Not Forsaken

 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest." Ps: 22:1-2

Many times, we can feel as if we are alone, that all around us is darkness and that the circumstances of our life are growing in darkness and at every turn there is adversity. We feel pressed in upon by the things that we face.

In these times of great stress it may feel, from our human vantage point, that our God is far off and distant. It seems as if our Lord has not heard our cry for his divine assistance, that he has turned a deaf ear to us. The heavens are as brass and  no answers are forth coming to our prayers.

 We can feel that God has forsaken us and deliverance from our trails seems remote in the face of the growing personal darkness that will, from time to time,  beset us.

Forsaken?

In all the gathering darkness and when hope seems far off we even find ourselves ,  as the very words which our Lord Jesus uttered there, in that dark day upon the cross at Calvary, as all the weight of human sin was judged in his holy person.  

Our Lord reaches into the Sacred writ of the Holy Scriptures and uses the words penned by Jesus' royal ancestor King David; of whos' throne he is the heir to.

"My God, May God, why have you forsaken me?" Ps: 22:1

At first appearance these words of Jesus may take on the shroud of desperation, abandonment or even fear, yet when properly understood we find that they are something more, something greater, not just for our Lord, but for each and all of us even in the midst of our times of personal darkness.

Messianic Psalm

For centuries Psalm:22 was understood by Israel's Rabbinical scholars as a Messianic Psalm belonging to the very Messiah. This Psalm is far more than a cry of abandonment as some have supposed, it is rather is one of great hope to each and all of us as we face difficult times. 

What our Lord Jesus is doing is there upon the cross, enveloped in darkness of the judgement of sin for all humanity, is, declaring that he is the Messiah of Israel and all humanity.   Far from being a despondent cry of abandonment, these words are a glorious shout of victory, won for us through Jesus.

Worship and Trust

After Jesus' shout of victory, the Psalm then looks to the faithfulness of God as that faithful one who will, in the end make all things right for those who trust in him. These words were, in Jesus' mind , not just for himself alone but for each and all of us.

The words of the Psalm encourage us to worship and trust in God who is faithful and has wrought salvation for us. We should Worship and  praise him and trust him as he is faithful.

"Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises
In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame" (3-5)

When we come to see this as a declaration of Jesus' Messiahship  it transform the whole tenner and tone of the Psalm, it elevates it, raises it high as a Psalm of the glorious victory over all that we might contend with in this life . Over sin, fear, or even death itself

 It speaks to us of victory over sin, over pain, over loneliness, over sickness, over persecution, over oppression, over injustice, and even over death itself.

In the Midst of Adversity

David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, composes the words which describe the scene at the cross and the experiences of our Lord in the midst of the adversity. David prophetically writes of that which our Lord felt and saw. 

  
Verses (6-21) describes all that was arrayed against Jesus and the passion of the Crucifixion. . The oppression and persecution. The injustice and confinement. The alienation and profound sense of loss. The pain and suffering. The waning of life and untimely death.

All That We Face

All these adversities were the personal experiences of our Lord Jesus. All of this binds Jesus to us in a unique and profound way and imparted a divine empathy for all our sufferings thru which he is able to stand as our High priest and Intercessor and Advocate. Jesus in his humanity faced every and all that might face in our lifetimes. 
 

"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted". Heb: 2:18

  That day, upon the cross of Calvary, was a compression of all the human conditions, and a microcosm of all humanities suffering brought to bear upon Jesus Christ as he endures the judgement of all human sin. All that any and all of that we might face in our lives, individually or collectively, was present there and given vivid expression in the Passion of Jesus as expressed in words of the Psalm.

 With Us 

All of us face times of great suffering as we pass through this life trials, test, sufferings are all a part of the life we live. St. Peter comments regarding reality which we all will encounter in his first general Epistle to the Church.

 "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation."1Ptr:4:12-13

St. Peter , however,  not only comments that these "fiery ordeal(s)" are common among us , all the more,  these things which we face also reflect the truth that we are identified with our Lord Jesus and as we share in his "sufferings" , but what is more to our salvation Jesus has shared in our sufferings.

 Jesus is there in the midst of our sufferings to give strength and to help us. Jesus meets us as our Lord even in the midst of our sufferings, trails, difficulties and even at our worst moments Jesus is there. Jesus will never abandon us. Jesus has made an eternal commitment to us all.

 "I will never leave you nor forsake you" Heb:13:8

 Our Lord knows us all,  he understand just who and what we are and what we face and in spite of all things,  in all of our brokenness and the sufferings of this life . Through the cross he is sharing in all of our suffering(s), he even being the Son of God did nor does not exempt himself from human suffering , rather that he embraced it with and for us.

Because  of Jesus , we are never forsaken. We can face all things because he is the Messiah as Jesus is declaring in the words of the Psalm. This means that,  we can face anything because Jesus is the Messiah and that victory is assured us.

 Beyond the Sufferings

Jesus knew the outcome of the cross and the glory which awaited him. This truth is expressed in   Psalm: 22:22-31.  The glory and salvation is depicted in these verses are all expressed in the affirmative.

This tells us that Jesus knew the outcome. Jesus knew what was beyond the cross and the grave and the glory that awaited him, and we all through him.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews expresses it this way.

 "who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb: 12:2b

 Jesus knew what was beyond the sufferings. He knew that victory and glory awaited him.

This should give us hope and that through Jesus, that  we too will share in all that is his.

"For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Heb: 12:3

Because of Jesus

We, each and all of us, can face whatever comes against us in this life because Jesus is the Messiah, this is what Jesus is proclaiming to us all thru the words of the Messianic Psalm.  Jesus is declaring his very Messiahship to us giving us hope and in the midst of what we face. As Jesus shouted in victory.

"My God, My God Why Have You Forsaken Me?"

Benediction: May we all take hope and be comforted knowing that we will never be forsaken, that our Lord Jesus is there with us through whatever we face, today, tomorrow and forevermore Amen

Rev. Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma 

Lay No Hands Suddenly

 "Lay no hands suddenly on no man," 1Timothy:5:22a

This was the advice that the Apostle St. Paul had given to the young pastor St. Timothy regarding placing different persons into potions of leadership within the Church.

Over the years which I have spent in the ministry, some few have asked, and had wondered how the leadership of the Church is brought to lift one person to a position(s) of responsibility, ordaining them or giving them a commissioning to serve within a particular ministry within the local assembly.

All fellowships have their own method by which this process comes about, but in the end, it is always that our Lord Jesus has appointed such a one to serve, and the Holy Spirit leads the Church leadership to simply acknowledges that is so.

"I'm a Prophet!"

In a particular congregation a man, who on more than one occasion, approached me and informed me that, "God has called me to be a prophet" to eight churches in the area, including the one which I pastored.

When , this was said to me by this man , the Holy Spirit said, (for lack of better words) "Be careful (again, over the years I have heard such assertions before from men who wished to insert themselves into positions of leadership) "do not let your guard down". 

This is what is called discernment, a gift of the Holy Spirit. Discernment is provided that pastors see what is behind words and actions. It is difficult to put it into words, yet it is real, simply put you can see the heart. I do not know any other way to say it.  

The holy skeptic reared its' head, and I gave this person a little space and considered what was underfoot. Several more times this same man came again to me and again each time asserting certain "insight" into situations and telling me about encounters which this individual had with leaders in different churches in the area and his place in giving these leaders direction.

On several occasions, this man had offered input to me, that frankly, did not match what I knew to be true. This man had made "prophetic" comments regarding my private prayers to God. What this man asserted had been revealed to him, simply did not match reality, what I personally knew to be true.

This man also wanted me to provide him introductions and endorsements to these eight area pastors who come from a wide range of Christians Churches and traditions, these pastors whom I knew well and had and worked with them on varies projects in our area.

There are many, (and I seemed to encounter them all), "self-ordained" persons roaming the churches. These persons have no oversight or accountability to anyone, they will often retort that they "answer to God" if they are questioned. 

Many of them carry with them an attitude, or if I may use what some of our Pentecostal brethren would call a "Jezebel Spirit." 

The main goal is, in spite of claims to the contrary, is power and control not truth or right and wrong, but power. I have never once seen it different.

Just a note, where as the "Jezebel spirit" seems to effect mainly lay persons that is, based on my own experiences, however, the "Nicolaitan spirit" seems to be found with some of the clergy.

The "Nicolaitans", in Revelation:2:15, were a group of "power driven" clergy which were found in some places within the early church. These pastors had begun as disciples of the Deacon Nicholas from Antioch who was among the first Deacons of the church.

The "Nicolaitans" used their position and authority for their own gain and advancement at the expense of the membership of the church. I am not talking about legitimate salaried clergy (of which I was one), after all, it says the "labor is worthy of his hire" and again "do not muzzle the ox which grinds the grain". St. Paul addressed this in his Epistle to the Corinthian Christians. 

These "Nicolaitans "used their position for themselves. They liked power. This cautions all who are in church leadership to be servants of the people that God has placed us over.

"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant," Matthew:23:11

"This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them" .Acts:6:5-6

Self-Ordained

This article is really not regarding the "Jezebel spirit" as such, but please bear with me. This spirit or attitude in my experience seems to effect "lay persons" rather than the clergy. The description of it is found in Revelation.

"I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead." Revelation: 2:20-23

The description found in Revelation of "calls herself a prophet" speaks of person(s) who are affected by this spirit as being "self-ordained" not having the blessing or oversight of church leadership but, rather, taking it upon themselves; they want it, so they attempt take it.

It is sad, but over the years many have wanted potions of authority within varies churches and they attempted to insert themselves into such potions without God's calling.

Those who carry the attitude of the "Jezebel spirit" claim to have special insight and understanding of truth above that of the God appointed church leadership. They will often circulate through a local congregation looking for ones who will tolerate them and give ear to their ideas. 

They, at times, will do this under the pretense of a "prayer group" to mask their true intent, what they are, in reality, doing is attempting to create their own church within a church.

Dear Christians, please learn to recognize this spirit when it raises its head to cause division in the church, even if it assumes the face of longtime friends.

"Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets”, (24b)

When Christians tolerate such a one to operate among them, then there is a price to pay for the division that is spawned. God will move to deal with a person after giving them time to change. 

"Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols" (20)

" I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead"(21-23a)

How to Know

So, having said all that, how does the church leadership know when a person is being called by God into a particular ministry? If the leadership of the church listens, they will hear the, "Vox Spiritum Sanctum" the voice of the Holy Spirit concerning God's will regarding a person's calling into ministry or leadership. How do we hear?

"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." Acts:13:2

The Holy Spirit spoke in the midst of the church and designated Barnabas and Saul to go and preach the Gospel. So how would the Spirit of God speak to us today regarding the calling on a person’s life into ministry?

I knew man, in one of the congregations which I served many years ago, who attempted to thrust himself into ministry under the rational that his "business success" qualified him for church leadership, yet the Holy Spirit was not speaking regarding this man being placed into the ministry, and in truth was just the opposite. This man's attempted grab at power caused division and problems from which that congregation may never recover from. He became divisive and disruptive and caused division within the local church until he finally left to find a church that would recognize his “leadership”.

The Holy Scriptures give us sound input about choosing church leadership. St. Paul writes regarding the Elders and Deacons. We can read of St. Paul's instructions in 1Timothy: 3:1-12 St. Paul tells us that a person’s desire to serve in leadership is good,

"Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a good thing."(1)

So if there is an inclination in a person toward leadership that is "a good thing”, but that alone is not sufficient. St. Paul, after giving the general requirements as to how such a one should conduct themselves tells St. Timothy that such candidate.

" ....must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons."(10)  

The Local Church

This being tested takes time. It requires the leadership of the church to watch and pray asking for God's direction. Is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives? Is the Holy Spirit speaking about them? The Holy Spirit will speak regarding one that is called; he will do this through the members of the local assembly who will be gently prompted by The Holy Spirit to give feed back to the church's leadership.

This is why it is so important for one to be a committed part of a local assembly, if one is not part of a local church there will be none to testify regarding their calling, or if person cannot be committed to a local assembly and drifts from church to church, they cannot be vested with responsibility.  

The Holy Spirit, in short, speaks through the members of the church to verify a person’s ministry not though anyone coming to the leadership and announce "I am a Prophet" ...self-testimony is not evidence of a person’s calling, it may be what they want, but not what God wants. This is especially true when a person has no lengthily history with a church. Even Jesus did not speak of himself in this way but the Father did of His Son.

"If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. "There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true".…John:5:31-32

 From God

All the gifts of the Holy Spirit are made to be used within the community of the church because they are at their heart relational not functional. 1Corinthians:12:

"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held  together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Ephesians: 4:11-16

This means, within the community of the church we help each other and others help us. All valid ministries within the body of Christ, whether they be the upper leadership of a denomination or in a local church assembly, these potions come from God himself.

" So Christ himself gave," as we read in Ephesians.

"And no man takes this honor to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Hebrews: 5:4

When God places one in a position of leadership, the church acknowledge it through the sacramental ceremony of laying on of hands, we simply say that we know God has placed such a one in a given role publicly before all.

This should bring support from the church and do-a-way with politicking, if any resist after God has over time made it clear of the person's calling, then they are not rejecting the person but God himself whether they understand it or not.

"Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me." Luke: 10:16 

If the church has somehow misunderstood God's will, then God will, over time, make it clear. This calls on us to have faith and trust in the leadership of Christ over his church.

God has and is working in the midst of his people; our Lord invites us all to participate with him as he carries out his work upon the Earth. He calls each of us into ministry. He will show us where and how we can serve. It comes though him alone not just through our own desire to be in a given role or self-declaration. 

Remember the words of St. Paul "Lay hands suddenly on no man”, the next time someone declarers to you "I'm a Prophet"...

Benediction: May we each and all have the discernment of the Holy Spirit in understanding of the calling of each and us all, today, tomorrow and forevermore .Amen.

Rev.Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma

"If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

Being Delivered

 Psalm:105, Admonished to the people of Israel, and all of us, to worship the God of the Holy Bible and to place their trust in him. To always remember his great acts of  deliverance and salvation and his faithfulness to fulfill his word  to Abraham and  to each and all.

No author's name is attached to Psalm:105, but it is believed to have been the work of a Levitical Priest and  his thoughts regarding the Great God speaking to the Israelite people.

  Psalm:105 recounts the acts of God in the life of the Children of Israel  reminding them never to forget their God and his faithfulness to them.

It is also possible that , Psalm:105 was used during one of the Holy Days of the Old Covenant.  Some Biblical Scholars believe that it was associated with the Feast of Tabernacles, or called Feast of Booths or Sukkot which recalled the people of Israel's wondering in the Wilderness, and believed by some, to look forward toward the Messianic Kingdom; or the Feast of Weeks, called the Feast of First Fruits also called Shavuot, which was when the Law was given from the top of Mt.Sinai.

Admonish to Worship

 Psalm:105 encourages the people of Israel, and again, all of us, to worship the Great God. The very God, who was, and is faithful to fulfill his word to Abraham to us all. To recall all of God's great acts of Salvation and to worship him for all that he is and all that he does.

"Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob"Ps:105:1-6
 

 Psalm:105 exults God and calls on us to join in venerating him and praising him. When they, or we consider him and all that he has done on our behalf our response should be to worship and giving him glory.

 If we truly could grasp who the great God is and the salvation that he has even now provided for each and all who will but freely receive  it, if we could,  just catch a glimpse of it, we would fall to our knees and thank him and honor him.

Assurance of Life

 Psalm:105 records for Israel how God, even before Israel was a nation, worked to assure that they would be his people. That God worked through the Patriarch Joseph to preserve life and to provide for the decedents of Abraham and to show an example of his faithfulness to they and believers throughout the ages and we today.

God moved in the life Joseph to shown himself faithful, even though Joseph was sold into slavery was made a slave and then was falsely accused and found himself alone in the dungeons of Egypt 

Even in these difficulties God never departed from Joseph. The Lord was with Joseph through and in it all. God was preparing Joseph to be used for great things which would impact all humanity for generations to come and sustain the family line from which Jesus Christ himself would emerge in human history manifesting the deliverance and salvation.

"He called down famine on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave.
They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,
till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.
The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.
He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,
to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom".(16-22)

Joseph, Jesus and Us

When we read these verses, they speak to each and all of us, not just regarding Joseph but about our Lord Jesus Christ and all of us as well. 

As Jesus came and sheared in our humanity in the incarnation. The Great God assumed us all up and joined us in a unique way to himself. This means that Jesus became like us making us his brethren and he ours.

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity" Heb:2:14

Jesus, the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, is through the incarnation , one of us. Jesus looks upon us all as his brothers and sisters, yet he still is and eternally the Son of God. 

Yet, Jesus like Joseph who, in the providence of God was despised and rejected by his own brothers who were motivated by jealousy and dislike for the divine revelation that Joseph spoke regarding his dreams and the favor that their father showed Joseph, they then and dropped Joseph into a well then sold by those brothers into slavery for the deliverance and salvation of the people, so was Jesus.

Jesus we are told came to his own, the Jews, who rejected him and did not want the divine revelation that Jesus spoke to them. The religious establishment motivated by jealousy moved to have Jesus arrested and put to death on the Cross, this happened ultimately for the deliverance and salvation of us all.  

"He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."Jhn:1:11

Delivered

Joseph, we understand from the Biblical narrative,  was ultimately delivered and lifted high in the land of Egypt. God was faithful not to abandon Joseph in the darkness and suffering of the dungeon and never forsaking the promises which the Lord had made to Abraham and all his decedents.

Through his place of authority Joseph acted to deliver his family and the people of the land and in doing so preserved the promises of the Messiah.

"till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom"

 Jesus was through the resurrection delivered from the dungeon of death and the grave and lifted to the highest place by the Great God.

" So it is also stated elsewhere: "'You will not let your holy one see decay." Acts:13:35

  "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name," Phip:2:9

  From this exulted place Jesus delivers us and preserves our lives, not just for the here and now but through all eternity.

This deliverance is for each and all of us , it speaks of God's faithfulness to and for us, we can like Joseph, and even our Lord Jesus , find ourselves in circumstances when it seems that we are bound by fetters of iron and taken the slavery of conditions and  into the dungeons of  despair. We may feel abandoned and forgotten. The situation that we are in my seem as if it will never change and we are lost without hope of deliverance.

It is in time like these that Scriptures witness to us of the faithfulness of God that he faithful and will ultimately act on our parts and deliver us as he did for Joseph and he did for his Son Jesus Christ.

St. Paul , speaking about his own deliverance from circumstance beyond his ability to change tells us that this experience was so that we learn to look only to Jesus to release us from the difficulties that we might face in this life.

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us" 2Cor: 1:8-10

To Set the Prisoner Free

Jesus came to deliver us and set us free, he frees us from sin, death, fear, disenfranchisement, whatever the dungeon is that we might find ourselves locked away in.

 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free," Lk:4:18

 If you, today are facing hardships and feel that there is no hope, and that you are abandoned take courage and be encouraged for the Lord is faithful and will not forsake you.

 God will, in his timing, act to bring you out of the dungeon you or any of us may find ourselves bounded and chained within. Our God is faithful and we will, in the end praise and worship the Great God, for we will be delivered.

Benediction: May we each and all look only to our God who delivers us thru his Holy Son Jesus Christ, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev.Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma