisha with panicked eyes dilated wide from fear and with tenseness in his voice he cried,  “Oh, master! What shall we do?”  Does that sound faintly familiar? 

Elisha, knowing and trusting God as he did, wasn’t bothered because he knew God had it all under control.  Elisha asked God to open the servant’s eyes to see the bigger picture of what was going on.  It did not change the physical circumstances, but God did resolve the matter by blinding the eyes of the military leaders. Elisha then lead the army to the Israeli army which humiliated them and then sent them back to Syria. 

The reality is God has this pandemic under control and in fact has a good purpose for it. However, like the servant most cannot see the bigger picture without a revelation from the Spirit of God.  Because our default thinking is to look only at the physical, we can’t see what He is doing.  I see this as a golden opportunity—a spiritual challenge to reset our relationship with God so we will be able to also see life as God does.  Each person who truly desires to see life through God’s eyes can do so by following these words of guidance the Spirit inspired Paul to write.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2, NLT2). 

God created us, plus sent His Son to endure all He did just to bring us back into a relationship designed for intimate communication.  Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to be so obsessed with the world around us that we conform to our culture more than to God’s culture.  This minimizes the potential communication and leaves us living nearly as blind as our culture is to what God is saying and doing.  We live life far beneath our God-given provisions.  By taking the initiative to humble ourselves by acknowledging our misguided choices, then turn to hungerly seek His rule and reign over our daily life decisions, He will slowly transform our minds and thereby enable us to walk through our pandemic as calmly as Elisha endured temporary assault of the Syrian army. 

It’s true, it is a lot easier to write or say than to stoop low enough to lay down our independent, self-willed thinking.  On the other hand, while I certainly am not yet fully mature so haven’t achieved His full stature, I can say the sweetness of His peace in the midst of this pandemic assault on humanity is worth more than popularity, wealth, or independence can offer.  I am learning there are far more benefits to following Christ than just knowing and practicing religious rituals.  Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8, NLT2)  

Connie and I have never experienced this level of a world-wide pandemic before this.  I suspect neither have most of you who read this.  It has appeared to me people have one of two basic perspectives of this anomaly of nature.  The one extreme has high levels of anxiety or while the others are eagerly anticipating what flowers of opportunity will bloom once this settles down.  Francis Chan, a great author, pastor, missionary, and influencer recently said he did not believe life would return to normal as so many are longing to happen.   How can it when a person loses a parent, family member or friend in death or to poor health.  Without all they have contributed life cannot be as usual.  So, what will life after this international pandemic look like?  Only God knows.

Yes, only God knows, and He has every part of it scripted out for each person.  Really!  Few of us have experienced a pandemic of this life-threatening status so we tend to erroneously think this must be new to God too.  The truth is, the Bible records many famines (depressions), plagues and many other offensive things.  He was God before and after each of them.  Furthermore, He leveraged each painful event to bring good out of it for His purpose and people.  

It’s difficult for us to appreciate the reality of an invisible God sovereignly doing as He pleases in our lives because we can’t see God doing anything.  Instead we see ourselves or other people acting and events occurring, and we evaluate those actions and events according to our own fears, preferences, pain or plans.  Joseph’s brothers maliciously sold him into slavery but in due time Joseph recognized that through his brothers’ evil actions God was acting for the good.  God used a famine to lead his father Jacob and his tribe to Egypt, the very place God had revealed to Abraham his offspring would go and be afflicted for four hundred years (Gen. 15:13). 

The true disciple lives in a higher realm where he frequently “sees” invisible things.  It is the temporal realm that causes anxiety: that pandemic, that treacherous cancer, that empty pocketbook, that rejection. But once he/she sees the wealth of the invisible world, the temporal sphere fades into insignificance.

Everything visible is subject to decay—you and I must not forget that. Bodies grow old, houses fall into ruin, the earth erodes, and the sun like the stars is subject to death. But everything invisible cannot decay. The human spirit does not die and God Himself is beyond change and decay.  Faith, hope, love—all characteristics of the invisible world, will exist forever. Jesus told of the rich fool who was the man who forgot that his spirit was eternal and thereby spent all his time comforting his body (Lk 12:20).  Sound familiar?

Paul said we are to live “by faith, not by sight” (2 Co 5:7, ESV).  Abraham looked for an invisible city (Heb 11:8-10); Elijah, saw invisible armies (2 Ki 6:17); and Moses followed an invisible God (Heb 11:27).  John wrote this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave [including those who crave them]. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever (1 John 2:17, NLT2).  What is it that you have been looking at–the visible or the invisible?  If you have been looking at what is going on around you, this pandemic is the opportunity God is giving you to do a mental and spiritual reset.  When you do, you will be like a wide-eyed child sitting on the curb eagerly watching for the next thing the parade will pass before your eyes. 

Here is what we know yet too often limit the scope of its truth.  The most life-changing act God performed for humans was Jesus’ resurrection.  Jesus’ death certainly was essential for the debt of our sins to be paid, but His death did not go beyond paying that enormous debt.  It did not give us a new life to live liberated from that sin.  The single act of the Spirit quickening Jesus’ body gave life to Jesus’ shed blood.  Through His resurrection we have the privilege and opportunity to live out a life in praise and glory to God for all that was done.  We also can live out a life that can bring significance, victory, the pleasure of having and raising a family to love Him and the list goes on and on.

However, we limit all that was involved in that most incredible act of God by failing to see that what He orchestrated was one of His classic ways of working with man!  God finds great joy in making something exceptionally good out of what seems to be so evil.  Jesus did more than ignore Satan; He defeated him at the cross and in His resurrection.  How many times has He already taken something that appeared so evil and miraculously turned it into something beyond imagination?  The Bible records this fascinating way of God in working with people and circumstances through the ages.  Consider Joseph.  As he looked back at his own life journey, he said of the evil his brothers did to him, you intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people (Genesis 50:20, NLT2) 

Consider what he was saying in that verse about God’s role in the evil he had endured; thrown in a pit by his brothers, sold to slave buyers to resell in the foreign land of Egypt, undeservingly thrown in prison because of a blatant lie told of his right and noble deed, and followed the Holy Spirit’s inspiration to speak prophetic words to two fellow prisoners.  The man who most benefited was released from prison, promptly forgot Joseph’s kindness.  Truth be known, Joseph endured far more frustration and discomfort than you and I have experienced, even in the fall-out due to Covid-19. 

Can you accept the fact that no matter who caused the dreaded virus that has brought such pain, fear, economic loss and disruption; each and every facet of it had to be approved by God before touching your life and mine?  If you are not able to do so, you are making yourself to be superior to God Himself because He had written in His Word, And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28, NLT2).  By accepting this truth, each of us can rest in His care and not be afraid of any thing that comes our way.  Even if God should see it is time for you to die, you would enter a far better place in His presence.     

If I am a true disciple of Jesus Christ, I will manifest God’s ways of reshaping evil to yield a victory for me.  This so totally reverses my former fearful attitude I can even welcome whatever evil occurs to me as an opportunity for God’s love, grace and power to transform it into positive progress in my spiritual journey.  Why?  Because it’s a historical fact, whatever the spirit of God touches it absolutely changes what appears evil into something awe-inspiring good. This truth reminds me of Samson who found the skull of a dead lion that had become a beehive filled with honey.  He ate the honey from it and gave some to his parents.  Then he made this riddle about it.  “…Out of the one who eats [lion] came something to eat [honey]; out of the strong [the lion] came something sweet [honey]…”  With the right perspective of God’s grace, after this virus driven social distancing has passed, you will be able to make a riddle out of what has happened. Plus you’ll be able to enjoy God-provided sweetness from it.  Remember, keeping a good attitude about whatever evil comes your way will pave the way for greater joy!   

Growing up in a pastor’s home I vowed I would not be a clergyman, but my dad really wanted me to go at least one year to what then was called a Bible college.  A Bible college structured their classes to focus primarily on preparing a variety of pastors, missionaries or para-church ministers.  I did NOT want to end up in any of those careers.  I went to the Bible college but limited my classes to those relating to a music major with a Psychology minor.  However, I received a sizable scholarship after my first year, so I continued with classes strictly related to my chosen major and minor.  Just so you know, I had a powerful encounter with God in which I negotiated with Him to become a music and youth pastor but NOT preach.  That encounter motivated me to slightly redirect my studies.  

With that background, after Connie and I married, planned for our first child and based on classes I had taken in child Psychology, etc., I thought I knew how to raise a child so all was well.  Not long after our first daughter arrived, I realized how little I knew about being a father!  Experiencing parenthood awakened a desperate need to seek the wisdom of parents who had real-time experience being one.  The same sobering surprise came after serving for 10 years as a staff pastor then becoming a senior pastor where I was forced to preach!  I’m sure you have experienced that same kind of wake-up call after taking on a responsibility you had totally misjudged.

Scriptures are filled with descriptive verses of God’s character and ways.  A person can read these accounts and believe them to be true about God but don’t misjudge your very limited understanding of who He really is.  The Jewish religious leaders had graduate level knowledge of scripture and God, yet Jesus said you search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!  Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life (John 5:39-40, (NLT2).  They obviously were experiencing spiritual blindness to truth.

Based upon Jesus’ first-hand experience He prayed O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know [experientially know] you, and these know that you have sent me (John 17:25, ESV)  He also said, For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life [the Greek word is also translated quickens] to whom he will (John 5:21, ESV)  This quickening brings with it experiential knowledge in contrast to head knowledge.  Ezekiel clarifies the results of this experiential knowledge as the Spirit motivating a person to be careful to obey God’s rules and decrees.  Paul describes this experiential knowledge of God saying, for his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16, NLT2).  This results in having an exceptional deep peace and joy in that relationship.  This is in contrast to the Jewish leaders referred to earlier whose head knowledge alone left them harsh and demanding of others. Today is Easter, the day when the very same spirit that quickened Jesus’ body to come out of the grave, providing us a great model of how transforming His Spirit’s quickening can affect a person’s life today.  It brings hope to the hopeless, life to the spiritual zombies (walking dead), peace to those struggling with anxiety and the incredible list could go on and on.   It is available to whomever will acknowledge the gentle nudging within to totally surrender the control of their life to the God who created them.  Today we understand how viruses, like the coronavirus, can invisibly be spread by being close to or touching someone.  Imagine how the Spirit desires to invisibly pass on His quickening power through your connection with those with whom you share relationship.  Let’s confidently live His life around those we encounter praying the Spirit will open their spiritual eyes to the life they could come to enjoy.  

I recently read a news article by Reuters of a survey conducted during the Coronavirus in China.  It was an on-line survey between January 23 and March 13.  The most interesting part of it was how their pain and the trauma of a lock down changed their attitudes.  Pain in our life is a golden opportunity to take a hard look at ourselves and hit a reset button in areas that have somehow become out of alignment. 

The main findings looked like this:

* People placed much more emphasis on etiquette

* Individualistic behavior was unacceptable

* There was more desire for order and structure

* There was greater appreciation for those who contribute

Some of the biggest changes were around trust. The survey showed confidence in education rose from 71% to 82% before and after Feb. 5. Trust in civil servants rose from 42% to 54% and in Chinese companies from 55% to 70%.  Martijn Lampert, research director of Glocalities said “(The survey) reveals that the hardship and tragedy of lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic cause a situation of fundamental reset for populations all over the world.”

About 6 months ago I was surprised to discover I needed heart bypass surgery.  You may think it strange, but that discovery didn’t rattle my cage at all.  Connie and I had already made the decision to retire after the first part of the next year.  Therefore, I interpreted this painful experience as God’s way of helping me hit reset and jump start a new way to live out the rest of my life.  It resulted in me experiencing far more peace and gratitude than frustration. 

Social distancing that our government has told us to practice (it worked for China and Korea), has meant a lot of inconvenience with many temporarily losing their jobs.  The good side is it has also forced families to slow down long enough to rebuild stressed minds, emotions and relationships.  It has forced churches to temporarily find new ways to worship, pray and otherwise interact with others.  The good side is it has also allowed many believers to see just how addicted they are on their church leadership to do the vital Bible study and ministry for them while they stop in on Sunday morning like they stop in at a gas station for a refill.  This rapid pace has robbed us of the blessings of family life and the joy of personally hearing the Spirit’s whispers and empowerment for ministry.    

I honestly believe the Holy Spirit has allowed this vicious virus to make us slow us down and lie down in green pastures as the Psalmist said our good Shepherd would do.  When believers are provided time to get their wits about them, they can step up to the plate and function more like the early believers did.  When that change happens, not only will there be far greater spiritual fruit produced by the church, but even more importantly there will be greater joy in each person as well as the body of Christ.  The fact of spiritual life is, as individuals come to embrace the personal ministry outside the church that God purposed for them (Ephesians 4:12, 2:10), those individuals will receive more of Christ’s joy filling their bucket to being full and running over (John 15:9-11).     

Tragically, the Hebrews Isaiah prophesied to were given many different painful, even disastrous, wake up calls.  God repeatedly sent Isaiah to call them to do a personal reset in their lives, but they refused and that door of opportunity for a better life passed them each time.  It is my sincere prayer that people experiencing this trauma will open their eyes enough to hit the reset button in their personal life, family life and spiritual life.   How have you been responding to this pain?