I know the Passion theme has used and over-used, but the lyrics of this song are excellent. Enjoy.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the sheer amount of noise that is out there – all clamouring for your attention and mine.

“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land–not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. – Amos 8:11

Think about the following:

• The average young person views more than 3,000 ads per day on television (TV), on the Internet, on billboards, and in magazines
• Young people view more than 40,000 ads per year on television alone
• The average teenage girl sends 80 text messages a day; 30 for the average teenage boy

And here are some numbers that your mind can’t even compute:

• Youtube serves over 1 billion videos a day
• in 2009, 90 trillion emails were sent
• on Facebook, there are 400 million active users, 50% of which login on any given day

You get the idea.  I could keep rhyming off all the stats across all demographics… they’re endless.  You sense it in your own life.

People now report “feeling naked” if their mobile phone or Internet-accessible device is not within arms’ reach.  Insomnia has now reached epic proportions.  Millions of people cannot sleep without some sort of background noise – TV, radio, etc. – playing in the background.

Many people spend more time online in a virtual world than they do actually interacting in the real world, beyond the standard greetings and salutations.

Stats and figures.  Pundits and experts.  New medical research studies contradicting the old.  You can’t eat this; you should eat that.  A steady diet of information so that we don’t actually have to think (yet when we can quote and appear smart).

On Facebook, it appears everyone’s a philosopher; an expert.  Just key in a few words of grand, worldly-wise advice in your status bar and other people click “Like” even though they won’t remember it 5 minutes from now.

Even Christian literature – advice, new revelations, instruction – are well beyond the saturation point.  At the airport yesterday, I came across an absolute mockery of a book entitled “A Divine Revelation of Hell“.  Light, chaffy and cheap is the order of the day.

But forget about the junk.  Even with the good, profitable stuff that is out there, how can we possibly ingest it all? Picture a 10-litre bottle of liquid being furiously poured through a small funnel into another bottle.  Maybe a few drops will make it to the final destination, but 99% of it will flow over the edge of the funnel, all over the counter.  How much of what you read do you actually assimilate and incorporate into your life?

On Tuesday I was in Versailles, Ohio (a rural town pronounced “ver-sales”; that’s the mid-west US for you) and the first thing that hit me?  The quietness.  It’s a small town.  You could actually hear silence, if that’s possible.  And I enjoyed it.  But for how long before I need to be reconnected and plugged in to the noise and distraction?

In all of this, how can we possibly learn to listen to the voice of God which is often inaudible and at a deeper frequency than what our quick-hit, shallow culture allows for?

It’s important to take the time to be with God.  Cut off from time and the rest of the world.  Nature is a wonderful place to meet with Him (for me), but I’m sure each hungry person can find his own “closet”.

Going back to that scripture quoted above (Amos 8:11), is it possible to really hear what God is saying when His is just one of so many thousands we pay heed to?  Has His word simply been reduced to a guidebook of “suggestions” as a result?

If we are simply children and products of our culture, should we be surprised if we are malnourished spiritually?  We might have a lot of resources, books and quotations on the tip of our tongues, but poverty of soul is what I’m talking about.  Selah.

One of the most brutally honest Psalms can be found in #73, written by a young man named Asaph.  Here we get a tour of the battle going on inside the mind of a youth as he wrestles with the benefits of serving God versus the benefits he observes in those who live as though He does not exist.

He starts off by acknowledging the faithfulness of God to true believers, but he categorizes himself as one of little faith. He then admits:

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

The closer we get to the edge of the precipice, the greater the chances of us tumbling over.  As the saying goes, the “grass is greener on the other side”… that is, until you actually get there.  Wasn’t this the mindset of the Prodigal Son who decided to forge his own way in the world, tired of being under his father’s roof with all its restrictions?

On the surface, it seems as though the man without regard for God lives so carefree and at ease.  He speaks freely without fear of divine retribution; he lives it up and does whatever he pleases never pausing to look over his shoulder.   Essentially, he is his own god and master.  Amazingly, this is the world we live in today.  In a recent book entitled, “The Day America Told the Truth”, the overwhelming majority of people surveyed – 93% – said that they, and nobody else, determine what is and what isn’t moral in their lives.   93%.  This way of thinking has not only permeated society, but affects the church as well.  We live in a society completely adrift of any moorings.  Every man is regarded as his own king and lord.  As in the days of the Judges, every man does what is right in his own eyes.

Is there a worse place to be?  We are on slippery ground indeed when a man regards himself as the pinnacle of moral authority, unaware of the subtlety, deception and evil of his own heart.

Young Asaph, the author of this Psalm, came dangerously close to buying into this mode of thinking:

Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

He was saying that all my attempts to live for God are futile and bring no tangible and present benefits.  Meanwhile, the man who doesn’t even care for God is prospering and enjoying life.  He was ripe for the Devil’s attack; ready to switch allegiance.  He was confused, but the mist began to clear when he “entered the sanctuary of God.”

And this is the turning point.

Anyone who claims they can live a successful Christian life without a steady and balanced diet of God’s word from God’s man is deceived.  There’s something about being among fellow believers and hearing the word of God that makes all the difference.  It did for Asaph.  A beam of light raised him from his dejection and caused the mist to fade…

He realizes something about the finality of those who refuse to acknowledge any authority higher than themselves:

Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.

But rather than getting down on the arrogance of those who strut like peacocks, he turned the light inward and humbled himself before the Lord.  A new days dawns as he pens these words:

I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Now that is what I call true repentance: a changing of his entire mind.  He reflected on his former state and regarded himself as no more than an animal – living just for the minute without consideration of eternity.  We would do well to remember that the most significant battles we face occur within the trenches of our minds, hidden even from those closest to us.  God seeks to change our minds and hearts by renewing us through His word and Spirit.  It is a process requiring a solid diet of spiritual food, prayer and walking in the light of the gospel.  Finally, he declares:

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

When our view expands from the immediate and we take in the big picture, we can rest in the fact that God is in control. Cling to Him, no matter how things look on the surface.  There is no better place to be than in fellowship with Him.

Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. - Prov 29:25

The fellow on the right is an intimidating character to be sure.  There’s something about having a 190 lb. pet hyena that sends a crystal-clear message.  His job?  To extort money from other poor people in West Africa.  Which emotion do you think he triggers in order to do his job well?  You got it: fear.

Fear can be healthy.  It’s a built-in warning system that we have to protect us.  It acts like a sixth sense a lot of the time.

Honestly now.  How would you respond if he approached you?

Well, forget about him.  Truth be told, many of crumple under the gaze of much less fearsome folk all the time.  We fear a rude look or a rude word.  But I think what we fear most is what people will THINK of us.  It’s a fact that the majority of us live and make decisions based on how others will perceive us.

If we find ourselves asking “What if?” all the time, we are governed by fear.  What if the stock market crashes, that person doesn’t like me, I lose my job, I get sick, my house gets robbed?  On and on.  But the greatest fear we have is of one another: the fear of men.  That’s why scripture warns against it incessantly.

When you live your life in fear of men, Proverbs tells us it will be a snare.  You will want people to like you, you will shy away from living or speaking anything remotely offensive – including the truth.  In short, you will learn the art of the chameleon.  That’s why the Lord said:

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! – Luke 6:26

Fear is not an emotion you can turn on and off.  It’s like lust.  It rises from within.  It’s been programmed and embedded into us so deeply.  But it can be conquered.  And being free of what people THINK of us is the most liberating of all. Then we are free to serve God in spirit and truth.

In the first chapter of Joshua, when this man was taking over the reigns from Moses and entering unchartered territory, the word “courage”, “courageous” or “discouraged” (as in “don’t be discouraged”) appears 5 times.  In a single chapter.

When Paul wrote to young Timothy he tells him, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7).  Paul spent a lot of time building this man up.

In Matthew 10, when Jesus was sending His disciples out to minister for the first time, He tells them “do not be afraid” 3 times.

I am no great conqueror of fear myself – something I battle with like most.  But courage is not the absence of fear; it is what drives us through fear.  But I find that the following help me to overcome it sometimes:

• hope: that person may reject me or the truth; but what if they receive it?
• love: instead of worrying about how I’ll be perceived, just acting or speaking in love is powerful
• perspective: what can they really do to me?  Gossip?  Shout?  Hit?  Most of the time what we envision in our minds never comes to fruition (though sometimes it does)
• God’s word: it is a shield indeed and is really the foundation of the above items
• Trust God: when you can’t figure Him out, lean on Him (note: if the only time you call on Him is when you’re going through fearful experiences, you might be disappointed; but maybe not)
• Just do it: instead of mulling over all the consequences, just stepping out in faith works wonders
• Realizing Who actually does the work: “It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”

I read this in a novel years ago and wrote it in my Bible:

Fear inspires the timid and makes bold the brave, but the greatest advocate of action is hope.

This past weekend we dealt with spiritual warfare and the subtlety and aims of the Adversary to undermine our faith.  In the minds of many Christians, we wonder what we would do if a gun was held to our head and we were ordered to deny the Lord or face the consequences.  But the battle we’re in most often is a constant “dripping of water” which wears away the stone of our resolve to live for Him.  This is the warfare we face daily.

Erosion doesn’t happen instantly, but over weeks, months and years.  Likewise, the erosion of one’s faith, hunger and thirst for God is how the Devil attacks most often.

I have met a number of drug addicts or recovering addicts.  One thing is consistent among all.  Not one ever got out of bed one morning and said, “I think I’m going to try heroine today” or “I’ve always wanted to smoke crack”.  Rather, the downward trajectory started ever so slowly.

For example (not necessarily in this order), hanging out with the wrong people led to … smoking … drinking and softer drugs …   going to the wrong places … a bad life situation resulting in a careless attitude…  a sense of overconfidence (“I’ll just try it once”)… trying it… addicted… life unravels.

If you look at your life and consider what addictions, vices or strongholds you wrestle with, chances are they started out as a seedling that has now grown into a mighty oak.   Internet pornography is a perfect example of this.  In his brief epistle, James was very wise when he wrote:

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. – James 1:15

From a religious perspective, a gradual backsliding, casualness and cooling off in regards to your relationship with God happens over time.  Just as a marriage dies long before the divorce actually happens, if we are not vigilant and nurturing, our hunger and thirst for God will shrivel and be replaced with other cares.  We may continue in our religious duties, but the life has been sucked out of our relationship with Him.

Here are a few things to consider in order to keep yourself in check:

The Church at Rome: Paul had written a letter to this church years before, but in Acts 28 he was finally able to meet with the church in person – though as a prisoner.  ”The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us.”  (Acts 28:15).  So eager were the people to meet with him for the first time that they traveled more than 60 km – probably on foot – from Rome to accompany him on the last leg of his journey!

Fast forward a few more years.  In his last letter, Paul describes his first Roman trial.  Things were beginning to get a little hot.  He says, “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me.”  (2 Tim 4:16).  What happened between the celebration at Three Taverns and his first court date?

Demas: Here’s a man who is mentioned only sparingly in a few verses of scripture.  But those mentions tell us quite a bit.  In Philemon 24, Paul calls him his one of “my fellow workers.”  He is also mentioned in Colossians 4 as sending his greetings to the church at Colosse.

But in 2 Timothy 4, Paul says, “Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.”

How did he go from fellow worker to forsaker?

Laodicea: In Colossians 4, Paul mentions the church at Laodicea with not even a hint of rebuke.

“Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea… After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.” – Col 4:15-16

Yet 25 years later, this same church receives perhaps the harshest rebuke from none other than the Lord Jesus, as recorded in the book of Revelation.  His words:

“But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (3:17)

How did they go from a vibrant church to one that was lukewarm to the point that Christ warned He would spew them out of His mouth?

Consider.

“Eloquence may dazzle and please; Holiness of life convinces.”

We live in an age of sound-bytes and headlines. An age when people are enamoured with rhetoric, lights, smoke and loud music, more than they are by straightforward, plain truth.  But after the music has stopped what are people left with?

In February, my employer sent the entire company to Sin City for a few days.  I am officially the worst person to go to Las Vegas with as I have zero interest in anything the city has to offer.  The highlight of my trip was getting out of the city on the last day and climbing a mountain (that’s me on the right at Red Rock Canyon).

For everyone else, the major highlight of the company event was guest speaker Tony Robbins who was able to convince 1,800 grown adults to run around screaming and jumping like kindergarten children.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  He spoke for about 2 hours, to the tune of over $150,000 for his services.  People raved and raved about the experience; people were called up on stage to report how this session completely revolutionized their life.  In his excitement, one guy from India said that part way through Robbins’ session, he called his wife and screamed that he’s coming home a new man!

But here we are, 2 months later.  Some of the thoughts were well-packaged common sense tidbits combined with name-dropping, rags-to-riches stories.  Today I wonder how impactful the principles (premised on neuro-linguistic programming or NLP; in my view a form of self-manipulation) have been in lives of the 1,800 since.   I’m sure some people bought books and CDs immediately after, but I don’t hear anyone talking about it around the office nowadays.  It’s faded.

It was an emotional event, run by a very charismatic speaker who razzle-dazzled the crowd.   It was a cloud without water. When we used to live in the bush of Kenya, in an area where it almost never rained, every cloud that appeared caught your eye.  ”I wonder if it’ll rain today.  We really need it.”  But the cloud passed on or evaporated in the heat of the sun.  You were left a little disappointed, forced to face 42°C heat day-after-day.

This frame of thinking – characterized by instant fixes, quick formulas for success, self-manipulation – is a spirit of our age.  Sadly many in the church expect this as well, and are able to find too many preachers more than willing to comply.

The less shiny, less euphoric, less glamourous aspect of Holiness – attempting to live right before our God, though we are imperfect – stands uncourted like an Ugly Betty.  After all, how can she compete with the flashing smile and dazzling eyes of Eloquence?

But in the end, the beauty of Eloquence fades, justs like a Tony Robbins event.  It was a vapour of rhetoric and well-formed words.  Holiness and likeness to Christ – the narrow, lightly trodden path – is what must be our pursuit if we are to attain unto eternal life.

Build on the sold rock of truth, not the sand of imagination.

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” - 1 Cor. 10:12

I now come to that part of Christian morals where they differ most sharply from all other morals. There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.

The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit: and the virtue opposite to it, in Christian morals, is called Humility. You may remember, when I was talking about sexual morality, I warned you that the centre of Christian morals did not lie there. Well, now, we have come to the centre. According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

- CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

In the days of old, when a country was invaded by an aggressive nation, people for miles around would centralize in the nearest castle or walled city.  Sometimes the invading country would attempt to breach the walls, weaken the foundations by digging or burn the gates; other times they would lay siege to the city for months or years, waiting for the people inside to get desperate as water and food supplies dwindled or plague spread, forcing them to open the gates at last.

Well, think about the concept of spiritual warfare.  Here we’ll just briefly touch on a few thoughts – this is a massive subject.

First things first.  We need to grasp that there is a battle on for our souls, just like two armies might fight over a piece of land.  Spiritually, before receiving Christ you were owned by the Devil.  If you have not bowed the knee to Christ, you are still in bondage to the Devil – no matter how good you might consider yourself to be:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. – Eph 2:1-2

But, when the light penetrated the darkness of your heart and Christ became your Saviour, the Devil lost his sovereign right to you.  Christ the Conqueror became your Lord.  Battle over, right?  No. Here the battle begins.

Just as a country might have been peppered with strongholds, built up in strategic places throughout the land, you have strongholds that have not yet been surrendered to the Lord.  Strongholds are ways of thinking so deeply imbedded in us, contrary to the way of God, that serve as roadblocks to our spiritual growth.  We should be able to identify a few of these areas, but some are so ingrained in our thinking we don’t even know they are strongholds at all.

A lot of Christians feel terribly weak and alone because we have this concept that once we’ve accepted the Lord, all darkness ought to be banished away.  But in reality, the process of conversion and sanctification takes a lifetime, as one area after another becomes the domain of the Lord.  This is not a passive process.  You’re actively involved in your sanctification.

Even after repentance and acceptance of the Lord, strongholds persist as:

• guilt: “Have I really been forgiven?” (doubting the true power of what Christ came to do, for you)
• religion: binding you to duty, ceremony and forms of penance (in a word, ‘works’) as a means of placating God
• lust: takes various forms
• materialism: a constant battle to find security in things rather than God (in a word, ‘idolatry’)
• fear: of people, of death; deep anxiety and lack of peace
• worldly philosophy: “It is arrogance to claim to be certain about anything.”; tolerance vs. godly conviction
• doubt: as the serpent said to Eve, “Hath God said..?”
• a besetting sin: usually something that plagues your mind and tries to make you rationalize certain actions that are contrary to following Christ (can be very deep-seated)

There are a ton of areas that we couldn’t possibly cover – ways of thinking that are contrary to God, but so ingrained in our personage that we see no way of being free of them.  Just as a physical stronghold was built to withstand external forces, these are areas in our lives that will not disappear easily.  They have deep foundations, high walls and sturdy doors.

As you already know, most of the significant battles we face occur beneath the surface, in our own minds and hearts.  But the Lord has not left us at the mercy of these strongholds.  By the power of His Spirit, we can lay siege to these areas, and by believing and living according to His word, patiently but purposely gain the victory.

Here’s what the Apostle Paul said:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. – 2 Cor 10:4-5

Notice that: the weapons we are equipped with (the word of God, prayer, the promise of salvation, believing you are adopted into the family of God, the certainty of Christ’s supremacy, the power of the gospel to save to the uttermost, etc) are able to demolish these areas that keep us in bondage.

If we don’t use the weapons or back away when things get uncomfortable (ie: ending a relationship detrimental to our growth in God)?  No ultimate victory.  Slowly, the forces gathered behind the fortress wall will regain strength and re-conquer you, leaving you worse off than when you started (see Matt 12:43-45).

We are to be free from self-deception (kidding ourselves that habits we entertain or ways of thinking aren’t really all that bad).  This is not a casual exercise.  Paul continues:

“…and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (v 5b)

This is a brutal picture, not a passive exercise.  Bound and shackled, we are to banish these areas that exalt themselves against God.  This is warfare.  With the help of God, we demolish the walls, but don’t leave the stronghold alone after that.  No…  we thoroughly address the core issue until it has been conquered.  Only then can we claim the victory in that area.

At the end of it all, we can say like Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7.  We will finally lay down the sword and pick up the crown.

Have you heard or read this story before?  It’s an African parable by Emmaus-Katigamu.  I first heard it when my pastor (Desmond Singh) preached on it, specifically focusing on the call to ministry.  Especially nowadays, I can’t think of the ministry without this story popping to the forefront of my mind.

Bitter-sweet – but I can’t see another path, and no example in the Bible affords one.  Whether Joseph (13 years in slavery and prison), Moses (40 years on the backside of the desert), David (14 years on the run, living in caves) or Paul (sent home to cool off for a couple years before going out on his first missionary journey)…  All were processed.

The Apostle was able to write:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us…  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:7, 16

Here it goes:

Once upon a time there was a farmer who had two gardens. One was in the mountains and the other was in the plains. The farmer loved both gardens very much. But in particular he loved one tree in the mountain garden. This tree was a bamboo.

Bamboo was very tall and very beautiful. The farmer used to visit Bamboo every evening to admire and enjoy her beauty. When the farmer was visiting, Bamboo would always dance beautifully, which made the farmer even happier. The farmer loved Bamboo very much, much more than other trees.

It so happened that there was once a drought in the plains, and the lower garden started to dry. The drought was so severe that the plants started to die off. The farmer was desperate to find a way of watering this garden. There was plenty of water in the mountains, but he had no way of taking the water to the plains. Then the farmer remembered his friend Bamboo.

So the farmer went to Bamboo one evening and they started talking. “Bamboo,” said the farmer, “I love you a great deal.”

Bamboo was very happy. Dancing, she responded, “I too love you so much, master.” The master was pleased.

“So now, Bamboo,” said the master, “I want to use you.”

“I am ready, master,” answered Bamboo.

“But there is one condition,” the master went on. “In order to use you, I must cut you down.”

Bamboo was grieved and very disturbed. “Master,” said Bamboo, “you say you love me. Why then do you want to destroy me?”

“Bamboo,” the master said, “I don’t want to destroy you, I want to use you. But in order for you to be usable to me, I must cut you. If you are not ready to be cut, I cannot use you.”

Bamboo was most unhappy, because she feared the pain. But because she loved the master and trusted him, she decided to let the master go on. So the master took a hatchet and cut down Bamboo. It was very painful.

The master said, “Good, but there is some more work to do on you; I have to chop off your branches.”

Bamboo complained even more. “Master, you want to kill me now.” The master remained silent; and seeing that he was serious, Bamboo decided to submit. The master took his hatchet again and cleaned off the branches until Bamboo was very clean. Then he said, “This is really good, Bamboo, but there is still one last thing. I have to pop out your inside.”

Bamboo was terrified. The last two steps had been painful enough, but to pop out her inside — that was unthinkable. Bamboo struggled with this. But then the master said, “I cannot use you unless I pop out your inside.” Seeing that the master was serious, Bamboo again submitted.

The master took an iron rod and popped out the inside until Bamboo was hollow. It was extremely painful. But Bamboo was now ready to be used.

The master used Bamboo as a pipe to connect his two gardens. Soon water started to flow from the mountain garden into the garden in the plains. The plants were revived. Seeing her usefulness, both Bamboo and the master were very happy. They ended up greater friends than before.