Bitter or Better?

A journey from Mara to Elim.

“Moses cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a piece of wood.” Ex 15:25

Like the Israelites we, on our own life’s journey, also encounter “lakes of bitterness.” I was literally in the region of the “Great Lakes” one year on a ministry visit to Rwanda. This country has known its share of bitterness. One of the pastors I stayed with still bore the scars of the conflict on his forehead. His wife showed me a neat semi circle of a scar that meandered all across her ankle and Achilles tendon.

“My foot was nearly severed in the massacre,” she said, taking down a faded black and white portrait of her Father. “I was only a young girl of eighteen when I lost him and all the rest of my family in the genocide.”

I stared at the deep scars on strong black flesh, glanced again at the lost Father and wondered how on earth love can survive.

Another friend shared how after 25 years of loyal service he had found himself out of a job and passed over for promotion. Nameless thousands survive on a dollar day, noble African ladies till the fields with a baby on their back, while other nameless thousands in the West throw away almost as much food as we eat!

One of the basic human needs is for both material and psychological fulfilment. On their journey to the promise land the people of God were thirsting after a satisfying cool drink. Imagine the disappointment and anger when their drink turned out so bitter!

Have some of your own legitimate thirsts been thwarted? What has left a bitter taste in your own mouth? That bitter taste often impregnates our words which are a good indicator of our “bitterness” level!

The writer of Hebrews 12:14-15 clearly saw the terrible toxic potential of bitterness to eat away at the very structures of our lives together.

^“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

The cross is the only instrument sharp enough to cut out the roots of bitterness. Only one man ever owned a bitterness free heart. He hung that heart up upon a cross like a cosmic sponge and soaked up the “Great Lake” of mankind’s “Mara”.

Like Moses, we need to cry out in desperation until we gain a fresh revelation of that “piece of wood”, that old rugged cross, which, when applied to the bitter waters of aching hearts can make them sweet again.

“He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.”

May our words and personalities find a renewed sweetness as we allow the work of the cross to function in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.

Cry out to God. Don’t stop at Mara! It is not your final destination.

“I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.” Psalm 57:2

With the cleansing of the bitter waters and the call to obedience comes a deep revelation of the covenant name – Yahweh  Rapha.

“I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 15:26

Peter quoted the prophet Isaiah when writing to a persecuted church, reminding them that,

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”  1 Peter 2:24

Revelation and Ezekiel also encourage us with the promise of a “tree” of life in heaven whose leaves are for “the healing of nations.” Rev22:2

We serve a loving, reconciling, powerful God who makes us better rather than bitter!

Our destination is Elim. Have you ever longed for the picture postcard palm trees? We have so much more in Christ – perfect provision and eternal life welling up for us in abundance.

And so, let’s go back to the scars of Rwanda. I recently ventured to the cinema to see the Oscar winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”, and in the last scene the lover kisses the scars of his bride and redeems the pain.

It is only a very pale reflection of our reality, but I believe Christ will heal our deepest scars; kiss away Rwanda’s (and all nations’) wounds in his ultimate healing embrace of His Bride the Church.

“Crown Him the Lord of love; see from His hands and side,

Those wounds still visible above in beauty glorified.

No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,

But downward bears his burning eye,

At mysteries so bright.”

 

 

 

 

 

Wounds

 “The wounds from a lover are worth it; kisses from an enemy do you in.”  Proverbs 27:6

A famous Christian lady, contemplating the beauty of Christ, once asked the Lord to grant her the grace of three wounds:

1. True contrition
   
2. Natural compassion
3. Unshakeable longing for God

When we are looking for a prayer we often say:

“Come Holy Spirit.”

Do we know what we are asking for? What are you expecting to happen when you pray that prayer? Are you looking for an instant anointing or a submissive relationship? Have you ever considered that one aspect of this prayer may be leading you towards a greater wounding?

Surely an encounter with God’s holiness will lead us to repentance. In the Catholic mass, in memory of the story concerning the Pharisee and the tax collector, they have an act of contrition when they will symbolically “beat their breast” in memory of the justified one who cried out:

“Have mercy on me a sinner!”

Amazingly, the holy apostle Paul carried this wound throughout his life saying to his disciple Timothy:

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.”

Far from paralysing him in unhealthy condemnation, this wound released him into a growing revelation of grace.

“But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”

Christ bore the wounds of compassion well before they took physical form on the cross. The Holy dove who revealed the loving Father was the same that put deep within him an inner wrenching of his being as he stood before the lost and loveless of this world. He wept at Lazarus’ tomb, tenderly grasped the hand of Jairus’ dead daughter and felt his heart crushed by the crowds of the unreached.

 

“…When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd.”What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”        Matthew 9:36-38

 Sometimes, because of the fear of this wound, we become “Christian Buddhists”, detaching ourselves from the reality of suffering to enter our own comfort zone of non commitment, dwelling in our own personal “nirvana” of Christian friends, materialism, text messages and e mails. This detachment, like the sugary kisses from an enemy, does us in!

The only way to find release from the wound of compassion is to get on your knees and then get your hands dirty by crossing over into real interaction with the “huge harvest.”

All brides should be lovesick! If we are not lovesick, we make Christ sick!

Can you imagine Christ saying to his boring, scared, safe, middle of the road, nice, passionless church….

“You make me spew!” (Revelation 3:16)

And you thought you were the only one who got nauseous on Sunday! Morning sickness can also be one of the first signs of a new beginning!

I was once involved in a meeting of missionary leaders. I felt something was wrong with the time and one night I woke up with a picture of an immense pair of long woolly knickers…No, it wasn’t one of those dreams! I then felt the Lord, in a humorous way, give me the following words.

“These are passion killers! They are like your meetings!”

The bride in “Revelation 21:2″ is making herself ready; she is:

“prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her  husband.”

God is looking for the beauty of holiness, the sacrificial seeking of him in the dawn of each day, the  desire to obey and the pure faithfulness of love.

“Kiss me–full on the mouth! Yes! For your love is better than wine, headier than your aromatic oils. The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook. No wonder everyone loves to say your name! Take me away with you! Let’s run off together! An elopement with my King-Lover! We’ll celebrate, we’ll sing, we’ll make great music. Yes! For your love is better than vintage wine. Everyone loves you–of course! And why not?”     Song of Solomon 1:2-4

 

And why not love the Lord with holy abandonment?

“Crown Him the Lord of love; see from his hands and side,                                                                                             

 Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.       

 No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,                                                                                                                                                                                       

 But downward bears his burning eye, at mysteries so bright.”

 The Spirit and the bride say “Come!”

Come Holy Spirit!

taken from the devotional book,  “A Fruit in Season”

 

I said…he said…perfect love

 

 

Who do you listen to most? What sounds and images model your mind? In the depth of the night as you        listen in semi slumber to your inner soul, what rises to fill your dreams or inhabit your nightmares?

 

We humans are complicated psychological beings. It’s amazing how many things we can find to  distort     our perceptions on life and bring us to discouragement and needless fear. The Lord is constantly calling   His people to listen to Him so that they can come back to a true perspective on things.

In Isaiah 49:3 the Lord calls His people:

 “He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendour.”

However, the years of suffering and the yoke of bondage have deadened this joyous vocation. Words of faith lie entombed under a discouraged declaration:

 “But I said, “I have laboured to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing…”

Despite the conviction of a future “reward in the Lord’s hand”, the people have lost their sense of destiny. They are tired, fruitless failures. In many senses they are speaking the truth of their present experience. However, they need to hear once again the words and commissioning of the Lord. (Verses 5-13)

The heart of these words is in verse 6:

 “he says: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

 Let us turn away from the negativity of our own judgements and experience and cleave afresh to the living words of the Lord which catapult us anew into our destiny as a people of light.

However, the wound of despair and rejection runs deep and in verse 14 we find another broken hearted cry:

 “But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”

 

Jesus himself experienced the same desolation on our behalf as he hung broken and forsaken on the   cross.

 

Such experiences are inevitable as we pioneer the paths of life and suffering. However in the midst   of this we need to hear the one voice which brings us to reality, resurrection and love.

 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has born? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…”

 God’s overwhelming love always triumphs but we need to create an environment in our lives to receive this love which is so often cradled by heavenly words overheard in Biblical meditation.

Why not make Isaiah 50:4 a lifelong habit?

 “He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”

Don’t let fear or rejection deprive you of love.

Meditate the precious verses from 1 John 4:18.

 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.”

 My own love is so imperfect and limited. It has no power to break the bondage of fear. Only a crucifixion of self and a faith, grace filled abandonment to Christ can infuse us with the free gift of His perfect love.

Love in this context is the sacrificial “agape” love which gives itself wholeheartedly. It is all about a costly act of the will rather than just a nice feeling. And the word “perfect” comes from “telos” which means “goal or destiny”.

Sacrificial love with a purpose casts out fear! Jesus incarnated this love with a purpose as he set his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem and die a cruel death on a wooden cross.

We too, as His body on earth, are also called to share our part in this love with a purpose.

A young French man challenged me recently by his testimony. He said simply that every moment that was not lived for someone else was a wasted moment! Let’s make every moment count by turning to God in prayer, and our neighbour in service.

Let us again overhear our heavenly commission:

“I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Extract from the book “A Fruit in Season”

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What is that in your hand?

Successful ministry depends upon inner spiritual authority and depth. It is more about character than charisma. God constantly uses the events of our lives to disciple us into a deeper sense of his inner strength residing in our hearts through grace.

Authority comes through revelation not manipulation.

Moses (Photo credit: jimforest)

Exodus chapters 3 and 4 are such Biblical revelations taking us into the heart of God’s dealings with Moses in order to make him a true man of God. It all begins for Moses with a burning revelation of who God is. However the “burning wood” of the bush needs to become practical authority in the “staff” of Moses hand. Let’s look at the beginning of Exodus 4:1-9 which gives us some insight into Moses personal journey towards spiritual authority. It may well help us on our own personal trek with the Lord.

 “What if they do not believe me or listen to me…?”

 Moses begins like many of us with the fear of sharing his revelation. Many missionaries are in shut down mode because of a basic unbelief and fear that people will not respond to their message. We may do more training, conferences, set up prayer houses, and a host of other worthwhile activities, but we risk remaining on the periphery of genuine contact with our target culture. However, we will at some point have to confront the reality of speaking God’s word to other people.

 “What is that in your hand?”

Begin by accepting what is in your hand. Own your own character and history….Don’t fantasise about what you don’t have or can’t do.

 “Throw it down.”

There are seasons of abandon, of letting go and laying down our dreams and ministries before the Lord. Times of throwing down the masks and letting him take the initiative again.

 “It became a snake…”

What he feared happened! All hell sometimes breaks out! Our very “ministry” can become “hell”! Believe me this does happen. It is such a critical time. Perhaps we come face to face with our own sin and weakness, or get a revelation of the evil and danger around us. How will I react?

 “He ran from it…” 

Moses was human. He just wanted out. His knee jerk reaction was to run. When you want to run you can be sure that the Lord may have another option.

 “Reach out…and take it by the tail.” 

Moses’ Rod Turned into a Serpent, illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Face your fears head on. Grasp the nettle of your life. Confront the issues the problems and the people. Some folks keep running from their fears forever and make a ministry of it! At some time you have to stop running and reach out in faith to conquer your fears.

Are you a runner or a “reacher out”?

 “It turned back into a staff in his hand.” 

From fear to faith. Moses overcame his fear and reached out in faith. The very fear he ran from became the authority that would open a sea! The ministry that walks by faith through hell gains the authority to speak faith into other’s hell and makes a way for many to walk into freedom.

After learning the principle of faith overcoming fear, Moses gets a lesson on grace.

The revelation of grace and personal forgiveness is a key to spiritual authority.

 “Put your hand inside your cloak.” 

Moses takes an inward journey to his heart (Mark 7:21) and finds it sinful.

“It was leprous like snow.”

The great apostle Paul came to the conclusion that he was the worst of sinners, and when we truly begin to assess the motivations of our own heart we too will be discouraged by our shortcomings. So do we remain in leprous introspection and condemnation? Or do we respond anew to the call to repentance and grace?

 “Put it back into your cloak.”

Respond to grace and plunge your hand back into humble repentance as Naaman plunged into the healing waters of the Jordan. The crimson streams of Christ’s Calvary blood can indeed make the foulest clean.

 “It was restored.”

He breaks the power of cancelled sin! The sin is washed clean but the very Satanic, condemning power behind the sin is also put out of action. (“katargeo” – Romans 6:6)

One of Jesus’ first miracles was to change water into wine.  The last lesson Moses learns here is the principle of water into blood.

 “The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.“

 Jesus’ blood soaked the ground of Jerusalem and manifested the spirit of sacrifice. The “water” of a superficial Christianity is called to become the victorious “blood” of a life laid down in sacrifice. Does our church have water or blood in its veins?

 “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;

They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”     Revelation 12:11

 So here we have three principles for growing in spiritual authority.

Overcome fear through faith.

Overcome sin through repentance and grace.

Overcome the devil through sacrifice.

Moses still had his battles. He had his own personal “Passover” in verse 25 when, before a nation could avoid destruction by putting blood on the doorposts, he had to avoid personal extermination by having blood put on his feet. When we walk in God’s purposes we need to be rigorous in personal holiness keeping faith with the covenant of grace.

May your staff be true.