Monthly Archives: April 2017

Believe, Learn, Understand

“…even if you do not believe me, believe the evidence of the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (Jn 10.38).

One of my favourite scenes from a film is from Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams (watch clip – this will take you to another website).  The premise is that the farmer, Ray, removes acres of corn from his fields to construct a baseball diamond for players who died before they could achieve their baseball dreams.  Each night the diamond fills with these mysterious people who play hours of baseball before disappearing back into the corn when finished.  But not everyone can see the players.  Ray’s brother-in-law can’t see them, he can only see how the loss of the corn is causing the family to lose the farm.  One afternoon when one of the players steps off the field to assist an injured child, the brother-in-law is finally able to ‘see’ the players – and his understanding of reality is instantly changed.

It is striking how the way we view reality shapes the way we think.  Like the brother-in-law in the film, whose perception of reality did not include the possibility that dead baseball players would come back to play a meta-physical game in a redesigned corn-field in the middle of Iowa, we all have expectations of reality that are based on what we believe.

Belief provides the context on which we build our view of reality.  What we believe determines how we think, which determines how we live.  Belief leads to understanding.  Learning more from the One we believe, helps us grow into greater understanding.

I remember the first time I heard someone say that God is good.  I had been a Christian for a long time but the idea that God is good had not yet penetrated through my false perceptions of God as being angry at people – angry at me (see post).  Hearing this statement challenged me to investigate the Scriptures.  What I found there led me to reconsider the conclusions I had come to about God.  I realised that I needed to adjust my beliefs so they would be in line with His nature; rather than being in line my broken perceptions of his nature.  Through making this adjustment, I have grown in a deeper, more complete understanding of God, myself and the world around me.

I also remember when I first came across someone with a genuine prophetic gifting.  I had never experienced a conversation with someone who had such supernatural insight into the secrets of my heart.  Whereas I had been taught this type of spiritual activity was not to be trusted, and therefore, should be avoided; the clarity and accuracy I experienced was undeniable.  I again found myself searching the Scriptures for wisdom as I learned more about how God speaks through his people.

I’ll never forget the first few miraculous healings I witnessed.  Again, I had grown up in a belief system that did not presume God actually wanted people to be well.  For me, sickness and disease were a part of life and we simply had to do our best with what life [fate] brought us.  But when I encountered a church that took seriously the fact that Jesus’ work on the cross was for, in the same measure, our diseases as well as our sin (Ps 103.3) I was, again, challenged to reconsider my perceptions.  When I witnessed a woman who had been paralysed get up out of her wheelchair and run across a stage, I entered a new paradigm that challenged me to re-learn what I believe.   (Read post: This will take you to another blog site).

This is, I think, what Jesus was trying to communicate.  God desires all people to be in relationship with him so he speaks in various ways to communicate his love and desire for relationship.  Outside that relationship people have varying degrees of hard-heartedness, but a willingness to hear, see and respond to the message of God enables our hearts to recognise his voice and respond with belief.  On this foundation of belief we are able to learn more about God’s nature, his character and his ways which, in turn, influences our understanding of who He is, who we are and how life in His Kingdom operates.

Knowing Who we believe, rather than what we believe, helps us settle into a posture of intimacy with the Father in which he provides a peace that goes beyond what we can define with our understanding (Phil 4.7).  In this relationship of trust, Jesus promises that, when we come to him we will learn from him (Mt 11.28-29).  Belief in Jesus compels us, entices us and draws us into deeper experiences with him.

We don’t believe because we understand; we understand because we believe.  Therefore, it is essential that we know WHO it is we believe, rather than simply what we believe.  The more we are with him, the more we learn (Jn 15.15).  The more we learn, the more we understand.

Believe, Learn and Understand.

Speech of Miracles

We have put much of our focus on the Word of God.  How Jesus himself is the Word made flesh, and his words are Spirit and Life which never pass away.  Through our relationship with him, our spirit-self recognises His words and we respond to the substance of God contained in them.  And, as we grow in our ability to recognise the words of God, we learn to identify how our physical bodies react to the tangible nature of God’s spoken word.

Even though God’s words are a powerful, life-creating, substance, his mode of communication isn’t limited to speaking words.  In fact, Jesus described his working of miracles as a form of speech.

When the religious teachers pressed Jesus to tell them plainly if he was the Christ, he responded by saying, “I did tell you, the miracles I do speak for me” (Jn 10.25).  Brilliant!!  I love that response.  In a single statement he reminded them of their heritage as a chosen nation, and their responsibility as teachers of the Law, to listen, hear and obey the words of God.  First, he made clear that he had already answered their question – even if they hadn’t heard him articulate the words.  Second, he placed the working of miracles firmly in the realm of a speech.

Did you catch this?  The working of a miracle is not just a supernatural act; it has a significance deeper than the activity it is performing.  When Jesus healed the paralysed man, the miracle did a number of things: (1) the paralysis was reversed and the man’s body began functioning as it should, (2) the activity of the miracle demonstrated that the kingdom of God was present and able to change physical realities; and (3) the miracle was communication from God.

Miracles, or other activities of God, are not an end in themselves.  While they create a specific result, they are not solely for that purpose.  Miracles reveal; they communicate; they speak; and for those who ‘hear’ their language, they draw us into a deeper understanding of God’s character and nature.

Jesus was trying to explain these principles to the religious leaders.  I have spoken through my teaching, but you did not hear.  I have also spoken through my working of miracles, but you did not hear their message either.  Jesus then went on to repeat what the miracles had already said, namely, that he and the Father are one (Jn 10.30).

The religious leaders, reacting to the audible words spoken by Jesus, made moves to stone him.  In doing so, they revealed that their hearts were too hard to ‘hear’ the truth of God contained within Jesus’ words.  Demonstrating a measure of his grace, Jesus put the focus of his ‘why’ question back onto the miracles; “I have shown you many great miracles, for which one do you stone me?”  By re-directing their attention back to the miracles, Jesus was giving them an opportunity to allow their hearts to ‘hear’ based on what they had ‘seen’.  But, they missed this opening and remained hard-heartedly focused on the words they heard.

In his response, Jesus went on to say something that has captured my attention the last few years.  He said, “…even if you do not believe me [the words I say], believe the evidence of the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (Jn 10.38).   This statement unveils a process that will help us grow into deeper understanding of who we are in relationship with the Father.

Believe, that you may Learn and Understand.

Hearing and Seeing

The explanation Jesus gives to the parable of the soils (Mt 13.11-17) contains another significant lesson that is often confused and misunderstood by many.  One of the challenges of a biblical teacher is to help people understand passages like this, which have often been misinterpreted and misapplied.

In his explanation, Jesus referred to a prophecy from Isaiah which stated that there would be a people who would be “… ever hearing but never understanding; ever seeing but never perceiving…”.   We could spend a lot of time working through various elements of this prophecy, but I’ll attempt to be brief (and hope my brevity doesn’t lead to further misunderstanding).  While the passage may be confusing, one of the key statements Jesus made was that the prophecy was fulfilled in the actions of the religious leaders who were opposing him.

  • Jesus had said previously that the religious leaders had taken away [from the people] the key to knowledge (Lk 11.52).  In effect, they had turned from their roles as priests, teachers & leaders, and adopted a political and religious mind-set which they inflicted on the people, thereby leading them away from God.  In doing this they removed the potential for the people to access the keys of spiritual truth given to them through the scriptures.  Jesus came to restore the keys to the knowledge of the kingdom back to the people (Mt 13.11; cf 16.19).
  • In maintaining the positions of teachers & priests they had access to the truths of God. This meant they were ever seeing and ever hearing.  But in relinquishing their role as teachers & priests of God, and engaging in the religious and political mindsets, their hearts become increasingly calloused.  This is how they became those who did not perceive or understand.
  • In their position, they led the people of Israel to reject God’s message as presented through Jesus. Following this widespread rejection by the nation of Israel, the disciples soon took the message of the God’s love to other nations and peoples.  A careful study of Scripture uncovers how it was always God’s plan for all people to have access to his salvation (cf Romans 11).
  • Jesus clearly stated that this prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled (Mt 13.14).  This means it no longer applies as a prophetic declaration about a future people – it’s already been fulfilled. While the principle of the message may remain true for those who choose to remain behind closed eyes and ears, the prophetic declaration in itself reached its fulfillment in Jesus’ day.  On that basis, it is incorrect to interpret from this passage that God is, in some way, intentionally keeping people from seeing or hearing His message.

Significantly, even though the prophecy was about a people who remained calloused, those people were offered an opportunity to change.  The passage says that if the Pharisees had ‘turned’ by opening their eyes to see and their ears to hear, they would have been able to recognise God’s word in their hearts and He would have healed them.  This is one of the most incredible passages in the New Testament.  It reveals the extent of God’s grace and mercy.  It reveals His heart for people to be saved from the condition of their heart – even the hardest and most calloused of hearts.  It also reveals His integrity and commitment to honour His Word.

But, this passage also holds a significant key to realising how God delivers his message.  We know he delivers His message through his spoken Word; so it can be heard.  But this passage makes clear he also delivers his message in such a way it can be seen.

Before Jesus began explaining the detail of the parable to the disciples, he told them, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you…” and, “whoever has will be given more…” (Mt 13.11, 12).  Therefore, it is important we carefully consider what we hear… and what we see.

Dilemma of a Hard Heart

With all the discussion about soft hearts, I find myself somewhat troubled.

On one hand, I’m encouraged by what I’m learning about a soft heart.  Especially, as I grow in recognition of the many ways Holy Spirit may speak.  These lessons about a soft heart are comforting and instructional; yet, I remain bothered.  What about those whose hearts have become hardened?  Are they doomed to life with an inability to recognise and respond to God?

I understand that there may be some who have rejected God, His Word and His goodness for so long that their hearts look more like a concrete car park rather than the compacted soil of a foot-path in Jesus’ parable.  But does this mean that God’s Word cannot penetrate the armour of their heart?

In addition, I have experienced enough of life to know that many people have a hard edge to their heart but, deeper down, their hearts are soft.  They are merely putting up defences in attempts to protect themselves.  Many people who have a hardened exterior, have actually been hurt, disappointed or disillusioned and are attempting to keep others, or God, from getting too close for fear of being hurt again.  But, if these people have allowed hardness to build up around their hearts through the continued rebuffing of God’s good news, will He leave them trapped within the cavern of their callouses?

These, and similar examples, are where I sense the dilemma.  How will God’s message of goodness and truth pierce through the outer layers of a heart which have been solidified by someone’s choices?

We know that God is a good Father who desires that all people are in relationship with him (Rom 8.16; 1 Tim 2.4).  We know that the Word of God contains the Life and Essence of God Himself (Jn 6.63).  We know that it is with the heart that one believes (Rom 10.17) and we know that in order for one to believe the message of God’s Word, it must be presented and explained to them (Rom 10.14).  But, if the heart is hard, how is one able to hear and receive the seed of His Word?  If the heart is hard, how is one able to recognise the voice of God apply faith, and respond?

We briefly considered this challenge in an earlier part of our discussion (see post) but at the time we were building on the concept of learning how to listen.  The problem now becomes much more poignant; and Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the soils gives an insight into God’s solution.

Lessons of a Soft Heart

If, as we’ve discussed, the soil of the soft heart enables the seed of God’s Word to germinate, take root and grow, it is vital that we monitor the state of our hearts.  Regularly taking stock of the heart’s condition will help keep us attentive to Jesus’ instruction, sensitive to the Spirit’s direction and responsive to the Kingdom truths we hear.  This attention to the heart facilitates our ability to identify with the heart of God as we relate to the world around us.

This appears to be what Jesus expects of us as well.  After his resurrection, in conversation with the two disciples on the Emmaus Road, Jesus scolded them for not being able to apply the Scriptural truths (what Jesus had taught them) with the circumstances of recent events.  But he didn’t call them out for being insincere or apathetic.  He didn’t chastise them for not being able to apply chapter and verse to the recent events.  He simply said they were “slow of heart to believe” (Lk 24.25).   The heart usually recognises truth before the head.  A heart enriched with soft soil, that is cleared of weeds and stones, will be quicker to respond to the truths of God when we come across them.  This is what Jesus had expected of these two disciples.

It is with the heart that we believe, so we must give careful consideration to what we hear.

The rest of his conversation with them gives further insight into this dynamic and highlights the importance of recognising what is going on within our hearts.  After Jesus mysteriously disappeared from their table, the two disciples compared their experience and recognised their hearts had been burning while Jesus spoke with them (Lk 24.32).

It is with the heart that we believe, so we must give careful consideration to how we listen.   

This story also illustrates two more components in the process of belief.  As we give attention to what is going on within our hearts our ‘eyes’ are opened to see, or perceive, the truths being sensed by our hearts (Lk 24.31).  But, as we discussed previously (see post), merely ‘seeing’ the truths does not imply an immediate or complete understanding of these truths.  We need for our minds to catch up with our hearts.  We need our minds to be opened in order to grow into deeper understanding (Lk 24.45).

These are the ideas to which we’ll now turn our attention.

 

 

Soil of the Heart

I really like studying the parables of Jesus.   Whenever I go back over them I frequently discover new meaning, deeper truths or an application to my circumstances I hadn’t realised previously.  I especially like reading how, after telling a parable, Jesus would explain its meaning to the Twelve.  My favourite explanation is from Matthew 13 when Jesus explains the parable of the soils.

The common denominator for the different individuals referred to in this parable is the condition of the ‘soil’ of their heart.  But another element that stands out to me is the part that understanding plays in the growth of the seed.  If someone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the seed that was sown is snatched away.  Notice that the soil which represents this situation is along the path.  Any path I’ve ever known is hard, packed-down by footsteps over time.  Not even grass grows in the worn soil of a path.  This provides the perfect imagery for a heart that is hardened over time.  And, in the context of our recent discussions, a hard heart is unlikely to be able recognise the voice of God when he speaks.

This worn, hardened soil of the path is a stark contrast to the good soil of a soft heart.  A location where seeds can be placed and plants can easily grow, is soil that has been cleared of rocks and weeds.  The rough soil at the top has been gently broken up, nourished and watered.  It has been nurtured.  The soft heart is ready to hear the message of the kingdom because it knows how to consider carefully what it hears.  The soft heart is skilled at recognising the voice of God, the words that come from Jesus; and is prepared to respond to his voice in an instant.  The soft heart doesn’t need to deliberate or hesitate; immediate response is its habit.  And, because the soft heart knows that the voice of God is the source of its nourishment, it trusts that the message which is carried by the voice, contains only what will be good for the soil.  With that perspective, obedience to the message is never questioned.

This is, I think, how the heart with good soil is able to hear and understand the word.  The soft heart begins from a premise of belief; and, understanding flows from belief.   In contrast, the harder the soil of our heart, the more difficult it is to operate from a premise of belief.  In that instance, one will find it more difficult to truly understand.

With that in mind, it is very important that we cultivate the soil of our heart; doing our best to maintain a soft heart, guarding ourselves against offense, bitterness, anger and other postures that cause hardness.  It is also important that we develop regular habits and disciplines which help us identify and remove the ‘weeds’ that attempt to take root.  And, it is essential that we learn vulnerability within a Christian community so our brothers and sisters can encourage and assist us in removing the rocks and rubble we inevitably uncover in our journey toward Christ-likeness.

The heart is the seat of belief (Rom 10.17) so maintaining a soft heart is prerequisite to being able to recognise and respond to the voice of God.

Listening & Hearing

In college, I had a lecturer who was known for alerting his students to what was going to be on the test.  At any given point he would interrupt the flow of his lecture and speak with a different tone of voice, effectively catching our attention and drawing us into what he was about to say, and then state, “This will be on the test.”  Then he would pick up his lecture voice and continue on as if nothing unusual had occurred.  It didn’t take long for students to realise the truth of his pronouncements.  It also didn’t take long for some students to allow themselves to drift into a state of semi-consciousness during his class, only to become instantly alert when they heard the shift in his tone.

It’s funny how we can listen without really hearing.  I often find myself wondering what is was like for people to listen to Jesus’ teaching.  I can only imagine sitting on his every word with an expectation, awe and even, quite possibly, a holy fear.  But I’m amazed at how often Jesus said things like, “Listen,…”, “I tell you the truth…”, or “Whoever has an ear let them hear.”  Why did Jesus need to catch people’s attention in this way?  Had the people been so lulled into a state of absent-minded listening that they had forgotten how to listen?  Or, was Jesus, like the college professor, simply trying to ensure that people really did pay particular attention to his next statement?

 

Jesus was a master story-teller.  We can surmise by the crowds that gathered around him, people enjoyed being with him.  Not only would it have been quite refreshing for the common people to hear a Rabbi speak against the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, but they would also have been able to relate to Jesus’ stories that clearly reflected their culture and society.

Imagine, a scene in a busy village market.  Jesus is in conversation with a few people; a few others stop to listen-in, and before long, a crowd gathers.  As Jesus speaks, voices from the crowd laugh or comment in agreement.  Someone is unable to hear what was said so another person repeats it.  Those nearest Jesus are fully engaged in his every word, others further out from him are more curious as to the reason for the crowd. The sounds from the market cause background noise and passers-by create a distraction.  So, in this environment, it is not surprising that Jesus, when wanting to get across the real point of his story, would pause and give notice, “Listen… it is important you hear what I’m about to say”.

Jesus understood the importance of his words.  He knew that his words were Life and Spirit.  But he also realised that people could hear his words without receiving them.  He knew people could have been hearing without listening and listening without hearing.  So, being a master teacher, he changed his tone of voice and alerted them that something important was about to be announced.  He knew that he needed to do everything possible to increase the potential for people to truly hear his message so he would say, “Listen…”; “Incline your ear…” or “Truly I say to you…”.  And then, when he finished speaking he would often state, “Anyone who has an ear, let them hear.”

 

 

Courage of Clarity

As a young boy I remember watching the Wizard of Oz.  While the Scarecrow was my favourite character, I remember being impacted by the lesson in courage that was delivered through the Cowardly Lion.  Courage, as the Lion came to learn, does not mean one has no fear.  Rather, courage is acting even though one is afraid.

Courage is when you make a choice, take a decision in the face of uncertainty.  Courage doesn’t necessarily guarantee an outcome, but it does help the process of obedience. Courage helps you face a fear and act anyway.  It helps you take a risk.

I remember the first time I prayed for the physical healing of someone outside a church environment.  I was beyond nervous; I was actually afraid.  My body went through the physical sensations of fear: shaking knees, dry mouth, stuttered speech, quivering voice … it was pathetic!!  But, what kept me going in that moment was the fact that I had heard Holy Spirit speak.

The man was limping and wincing in obvious pain.  As if from behind me, in my ear I heard/sensed “Pray for him”.  So, knowing I’d heard Holy Spirit speak, I pushed through the symptoms of fear and prayed for his knee.  God did something absolutely amazing. (see post , this will take you to another blog site).

I’ve often thought back to that situation and wondered how I may have handled things had I not heard Holy Spirit speak so clearly.  I was in the early stages of learning how to hear God’s voice.  I had never met the man before.  Our meeting was part of my job and we were in a warehouse.  There was no prayer line; no worship band; no atmosphere of expectation.  But I knew I had heard God speak.  He didn’t give specifics.  He didn’t promise any results.  He just said, “Pray for him”.

The clarity of having heard from God gave me the confidence to act.  But when the symptoms of fear started taking over I began to question if I really wanted to take the risk.  But I steeled myself, tried to control the violent shaking inside me while I squeaked out an offer to pray for his knee.  When the man looked at me as if I was some kind of alien – I had to rely on more than confidence, I had to find some courage.

I’m learning that courage is usually required because acting in faith almost always involves RISK.  Courage doesn’t mean we have less faith, it demonstrates we’re willing to act on the faith we have.  I sometimes wish we could live from a place of peaceful confidence where risk isn’t scary and courage isn’t necessary – but, that’s not the way things work.  What would Jesus have said to that idea after resolving that the cup of the cross would not pass by him?  What would the Apostle Paul have said to that as he lay prostrate for days while the flesh on his back healed from the whippings?  And the nameless faithful, described in Hebrews 11 who didn’t see what they hoped for; what would they say to that idea?

Faith requires action.  Action involves risk.

Clarity provides the confidence for action.  Courage helps us take the risk.

Faith spelled R.I.S.K.

I remember being in a meeting years ago in which the speaker asked the audience, “How do you spell faith?”  Before anyone could respond he went on to answer his own question saying, “Faith is spelled R.I.S.K.”

I don’t think this was the sum total of all this man really believed about faith, but I like the point he was making.  He was simply trying to help people realise that faith requires an action, and, most times, acting in faith means taking a risk.  Regardless of how much faith we think we may have, we can never be 100% assured of the outcome of our action.  We can be sure of our desire.  We can be sure of what ‘should’ happen.  We can even be sure of what we believe God has said about the matter.  But the outcomes of our actions, even when we’re convinced we’re acting in faith, can rarely be predicted.

(If we are convinced we have faith, and act with a pure heart, but the results do not match the standard of God’s word; then we need to go back to God, be brutally honest with ourselves and ask Holy Spirit to help us identify what we misunderstood.  But this is another topic that needs more time to discuss at another point.)

By acknowledging that faith requires taking a risk; we’re presupposing that faith requires an action.  If we say we have faith for something but do not, in some way, act on that faith I question if we truly have faith.

When we talk about the faith of the Centurion, Syrophoenician woman, or others, it is easy to fall into the trap of forgetting that they took risks (see post).  I’m always eager to investigate what I read in Scripture; especially when we read of decisions people made.  What was it these people experienced which enabled them to act in an unusual level of faith?  How did they come to obtain a faith that Jesus commended?

There could be a number of responses to these questions.  One response that ties in with what we’ve been discussing is, these people likely had a clarity of what they heard from Jesus.  They appeared to be sure of what they believed Jesus could do for them.  They were clear in what they desired, and their requests were specific: “…just say the word…”; “…even the dogs eat the crumbs”; “…if only I could touch…”; “…I want to see.”  It would seem they had an internal clarity that gave them confidence to act.  And that confidence gave them courage to take a risk.

Clarity leads to confidence.  Confidence leads to courage.  The greater the clarity of hearing what God has spoken, the more likely we are to have confidence to act on that word.  For these reasons, it is extremely important that we learn to recognise how God speaks

Consider carefully what you hear and how you listen.