Fire On Your Head

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

If you’re a good Jesus-loving, sin hating, Bible reading follower of Christ, you’ve probably come across passages like this and many other ones in the Psalms, that talk of meditating on the Word of God, ‘day and night‘. This is not some new-agey practice. But seriously, if the Bible talks about something a lot, then we need to take seriously what it repeats, and find out what it means.

The word for meditate used here in the Hebrew is ‘hagah‘. It comes from the root word ‘hagiyg, which literally means “whisper, musing, or murmuring”. Hagah literally means “to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak.”

Interesting isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but I think moaning, growling and muttering are kind of aggressive or at least deliberate speech in nature. Almost all of these renderings involve speaking, or orating in some fashion. When the word of God talks of meditating on the law of the Lord, this is not some kind of setting where you sit on the floor with your legs crossed and quietly ponder something, with candles and incense burning and other weird new age type of concepts that come to mind when we think of meditating. Biblical meditation involves speaking.

How do I know this for certain?

For one thing, you don’t need to look up the original Hebrew in order to come to this conclusion, for the passage in Joshua says in the same sentence “this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth.” The writer defines what meditation is. This makes a lot more sense when you read the psalms, where much of the time the psalmists talk about meditating on the book of the law, the same word hagah or hagiyg is used in the Hebrew. Have you ever wondered how on earth it’s possible to ‘meditate’ on the Bible day and night? According to the common modern day understanding of meditation, this would be an impossible feat, since no average Christian has the time or self-discipline to give this much focus to studying and focusing our attention ‘day and night’ on the things of the Lord. It’s simply impossible with all the other daily responsibilities the average Christian and human being needs to tend to.

But we can speak any time we want to, day or night. Alone or in public. Walking somewhere or laying still in our beds.

You can speak Scriptures out loud concerning topics that are important to where you are at in your relationship with God right now. If you need physical healing, ‘meditate’ and speak out loud (confess) Scriptures on the subject of healing, and you will build your spirit up and increase your faith in that area. The Bible says in Romans 10:17 that faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. In order to be hearing the Word of God, someone needs to be saying it, correct?

Notice the rendering in the King James Version for Psalm 2:1: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine (hagah) a vain thing?” Remember the way we looked in a previous blog entry about how the heart/beliefs are intertwined with the mouth/words. So say and imagine the Word of God and things of the Lord, day and night, and then like the rest of Joshua 1:8 says “so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it (the things written in the book of the Law). For then you shall make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.

Look at some other uses of the word (in the ESV translation):

“Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.” Psalm 38:12

“When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night.” Psalm 63:6

“When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints.” Psalm 77:3

In the New Testament, the Greek word that gets translated is not much different than the Hebrew Old Testament one. In the KJV, Jesus tells his disciples in Luke 21:14–in the context of impending persecution they’d face–to “Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer.” In the same translation, Paul told Timothy “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.” 1 Timothy 4:15. The English Standard Version replaces meditate with the word ‘practice’.

In the Greek, the original word for ‘meditate upon’ is 1) to care for, attend to carefully, practise 2) to meditate i.e. to devise, contrive a) used of the Greeks of the meditative pondering and the practice of orators and rhetoricians.

Again, this is directly tied into to SPEAKING the things of God and His Word.

If you’ve ever tried memorizing anything, Scripture in particular, you’ll know that the most effective way you’ve retained what you tried memorizing, was from repeating it to yourself or someone else over and over again. There’s something about being able to store information in our spirits from speaking it a lot. So, with all this in mind, I highly recommend doing so. In Hebrew culture, much orating was done at young ages, in order that the law of the Lord could be remembered. If they were doing that with the Old Testament law, then how much more us with the words of life!?

If you’re struggling with a besetting sin, then I’d recommend meditating and speaking about verses from places like Romans 4-8 and just feed your spirit stuff on practical holiness. If you are facing a mountain in your life, speak to it and confess the Word of God concerning the promises He makes in the Bible concerning that thing you’re believing for, and like the Bible says, you can cast that mountain into the sea.

If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy the episode of our podcast where we discussed these concepts in more depth:

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Have you ever wondered about the apparent contradiction between the “vengeful” God of the Old Testament and the gracious, loving Lord of the New Testament? Have you struggled to reconcile God’s holy anger with His boundless love?

These are issues that many have wrestled with for ages. God’s “judgments” have often been misunderstood and viewed as being contrary to His sacrificial, loving character revealed through Christ.

What many have failed to realize is that God has always burned with pure passion for the undivided love and devotion of His people. As the Hero and Husband in the love story called the Bible, the Lord has always been jealous for the affections of His bride.

God created man for intimacy with Himself. He later chose a nation and entered into a covenant of marriage with her. He told her she was the apple of His eye and pledged to be everything to her. But that wasn’t good enough for Israel. Some time after the honeymoon, God’s beloved began to let her eyes wander. She found herself attracted to the gods of the surrounding nations and became titillated by the lure of pagan worship.

Israel didn’t want to be tied down to her Husband. For her, monogamy had bred monotony. She believed she was missing out on the excitement and pleasure of having other lovers, so she went after the false gods shamelessly. Even though the Lord had wooed and pursued her, it wasn’t enough—and she broke His heart!

This was never more vividly portrayed than in the book of Hosea. To graphically illustrate to His adulterous wife the pure pain and anger He felt, God instructed His prophet, Hosea, to marry a harlot named Gomer. Their marriage would be a prophetic picture of Yahweh’s relationship to Israel—acted out in a way they could not ignore. As a friend of the Bridegroom, Hosea would be more than a mere messenger or spokesman. Like the prophets before him, he would be guided by an intense, intimate concern for God’s concerns—called upon to feel what the Lord was feeling. Because Hosea would experience in the depths of his being both God’s love for and anger towards His bride, he needed to know what it would be like to be married to an unfaithful wife.

So Hosea chose Gomer as his wife, and they began a family together. I honestly believe that, over time, Hosea came to truly love Gomer—this was the only way he could deeply identify with God and His feelings for Israel. One day, Hosea made the heart-sickening discovery that his wife had been unfaithful to him and had given herself to other lovers. Gomer eventually left her husband—and Hosea felt the sting of betrayal in a way he’d never experienced before.

Justifiably Jealous

While the Scriptures are full of references regarding God’s love, mercy, and kindness, it’s eye-opening to discover how much they also have to say about His jealousy:

“Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).

“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24).

“They angered Him with their high places; they aroused His jealousy with their idols” (Psalm 78:58).

But exactly what does the Bible mean when it speaks of God’s “jealousy?” How can He be the epitome of love and be jealous at the same time? To say that the Lord is jealous most certainly does not mean He’s suspicious because of some insecurity on His part. Ungodly jealousy is different; it’s the by-product of wanting to control and possess what doesn’t belong to us. It’s always demanding and actually cares very little about the alleged object of its love.

In contrast, holy jealousy is at the very core of who God is. Within the depths of His being burns an inextinguishable fire of love called jealousy. It’s a blazing passion to protect a love relationship that is eternally precious to Him and to defend it when it’s broken. Divine jealousy is that unbridled energy in God which stirs Him to take aggressive action against whomever or whatever stands in the way of His enjoyment of those He loves and desires. This has always been the real motivation behind His judgments.

The severity of God’s anger is in direct proportion to the depths of His love for those who belong to Him. His anger is never irrational or unpredictable. Scripture reveals that His love for Israel was the source of His wrath. It was because He infinitely cared for His bride that He burned with holy anger against her. God manifested His wrath against Israel’s sin to bring her to a place of repentance. Beyond divine justice and anger was the mystery of His mercy and compassion.

God’s anger and mercy are never opposites of each other; in fact, they are actually related. This is why the prophet Habakkuk prayed: “in wrath, remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).
The message of God’s anger included a call to His adulterous wife to return to Him and be saved. His call of anger was actually a call to cancel anger. It wasn’t an irrational, selfish power-trip, but rather a deliberate response to deal with the evil that was holding His bride in chains.

The Word of God clearly demonstrates that anger is not an emotion in which the Lord delights (Lamentations 3:33; Jeremiah 44:7-8).  In fact, His anger is a secondary emotion and never the ruling passion of His heart. His anger, instead, is a tragic necessity. God’s judgments were an expression of His deep, passionate concern for His backslidden bride. It was a compassion that transcended the most intense, holy anger; it was a love that remained steadfast in the face of human sin and weakness. And this is the splendor of God’s love that was revealed through the prophets.

Again, this is beautifully illustrated for us in the book of Hosea. We discover that God instructed His friend to take Gomer back, regardless of the cost. The reason the Lord expected that of Hosea was due to the fact that He was planning to do the same thing with His wayward wife. He would pay the ultimate price to redeem her.

Jesus – The Jealous Lover

Jesus is also jealous for our wholehearted love and devotion. This is graphically depicted in James 4:4-5. It appears from verse 4 that some within the early Church had become intimately friendly with the lifestyles of the world. To put it in James’ words, God’s people were committing spiritual adultery. James appealed to them to renounce their adultery and return to the Lord:

You are like an unfaithful wife who loves her husband’s enemies. Don’t you realize that making friends with God’s enemies—the evil pleasures of this world—makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy the evil pleasure of the unsaved world, you cannot also be a friend of God. Or what do you think the Scripture means when it says that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed with us, watches over us with tender jealousy? (The Living Bible).

James is emphatically telling us that the Lord will not tolerate any rivals who try to steal our affections. The fire of His love will consume everything that tries to threaten our relationship with Him. This is why it’s imperative we understand that “conviction” is really a manifestation of His burning jealousy for us, as He continually warns us of things that would seduce our hearts away from Him and destroy our lives. The Lord longs for our love and loyalty to such a degree that He will stop at nothing to keep us for Himself!

About the author:

S.J. Hill is a gifted teacher and leader in the Body of Christ with over 37 years of experience in the ministry. He has traveled extensively, pastored, and been on the faculty of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry. He has also taught at Mike Bickle’s Forerunner School of Ministry in Grandview, Missouri. He is currently teaching part-time at the F.I.R.E. School of Ministry in Concord, North Carolina.  His website is www.sjhill.com.

Check out our podcast shows with S.J.:

Do Holiness and Happiness Mix?
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Conviction, Preference, Or Opinion?
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Has God Given Up On America?
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The Mystery of Evil & Wickedness
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Judgment & ‘Acts of God’
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I’ve decided to go in a certain direction with my entries on this site for a little while. This will be the first of around 6-8 posts, based on a series of personal blog entries I posted in the Spring of 2007 while living in Holland.  I had been putting something into practice in my personal life, and I felt like I finally “got it” and that this is not just something spooky spiritual that charismatic flakes do.  So check back every Monday for each entry in this study.

I want to spend this post doing a cursory Scripture study on the importance of the words we speak. I notice this kind of teaching is not something noncharismatic/evangelicals really teach a lot on other than token messages or devotionals on ‘the power of life and death lies in the tongue’ teaching from Proverbs and of James chapter 3.

Anyway, that being said, let’s hit the ground running…

The Bible says in Matthew 12:34b-37:
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

It’s worth noting the correlation that exists between what someone believes and thinks in their heart, and what they choose to speak out. What are you saying? If you read the book of Proverbs for more than 10 minutes, you will notice that many of the comparison and contrast proverbs involve speaking. “The wise man says this, but the fool says that.” Over and over again. But in my recent re-habit of Scripture memorization, I noticed when repeating the words in some of those verses I’d written down on little cards, how many times ‘mouth’ is used interchangeably with ‘heart’, and decided to put much effort into looking into the Scriptures and focus on that subject where I see it when I’m reading the Word. I’ve highlighted texts using a specific colored highlighter, all over the Psalms and wisdom books of the Bible, and New Testament where I find passages on words, speaking, and meditating (which I will get to in next week’s entry of mine). It blows my mind how much there is in the Word of God on this subject, and virtually nobody teaches it, other than messages on how we’re to edify and encourage others with our words. Which I’m not against.  I just believe it doesn’t end there.

“I will praise you, O Lord with all my heart, I will tell of all your wonders.” Psalm 9:1

“Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless, and does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman.“ Psalm 15:1-3

“Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices.“ Psalm 16:9

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19

“The fool says in his heart there is no God…“ Psalm 53:1

We are told in Psalm 66:1-3a “Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!“

The psalmist said “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven.“ Psalm 89:1-2. The writer didn’t say I “will sing in my head”. The psalmist didn’t say “I will think your praises and hope people telepathically figure out I love you.”

No, there was speaking involved.

“Even in your thought, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich,
for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.” (Ecclesiastes 10:20).

Again, we see the writer weaving in and out of thoughts and speaking out loud to demonstrate that it’s necessary to be careful what we are thinking, because we could accidentally say it and suffer consequences.

Not that I’ve never done this myself–of course–but a slightly funny example of seeing someone else blurt out their thoughts of hatred towards someone comes to mind. One time in a class of mine at Bible school, the teacher was praising the good work that someone on staff had done in a certain area, and told us all to say something positive to her, let her know how much we all appreciate her, and to bless her. Then, oddly, someone sitting near me, very loudly added “yeah, with a brick.”  I might add, that the saying ‘bless him/her with a brick” was jokingly understood in our circle as a way of asking the Lord to deal with someone we didn’t like much and drop a brick on their head for us.

It was obvious for a second that this brother had no idea he said that out loud, but the whole class heard it and the professor said “and we’ll just ignore that comment and some of us can check our hearts.” It was awkward as this classmate realized he blurted an inner personal thought out loud to his embarrassment. I’m sure I’ve done the same thing many times, I just thought this example was interesting as a witness to refer to for my point.

Those are just a few verses to scratch the surface for now. If you take a highlighter to the Psalms and just mark in your Bibles the times words and praises are mentioned like the above examples, you will start to have a coloring book in that part of your Bible.

Jesus, full of the Word (being the Word Himself) quoted Scripture when the devil came and tempted Him (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). He also told his disciples the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and that’s what can make a person unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. (Matthew 15:18-19). It’s for this reason alone that I have no respect for Christians using their mouth to cuss, since many words we use as swear words are based on actions of immorality–and we’re not to speak of what the ungodly do in secret (Ephesians 5:12). I don’t care if something the apostle Paul said here or there was like cussing in his language in his day–most Christians who justify cussing do it for shock value, and usually in an immature way, or are just immature in their use of vocabulary. I know I’m meddling with some people who are and will be reading this, but deal with it–we’re called to be people of excellence in deed and speech. Proverbs 4:23-24 says to “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.“ And Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear“.

Nuff said about that.

Confession.
The Scriptures say a lot on the topic of confession, but we’re too afraid of delving into it because we’re afraid we’ll get flaky. But I hope to get into examples of how many Christians already do ‘confession’. I’m not talking about standing in your empty garage and confessing you have 5 limousines. I’m not saying I stand in front of a mirror, and put one hand on my head and say “I have a full head of hair“, all the while oblivious to reality. I’m talking about confessing the Word of God over our problems, lives, circumstances.   We’ll get into the Scriptures on that in the weeks to come, since I don’t want to leave it here and have readers go away from this entry and get flaky.

Bible Studies for a Firm Foundation, a book Bob Weiner puts out, has the following to say about confession:

“Very few Christians actually realize the place that confession holds in God’s scheme of things. Unfortunately, whenever the word ‘confession’ is used, many invariably think of confessing sins, weaknesses, and failures. That is the negative side of confession. There is, however, a positive side of confession, which the Bible has more to say about than the negative. Webster’s dictionary defines “confession” not only as a confession of sins, but as a ’statement of one’s beliefs; especially those of the Christian faith.’ That is why true Christianity throughout the centuries has been known as ‘The Great Confession.” Webster’s dictionary also defines ‘confessor’ as a “a Christian who has suffered for his faith.” The apostles and early fathers of the faith were “bold confessors” of the Word of God.” p. 93

Simply put, confession is a statement of your beliefs. So what are you saying with your mouth?

Revelation 12:11 says “And they conquered him [the devil] by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.“

When I worked at Hope Valley Day Camp years ago in the summertime, the leaders made us volunteers memorize passages of Scripture referred to as ’salvation verses’ and ‘assurance verses’, so we would know how to show kids who were wanting to give their lives to Jesus passages that showed them how. I say that as a way of indicating I know many Christians, even in evangelical circles already know what confession is in a sense:

The mystery of God is a treasure, waiting to be revealed: It is the discovery that changes people’s lives. The treasure is the gold, the silver, and the precious stones that are hidden beneath the surface: It is the taste of the fruit spawn from the tree of life: It is the internal promise of eternal life inside creation that lies dormant-until the power of faith in the Son of God breaks its seal.

Matthew 13:44-46

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking  fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

How is the kingdom of heaven like this, like a treasure hidden in a field which a man finds and sells everything for it? Sounds like Jesus. In a broad interpretation, the field is the earth and the treasure is us. Jesus gave everything He had to buy the field that contained the treasure. Simotaneously, in Him finding us, we find Him. He is our treasure. We must give all that we have to know Him.

How is the kingdom like this? We are not the only ones. We are still in the field. We are on a journey searching for a new treasure; a treasure that is inside everyone around us, waiting for its discovery.

Not very long ago, we were at a conference and Kris Vallatton was the speaker. Part of his message was on the passage from:

1 Corinthians 14:24-25

But if all prophesy and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.

An interesting point that Kris brought to light was that the word “secret,” is more correctly translated “treasure.” Now this changes the whole perspective from which the modern application of the passage is concurred. Usually the thought is that prophesy will reveal the secret sin or “read the person’s mail” and now that he is busted, he will repent and turn to God. This may be the case sometimes, but this passage more accurately dictates that the prophecy unearths the treasure in the person’s heart, revealing to them that Jesus knows who they are and cares about they’re dreams. He longs to see them fulfilled, just as they do.

Sin is sin. I am an advocate for holiness and the preaching against it at all times. I am all about seeing people set free from sin. According to this passage, however, my goal is not going to be to go and evangelize by revealing every-one’s sin to them and demanding repentance. According to this passage I am on a treasure hunt. I am searching for the treasures hidden in their hearts, and hopefully, that is what I will cause to surface in the Spirit. If I can prophesy to them the things that they have longed for and dreamed for, and show them that Jesus is the One who fulfills their dreams, they will realize just how real and awesome He is. By crying out to the call and relationship with God that lies dormant inside of them, their true calling in life will surface. And when that comes to light, it will ignite a process that burns out the sin.

Prophecy is revealing to someone just how awesome God is and just how awesome they are to God! I recently ran into an old friend at dinner and he was a little discouraged about sharing his faith because after all these years of doing so, he usually received a negative reaction. He method was typical; “Jesus loves you, wants to save you, to repent of your sins, will you pray this prayer with me…” I am not negating this entirely, but the approach does need a shift, especially in a society where they gave their guts full of this mentality. So, I began to share with him some of these things. I encouraged him to look past their sins and find the treasure that is hidden beneath, and when that is drawn to the surface, the sin will disappear.

Natural Evangelism

Evangelism should be natural, not a strenuous task. There will be growing pains when we are first stepping out, but maturity will come. Evangelism is sharing what is in your heart with someone else. It should be as natural as taking a breath or drinking water. You are being real with the person sharing the reality of your relationship with the one who surfaced the treasure in your heart. In essence you are showing them the treasure within you, and causing them to realize that they have a treasure of their own that is waiting to be excavated.

Each person has a key that will unlock their heart. The Lord reveals to us that secret and gives us a word of prophecy to unlock the door.The more time we spend with Him, the treasure of our lives, the more we will begin to see the treasures inside of people and have the wisdom to cause their eyes to open up to it. We have the keys to the kingdom. We can open up doors that no one else can. A miracle could be a key that opens up the door to an entire city, the key to every treasure box in the city. Our heart is a treasure chest. The treasure in our chest is light that in itself becomes the key to someone Else’s treasure.

Conclusion

I am just beginning to express thoughts on this subject, so to say this is incomplete is justifiable. I do hope you to read 1 Corinthians 2-3 in the NASB for further context.  Also read The Stewardship of the Mystery, by T. Austin Sparks. Hopefully more to come concerning theses matters. And on that note of sounding professorish, I will leave you to your treasure hunt.

Jesus is Lord

Worship

For so long people have searched and scoured the earth for some form of satisfaction that will last. People have gone to incredible lengths to find satisfaction in their life. Risking life, family and health to see if they can find something that will fill that longing in their soul.

He Satisfies the longing Soul.  Psalm 107:9.

Some have turned to drugs, alcohol, pornography, friendships, marriage, success and all sorts of other things. Even trying religion. But many walk out of churches disgusted and disheartened that the people there are as hungry and searching out broken cisterns as anyone else.

He Satisfies the longing Soul.

I believe compellingly, rationally and fully that the answer to the above question is yes. But I want to examine some objections and hindrances that people have in coming to that conclusion

Where is God when I cry out to him?
Why are Christians so bored?
Why is pornography so rampant in the church if God really satisfied?
Wouldn’t christians be willing to undergo any sacrifice, any length and depth of hardship because God was so deeply satisfying that nothing else would be a matter of consequence in their decision-making?

I would contend and fight for the conclusion that God does satisfy, truly and deeply. There is nothing else, no entertainment, no drug, or high that can even come close to the level of fulfillment and satisfaction that there is in God.

He Satisfies the longing Soul.

Then why is he so hard to find? Why do so few find him and experience that deeply satisfying relationship?

I know that in my journey of life for many years even after I had become a Christian knowing this fulfillment and deep peace was only a momentary and fleeting thing. Every once in awhile I might experience it, but for the most part I never came to that place. I struggled with acceptance, loneliness and lust throughout high school, as well sometimes feeling like God wasn’t even there. It probably hasn’t even been until this last year of my life that I really began to encounter God in ways that I never had before and it has made all the difference.

He satisfies the longing Soul.

I don’t need to make friends to fill my desire for acceptance, or do things well to gain the approval of those people that I respect. Or look at images to fulfill my desire for a relationship with a girl. I can finally say in honesty that He is enough. He is truly sufficient for every need. There are times when I don’t feel that way but I know it’s true. Even in our weakness and human frailty he is sufficient.

I find that the extent that a Christian worships and has experienced the presence of God is that extent to which a Christian is satisfied in God above all other earthly things.

He satisfies the longing soul.

The truth of the matter is we have tried again and again to quench our thirst from empty and broken cisterns.

for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Jeremiah 2:13

I am longing again for that passionate fulfilled life, that place where he is the only one that I go to fulfill every need. Lord, please help me in my pursuit of you, for even in this I need you and I can’t do it without you.

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.”
-Jesus

I’ve been thinking recently ever since my time in Pensacola, FL of an analogy that has stuck with me ever since seeing something while there.

For those of you who don’t me know–or at least not well–I am all about practical jokes. In fact, on a weekly basis one or two of my roommates were the victim of some kind of funny prank on my part, and usually with my third roommate’s collaboration when we all lived together during my second year at FIRE School of Ministry. That easily was my funnest living arrangement or at least the house was the best house I’ve lived in.

We did it all–put pennies on Arian’s ceiling fan so when he turned on his light they shot everywhere like bullets; we put all of our alarm clocks in Jeff’s room and set them 20 minutes apart beginning at 3:30 am. You name it. I regret very little of them since they went over usually well and to the best of my knowledge I never crossed any lines or hurt anyone’s feelings.

Anyway, these two roommates and I once went away with a classmate for the weekend, and he took us to a practical joke store in his hometown of Atlanta. I bought gum that gives the victim gas; gum that turns a person’s mouth blue; and this powder–which was my favorite. It was some kind of polymer (plastic) that if you put it into someone’s drink–coffee, water, juice, soda-–you name it–it would solidify it in a matter of seconds. But here’s the catch–you had to make sure the prank victim didn’t try to drink it after that (which would be hard because it was solidified). With the added ingredient, the polymer had made the liquid undrinkable. The warning in the instructions actually used the word poisonous.

One time I put it in my roommate’s water and he went to drink it and this solid almost jello-like blob fell out of his mug. I put some in a guy’s sweet tea at our cell group one night, and after a long time he finally announced out loud when he discovered it that “there’s something wrong with this sweet tea!” This went over great every time.

As simple of an illustration as this is to me, it is profound. You see, this plastic added an ingredient that ‘preserved’ the drink in its original form and would make it unable to be contaminated or go bad, but rendered it undrinkable. At the expense of preserving it permanently was the inability to do with the liquid what it was intended for–to drink. It made it no longer fresh. Yet in the Church, we add all sorts of ingredients to our spiritual lives that render the true refreshing of the Holy Spirit undrinkable for others and even ourselves.

“Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3b)

Like so many movements in church history, God was doing something, but when something was added to it by men, it no longer flowed or was drinkable. And by and large we’ve been content with our unnatural preservatives.  Sometimes moves of God naturally waned and reached their usefulness, but men whose livelihoods or jobs depended on the move of God sought to preserve them out of their own selfish gain or survival or both.

To make this more applicable–take some groceries I’ve bought while overseas in other countries–especially Holland. I noticed that the expiration date on many products, but particularly dairy-is sooner than the expiration date on products I’d buy in North America. Why? The lack of preservatives. They may cause the product to last longer, but it lowers its quality and is in fact less healthy. Such is what I’m talking about on a spiritual level.

For example, somewhere along the line we added the ingredient to the Church that it’s OK not to have faith for big things, therefore we don’t see them and then find ways of explaining away the Bible passages that do talk about them–”the age of miracles are past” many say. “Sound doctrine” became more important than actually doing something with our doctrine. Even though the ‘proper faith’ that is commonly taught doesn’t actually heal any sick or produce any tangible results.

I once talked on MSN with someone who described to me a discussion that happened in one of his classes in Bible school that week and it prompted him to observe the real reason Christians spend so much time arguing with others about why NOT to believe for miraculous or explaining away the gifts of the Spirit, is that we don’t want to admit it is doubt and unbelief that causes us to form these doctrines. We don’t want to admit that many of our doctrines are the fruit of our failures.

Somewhere along the way, we became happy with institution (I’ve heard the term “the impotency of institution”) where we’re more preoccupied with the programs, the institutionalisms and the denominationalisms–which are a form of self-preservation contrary to the death to self that comes in the cross of Christ-–and neglected the organism of what a Body of believers is supposed to be by definition. Somewhere along the way, the poison of self-righteous religiousness was added, and sucked the life out of what is supposed to be Christianity. Not all are bound by this poisonous religion. But it has more pull in the Church as a whole than we’re willing to admit.

There’s lots of undrinkable elements to the body of Christ currently, and you can think of your own if you’d like to meditate on this further. Like sacred cows, “undrinkable elements” of Christianity include–if you notice it in your own thinking or just in “acceptable Christianity”-–things that are commonly accepted as correct doctrines or practices, but yet do absolutely nobody any good whatsoever if you put it into practice.

If the dying world around us were to need our water, would they be able to drink it?

My thoughts are a blur as I try to pen the feelings and ideas swirling through my spirit. These are some of my recent thoughts and some of the things that God has been teaching me.

One thing I learned at Street Invaders that God has used to give me more freedom and help me live life more naturally is that mistakes are ok. I gave myself permission to make mistakes. For so long I held too high of a standard so that I couldn’t really take risks and grow because I wasn’t willing to let myself make mistakes. And I’m not talking about moral failure but just not being worried about making a fool of myself or falling flat on my face. So I share what I’m feeling more often give advice that I know could easily be flawed but is what I’m feeling right now. And I say things more often that I think could be really funny but have no idea how they will be taken. But the most significant difference is in the way I approach God. I still come with reverence and a heart of worship but I don’t feel the need to always come the same way or do the thing that worked before. I can be more real and not worry as much about offending him. I can step out and pray radical things, can step out in faith and not worry so much if I’m sure he will catch me. Because even if he doesn’t come through in the way that I expect or hope I know that he is still good and that he will work it all out in the end.

Love Freely
The thing about love is that everyone who is human deserves to be loved because they were created in God’s image. I was talking with Victor Thomas a couple of weeks ago and he probably knows about half of the people at the U of R (a school of about 7,000 students) and he remembers their names. I asked him how he could do it and that is what he said. “You know God created each one of them in his image and so they are intricately important and valuable to him and thus to me as well. I just connect something interesting about them with their name.” When I heard that it totally just blew me away with the heart of God. If he took the time to number and remember every hair on our heads can we not at least make a committed effort to really care about people and learn their names and what they tell us about them? I want to live and love freely, even to those who will never love back.

“Trust God, he called me and I didn’t follow. Trust God.” That’s what a man said to me after I preached in Kindersley. He wouldn’t let go of my hand as we were shaking hands he really wanted to emphasize this above anything he could say. He chose the way of comfortability and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I was shook by the importance of his request, and the urgency with which he spoke to me. No matter how big my dreams for my future are, if they are from God I need to just trust him and step out to fulfill those dreams.

Never Compare, Comparison is the heartmother of envy, discontentment and distrust. It’s a weird way of saying it, but I am so inclined to look at my life and progress and compare with others around Paul says in 2 Cor 10:12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves… when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”
When I look at others my focus leaves Jesus and I feel inadequate I see the strengths of others and feel lesser or I see the weaknesses and become proudful.

When I look to Jesus, I see all that I need.

Be natural, be yourself.
God created me exactly as he wanted me to be and in so many ways these last few years I feel like I have been trying to be a different person. Specifically, I feel that God created me to be one who just loves and enjoys life. I’m not someone that dominates situations or the man of God who just comes in knowing what to say and how to lead each situation. Sometimes I’ve felt a pressure to become that, but I just need to live as I really am. That way more and more people will naturally be freed from the weight of perceptions and allow themselves to live who they really are as well.

But in the end the biggest thing that he has been teaching me is just how ridiculously good he is. Even in situations where it doesn’t look like God is good, it seems more like he’s being a jerk. When I still trust him and love him he shows his true character in beautiful ways that I wouldn’t have expected. I can’t let my theology be determined by the experiences in my life but only by his word.

One day, an Australian seminary student met a teenager living on the streets of Melbourne and struck up a conversation. As he tried to share the Gospel, the boy asked pointedly, “What is God like?”

What a loaded question! The seminary student had one chance to share the Good News and felt pressured to come up with just the right answer. His mind raced. Reflecting on what he’d learned in his recent studies, he replied, “God is like a father.”

Without hesitation, the teenager snapped, “Well, if he’s anything like my old man, you can have him,” and walked away. Later, the student learned from a social worker that the boy’s father had repeatedly beaten his mother and raped his sister. The word “father” had dredged up all kinds of emotions and terrible memories, and the door to sharing the Gospel had been slammed shut.

This story vividly illustrates the relationship between the impressions left on us by our earthly fathers and our perceptions of God. Because this teenager had a bad experience with his own father, he was unable to grasp the goodness, kindness, and loving nature of the heavenly Father.

Ideally, our experiences with our fathers should point us to the heart of a greater Father who loves us more than any earthly father ever could. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. Maybe you’ve felt the sting of a clenched fist or recall the haunting, cruel words of a childhood incident. Maybe you never heard your father say, “I love you.” Countless people have told me, “I have no problem believing Jesus loves me, but I can’t seem to relate to God as my Father.” More often than not, they were emotionally or physically abused while growing up, or their fathers were never there for them. If you’ve had a bad experience with your father, it may not be easy to relate—consciously or subconsciously—to God as your Father.

What do you think God is like? How do you perceive Him?

The Affirming Father

Many of us grew up in homes that were performance-driven. Our fathers may have only expressed approval after he thought we’d accomplished something of significance. The pat on the back, the words “Well done!” or an extra long embrace were only given after we had excelled in something like education, sports, music, or employment. While our achievements should have been recognized and celebrated, they should never have been a prerequisite for receiving our father’s love and affirmation.
This performance-oriented mentality eventually spills over into our Christian lives. Initially as young believers, we may sense God’s unconditional love and enjoy the simplicity of relationship with Christ, but it’s not long before we think we aren’t doing enough. This mindset ingrained in us from childhood rears its ugly head and starts haunting us again. It suggests to us that we can’t run hard enough, chase God fast enough, pray enough, serve enough, or be in church enough.

But our heavenly Father never bases His love and affirmation of us on what we do for Him—His acceptance is completely unconditional. You can’t do anything to win His approval. He loves you fully, and that will never change because you are in Christ. And grace can never be repaid. It carries no price tag – not because it’s worthless, but because it’s priceless.

Merely disciplining ourselves in Christian practices will never produce lasting joy in our lives. Too many of us are doing things out of duty rather than delight. We’re praying and reading our Bibles out of routine rather than enjoying our relationship with God. We live with continual guilt, feeling that we aren’t doing enough for Him. We try to get up early every morning and spend quality time with Him, but it’s never enough. We memorize Scripture and witness to everything that breathes, but always come away feeling we haven’t accomplished enough. We’re consumed with a fear of punishment for not measuring up.

We have been programmed to believe that our success in life is based on what we do.
But what is our Father’s view of success? The Scriptures clearly reveal that what makes a man or woman successful is not what they do; true success is being loved by God and being lovers of God. Psalm 18:35 says, “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great” (NIV).

What makes our lives valuable? It’s God’s extravagant love for us—not our accomplishments. Our worth is defined by the fact that He created us for Himself; He doesn’t want our efforts as much as He wants us. He certainly does enjoy what we do for Him. But most of all, He enjoys us!

The Approachable Father

Some of us also had fathers who were overly strict and stern. They placed demands on us that often broke our spirits, ruling the home with a mixture of fear and guilt. Instead of offering love and affirmation, they may have continually pointed out our faults and mistakes—perhaps thinking they would motivate us to “try harder.”

If you grew up with a dad who was demanding or abusive, you may have difficulty receiving your heavenly Father’s love; you may tend to think He’s always looking for some fault in you. As a result, it may be hard for you to picture Him smiling over you in loving approval and acceptance.

Like a beaten puppy, you may actually be afraid of God, assuming He’s just like the other authority figures in your life. But you must realize that He is different from any other authority figure you’ve ever known. He isn’t perpetually angry with you or just putting up with you; He enjoys you even in your struggles.

I’ve been blessed with two sons. When they were babies, they couldn’t communicate with me. They couldn’t even play golf with me. All they did was eat, sleep, and make messes. But I loved them intensely! Now that they are adults, I don’t love them any more than I did when they were babies. They were just in a different season of their lives.

1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (NIV). Do you get the message? God is not an authoritarian Father. He doesn’t want you shrinking back in fear or apprehension of Him.

The true fear of the Lord is not a tormenting fear or an emotional fear. It’s not even a fear of punishment in this life or the life to come. The fear of God is the sense of awe we experience when we’re brought face to face with the transcendent (unequaled, surpassing, matchless) splendor and beauty of who He is and the incredible love that He has for us. It is this awe and reverence that can bring us close to the Father’s heart and lead us into a life of spiritual and emotional wholeness.

Because of our past experiences, many mistake divine correction for divine rejection. But the Father’s correction is deeply rooted in His affections for us. While He may be displeased with a certain area in our lives, He is not displeased with us as individuals—as Proverbs 3:12 says, “the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (NIV). Although He sees the undeveloped areas of our character, He also hears the willing cry of our spirits. As we set our hearts on loving and obeying Him, He will make  adjustments in our lives until we come to maturity.

The Affectionate Father

In 1996, Christopher Robin Milne died in England. You may recognize the name. His father was the famed children’s author A. A. Milne, who named the lead human character in his Winnie-the-Pooh books after his son.

But according to Christopher Milne’s tragic obituary, his father spent little time with him. He was too busy making other children laugh and smile through his writings to take time for his own son. Christopher died in his 70s, hating his world-renowned father because he failed to live the kind of life he depicted in his books.

Like the younger Milne, a lot of us grew up with passive fathers. They seemed distant and rarely got involved in our personal lives. They weren’t very affectionate and rarely showed any emotion. So we have difficulty understanding God as our Father, because we view Him as distant and aloof. Our earthly fathers never expressed their love and affection for us or spent quality time with us. They didn’t seem to notice our joys, our sorrows, our struggles, or our successes. This has led us to believe that God doesn’t care about the details of our lives. We then find ourselves running to Him only in an emergency. Our relationship with Him never deepens or becomes intimate because, in the back of our minds, we fear that God is not really interested in us.

But just the opposite is true! You are special to Him (Psalm 139:13-18). There has never been another human being quite like you, and there never will be. You make Him smile. You make Him laugh. In Zephaniah 3:17, the Bible even says you make Him sing for joy. Whether you understand that or not doesn’t stop God from responding to you in this way.

He looks at you and grins. You are your Father’s unique boy or girl, bringing Him pleasure and delight in a way no one else ever could. He loves your freckles and funky-shaped toes—and He loves your heart. He loves you when you’re awake, vibrant, and full of life. And He loves you just as much when you’re down, struggling, and lethargic. He even loves you when you’re sleeping. He loves you when wake up—even with morning breath and “sleep” tucked in the corners of your eyes. He can’t wait to hear your first thoughts. He looks forward to accompanying you throughout the day and talking with you. He loves watching you enjoy His creation. He smiles when you look at the mountains, sea, or sky and think of Him. Just being with you is enough.

The truth is, God really likes you. In fact, He enjoys you. You may not think you measure up, but He does. He isn’t tolerating you. He isn’t waiting for you to become more mature in your Christian walk; He loves you right where you are, even in your weakness and immaturity. He’s not keeping a record of your mistakes or the times you blew it. Thanks to the gracious act of His Son, He sees you perfectly redeemed!

S.J. Hill is a gifted teacher and leader in the Body of Christ with over 37 years of experience in the ministry. He has traveled extensively, pastored, and been on the faculty of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry. He has also taught at Mike Bickle’s Forerunner School of Ministry in Grandview, Missouri. He is currently teaching part-time at the F.I.R.E. School of Ministry in Concord, North Carolina.  His website is www.sjhill.com.

Check out our podcast shows with SJ:

The Mystery of Evil & Wickedness
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Judgment & ‘Acts of God’
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Is it Possible to Enjoy God?
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“In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ And the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day.” -Zech. 14.20-21

I believe that this rather obscure passage at the close of Zechariah’s prophecy is charged with more meaning and significance than most of us have been able to recognize. I wonder how many believers in our day have really considered it.

Out of those who have spent time in Zechariah, many have seen these two verses as an unfitting finale to the drama, cataclysm, and splendor of this magnificent book. Indeed, when the Lord began to highlight these verses to my heart some time ago, I was amazed to see that I too had flown through them over the years without giving them ample attention.

We need a newfound consciousness of how “pregnant” each passage of Scripture is. We are too often flying through the Words of God, and that is not the way to approach the holy things which have been given from Heaven. This little inconspicuous passage is one such “holy thing”, and it needs to be approached with “rejoicing and trembling.” (Ps. 2.11)

David Baron (1855-1926), a Jewish believer in Jesus who was a remarkable theologian, gave us these words in his masterpiece on Zechariah:

In the last two verses we reach the glorious goal and climax of vision and prophecy. God’s original purpose in the calling and election of Israel- ‘Ye shall be unto Me a Kingdom of priests, an holy nation’- shall at last be realized; the aim and purpose of the whole law,- namely, that His people might learn the meaning of holiness and become holy because Jehovah their God is holy; but to which, so long as they were in bondage to the law, they could not attain, shall at last be fulfilled when they are brought into a condition of grace, and when God shall put His law into their inward parts and write it on their hearts.

Then the world shall witness for the first time the glorious spectacle of a whole nation, and every individual member of it, wholly consecrated to Jehovah, and an earthly capital which shall truly answer to its name, ‘The Holy City,’ because it shall in many ways be the earthly counterpart and reflection of the glory of the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from God. (Baron, Zechariah: A Commentary On His Visions & Prophecies; pp. 530-531)

This whole statement from Baron is fascinating, but my heart is hung up on the first sentence:

“In the last two verses we reach the glorious goal and climax of vision and prophecy.”

The “glorious goal and climax of vision and prophecy”? What is it about the “bells of the horses” being inscribed, the cooking pots in the Lord’s house, and the other cooking pots in Jerusalem and Judah that causes the prophet to take notice?

I have said that when we think about that which is holy we are not likely to think upon utensils and accessories from a kitchen. When asked, “What constitutes the ‘holy things’?”, we may respond in reference to the realities of fasting and prayer, the wonders of the Scriptures, or the calling of the saints to bring light to the nations through witness. But bells on horses? Pots and pans? What is the prophet communicating here? How can mere pots and pans evoke a sense of the holiness of God?!

Perhaps our rapid-fire association of everything holy with religious practices, even God-given practices, is a statement that we have not yet come to realize the glory that lies in the most subtle, unexpected, and seemingly unspiritual of places. Jerusalem, at the end of the age, is the picture of a people, a land, and all that is within them coming into the high and glorious plane of consecration unto the living God.

AN IMMEDIATE HARVEST OR A LIFELONG CONSECRATION?

Any believer with a jealousy for bearing fruit would rejoice in the receiving of a notable harvest. A brother with a heart for evangelism would surely jump at the opportunity to preach to a crowd of 10,000 souls who were all wanting to hear about the Gospel. A sister with a vision for calling the church to fasting and prayer would surely be thrilled if she was asked to lead one of the major events of our day, when thousands were gathered to fast and cry out for revival. A brother with a heart for intensive study in theology would certainly see it as a gift from heaven if 5,000 volumes were dropped into his office with no charge to his account. Any believer who is hungry to see the power of God demonstrated in the earth would not wince when receiving a word that through his hands would come thousands of miracles and healings.

All of us value the receiving of a “harvest” in whatever form that takes. But there is something about this passage in Zechariah 14 that raises a question about the potential unreality of our consecration to the Lord, and it has everything to do with how we are viewing those things in our lives that appear mundane, common, or even despised by men.

Years ago, when speaking about true consecration unto God, Amy Carmichael wrote that the believer who abides in true holiness “cleanses in brightness all that he touches.” There is a crucial revelation in this. The believer who comes into a union with God that produces a living holiness affects that which he touches, even down to the most practical and common of issues. Whether laying hands on a sick child for healing, or filling the sink with soap water to do the dishes for his wife, everything has become holy. Whether lifting his hands to worship the Lord during a fast, or changing the diaper of his baby in the middle of the night, everything has become holy. Whether proclaiming the Word in a large gathering of the saints, or helping his child with homework, everything has become holy. He “cleanses in brightness all that he touches.” Indeed, to him, the pots and the pans have even become holy, for he has learned to abide in the presence of Christ. He has recognized the light of the Son of God in the “land” of his life. Everything is charged with the weight of glory, and the light of His countenance.

Zechariah 12 through 14 comprises one of the most intense eschatological portions in all of the Scriptures. In it we stumble upon glimpses into the battle for Jerusalem, the time of Jacob’s trouble, the judgment of the nations, the salvation of the remnant of Israel, the return of Christ, and the glories of the millennial Kingdom and the New Jerusalem. It is a concentrated revelation, in three short chapters, of many of the things that will transpire at the end of this age. It’s absolutely riveting to meditate on. Have you considered it?

Yet this shocking, almost pulsating passage of Scripture is capped off by a few verses speaking of the consecration of bells on horses, pots in the house of the Lord, and pots in the homes of Judah’s residents. Baron says these verses are the “glorious goal and climax of vision and prophecy” themselves. Not merely the climax of Zechariah’s book, but the climax of vision and prophecy altogether!

So what makes the pots and pans holy? It raises questions regarding our modern understanding of holiness. If “holy” is not merely a word we use during worship times, and if “holiness” does not only mean that we refrain from certain movies and styles of dress, what constitutes that which is holy? This is certainly not a statement of license for those who wish to live morally compromised lives. God has called us to righteousness in all things. There should be no question on that. But perhaps holiness is something that is of the same Spirit as righteousness, but is comprised of a reality that we have scarcely seen or experienced. I believe that true holiness has rarely been realized and walked in among the saints in our generation, and it has everything to do with the lack of an awareness of the presence of God in the “common” places of our lives.

In Jerusalem, during the millennial reign of Christ, anyone who visits the home of a Jewish family is going to be stricken by the surprise of an entirely different atmosphere. According to this passage, not only are the pots “in the House of Lord” considered valuable and of especial value, but every “cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts.”

At the end of the age, the wisdom of men will be turned on its head. Swords will be beaten into plowshares. Nations will study war no more. The last shall be the first and the greatest will be the servant of all. The menial tasks of working and plowing will be transfigured as the bells on the horses are inscribed with the phrase, “HOLY UNTO THE LORD.” The pots in the kitchens of Jewish residents will act like a match that strikes a spiritual fire in the hearts of all those who visit Jerusalem. There will be an overwhelming consciousness in all of Judah that every person within their borders, and every possession that they have been given has become “HOLY UNTO THE LORD.”

What a glorious picture! What a culture shock! What a distinction from the manner in which we typically view our brothers and sisters, our spouses and children, our possessions, our occupations, and our so-called menial tasks. We are accustomed to flinging open the kitchen cabinets, banging and clanking until we find the pot that will best and most conveniently serve our immediate purposes. We often treat other people, even our own family members, with such carelessness and irreverence that one may wonder whether or not we have realized the light and presence of Christ at all. But the saints to whom the “pots and pans” have become holy will emit a heavenly fragrance, a holy value, a Divine disposition, and out of their souls “will flow rivers of living water.”

Our propensity to find value in position, status, or some mode of religious performance is a statement that we have not yet come into this glory. Yet the Lord desires to bring us into it, for this kind of seeing would enable us to engage His heart in communion and worship in the midst of all surroundings. He longs to abide with us.

What makes the bells and the pots and pans of Zion holy? Nothing less than the presence of the Christ in the land. These pots and pans are not special because of their brand name or the uniqueness of their design. They are holy because they have been permeated with the light of the Son of God who reigns from the holy hill of Zion. He has planted His feet “on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east,” “and the Lord will be king over all the earth.” (14.4, 9)

The “luminaries will dwindle” (14.6) in comparison to the sending forth of His light and presence in the land. To be in Jerusalem during the millennial reign of Christ is to find yourself in a land and amongst a people that have been consecrated through and through as “HOLY UNTO THE LORD.” You will be surrounded on every side by a sense of the holiness of God Himself, and the remarkable thing is that the “kind intention” of the Father is to bring us, who are mostly Gentiles, into a walk and a consciousness that is not unlike the experience of one who visits Zion at the end of the age.

Karl Barth, arguably the most well known theologian of the 20th century, was famous for three simple words:

“God is other!”

“Other than what?”, you ask. We need not give further description. He’s simply “other.” There is no god like Him, and every man falls short of His glory and beauty. Everything that He is transcends the best of what we’ve seen in the earth. His righteousness is brighter than our best moral attempts. His humility is not like our self-conscious attempt at meekness. His love is utterly selfless. He’s holy. He’s other.

Most of our ministerial activities are marked by human striving, dependence upon technology, and are more predictable and subjective than they are alive with Divine Glory. Most of us stumble in unbelief over the mundaneness of all that has been set before us in the reality of life. But the saints in our generation who recognize and value the presence of Christ, even in the midst of the menial tasks in their “land” will express a heavenly wisdom that will move Israel to jealousy and constitute an apostolic witness to the nations.

The souls who lay hold of the grace to still their hearts in awe before the abiding Christ, consecrating as “holy” even the “pots and pans” in their lives, are the ones who will drink deeply of His own nature, becoming a house in which He makes His habitation by the Spirit. They will not be dominated by the spirit of this age. The powers and influences of lust, pride, fear, rage, and self-absorption will have no pull on their hearts. Their lives will be a glory unto God. They will be called “other”.

“HOLY UNTO THE LORD.”

Can you believe that this is your own high privilege as a child of God?