The Great Adventure

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

As with Abraham, God calls each of us on a great adventure with Him. Sometimes this adventure is thrust upon us by events and circumstances beyond our control. The road of security on which we have been walking is suddenly wiped away by the loss of a loved one, an unexpected sickness, the loss of a job, the collapse of an investment, a divorce, a child who has made some bad decisions, the care of an aging parent. Maybe you are not facing a challenge or tragedy, but you simply find yourself at a juncture in your life where you need to make some decisions and some changes that take you out of your comfort zone of familiarity into the unknown of the future.

Whatever the situation, God begins to stir our nest urging us to step out of the place of security we have now, off the solid branch upon which we are standing, and trust the wings of faith He has given us, no matter how small and feeble they may seem, and do what seems impossible and fly.  Flying for the first time can be scary, and there is the chance of an occasional crash landing, but it is also very exhilarating and greatly increases our vision and potential.

Like Abraham, God is constantly calling us from the security of the known into the unknown, for it is in the place of the unknown where we receive our inheritance. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays for the Ephesians and for us that “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Abraham, as he “dwelt in the land of promise ---waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

If we will allow the Holy Spirit to enlarge our vision, there is something God has which is much greater than we have now. Whether what we have now seems good or bad, it is temporal, and God has something which has an unshakable foundation that is designed, created, and built by God himself for you and me. So today, spread your wings of faith, do something you have never done before, and enjoy the buoyancy of the wind of the Spirit underneath your wings. Let the great adventure begin.

Andy Clark

Living With Purpose

These days in which we are living, I believe God is calling us to live life with a greater sense of purpose. So often we get caught up in the routine of life, whether it is in ministry, our job, marriage, or family. God is calling us to be more intentional in serving Him, loving our wife and family, serving our church, at work, or in our community.

To enter the promises of God we need to live intentionally. We need to intentionally hear God’s voice in the small daily decisions and activities of our life. We need to purposefully take ownership or act on the prompting of God’s Spirit. We need to purposefully meditate on God’s Word and allow it to shape our character, values, decisions, and lifestyle. We need to live on the edge, where the supernatural happens in our marriage, family, church and career. Supernatural -- such that God invades these areas and does things beyond our capabilities and we begin to see that supernatural wisdom and favor of God in our daily lives. 

I like the way Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24        “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

25        Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

26        Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

27        No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

“Run in such a way.” There is an art to running correctly to enhance speed and endurance. There is an art to swinging a golf club. Every aspect of the swing must be intentional to be able to hit the ball right where you want it. You can not excel without first developing your skill in whatever you do and doing it God’s way. He is prepared to coach us by His Spirit.

“Strict training.” This is the discipline to achieve the goal or purpose. The New Kings James uses the word “temperate,” which has the sense of balance in what you do. We tend often to succumb to the tyranny of the urgent and fail to do that which is most important.

“Running aimlessly and beating the air.”  In the midst of the endless distractions in life we have to keep focused on the purposes of God in our lives, whether immediate or long term. Satan loves to get us caught up in daily, small challenges and activities that take our eyes and our efforts off of God’s purposes.

Let us endeavor not to run aimlessly or beat the air, but to run with God’s purposes, both daily and long term, so that we may enter into His promises for us.

Andy Clark

Transformation vs. Reformation

 2 Corinthians 3:18
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

In our western culture we think more in the sense of reform rather than transform. Reform means “to improve (someone or something) by removing or correcting faults, problems, etc.: to improve your own behavior or habits. “We watch TV shows, read books, hear teachings and sermons on how we can correct our faults and improve ourselves, our marriage, our children, our job, and our church. While these are good, God desires to do something much greater than what we can produce ourselves.

The emphasis in Scripture is on transformation. Transform means “to change (something) completely.” The word in Greek is metamorphoo from which we get our English word metamorphosis, as a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. When Nicodemus came to Jesus in John chapter three, his mind was so bound by the reformation of religion that he could not grasp the metamorphosis of the new birth.

For many becoming a Christian is adopting a religious belief and lifestyle. But, from its inception Jesus demands the transformation of a new birth. The reason we embrace reformation rather than transformation is that we can reform ourselves or attempt to reform ourselves, while transformation is supernatural and requires a yielding to and submission to God. We struggle with the supernatural because it is beyond our understanding and capability, requiring faith in God to do the impossible in our lives.

The other issue we face is that transformation requires dying to ourselves. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:24-25 Dying to self releases the transforming and explosive growth of the Spirit in our lives.

The wonderful thing about transformation is that it moves us from the natural into the supernatural, from our ability to God’s ability, and from provision to the promise. Transformation happens as we take our eyes off of ourselves, others, and the world and begin fixing our gaze on the Lord of glory, allowing His Spirit to transform us from glory to glory into His image.

Andy Clark

Receiving the Promise

In Genesis 26:3-5 God reaffirms to Isaac his covenant with Abraham, “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

Over six hundred years later Israel stands on the bank of the Jordan River preparing to receive the promise God had given Abraham. For forty years they had walked under God’s provision in the wilderness, but now was the time to move from provision into promise. They faced great challenges of fortified cities, giants and great armies with chariots. Forty years earlier their fathers had stood on the banks of this very Jordan. But because of a bad report of ten spies, they retreated from the promise back into the comfort of provision.

Oftentimes in our lives we fail to move from provision into God’s promises for us. As I mentioned last week, we often let the promises that God gave us die in us because of time and circumstances. The challenges of entering into the promises seem often times overwhelming and impossible. God intentionally makes His promises too great for us because He wants to fulfill the promises as we trust and obey him. Notice God’s word to Isaac, “I will be with you, I will give you all these lands, I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham, and I will make your descendants multiply.” To receive the promise, we must maintain faith that He who is faithful will fulfill the promise. Because it is only out of that position of faith that we can be led by the Spirit to walk out in obedience today what God wants us to do in order to receive the promise.

God told Isaac, “I will give your descendents all these lands --- because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge.” Abraham was not some great preacher or evangelist. He was a herdsman who most of his life led a nomadic life like many in his day. But when God asked him to do something, He immediately did it whether it was leaving his home and country, or being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. In the midst of all Abraham’s wandering, he never forgot his charge, what God had charged him to do, his destiny. In all the places he traveled, all the challenges he faced and things he did, he never lost sight of the faithfulness of God and the promises God had given him.

As Joshua stood on the banks of the Jordan facing the giants of Israel’s past, the Lord appeared to him and said to Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. --- Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you. --- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:3,6,9

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:” Heb. 10:35-36

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”         I Corinthians 1:20

Andy Clark

Great Expectations

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"  John 11:25-26

This was a trying time for Mary and Martha. Their brother Lazarus had been sick, and they had sent a message to Jesus to come quickly. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were good friends of Jesus, almost like family. Jesus often stayed in their home that was not far from Jerusalem. But for some reason beyond their comprehension, Jesus had delayed, and now Lazarus had been dead for four days. When Jesus finally arrives, Martha is the first one to meet him. Notice her comment in verse 21. "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”  She is declaring her faith that Jesus could have healed her brother. But now that he is dead and buried, all hope is passed.

Sometimes we are like Mary and Martha. We have received promises from God, had visions or dreams that we have prayed and believed for, and they just haven’t come to pass. Maybe we have an unsaved loved one or a child who has strayed away from God for whom we have prayed for years, and there seems no more hope. Maybe we have launched out in ministry and expected great things for God, and it hasn’t happened. Maybe we have prayed for a job or some desperately needed financial provision, and nothing has come forth. We don’t understand why it hasn’t happened. We really believed God. Over time the call, the vision, the prayer and desire dies’ and we bury it and go on with life.  Like Martha, we say, “God if you would have come through then it would have been awesome, but it is a little late now.”

Our challenge is that we live in time, bound by circumstances and situations that are beyond our control. But God is not bound by either time or circumstances. Revelations 13:8 says that Christ was crucified from the creation of the earth.  In God’s mind, even before He created Adam and Eve, Christ had been crucified for man’s redemption. It was a done deal. Neither time nor circumstances could alter it. In Eph 1:18-20 Paul prays, “that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know ….what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.” That resurrection power is available to you to fulfill His promises to you.

The Bible says, “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.” Hebrews 11:11 Notice the time factor, Abraham was past age, and circumstance, Sarah was barren. What we think is past may be the present to God. What we deem as dead is not dead to God. 

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 says “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” The same one who established you, anointed you and sealed you by His Spirit will do it through you. “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:” Hebrews 10-35-36

May God by His Spirit rekindle the great expectations that you once had.

Andy Clark

(To be continued next week. “Receiving the Promise”)

Heirs of God

“Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out,  "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”  Galatians 4:1-7

Paul refers in this Scripture of our “adoption as sons.” We think of adoption as being born into one family and adopted into another. The problem with this concept of adoption is that even when we are adopted we still carry the character traits of our birth parents. But as Christians we are born again, our old nature has died, and we have taken on the nature of Christ. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

The concept of adoption Paul lays out in this Scripture is from Roman and Jewish culture of his time. It refers to when a child is young, he was no different than a slave in that he had no rights as a son but was under guardians and stewards. But at the time appointed by the father he would come into the full right as heir. Not that the father had died, but everything the father had also became his.

Paul in speaking to Jews who understood this was teaching that under Old Testament law, even though they were heirs of the promise they remained as slaves to the law.  But at the time appointed by the father, God sent His Son to redeem us from the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. So now because of Christ we are heirs of God, so that everything that is His becomes ours also.

Paul goes on in Romans 8:14-17 to explain how that works out in our lives. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

If we are led by the Spirit of God, we do not have the spirit of bondage to fear as a child would, but we have received the Spirit of adoption. Through the guidance and power of the Spirit, we have full access to everything that Christ had and everything that is God’s. Children of this world have much to fear, but as children of God, we have nothing to fear. You belong to God and nothing can pluck you out of His hand. Everything that God has belongs to you. How much better can it get than that!

May you today by the Word and the Spirit come into a fuller revelation of how much the Father loves you that He would call you His child.  “Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Amen and amen.

Andy Clark

Take Your Place

Psalms 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”

The table of the Lord is a place of abundance, a place of peace, and a place of communion. David draws this picture from the ancient Near East custom, where covenants were often concluded with a meal expressive of the bond of friendship. The head of the honored guest at the banquet was customarily anointed with oil. The cup running over was a sign of abundance. What an awesome picture of the relationship God wants to have with us!

Jesus reinforced this at the Last Supper with His disciples. In Luke 22:15 Jesus says, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you.” (NKJ) In the Message Bible it says, "You've no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you.”  Then just as the honored guest would have his head anointed with oil in David’s day, Jesus in the custom of his day honors his disciples by getting down and washing their feet.

Sometimes we fail to understand how much Jesus desires to fellowship and commune with us. We become so busy running here and there, trying to meet our needs and the needs of our family, when He already has a table of provision set for us. We are desperately trying to prove ourselves and to demonstrate our value or worth, when He desires to honor us. We struggle with worry and fear in an uncertain world and struggle with the attacks of the enemy, when He has already set a table for us in the presence of our enemies. We struggle in our own might to serve Him, when he wants to anoint our head with the oil of His Spirit to empower us to do what we cannot do in ourselves.

Stop struggling and running and take your place at the Lord’s table.  “In His presence is fullness of joy;

at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalms 16:11) The God of the universe “fervently desires” your presence. He has prepared a table for you and for me. He is honored to have us as a guest at his table. Even more than that, He wants to honor us. We are the apple of His eye, His joy and His desire. He wants to give us honor even before our enemies, for we are His treasured possession and he has redeemed us from every tribe, tongue, and nation by the blood of His Son.  He wants to fill your cup until it runs over.

The one thing our Lord seeks above all else from his servants, ministers, and shepherds is communion with Him. His table is vast and is never lacking. This table is a place of spiritual intimacy and is spread daily with all that we need. David said in Psalms 27:4, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”

May you be blessed, encouraged, strengthened, and satisfied in the presence of the Lord today.

Andy Clark