The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Memo 1020: Run Like a Deer

I have been on vacation this past week in the American West and had the opportunity to see lots of wildlife, including many deer. This made me think of Habakkuk 3:19: "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights." The context for this verse is that the prophet was waiting for Judah's enemies to invade as God had promised in response for Judah's waywardness:

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights (Habakkuk 3:11-19 emphasis added).

Habakkuk was physically weak from the thought of the impending invasion. What's more, he knew what would happen when the invasion came: Food would be short, there would be suffering ,and ultimately, the invaders would be victorious. Despite the circumstances, however, Habakkuk, like Nehemiah after him, would proclaim that the Lord was his strength. Because of that reality, Habakkuk likened his condition in the Lord to that of a deer.

What do we know about a deer? They are fast and can leap high into the air with graceful, elegant, effortless movement. Those characteristics are in deer because that is who God created them to be. That image of a deer bounding across a field or in the woods should be etched in your mind as an image of how you and I should be when we put our faith in God. Earlier in his book, Habakkuk had included a phrase that became instrumental in New Testament teaching: “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4 NASB).

God has created you to do great things that are not dependent on the circumstances in which you find yourself. God empowers you to run and tread on the heights if you live by faith. Does that describe your life? Are you running? Are you jumping? Is the Sovereign Lord your strength that empowers you to do more than you thought you could do, and endure more difficulties than you imagined? Can you prosper and be productive, even in down times of famine and lack?

The Lord had directed the prophet to write down what the Lord was going to show him, and that is good advice for you as well this week. "Then the Lord answered me and said, 'Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay'" (Habakkuk 2:2-3 NASB).

Have your journal ready to record the vision God will give you concerning your life and purpose, and then have faith. Your faith with activate your deer-like qualities, and you will be ready to bound off into a new aspects of a purposeful life full of goals and creativity, leading to wonderful results that will glorify God and inspire you to climb to even greater faith and purpose heights. As you consider this deer image that God included in Habakkuk, I know that you will have a great week!

Memo 1019: Living Water

You are probably familiar with the story of Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well as told in John 4. You may want to read the story again before you proceed with this Memo, for we are going to talk about how you can find and benefit from the living waters that Jesus mentioned to the woman in the story. Once you have read John 4, then come back to read what I have to say.

A RELIGIOUS DEBATE

The woman kept trying to engage Jesus in a religious debate about the most appropriate mountain upon which Jews and Samaritans should worship. Jesus was trying to teach her that worship was not about geography but rather about a person, specifically His person. They went back and forth talking about worship and water, and then Jesus made an offer that intrigued the woman:

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water [from the well the woman had come to draw from] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14 comment added).

The woman decided to take Jesus up on His offer and responded, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water" (John 4:15). What I had never noticed was how Jesus fulfilled her request through His next comment. He basically said to her, "You want this water? Are you sure you want this water? If you want this water, then go get your husband" (a paraphrase of John 4:16).

THE WATER

What was the water Jesus was offering? It was an honest relationship with God where the woman could acknowledge her sins and when she did, she would then receive the living water of a relationship with Jesus. Up to that point in their conversation, the woman had wanted to talk about religious things, thinking that was what God would want from her. Instead, Jesus confronted her with her sins of the past and present, and that was the water He promised to give her and others like her: honesty and forgiveness.

If you want that same living water, you must come to God as you are, not as you think He wants you to be or who you are pretending to be. This woman was trying to present herself as a source of theological insight instead of the mess that she truly was. When she confronted her mess, it did not disqualify her from having a relationship with God; it actually qualified her. Her source of life was not in the correct mountain for worship, but an open and honest relationship with God.

When the woman understood that, she went home and got as many people as she could find to come and meet Jesus. She did not take them to the mountain; she took them to the Maker of the mountain who had "told me everything I ever did" (John 4:39b). She saw her connection to God was honesty, not correct doctrine. Her honesty led her to the correct doctrine in the person of her Forgiver and Savior.

Where are you telling God what you think He wants to hear? What religious debate have you entered into that is not a source of life? This woman found her purpose (to evangelize) when she faced the reality of who she was, then who God was (and is). The key to finding your purpose may be the same way, for living water is not found in a place (a mountain or a well) but through honesty with God. Have a blessed week!

****

ISRAEL TRIP 2022: My next trip to Israel and Jordan is March 2022. The time to sign up for the trip is now. Check out the info on this link, pay your deposit, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Click on the picture to see group that went with me in 2018 and then visualize yourself in the 2022 picture. Next year in Jerusalem! This trip will change the way you pray, read the Bible, and think about the nation and people of Israel.

Memo 1018: When the Brook Stops Running

As we conclude the series on unlocking your faith, let's revisit a story we looked at previously and that is the woman who was out scrounging around for some sticks so she could go home, cook her last meal with what little she had left, and die. Elijah told her to feed him also and promised if she did, her jug of oil or jar of flour would never be empty. That is exactly what happened but this week, let's go back and learn what Elijah was up to before he came to visit the woman.

A BROOK AND A BIRD

Before Elijah came to the woman, he had experienced his own dire situation:

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook (1 Kings 17:1-6).

There are so many lessons to consider from this story. Here are just a few to consider:

1. We do not see that God initiated the lack of rain but rather Elijah did. That begs the question as to whether or not God spoke to Elijah to do this or if it was Elijah's faith that produced the situation. Either way, he was the herald of the bad news.
2. The subsequent drought impacted Elijah just like everyone else and he had to trust the Lord for his daily provision.
3. The ravens were also suffering from the dry conditions and food scarcity, yet they didn't consume what they brought to Elijah. God controlled not only the weather but also the birds and brook.
4. God sent Elijah into hiding for a season in the Ravine.

I would imagine Elijah got quite used to this arrangement (although I doubt there was much variety in his diet during that time). He was probably in hiding for almost two years for when he emerged, the drought had caused a state of emergency in the land. Yet his time of hiding finally ended and then it was time for him to move on. How did he know that? He knew because the creek stopped running and the birds stopped coming:

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him. “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food" (1 Kings 17:7-9).

TIME TO MOVE ON

What did God use to indicate it was time for Elijah to move on? He used the basic circumstances of life so Elijah would know for sure it was God's will. Elijah could have waited, not wanting to get ahead of the Lord. He could have prayed that the brook and birds resume their daily care duties. Instead, Elijah obeyed and moved on because the lessons he had learned about God's ability to provide needed to be shared with someone else—the someone else being the widow. Elijah could trust the Lord for the woman's provision because he had had learned how to trust for his own because he had seen God's faithfulness firsthand.

Has your brook stopped running or your delivery birds stopped coming? Are you holding out for God to provide as He has or are you open to Him doing something new? The writer of Hebrews stated it this way:

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author [originator] and finisher [perfecter] of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV).

It's time for you to move on in your faith, which can never be static or complacent. Jesus is your Faith Agent and He oversees your faith growth and maturity as you learn what it means to walk by faith. There are days He feeds you by the brook and there are days He provides through the widow, but regardless of the means, He is your Provider and you can trust in the One who stops the rain and dries up the brook to fulfill His promises to you. And once you have done so, He wants you to go encourage others who are just learning that lesson. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1017: Holy Fear

As I write, I am in the American West in a desert area. Yesterday, a severe rainstorm swept in over the mountains and dumped inches of rain on the parched land. My phone "blew up" with alerts warning me to beware because flash flooding was everywhere but when I read those alerts, I was in the safety of my hotel room. However, the incident caused me to reflect on Noah, who encountered the ultimate flash flood along with his family. Noah received his own flood warning, as did all his peers, but Noah distinguished himself from everyone else by taking action and obediently building the ark. Let's look into that further as we seek insight into how to unlock our own faith as Noah did his.

HOLY FEAR

Let's not look at the flood story but instead the short sidebar concerning Noah found in Hebrews 11: "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith" (Hebrews 11:7). Here we see that Noah built an ark in holy fear. He was not building the ark because he was afraid personally. He was not hoarding and storing food supplies and water to save himself. Noah was obeying God because He feared God. If you want to unlock the power of your faith, you cannot use your faith only as a means to personal success and prosperity. You must also use it to honor God by acting in a way that is consistent with trust in God.

For example, since you know all riches are temporary and passing away, you can have faith to be generous. You don't hold on to what you can give because you may need it. You give it away because others need it and you are laying up treasures for yourself in heaven. You also know that God wants all people to come to a saving knowledge of His Son, so once you are onboard God's salvation ark, you spread the word to as many as possible that admission is free but vital because the world will be judged. Peter told us something else important to know about Noah:

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others . . ." (2 Peter 2:4-5).

Peter described Noah as a "preacher of righteousness." How did Noah preach? Did he have a Bible and a pulpit as the picture with this post depicts? I doubt it, but perhaps he had to answer questions of why and what he was building during the 100 years it took to build the ark. He told his neighbors that a flood was coming but they were not interested. When you carry out your God-assigned life work, you also become a preacher of righteousness even though you may never utter a word. Your faith that you are doing what God wants where He wants it done sends a message to others whose operating system is personal fear while yours is holy fear.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Peter went on to finish his thought in 2 Peter by writing this: "if this is so [the "so" being God rescuing Noah and Lot], then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment." In other words, God knows how to preserve and rescue you in the midst of the corruption among the world's followers. You can unlock your faith by not living in personal fear for your own life and future, but rather living in holy fear that motivates you to carry out God's will regardless of the cost, duration, or response from others.

The bottom line of your faith is not what you can get but what you can give from what you have already gotten. I write books and teach in holy fear and faith that my work will today and one day impact many people. I do my work in Africa out of holy fear that some people''s lives there are hanging in the balance, waiting to hear a word that only I can deliver. Where has personal fear replaced holy fear in your life? Where are you not giving, or going, or building, or speaking because you are afraid of the consequences? If you want to unlock the power of your faith, then you must do like Noah did and become a preacher of righteousness even if you never say a word. Your lifestyle of  surrender to God will speak on your behalf and more importantly, it will speak on God's behalf too. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1016: GodSpeak

We are in the homestretch of our series examining how to unlock the power of our faith. It's remarkable how many stories we have looked at from the Old Testament, which is not usually a handbook for faith principles and lessons. This week, let's look at another Old Testament hero by the name of Nehemiah, whose unlocked faith rebuilt a city. You may wish to read the first few chapters or the entire book of Nehemiah before you proceed.

CLARITY

Nehemiah was the king's attendant but one day came into his presence and was not his usual self:

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" (Nehemiah 2:1-3).

Nehemiah was mourning the condition of Jerusalem, his hometown, and had been praying and crying out to God for a way to rebuild it. Notice that while Nehemiah was a bold prayer warrior, he was still afraid when the king asked him the reason for his demeanor. Faith never has to exist in perfection. For example, a child's father said to Jesus, "I do believe. Help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). You can have faith and doubt or fear existing in the same spiritual garden and the faith still be effective. In this case, Nehemiah had faith but he was afraid that his role or life would be in danger due to his sadness while on duty. Then the king asked another question: “What is it you want?” (Nehemiah 2:4a).

At that point, Nehemiah didn't go into what I refer to as GodSpeak. He didn't say, "Well, I'm not saying what I want is God's will and I don't want you to feel pressure, Oh King, if you don't resonate with what I am going to say. I could be wrong, but I think, maybe, sort of, that God has laid something on my heart but I am willing to withdraw my request if you think it's off base. Or maybe I didn't hear correctly." Instead, Nehemiah responded with clarity and specificity:

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me (Nehemiah 2:4b-9).

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN

If the King asked you, "What is it you want?", what would you say? Would you him-haw around, stumbling over your words because you didn't want to appear greedy or self-serving? Would you kick into GodSpeak mode uttering such religious foolishness as "Well, this may be me and not You, Lord, and I don't want to miss or get ahead of You so maybe, sort of, you know, I would like You to provide the money for my education, or car, or missions trip. However, do it in Your time and I won't ask again. In Jesus' name." That's not how to unlock the power of your faith.

If you are going to unlock a door, you need a specific key, not just any key. If you are going to unlock a safe, you need the right combination, not just any series of numbers. I want ministry opportunities to share the purpose message with as many people as possible. I want funds to operate one of the best relief and development agencies in Kenya. I want a best-selling book that causes people to smile when they read it. What do you want? Can you clearly state it and marinate it in your faith?

Nehemiah prayed, developed a plan, and then interceded with the king for everything he needed—and the king complied. Now it's time for you to appear before your King and be as specific as Nehemiah was, even if you are fearful and have doubts. Perhaps God is not answering your prayers because they are too vague, bogged down in the slog of GodSpeak. If so, it's time to get specific if you are serious about unlocking the power of your faith. Have a blessed week.

Memo 1015: Left Off the List

Last week, we looked at the battle of Jericho and I mentioned I thought it interesting that Joshua is not named in the Hebrews 11 list of faith heroes. I wonder why that is? Joshua played a significant role in the history of Israel and perhaps he was not mentioned for the same reason others weren't: There just wasn't time to mention everyone (after all, even King David is not mentioned). But I wonder if it is because of a story involving Joshua where he did not exercise faith and his decision had implications for his people for centuries? As we speculate, let's look at that story now and see how it intersects with our theme of unlocking our faith.

 

LOOKING GOOD

 

Joshua was under orders to destroy the people of the land but one day a group presented themselves to Israel claiming to have come from afar:

 

The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?” “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?” They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.”’ This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.” The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath (Joshua 9:7-15).

 

Of course, these visitors were their neighbors but were acting out an elaborate ruse to fool Israel and they were quite successful. Instead of inquiring of the Lord, the leaders relied on what they saw instead of what He saw. They walked by sight in this instance and not by faith and were thus easily tricked into making a covenant with the devil, so to speak.

 

Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept (Joshua 9:16-21).

 

WALKING BY SIGHT

 

If you want to unlock the power of your faith, you must learn to walk not by what is obvious but what is true but perhaps yet to be revealed. You must not walk by sight. Paul wrote,

 

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

 

For example, I write in faith, not looking at the sales figures but looking to Him and recording what He shows me. Perhaps my books will sell when I am gone. Perhaps they will never sell and are only to help a few people in the here and now. Either way, I am content and happy to keep on writing. I also establish libraries and schools in Kenya. Why? What I do there does not address the needs of many, only a few. However, I don't look at the size of the results but the quality, and I do so in faith.

 

Where are you walking by sight? Do you not give the $10 you could give because you walk by sight and conclude it's not very much? Do you not do the good you can do because it looks so insignificant? Do you not give the encouraging word to someone because it seems so trite and you assume they have probably heard it before? All those are simple examples of what it means to walk by sight.

 

If you want to unlock the power of your faith, you have to stop accepting the disguises your good deeds can assume as Joshua did, trusting not the size of your act but the size of the God who inspired the act. In that way, you won't be left off the faith roll of distinction as Joshua was. Have a blessed week!

****

ISRAEL TRIP 2022: My next trip to Israel and Jordan is March 2022. The time to sign up for the trip is now. Check out the info on this link, pay your deposit, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Click on the picture to see group that went with me in 2018 and then visualize yourself in the 2022 picture. Next year in Jerusalem! This trip will change the way you pray, read the Bible, and think about the nation and people of Israel.

 

Memo 1014: Leper Lessons

One of my favorite stories is found in 2 Kings 7. The Arameans, the enemies of Israel, had laid siege to the city and the people inside were starving to death. That's when four lepers, who knew they were going to die if they just sat where they were, decided to go out and engage the enemy to see if they could obtain mercy. Let's examine their story to see what we can learn to help us unlock the power of our faith:

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why do we sit here until we die? "If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die." At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives (2 Kings 7:3-7).

The lepers returned to the city to tell the people the good news, but the city inhabitants thought it a trap to lure them out from behind the walls and did not respond right away.

WHAT'S TIMING TO A LEPER?

The four lepers saw their condition as critical. They were more concerned about survival than looking bad or "missing God." It's not faith to want to know the timing and steps you will need to take to succeed. It is actually presumptuous! God does not owe you a full explanation before you take the first steps in obedience. To think  He does is to expect more than God gave Abraham. God told Abraham to set out and when Abraham wanted to know where he was going, the Lord responded, "I'll tell you when you get there."

If you don't identify with the lepers, you will say that you can "wait on the Lord." However, if you do identify with their situation and see yourself in desperate need to have faith, then you will step out today and act on your creativity, ideas, goals, and dreams. Have you had enough of being where you are? Then do something and be less concerned about timing and more concerned about finding fulfillment and creative expression—and being productive for the Lord.

WHAT'S TIMING TO THE STARVING?

Perhaps the most pitiful people in this story are those who were in the besieged city. They were starving and in imminent danger of death, yet when the lepers delivered the good news, they were not capable of responding in faith:

So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city’” (2 Kings 7:10-12).

This tells us that we can be so conditioned to accept less than what God wants us to have that when He moves to provide it, we can dismiss it as a trap. More on that next week.

Let me close with one more thought. I hear people regularly say, "I don't want to get ahead of the Lord." My response is always the same: Go ahead and try! If Ephesians 3:20-21 is true (and it is), there is no way you can get ahead of Him: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."If you can think it, then God is already thinking bigger. Dream big  and then step up to see what happens. Give yourself permission to move out, knowing that you can't get ahead of God and you won't fully please Him until you act in faith, faith that your time is now to do the will of God. In your newfound freedom of your faith's power, I trust you will have a great week!

****

ISRAEL TRIP 2022: My next trip to Israel and Jordan is March 2022. The time to sign up for the trip is now. Check out the info on this link, pay your deposit, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Click on the picture to see group that went with me in 2018 and then visualize yourself in the 2022 picture. Next year in Jerusalem! This trip will change the way you pray, read the Bible, and think about the nation and people of Israel.

One of my favorite stories is found in 2 Kings 7. The Arameans, the enemies of Israel, had laid siege to the city and the people inside were starving to death. That's when four lepers, who knew they were going to die if they just sat where they were, decided to go out and engage the enemy to see if they could obtain mercy. Let's examine their story to see what we can learn to help us unlock the power of our faith:

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why do we sit here until we die? "If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die." At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives (2 Kings 7:3-7).

The lepers returned to the city to tell the people the good news, but the city inhabitants thought it a trap to lure them out from behind the walls and did not respond right away.

WHAT'S TIMING TO A LEPER?

The four lepers saw their condition as critical. They were more concerned about survival than looking bad or "missing God." It's not faith to want to know the timing and steps you will need to take to succeed. It is actually presumptuous! God does not owe you a full explanation before you take the first steps in obedience. To think  He does is to expect more than God gave Abraham. God told Abraham to set out and when Abraham wanted to know where he was going, the Lord responded, "I'll tell you when you get there."

If you don't identify with the lepers, you will say that you can "wait on the Lord." However, if you do identify with their situation and see yourself in desperate need to have faith, then you will step out today and act on your creativity, ideas, goals, and dreams. Have you had enough of being where you are? Then do something and be less concerned about timing and more concerned about finding fulfillment and creative expression—and being productive for the Lord.

WHAT'S TIMING TO THE STARVING?

Perhaps the most pitiful people in this story are those who were in the besieged city. They were starving and in imminent danger of death, yet when the lepers delivered the good news, they were not capable of responding in faith:

So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city’” (2 Kings 7:10-12).

This tells us that we can be so conditioned to accept less than what God wants us to have that when He moves to provide it, we can dismiss it as a trap. More on that next week.

Let me close with one more thought. I hear people regularly say, "I don't want to get ahead of the Lord." My response is always the same: Go ahead and try! If Ephesians 3:20-21 is true (and it is), there is no way you can get ahead of Him: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."If you can think it, then God is already thinking bigger. Dream big  and then step up to see what happens. Give yourself permission to move out, knowing that you can't get ahead of God and you won't fully please Him until you act in faith, faith that your time is now to do the will of God. In your newfound freedom of your faith's power, I trust you will have a great week!

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ISRAEL TRIP 2022: My next trip to Israel and Jordan is March 2022. The time to sign up for the trip is now. Check out the info on this link, pay your deposit, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Click on the picture to see group that went with me in 2018 and then visualize yourself in the 2022 picture. Next year in Jerusalem! This trip will change the way you pray, read the Bible, and think about the nation and people of Israel.

Memo 1013: Faith Strategy

It is interesting that of all the names mentioned in the Hebrews 11 chapter of faith, Joshua is not mentioned. However, the event he is best known for is when we read, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days" (Hebrews 11:30). Let's look at the story and then next week we will look at my theory as to why Joshua is not mentioned by name—but that can wait until after we look at how the walls came a tumblin' down.

PAST TENSE

We read in Joshua 6, "Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men'" (6:1-2). The Lord did not say He would give Jericho to His people. He stated "I have delivered it." He spoke in the past tense as if it was already done even though the city was shut up and secure against the Israelites. Faith always takes the holder to the realm of the unseen from the seen. God was speaking about the state of Jericho as it would be as if it already was and He invited His people to participate in this sneak peek of a coming reality or vision.

When you read Hebrews 11, you can't help but notice that all the heroes of faith saw something invisible when they believed. That is an example of vision, which is "something invisible made manifest to the senses." God is able to pull back the curtain of time and show His people something behind the curtain that He sees and when they see it too, it is as good as done. They were not going to conquer Jericho; it was already conquered and theirs. That's how the power of your faith is unlocked—you see the end result before others do.

Because the city was already conquered, God gave His people a faith strategy that would bring the walls down in such a way that no one, not Joshua or any of his warriors, could take credit for the victory. it occurred because of God and God alone. Yet the people still had to do something to make it happen, which is consistent with the principle that faith requires some kind of action.

FAITH STEPS

If you are not doing something about what you believe, then you have to question if it's faith. If you believe God wants you to have a new car or home, are you out looking and shopping to find one, even if you don't yet have the means to purchase or rent? If God has called you to ministry, are you in school to learn or preparing sermons to deliver to no one in particular? If God has promised you a life partner but no one is "in sight," are you seeing yourself married, preparing for that eventual reality that is already accomplished in the mind of God? If you sense a missions trip is in your future. are you reading and learning about the language and culture of other countries? Part of the power in your faith is its ability to get you moving and we all know it is easier to steer a moving car than a parked one. The same is true for God "steering" one of His faith-filled children.

Joshua led the people around the city 13 times in seven days and then we read, "When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city" (Joshua 6:20). The people marched in silence, blew trumpets and shouted, and the walls came down as God had promised. What is your faith strategy for the promise God has given you? Are you sitting and waiting, or are you thanking and marching?

This week, take the time to read either the Jericho story in Joshua 6 or the faith chapter in Hebrews 11—or both. Take your time and when you find something of interest, drill down a bit deeper to determine what God wants to show you. That study can also be your action resulting from your faith that God wants to teach you something fresh and new. The point this week is that you need a faith strategy that will spur you to act on the vision you have seen because you have put your trust in God. Have a blessed week!

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ISRAEL TRIP 2022: My next trip to Israel and Jordan is March 2022. The time to sign up for the trip is now. Check out the info on this link, pay your deposit, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Click on the picture to see group that went with me in 2018 and then visualize yourself in the 2022 picture. Next year in Jerusalem! This trip will change the way you pray, read the Bible, and think about the nation and people of Israel.

Memo 1011: Lord of All the Earth

As we continue to learn how to unlock the power of our faith, this week we look at another Old Testament story. this time the account of Joshua leading the people across the Jordan into the Promised Land. When the time had come, Joshua sent word throughout the camp: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before" (Joshua 3:3-4). Faith takes you where you have never been, which is the topic of this week's Memo. Let's get started.

A NEW WAY

Keep in mind they had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, often retracing their steps over the same ground they had previously traveled. Finally, it was time for a change, something new and fresh. The same may be true in your own life but you don't know where to go or how to get there. The good news is God is with you as you determine your faith agenda. Let me explain.

My faith focus is usually around those things in which I have an interest and have some ability or gift. My faith goal is not to climb a tall mountain, for I am not that coordinated. It is not to run in the Olympics, for I'm not that fast. But in 2014, I had a desire to start a publishing company. I had written many books and had even consulted on a few for others, so this idea was certainly new but not outlandish or unreasonable. So therefore I set out on a new way and eight years later, I have helped more than 50 people publish their work while continuing to publish mine. My faith goal was a stretch goal but it wasn't one that was totally unrelated to who I am and the gift(s) I have.

Here are the rest of the instructions the people received prior to their river crossing:

See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap" (Joshua 3:11-13).

Joshua reminded the people that God was and is the "Lord of all the earth" and He would exert His Lordship over one of His earthly elements by once again parting the waters so the people could cross.

THE IMPLICATIONS

When I started publishing, I had to follow the Lord's leading and step out. Some told me it was not a good time to start a publishing company but I resigned my job, forfeiting 80% of my income at the time, to follow the ark—so to speak. There were days when my checking account only had a few hundred dollars but the "Lord of all the earth" always provided. He has brought the authors, taught us how to produce book covers, shown us marketing strategies, and helped us learn from our mistakes. He has certainly gone before us and has held back the waters so we could cross into our publishing Promised Land.

Do you realize what it means that the "Lord of all the earth" is by and on your side, leading and guiding, walking and providing? What difference is that making in your life? Are you walking around your wilderness or are you moving toward a river crossing that will take you from your status quo to your Promised Land? Are you looking at the waters ahead and wondering how you will cross or are you putting one foot in front of the other, trusting that when you reach the riverbanks, only then and not before will the waters cease to flow so you can cross?

When you unlock the power of your faith, it will take you to a place you have never been before, just like those wandering Jews. Are you ready to go? I hope so for the wilderness is not your land flowing with milk and honey. The best is yet to come for you but only if you can learn how to follow the ark of the "Lord of all the earth" and then trust that the Lord will move heaven and parts of earth to help you get you where you need to go. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1009: Listen for the Sound

As we continue to seek insight into how to unlock the power of our faith, let's look at King David the warrior who had to confront the   Philistines in battle right after he was crowned king and had conquered the city of Jerusalem. We read,

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.” So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off (2 Samuel 5:17-21).

The good news is David defeated his enemies in this battle but the bad news is they came right back for another round. Let's look at how David used his faith to handle that second encounter.

DON'T GO UP

It would have been easy for David to think when the Philistines returned, "Here they come again. We defeated them once, we can do it again." We are all guilty of that thinking, for we are religious beings who often look for a system or formula that will define or even control God. For example, when the scorpions came against the people in Numbers, we read, "So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.This is the reason Jesus healed in so many different ways" (Numbers 21:9). What happened after that?

The people eventually worshiped the snake! They didn't see that the power was in obeying the Lord to erect the snake, they saw the power in the snake itself. Faith is not a system, it is a relationship and if you are going to unlock its power, you must put your faith in God and not in a system, formula, or doctrine that is guaranteed to work every time. David understood this, so he inquired of the Lord as to what he should do when the Philistines returned:

Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer (2 Samuel 5:22-25).

David did as God directed and the result was another victory, for no matter how much success David had, he knew the source of his strength was not his military prowess, but the Lord Himself.

THE POPLAR TREES

What was that sound David heard that was his indication it was time to attack? Some have said it was the sound of angels going out before and with David's army. Others have said it was the sound of the wind, indicating the presence of the Spirit to do battle on behalf of the army. What's important here is that David knew he was to fight but he did not know how he was to do it. In a sense, David acted and waited, which is a key element to unlock your faith. Many see it as either/or—we either wait on the Lord or we act—but don't see how to do both. Yet James wrote, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17). Faith requires action so it must be part of the unlocking process.

For example, I write books—that is my action—but then I wait on the Lord for the strategy of what to do with them. Some I have had translated into Spanish, some I have given away, and others I am still waiting to hear for the best way to distribute them (which could happen after I'm gone). How can you apply this principle to unlock your faith? If you feel the Lord has a ministry for you, you should take steps to structure and make your ministry a legal entity. If you feel your future is to teach God's word, then you should go to school now to learn before you have any invitations to teach. What's more, if you have done those things, there is no guarantee your next steps will be anything close to your previous ones, for God will give you new strategies as you go forward. It's always about acting and listening, listening and then acting.

Where are you waiting on the Lord when you should be acting? Where are you acting where you should be waiting, wondering why the strategies that worked before aren't working now? To unlock the power of your faith, you must learn to walk and listen for the sound of the angels or wind in the trees and that means you must learn to read the signs and hear the Lord. If you do that consistently, you will go from victory to victory, avoiding the trap of looking for a formula and instead listening for God's direction while you take faith actions. Have a blessed week!