SGC Pastor's Blog

SGC, as we’ve noted from Mark’s gospel, Jesus began His public ministry in the region of Galilee preaching the “gospel of God”. Not just any gospel message. But the very gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1; Matthew 4:17,23; Luke 4:43). 

Moreover, Mark narrows his recounting of what Jesus was preaching when writing how He, “came into Galilee. . .saying things” about the power and rule of God in and through His personal ministry and preaching (Mark 1:14-15). Including two commands to repent and believe in this gospel of the kingdom. Jesus has absolute authority as the Son of God, in the flesh, to command and rule, as He is working out our salvation.

This is the lens through which we’re to read the rest of Mark’s gospel. For instance, the Son of God has kingdom power over demons (Mark 1:21-28, 34,39), sickness (Mark 1:29-34; 40-45) and nature (4:35-41). Mark wants us picking up on the authority of Jesus and the power of the kingdom of God in and through His person and work. 

Beyond this, it becomes inarguably clear that Mark doesn’t want us separating any of this authority from Jesus’ Word. It bears repeating, “Jesus came. . .saying things.” Mark is interested everywhere throughout the warp and woof of His gospel account to reinforce our belief in the gospel of His kingdom. To reinforce our faith in the ruling, saving authority and power of the Word or teaching/preaching of Jesus for the new life He commands to come to life within us. And, among us.

Right out of the gate this is incontrovertibly evident. Peter, Andrew, James and John respond in faith to His word summoning them to follow and obey Him (1:21-28; Luke 5:1-11). Plus, members of synagogues acknowledge his teaching to have authority as he commands unclean spirits (Mark 1:21-28). Shortly thereafter, a leper is healed upon the word of his command as Jesus says, “I will,” heal you, “be clean” (Mark 1:41-42). And who can forget about Jesus calming a storm in Mark 5:35-41. Jesus was personally present, but asleep on the ship. However, the storm wasn’t calmed until he “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace be still!’” The disciples then marvel how the “wind and the sea obey him”

What Jesus says, being the Son of God, has authority and power. And Mark is interested in our believing in the kingdom authority of what Jesus savingly says to us for our lives. 

With this in mind, how are we to turn to His revealed and inspired Word for our lives? His authoritative kingdom Word as a ‘rule’ for our lives and belief? Especially when Jesus hasn’t spoken to every detail of every situation and thought we routinely encounter on a day to day basis.

“What Jesus says, being the Son of God, has authority and power. And Mark is interested in our believing in the kingdom authority of what Jesus savingly says to us for our lives.”

Below are three ways we can look to His Word to ascertain how He is ‘saying things’ to us. Or, how he continues speaking to us about our day to day according to His ruling Word of authority and power. His life giving and life transforming Word (John 6:63; 1 Peter 2:2 et al). 

Firstly, Jesus has spoken to us by ‘saying things’ to us explicitly throughout His Word 

The Word of our Lord Jesus speaks to us rather directly throughout the whole compass of His revealed Word. What He says explicitly to us are His commands, instruction, guidance and council for life. His authoritative Word for us to follow. Such explicit ‘saying things’ are those things that are direct and clearly obvious in their meaning. Much like He explicitly commands Simon, Andrew, James and John to “Follow me” in a new direction and orientation for their lives (Mark 1:16-20). This was direct and obvious. For you theology bobble heads, this is known as God’s preceptive will or God’s revealed will explicitly commanded in Scripture. His will of desire as Kevin DeYoung puts it (Just Do Something; A Liberating Approach To Finding God’s Will).

The direct and explicit sayings of Jesus throughout His Word -the Bible- are meant to re-orient our lives, thinking, decisions, priorities, passions, concerns, schedules, emotions, hopes, so forth and so on.

This is precisely why the apostle Paul writes a young pastoral emissary in Ephesus, saying, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. . .” (2 timothy 3:16); while shortly thereafter, charging Timothy to, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

Jesus explicitly ‘says things’ to us via His revealed Word in all of these ways for the whole of our lives.

For instance, the explicit word of Jesus for us in Hebrews 13:2, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…”. Meaning, we are to get to know and personally ensure we become familiar with and serve those among the church we aren’t as well acquainted over and against those we already well know. This is Jesus explicitly ‘saying things’ to us about who to befriend and reach out to. Our response to this, in faith, isn’t to say I can’t because this isn’t my personality or strong suite. Or to say others are more gifted. This would be our ‘saying things’ rather than following what Jesus is explicitly ‘saying’ to us. 

Additionally, the explicit word of Jesus for us in James 1:27 is ‘saying things’ to us about, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction. . .” We are to visit with and minister to orphans and widows because the Word of our Lord, Jesus Christ, explicitly ‘saying things’ to us about pure religious expression actively doing so. 

As a complimentary aside to this, are there explicit exceptions or qualifications in relation to how we understand widows? Yes. We find Jesus ‘saying things’ to us and for us in 1 Timothy 5:1-16.

The explicit Word of Jesus throughout the Bible is ‘saying things’ to us in such direct and inarguable ways as this.    

“Jesus explicitly ‘says things’ to us via His revealed Word in all of these ways for the whole of our lives.”

Secondly, Jesus has spoken to us by ‘saying things’ to us implicitly throughout His word 

The Word of our Lord is also ‘saying things’ to us that aren’t as clearly or directly defined throughout the whole compass of His revealed Word (the Bible). Often, His ‘saying things’ is more indirect, or better, generally implicit, rather than obviously explicit, as accented above.

What I mean is, there are things about our lives God’s Word doesn’t spell out so directly or ‘technically’ like an IKEA instructional manual. Rather, His Word for our lives often presents like a word search, so called. A word search presents us with a hodge podge of letters with a word bank that involves us actively seeking out the words in the word bank among the hodge podge of grouped together letters in order to locate the words in the word bank. In other words, the generally implicit Word of Jesus ‘saying things’ to us throughout the Bible also involves us searching His Word for a consistent and coherent Word or guide for the word bank of our lives. 

Conversely, Jesus doesn’t want us to merely follow His Word for us an impersonal and instructional manual for our lives life a Google search. He want’s us personally pursuing Him and seeking out His word for life. He wants us going to His Word with questions, confusions, misunderstandings and the like, as a means for us to grow in our dialogue and conversation with Him. As we’re sorting through marital categories, financial priorities, relational dynamics, emotional compartments, unjust experiences, breakthrough progressions, so forth and so on.

What Jesus is ‘saying’ implicitly throughout His Word is meant to embolden us to more actively search for His will and purposes for our lives. To more actively seek out His will for discernment and understanding about our lives and how He would have us live by faith; in obedience to His Word, which is, “life and spirit” (John 6:63).  

Much like the disciples interact with him about how to pray. They generally (implicitly) observe Him praying in Luke 11:1-4. He isn’t directly commanding them or explicitly directing them to pray in any certain manner, as in Matthew 26:38-41. However, they generally observe him doing so, and seek Jesus out to for Him to ‘say things’ to them about how to pray. 

This being said, how are we to interact with the implicit Word of Jesus for our lives? Well, by way of actively turning to and listening to his revealed Word in general. And, actively searching His Word, asking for His Word for your life. 

The implicit Word of Jesus ‘saying things’ to us, engages us to delve into the whole compass of His Word as a means of guidance and instruction for our lives as we proactively strive to discern what His Word is ‘saying’ about our life and how His Word instructs us for life. 

To be more on the nose, Jesus implicitly ‘saying things’ to us throughout His Word, relates to how the less obvious or direct commands, instruction and guidance of His word for our lives, speaks into our lives as we search and seek His word for our lives. It involves us searching and hearing how our questions, appertaining to His will and word for our Iives and situations, are resolved by means of discerning and hearing a consistent theme or cohesive motif throughout God’s word, that speaks, generally, into any given situation, decision or judgement that His Word doesn’t explicitly speak to. 

“Jesus implicitly ‘saying things’ to us throughout His Word, relates to how the less obvious or direct commands, instruction and guidance of His word for our lives, speaks into our lives as we search and seek His word for our lives.”

He speaks to us implicitly, as we’re searching His Word, through a cumulative testimony in general. What this means is, gather from how He’s ‘saying things’ to you, about your personal direction and faith, from the interrelated and consistent themes and principles among God’s Word that prove to be consistent and speak harmoniously into the decisions, judgments and occasions you’re sorting through. 

This is how the writer of Hebrews aims to encourage and instruct our faith. Throughout Hebrews 11, the author provides us with a general unified panoramic sampling of Old Testament persons who lived by faith as a means to encourage his readers -and us- to live by faith ourselves (Hebrews 12:1). This general list of folk and their lives in general implicitly serve as Jesus ‘saying things’ to us about how we are to live by faith. 

Thirdly, Jesus has spoken to us by ‘saying things’ to us perspicaciously throughout His Word

With the above being said, there is an order and priority, or progression as we’re sorting through Jesus ‘saying things’ to us throughout His revealed Word. The aforementioned points supersede this particular point in biblical validity, priority, superiority and reliability, as we discern how God is ‘saying things’ to us germane to our lives, our beliefs, our attitudes, or relationships, our romances, and our worship in following HIm.

Nevertheless, what Jesus says to us about our lives is also perspicaciously ascertained or gathered from a collective council of wisdom gathered and gained from those among your faith community who are also searching and familiarizing themselves with what ‘things’ Jesus is ‘saying’. Not to mention perspicaciously observing the experience of those around us as they’re actively aiming to perspicaciously discern what Jesus is ‘saying’ for them in their experiences and scenarios.

Isn’t this what Solomon, more or less, is sharing with his son in Proverbs 3:5-8, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” 

But how?! We don’t find explicit instruction germane to how we go about doing this. Well, the whole of Proverbs 3 and surrounding chapters speak perspicaciously to how we are to live by faith in these verses. We are to search out and familiarize ourselves with God’s whole Word to discern the internally consistent wisdom of Jesus ‘saying things’ to us about life, by way of surrounding ourselves with those familiar with God’s Word, those who have experienced similar experiences before us, those who are in authority (such as parents, teachers, grandparents, friends who have walked through similar situations following Jesus, and so on) and those who will be impartial and objective listeners and guidance providers as we’re aiming to align our lives with the life giving truths of God’s Word. 

The general wisdom of Proverbs particularly speaks to this. While the Proverbs aren’t meant to be taken as absolutist truths that always produce an equivalent outcome, they do serve as reliable guides of wise principles to guide us throughout life.  (Proverbs 1:1-6; 8-9; 11:4; 18:1-2,5; 19:20; 20:10,18,23; 24:6; et al). 

SGC, Jesus says things to us as we perspicaciously search out the perspicacity of others He is ‘saying things’ to. Isn’t this also what Paul is touching on in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, 18-23?! We have a community of faith that sows and waters into our faith (1 Corinthians 3:7-18). And, God grows our faith and understanding as we perspicaciously go about doing so.

You and I need a community of believers, outside of ourselves, to help us and serve us as we’re sorting through the categories and experiences of life. I’m learning this and realizing this afresh with my wife of 21 years. She has recently reminded me, of late and recent, as we’re sorting through some personal differences,  I haven’t heard and understood her well enough, in some areas, so as to care for her as she needs. . .and, as I want to. We recently had dialogue with treasured friends who have perspicaciously shared wisdom and perspective that has helped us. 

This is ultimately the wisdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He brings us into the company of the church as a means to grow us in love and understanding, as we’re sorting through the faith (Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:3-8;). He has saved us into a community of believers to be disciples by them (Matthew 28). 

What wonderful love He has shown us by ‘saying things’ to us through and by the aforementioned means. Thank you, Jesus!

SGC, haven’t the last few of Sunday’s been a wonderful introduction to Mark’s Gospel?! 

As we’ve noted, this gospel was crafted to enlarge upon and reinforce the incredible reality of Jesus Christ being the Son of God enfleshed. The eternal Word of God, the second person of the Trinity, actually and historically assumed human nature (John 1; Colossians 1:22, 2:9; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 John 1:1-2, 4:2-3; Hebrews 5:8; Romans 1:1-4).  

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news reality that the eternal Son of God was sent into our fallen/sinful world, as Father God’s chosen Savior, for sinners such as we (Mark 1:1,11). What’s more, He was sent (John 3:16, 20:21) for our sake (1 Peter 1:20)! To rescue us from the bondage, condition and debt/judgment of sin (Matthew 26:26-29; Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 Peter 2:24 et al).  

What else honestly needs to be said?! This is such good news friends! Such amazing and life-giving news! And I’m with you on this note. This gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). 

“The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news reality that the eternal Son of God was sent into our fallen/sinful world, as Father God’s chosen Savior, for sinners such as we”

Nevertheless, it also remains true that saving “faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Our view of the trustworthiness and truthfulness of God’s very Word matters! 

What we understand of salvation, as made known through the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is directly related to the authority (the demands and reliability of God’s Word as the Word from God Himself), inerrancy (the Bible is wholly truthful in its message among its transmission) and veracity (the Bible remains truthful regardless of cultural changes) of God’s Word, en toto.

In other words, how we view and understand the nature and integrity of God’s Word, as we have revealed in the whole Bible, is inextricably conjoined to our joy in knowing and believing the Gospel of the Son of God. 

To put it another way, if our view of the Bible’s infallibility (God’s Word is without falsehood or error in relation to truth in its essence, not its science. See below on Joshua 10:13) and inspiration (all Scripture is totally and causally revealed from God Himself) is flawed or denied, how can we have true certitude and confidence in the message of the Gospel? When this message is predicated upon the very Word of God, as revealed in the Bible (1 Corinthians 15:3-11; Romans 10:14-17; 2 Peter 1:16-21 1 John 4:1-6)?

The Word of God must be true for the Gospel to be believed as “the way, the truth and the life…” (John 14:6). As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain”. To deny the reliability, inerrancy, veracity, infallibility, and inspiration of God’s Word, is to question the witness of Scripture to the gospel itself. 

“To put it another way, if our view of the Bible’s infallibility and inspiration is flawed or denied, how can we have true certitude and confidence in the message of the Gospel?”

So then, how does Mark’s gospel account speak to this? 

Well, simply put, understanding who wrote this gospel helps us wrap our faith and mind around this. Understanding Mark’s personal craftsmanship and authorial style will enable us to more adeptly understand the internal consistency, integrity, coherency and congruity of Scripture. Or perhaps, more acutely, how the Bible was inspired and how it was recorded. And even, how we are to make sense of seeming contradictions or inconsistencies among the gospels. Such as, why Matthew or Luke ostensibly seem to record a different sequence or chronology or order of the same events. 

Firstly, Mark had a first-hand accounting of the life and teachings of Jesus |

Who crafted Mark’s gospel? Well, it wasn’t one of the 12 disciples -who would become Christ’s apostles- that Mark records in the first three chapters of his gospel. 

Mark is better known as John Mark. And was a later convert. He was a believer numbered among the missional team of the Apostle Paul (Acts 12:25, 15:37-39). Moreover, Mark arguably wasn’t a direct witness of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. So far as we know. 

So then, how did he come to know what he writes about Jesus in the Gospel of Mark? 

John Mark recorded everything in his gospel from what he received from direct and living witnesses of Jesus’ life and ministry. As just mentioned, he was in the audience of the Apostle Paul. And Paul was personally called by Jesus to be an Apostle, having personally witnessed the risen Jesus (Acts 9:1-19; Romans 1:1-6). 

As Paul himself records, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received : that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cepheus (Peter), then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive. . .The he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me. . .” (1 Corinthians 15:3-11)

Paul delivered to those he ministered to, what he, himself received (also 1 Corinthians 11:23, 7:10-11). John Mark received the accounting of Jesus’ life, ministry and teaching from a direct recipient, who personally encountered Jesus and, himself, received from Him. Much like, by way of analogy, we receive a package delivered to us directly from a sender. In addition to Mark, Timothy also received the package of the true gospel of Jesus Christ from a delivery of the Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

 John Mark was under the tutelage of Paul and the apostolic witness of Jesus Christ, while receiving the teaching of an apostle (Acts 12:25, 13:13). He wrote his inspired gospel from the petri dish of apostolic teaching and company. 

After all, beyond Paul, Mark was also in the company of the Apostle Peter. So much so, Peter even took up refuge in Mark’s household as Luke documents in Acts 12:12. At the least, his childhood home. 

As an historian, Luke goes out of his way to clarify that John Mark was associated with this residence. This serves to reinforce that Mark was in and around the life of the apostolic witness and preaching of Peter. So much so, Mark is described as “the interpreter of Peter” as we know from an excerpt of bishop Papias’ record. He recounts how Mark transcribed his gospel from Peter’s own preaching of the gospel of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. “He neither heard the Lord, nor followed him (in person), but afterwards, as I said, he was with Peter. . .”

Mark isn’t crafting a comic book of his own imaginings. This would make no sense. And prove to be detached from reality. Rather, he’s documenting an historical accounting of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1). An accounting based upon apostolic accounts he personally received from those who personally witnessed Jesus, in person. And, who personally heard His teaching and preaching. Mark’s gospel has testimonial authority in that it serves to underscore the Word of God’s veracity and inerrancy. After all, Matthew, an apostle of Jesus Christ, borrowed a large percentage of his own gospel account from Mark’s accounting. Of course, Matthew adds to his record from his own personal witness of being with Jesus in person. 

“Mark isn’t crafting a comic book of his own imaginings. This would make no sense. And prove to be detached from reality. Rather, he’s documenting an historical accounting of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Secondly, John Mark was writing according to his own personality and interests as a follower of Jesus |

At this juncture, you may be thinking, ‘Okay? The above is well and good. But how does this speak to the authority, veracity and inerrancy (etc) of God’s Word. And thus, the reliability of the Gospel message? Not to mention, in particular, the doctrine of inspiration and infallibility?’

The doctrine of inspiration speaks to how the whole of Scripture doesn’t “come from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy of Scripture was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:10-12; John 14:26 et al).

The doctrine of infallibility speaks to how the whole of Scripture is intrinsically and inherently true in all it asserts, reveals, records and affirms. In the words of Psalm 119:160, “The sum of your word is truth. . .” 

For clarity, the doctrine’s of inspiration and infallibility don’t inculcate that there aren’t apparent irregularities or seeming inconsistencies in Scripture. Nor does inerrancy mean God’s Word, as transmitted, is scientifically accurate. After all, the sun is described as standing still in Joshua 10:13. To be sure, we know the sun has always held its place. But Israel didn’t have the scientific datum we have in our day. The sun standing still was recorded based upon the language of appearance in their day and age. The science isn’t the point though. The truth of this account is. The truth of the matter is, the day was in fact prolonged. 

Infallibility also isn’t meant to be taken as factually technical in every record or accounting of the books of the Bible. For instance, when numbers, people, deaths or soldiers involved in war or devastation are recorded throughout the Old Testament, or even, say, in Revelation, the numbers are often times a reflection of authors or personalities rounding or averaging. 

Or, in the case of Revelation, number are a reflection of John writing in an apocalyptic genre well understood in their day. So, for example, the 144,000 of Revelation 7 isn’t meant literally in a technically statistic sense. It is meant to be understood according to the apocalyptic genre of writing known in their day. The truth of 144,000 speaks to absolute fullness and totality. John wasn’t writing under inspiration of the Holy Spirit to purvey an inerrant accounting of the specific number of saved humanity after taking a governmental census!! 

So, why this apparent caveat? And point of clarity? 

Because John Mark’s gospel timetable isn’t entirely complimentary with the chronological recounting of events and occasions surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus we have documented in Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels. As Papias reminds us, John Mark “was with Peter, who did not make a completed [or ordered] account of the Lord’s logia (words), but constructed his teachings according to chreiai [concise self contained teachings]” 

And yet, the truthfulness of these three gospels isn’t compromised. The Spirit’s inspiration of all three isn’t nullified. The infallibility of all three isn’t confused or contradictory. 

This is because Mark is Mark. Matthew is Matthew. And, surprise-surprise, Luke is Luke. 

What do I mean? This means, in inspiring the Bible’s authors, the Spirit doesn’t override their unique personalities or perspectives. Or purposes in writing. But rather, knits them together into an intricately woven tapestry of truthful or infallible accounts that serve to compliment one another and reinforce the veracity of the truths recorded by them all. 

This being said, Mark’s gospel ostensibly appears to be out of sync with Matthew and Luke. But why? 

Simply put, Mark is recording the life, ministry and teaching of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, from a different vantage point than Matthew and Luke. His personal interests in writing are different than them. In inspiring John Mark with the truths of God about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Spirit doesn’t override personalities and persons. This would be dictation rather than inspiration. This would be demonic possession over and against the Spirit’s inspiration.

“In inspiring John Mark with the truths of God about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Spirit doesn’t override personalities and persons. This would be dictation rather than inspiration. This would be demonic possession over and against the Spirit’s inspiration.”

For instance, Mark wasn’t writing his gospel with Luke’s interests in mind. Luke was more of a historian in his methodology. As a physician this makes sense. He was writing to provide Theophillus with certitude regarding his faith (Mark 1:1-4). Suitably, he writes a more orderly and chronological accounting. Mark, though, as we’ve seen, is primarily interested in showing how Jesus Christ came as the Son of God.  Mark wasn’t interested in chronology or sequence of historical events, in as much as Luke was. So, Mark’s accounting comes across as chronologically contradictory to Luke’s gospel in some areas. And even Matthews, who was also inspired by the Spirit as he wrote with his own unique interests in mind. Matthew was more interested in writing to a Jewish audience.

Regardless, these gospels aren’t truthfully out of sync. Even though their order of events and happenings might appear to be. They’re infallibly in sync.  

The infallible truthfulness of all three remain the same and complimentary, despite apparent irregularities, because the Spirit inspired different men, with differing personalities and purposes in writing. Each gospel author purvey’s the same truths about Jesus, regardless of the differing personalities, vantage points, sentence structure and purposes in writing. We are actually provided with a fuller portrait or biographical sketch of Jesus by having them all.

Finally, Jesus, in truth, promised this inspiration of Scripture |

As John 16:12-13 records, Jesus promises his disciples, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you (the disciples in his company) into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” And again, John writes to his 12 disciples (obviously not meant for Judas Iscariot), “These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you while am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you (his immediate disciples) all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26)

These promises proved true for the disciples/apostles of Jesus, because Jesus is, “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He is the very Word of God in the flesh (John 1). His very Word, as revealed and recorded in the Bible, is reliably, verifiably, infallibly, the inspired and inerrant Word of Christ. . .truthfully. And His Word, is to be believed, in truth, to be “spirit and life.” (John 6:63)  

SGC, hasn’t our time in the book of Judges shown us how unique and multifaceted the nature of our faith is?! Not to mention, how essential our faith is among life as we’re navigating so many complex and variegated terrains throughout life?! 

As we’ve so graphically seen, Judges is replete with unique personalities and figures. Personalities, such as judges and prophetesses our Lord raises up to save His people (Israel) from their sin and from His judgement of their sin.Figures, whose faith in following our Lord, serve to feed our own faith going forward as we follow our Lord Jesus. (Hebrews 11-12:1, for instance, reminds us that Old Testament exemplars of faith serve as a cloud of witnesses to inform our own faith going forward.) 

To be sure, with its eclectic group of characters, Judges is the Old Testament version of sitcoms such as Friends, Martin, Seinfeld or Parks and Recreation. Actually, the better exemplars for the genre of Judges would be the Adams Family or Beavis and Butthead!?! 

“. . .hasn’t our time in the book of Judges shown us how  unique and multifaceted the nature of faith is?!”

Well, about a month or so ago, we delved into the account of one such personality and figure with Deborah. If you recall, Deborah is introduced as, “a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth,” who, “was judging Israel” (4:4). We’re furthertold, “She used to sit under the palm of Deborah. . .and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment” (4:5). As if mothering (and maybe grandmothering) alone wasn’t enough, add these other roles to her resume?!? 

What a personality and figure! As I’m sure you would also say. A personality who goes forward in faith following the Lord! And a figure who stirs faith among God’s people to fight forward for the Lord. 

Chapters 4-5 of Judges so wonderfully amplify and exemplify this for us. Beyond what we previously covered those few Sundays, Deborah is a personality and figure of faith who also uniquely informs our faith regarding our: personal petition, reception, inspiration and application of the Word of our Lord.

Personal Petition for the Word of the Lord | 

So, at the onset of Derborah’s account in chapter 4, the people of Israel were personally petitioning her to make a judgment about their plight, their circumstances and their sufferings under the oppressive thumb of Jabin, King of Canaan during their day. They’re going forward in ‘faith’ petitioning Deborah for God’s Word and Judgment as prophetess of the Lord, because she is one who conveyed the Word of God among them.

Now, prior to this petition, if you recall, Israel was in this bind due to, “again,” doing, “what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (4:1).

As we’ve seen in our sermon series, this phraseology throughout Judges means, God’s people devolved into egregiously and habitually abandoning God’s Word for their lives, while instead, electing to self-govern their livesaccording to their own prerogatives, while under the influence of the other godless cultures that surrounded them. Godless cultures that continued to exert their power and influence among Israel, by the way, due to Israel not following the Lord’s Word to eradicate them, or drive them out (Judges 1:21, 27-36; all contemporary reiterationsduring their day in Judges of God’s established Word going back to Joshua 23-24, Deuteronomy 11:22-25 and Exodus 34; et al ).

“God’s people devolved into egregiously and habitually abandoning God’s Word for their lives, while instead, electing to self-govern their lives according to their own prerogatives, while under the influence of the other godless cultures that surrounded them.”

What are we to make of this SGC? Well, the re-occurring issue among the 12 tribes of Israel is with their faith, or, rather, their faithlessness in the established, saving and persevering Word of God for them. Our Lord’s previouslyrevealed Word for their settling of the promised land (Canaan). His Word for their relationships. His Word for their national and personal security from invading ‘godless foreign powers’ (Joshua 23:1-16; Deuteronomy 11:22-25). His Word for their true prosperity (Deuteronomy 6:10-19, 8, 11:8-17). His Word for their marriages and households (Joshua 24:14-15; Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 7:1-6, 11:18-21; Judges 3:5-6; Exodus 34:15-16). In other words, His established and revealed Word for the direction and well-being of their lives (Deuteronomy 6:20-25)!

As our Lord and Savior Jesus – the personified and revealed Word of God in the flesh (John 1:1-5,14-18) – reminds us, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). SGC, true life is sustained and promoted among us, as we, by faith, petition Him and others among the church for guidance and direction from His revealed and established Word.

Personal Reception of the Word of the Lord | 

As we live by faith in the very Word of God, Jesus Christ, true life flowers and thrives. This was equally true for the twelve tribes of Israel. As they had lived by faith in the revealed Word of the Lord for them, they weren’t desperately crying out for salvation. However, as they received ‘life’, so called, from the sinful and idolatrous cultures of the nations around them, life became oppressive and unbearable. Truly dysfunctional.

“As we live by faith in the very Word of God,  Jesus Christ, true life flowers and thrives.” 

Nevertheless, in the face of the twelve tribes’ failures –apart from faith following the Lord’s Word– the Lord never abandoned His chosen people/nation in His mercy, faithfulness and loving kindness. Every time Israel cries out for help, in faith, the Lord raises up judges and savior figures, like Deborah, to rescue or save them from His judgements for their intermittent sinfulness in abandoning Him and His very Word for them.

This reminds us SGC, that our failures apart from faith, don’t negate our having saving faith. Nor, do they nullifyour Lord’s acceptance of us, as we have faith, in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a Word of the Lord we need to receive, by faith. We’re accepted by God because of our Lord Jesus’ righteous life as He perfectly and fully obeyed Father God unto death, being judged for our recalcitrance (John 5:19, 14:10 17:4; Mark 14:36; Philippians 2:5-8). 

“…our failures apart from faith, don’t negate our having saving faith. Nor, do they nullifyour Lord’s acceptance of us, as we have faith, in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Again, during Deborah’s day, Israel wasn’t receptive to the Word of the Lord as mentioned above. Israel needed to know and receive God’s revealed Word for them personally going forward in faith. 

Faith will always bring us to go forward in life according to God’s Word. Faith will bring us to invite God’s Wordinto our marriages for relational clarity, conflict resolution and even sexual intimacy. Faith will also, bring us to integrate God’s Word into how we parent our children. Just the other night I apologized to my son for how I had spoken to him in front of his brother a year or so ago. Upon reflecting upon God’s Word in Judges 8:18-21, I noticed the unfortunate position Gideon put his son into. While this request of his first born son was something he (Gideon) was at a place to handle as an older man, it was indubitably heavy for a younger son to handle. Gideon put his son into a position prematurely. I did so with my son during that occasion above. The Spirit convicted me of this sin (John 16:8) and informed my faith a fresh, according to God’s revealed Word (Romans 10:17, for instance). So, I apologized and asked him to forgive me.

“Faith will always bring us to go forward in life  according to God’s Word.”

Furthermore, faith will bring us to consult God’s Word when sorting through relational quandaries and offenses. Faith will bring us to God’s Word to define relational sin for us. Faith will compel us to seek godly counsel from others who will draw out attention to a faithful reception of God’s Word for healing, forgiveness, comfort, and strength to recover from the headaches and heartaches of life.

And this is precisely what Deborah’s judgment about Israel’s petitioning her entails SGC. She responds in judgment about their plight by summoning Barak. She then stirs his faith to receive the established Word of God’s command, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you…” (4:6). This phraseology doesn’t imply a new revelation, although God’s Word via Old Testament prophecy more often than not involved this. 

Rather, it is most plausible to understand Deborah, drawing Barak’s faith to receive the established and revealed Word of Lord for him (as the established army commander) and Israel going back to Exodus 23:20-33, 34:10-28.

Personal Inspiration From God’s Word |

Deborah is initially inspiring Barak with the very Word of God. Not with an incredible strategy. Not with an innovative war insight. Not by stroking Barak’s ego and competency or capacity. Nor by highlighting his battle expertise or leadership ability. Rather, she initially draws Barak’s attention to the commandment of the Lord (Judges 4:6) to inspire action going forward in faith. 

The Word of God, SGC, will command inspiration within you to overcome obstacles and sinful temptations. His Word will inspire you to fight through personal disappointments and disillusionments with others that are possibly eroding your faith to go forward with the Lord. His Word will empower you, in faith, to stare down injustice and ingratitude with kindness and temperance, as Gideon does in Judges 8:1-3. Our Lord’s very revealed Word will enliven you, in faith, to overcome insecurity and a sense of incapacity, as it does with Gideon throughout Judges 6 and 7. Our Lord’s Word will inevitably awaken you, in faith, to worship Him, even in the face of an ongoing or ensuing personal conflict, as it does with Gideon in Judges 7:15. His Word will passionately excite you, in faith, to go forward in mission with your local church, as it does with Gideon and Israel throughout Judges 7:15-25.  

 As Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation”. Much like a newborn is nourished to grow and mature from the intake of milk, so we grow and mature in faith spiritually as we are inspired to do so via the very Word of the Lord for us.

“The Word of God, SGC, will command inspiration within you to endure obstacles and overcome sinful temptations…”

Personal Application of God’s Word |

Now, beyond personal inspiration from God’s Word, Deborah moves into personal application with Barak. Faith in God’s Word isn’t simply a motivational and ethereal feeling being aroused within you. It isn’t a seventh inning stretch that gives us a breather with a sentimental ‘take me out to the ball game’ sing song to inspire us to finish the game emotionally. 

Rather, being inspired by God’s Word to move forward in faith will bring you to process the personal application of His Word among your decisions, your judgments, your plans, your actions etc. You will sort through how God’s Word speaks into these and all areas of your life. The personal application of God’s Word is the inevitable outcome of the personal inspiration of God’s Word. 

James reminds us, “…be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

“. . .being inspired by God’s Word to move forward in faith will bring you to process the personal application of His Word among your decisions, your judgments, your plans, your actions etc.”

This is precisely what Deborah begins doing upon Israel’s initially petitioning her about God’s Word and following Deborah’s response of inspiring them according to God’s Word. She moves to personally applying the Word of God as she sets in motion a practical plan to obey and follow God’s Word going forward, “Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000. . .And I will draw out Sisera. . .to meet you by the river Kishon. . .” (4:6-10).

Being inspired or motivated or compelled by God’s Word, in faith, will bring us to move beyond a static personal petition and reception into an ecstatic inspiration of God’s Word AND into an ecstatic personal application of God’s Word. This application of God’s Word means being animated and enlivened according to our Lord’s Word so that we’re aiming to live according to His Word. 

“This application of God’s Word means being animated and enlivened according to our Lord’s Word so that we’re aiming to live according to His Word.”

This “word” of the Lord that Israel was petitioning Deborah and receiving from her, while being inspired to apply to their lives, ‘is near you (SGC); it is in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:8-9). 

JESUS is THE WORD of our faith! He is the Word that speaks Creation into existence (Gen.1; John 1; Colossians 1:16), the Word that also preserves Creations existence (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:2-3) and the Word that Creation awaits for, for full redemption/salvation (Romans 8:19-22; 2 Peter 3:10-13). He is also the Word of our that speaks our salvation into existence (John 1-4; 5:1-27, 17:1-3; 1 John 5:11-12), preserves our salvation (John 10:28-30; Philippians 1:3-6; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 John 5:4-5; Revelation 1:9, 2:1-3), and the Word who works out our salvation to completion (Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Corinthians 15:22-28; John 17; Revelation 21-22)    

SGC, Jesus is the Word of our petition, our reception, our inspiration and our application. 

SGC. . . .hasn’t our time in Judges been faith enriching?! And faith building?! And faith inspiring?! Judges also helps us feed our faith with how to understand the Lord’s love and hate. And the reality of love and hate in our lives.

Five chapters in, we’ve seen how faith and failure played out among God’s people in and around 1200 BC. Much like we sort through faith and failure in 2023 AD. We’ve seen faith filled, but flawed, personalities living imperfectly as they follow the Lord. Much like we are faith filled but flawed individuals doing so as well. Most meaningfully, perhaps, we’ve seen how God’s love for and faithfulness toward His people is wonderfully elevated above Israel’s (His chosen people or nation in the O.T. See Deut. 7:6-11) failures apart from the faith. Not because God approves of their failures apart from the faith, of course. After all, He judges them time and time again. But, because of His longsuffering love for His people.

. . .we’ve seen how “God’s love for and faithfulness toward His people is wonderfully elevated above Israel’s. . .failures apart from the faith. Not because God approves of their failures apart from the faith, of course. . . But, because of His longsuffering love for His people.”

As we noted the other Sunday, He is routinely moved with “pity” (Judges 2:18) to raise up Judges and save his recalcitrant prone people. This is in keeping with His glorious character. Once He sets His love upon us, nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:31-39)!! As we are so gloriously reminded of with the Father sending His Son to die in suffering the judgement for our failures apart from faith, in our place.

The Judges themselves, foreshadowed this love of God in Christ among Israel, as we find them serving as redeemer and savior types until their deaths (Judges 2:16, 3:9,15 etc.); even as Israel was failing apart from the faith. Think about it, at the onset of their sin cycles, as the second generation separated from the faith of the first generation (Judges 2:10), we find the Lord judging His people (2:11-15). Yet, we also find him being moved with ‘pity” (2:18). And, being moved because of their suffering under oppressive and brutal foreign Lord’s, such as King Eglon (3:12-30). This pity of God, or compassion, brings the Lord to graciously (unmerited favor and preferred treatment) raise up judges to save his people so mercifully (unmerited relief from what is deserved). 

“Once He sets His love upon us, nothing can separate us from His love”

Again, and this warrants belaboring, this pity (or compassion), mercy and grace, is born out of His love for them. As we reach back to Deuteronomy, just after the Lord our God saved Israel from Egyptian captivity and oppression, He clarifies His reason for saving them. And choosing them to be saved, over and against all other surrounding nations. He speaks through Moses, “The Lord your God has chosen you (Israel) to be a people for his treasuredpossession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you. . .but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you form the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharoah king of Egypt” (Deut.7:6-9; cf.10:14-15).

The Apostle John definitely has this ‘pity’ and love of God in mind when he invites us to, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we (you and me SGC) should be called children of God, and so we are. .. Beloved, we are God’s children now” (1 John 3:1-2). John says this, by the way, after commenting on how we are sinners, after warning against sin, and after exhorting us to avoid sin. What faithful love and ‘pity’ our Father has for us SGC! 

“What faithful love and ‘pity’ our Father has for us SGC!” 

However, with all of this being said and celebrated, our loving Lord and God always looks upon evil as evil. And calls evil what it is. After all, one of the common refrains that reoccurs in relation to Israel’s sin cycles throughout Judges is, “And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…” 

As we’ve noted on a previous Sunday, this verbiage of doing what is evil is language that bespeaks a systemic and prevailing lifestyle of sin. A rank abandoning of the Lord’s Word and following His commands (i.e. His moral law. See Deut. 5-11). Even with His chosen Israel, among whom His saved remnant lives, the Lord calls evil what it is. Because our Lord hates evil. 

SGC, this is crucial for our awareness of what going forward in faith looks like and engenders. The Lord our God always and in all ways hates evil. He despises wickedness. And, He calls upon His people, you and me, to also despise evil. This is well captured in Psalm 139:19-22, “Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise against you? I hate them with a complete hatred; Icount them as enemies.” Notice the personal pronouns here, “I” and “me”. This speaks to what our disposition is to be toward how our Lord views evil. (Albeit, While this is to be our disposition toward evil, this isn’t to be our actiontowards evil! See below)

“The Lord our God always and in all ways hates evil. He despises wickedness. And, He calls upon His people, you and me, to also despise evil.”

In fact, as we’ve seen in Judges 3 for instance, we find the Lord actually -and in ‘real life’ as our 5 year so often qualifies- mocking and denigrating evil despots, abusers, egoists, and narcissists, et al (as this is His revealed Word ultimately reflecting His posture toward evil figures).

Please bear with me here?! 

The writer of Judges (many hundreds of years after the fact) looks back upon the king of Mesopotamia as “Cushan-rishathaim”. This isn’t actually the name of the king. It was a Hebrew manner of speaking that identified this king as ‘doubly evil’. This sort of reflection and description speaks to how we are to remember and understand such nefarious and dubious personalities, totalitarian authority figures, abusers, haters, military and political despots, pedophiles, sociopaths etc. who never turn from their evil. History will remember them this way. Most significantly our Lord remembers them this way. We are to remember them this way. And, this is okay. Because it is in keeping with God’s nature and character.

This is only magnified when we consider the description of King Eglon in Judges 3:12-30. This king is described, remembered and spoken of using the most unflattering of verbiage. The entire section is recorded in a deliberatelysatirical manner. Or, to be a touch more on the nose, in an obviously insulting manner. Eglon is portrayed as a nincompoop; more or less. He’s described (by God btw) as an incompetent oversized (although heaviness in their day wasn’t necessarily a sign of insult but of wealth and prosperity) ruler who is ultimately foolish and naive in allowing Ehud (a foreign emissary) a private audience in his personal space. And if this wasn’t insulting enough, Eglon is remembered as a guy who uses the restroom on himself. Or, whose dung spills all over himself. This is how he is posthumously remembered. Or, rather, infamously, deleteriously and derisively remembered. A lump of hot, steaming. . .well, you smell what I’m stepping in. 

This remembrance, is a reflection of absolute -and God approved- derision for this grotesque malefactor who’s presence defiled humanity, while disabusing and exploiting those under his authority. We are also to have such a remembrance for the aforementioned doubly evil lives and persons. The Lord preserves his memory or legacy as a lasting joke. Or a punch line, even.

What does this mean? 

Well, among the church, we are to always and everywhere view such villainy as evil. We are to positively and mockingly affirm it as evil. And, even look back on such folk who don’t turn from such evil. . .disapprovingly, derisively and mockingly even!

So. . .with this in mind, the Caesars of Rome were doubly evil. The child sacrifices of the Incan empire were doubly evil long before the Portuguese arrived (whose exploits were also doubly evil). Boko Haram is doubly evil. Apartheid was doubly evil. The Bolshevik revolution was doubly evil. The Confederacy was doubly evil. Segregationwas doubly evil. Red China was doubly evil. China’s present government is doubly evil. Robert E Lee was doubly evil. Mao Tse Dung was doubly evil. Hitler and the Holocaust were doubly evil. The transatlantic slave trade was doubly evil. Saddam Hussein was doubly evil. Supreme Court Justices voting in favor of lawful abortion are doubly evil. Politicians consciously legislating in favor of one class at the expense of another is doubly evil. The Holy Warswere doubly evil. The Roman Catholic sacerdotal discrimination of priest and laity was and is doubly evil. Jeffrey Epstein was doubly evil. The systemic child and sex abuse among the Southern Baptist Convention was and is doubly evil. So forth and so on. Critical Race Theory is doubly evil.

“. . .among the church, we are to always and everywhere view such villainy as evil. We are to positively and mockingly affirm it as evil. And, even look back on such folk who don’t turn from such evil. . .disapprovingly, derisively and mockingly even!”

So many more could be added to this list SGC. Nothing is new under the Sun as Ecclesiastes reminds us; includingthe doubly evil. You and I know this. We experience this. We feel this. We have memories of this. And experience trauma due to this. 

It goes back to the fall. Sin is the origin of this evil. Sin is its cause. And sin is a doubly evil influence and reality. This is why Jesus Christ is our only help. 

He is our only helping and comforting presence in the face of any presence of discomforting evil; or even the doubly evil. He also experienced the doubly evil actions of Judas, the Pharisees and Sanhedrin, along with the Roman Empires doubly evil oppression. He even experienced this doubly evil to the point of death. And yet, He overcame and endured them all!

SGC. . .Jesus empowers us and you to do the same! He arose from the doubly evil experience of an unjust crucifixion at the hands of doubly evil humanity and doubly evil human institutions. And, in so doing, He overcame and conquered the doubly evil. Jesus alone is the sinless One who suffered the evils of all of our sin/s, so that we have strength for life in the face of any and all of the doubly evil we may encounter. Plus, He gives us strength to arise above the temptations toward the evil of sin ourselves. 

He also gives us and you helping rest and peace as the One who personally experienced the doubly evil and wasn’t undone by any of them. . . .He was kind to Judas, His betrayer. He healed the Jewish soldiers ear who was present in Gehtsamane to unjustly arrest him. He lovingly entreated Peter, even though He overheard Peter’s public denial of knowing Him while being unjustly oppressed (doubly evil).

SGC, you and I can know peace and respite, in the face of the doubly evil, or even in the face of common and ordinary evil encounters each and every day, because Jesus had peace unto the most unjust death and mistreatment. As you may recall, after the redeemer and savior types of judges were raised up by God to save Israel, their land experienced peace for 20 years, 40 years etc. This brought the people to also know rest and peace. However, these stints of peace were short lived, as every Judge eventually died. Christ, on the other hand, has risen from the grave! And, being alive forevermore, the strength and peace He supplies us with also is alive in us forevermore! And, we can go forward in faith boldly in Him SGC

Excursus | Now, while this to be our disposition towards rank evil, our action towards rank evil is much different. We are called, in Christ, not to pray for the slaying of the wicked, but to pray for the wicked and to do good to them (Luke 6:27-28; Acts 7:54-60; Proverbs 24:17,25:21-22; Matt.5:44; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Peter 3:9; Romans 12:14-19; 2 Timothy 4:14-18). Moreover, Jesus calls us to love them (Luke 6:27-28; Matthew 5:43-45), to honor the office of rules even when their practices are evil (Rom. 13:5-7; 1 Peter 2:13-25; Titus 3:1-2).    

There has been much commentary and dialogue and dismissal and critique and social media posts interacting with the phenomena happening on campus at Asbury. Perhaps you’ve heard?! If not, you can easily conduct an online search and a deluge of info will cascade about a ‘revival’ precipitating on this campus. 

A few things can quickly be said about what a revival isn’t and what a revival is. Revival isn’t an event, though an event is usually an impetus. Revival isn’t an experience, though it is existential in that there’s an experience of, or, perhaps better put, an encounter of the presence of God accompanied by renewed faith and life. Revival isn’t a feeling or sensation, although there will be renewed feelings or affections for the worship of God and for communion with Him. Revival isn’t characterized by ecstatic insatiated outward expression, but rather characterized by enthusiastic sustained inward transformation. 

That being said, as things play out with Asbury, here are a few ways God’s Word provides us with to gauge the thermostat of this ‘revival’, so called. Please bear in mind, below is by no means an exhaustive list or trenchant analysis. Rather, a quick gathering of a few thoughts. 7 quick ‘Be’s’ regarding revival, if you will.

Be patiently watching |

Gamaliel’s advice to Israel’s leaders about a conceivable bourgeoning Christian Church in his day, is posthumously helpful as we are observing what’s happening at Asbury. Or when there’s any comparable event unfurling and language of revival is being proffered as a description. Or accounting.

Gamaliel cautioned the leaders to wait patiently. He remarked, “if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God” (Acts 5:33-42). 

Conversely though, patiently watching is thrown out of the window should it be known that false doctrine and unbiblical worship is being espoused.

Be careful criticizing |

We need to be careful about criticizing such moments or events among the church we don’t quite comprehend from a distance or while we’re not in the immediate vicinity. The Pharisee’s had no compunction or reservation for eschewing the work and move of God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Their characterization of his ministry and movements was that he was possessed by demons (Matthew 12:22-32). They couldn’t imagine a move of God apart from their established templates of religious activities or apart from their own religious underpinnings.

Be sober about rejecting |

Further, appertaining to carefulness with criticism (above), we need to be sober with rejecting what the Lord might be doing in this Asbury setting. Members of the church in Thessalonica were experiencing or encountering misuse of ‘prophecy’ in their setting. While we’re not entirely sure what was transpiring, what they encountered brought suspicion of the expression of ‘prophecy’ among them. Paul’s instruction though, wasn’t to reject the legitimacy of bona fide expressions of ‘prophecy’. It was rather to promote being sober minded about it, “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). 

Be hopefully interceding |

While mindful of how the Lord previously renewed his people, the sons of Korah write a psalm interceding for the people saying, “Restore us again. . .Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you” (Psalm 85).

Heart’s encountering a spiritual revitalization will actively pursue the Lord for renewal or revival, so called. This prayer will be intercession for God’s people to have a refreshed delight in the Lord and a clearer appreciation of His glory, righteousness and beauty.

This is also something we, who are watching from a distance, ought to be prayerfully pursuing ourselves SGC. As we saw during our #SGCRevitalize sermon series last year.

Be aware of what’s transforming |

In Psalm 85, the intercession was for a revival of salvation among God’s people. That is, a fresh remembrance of His forgiveness of their sins. A fresh revival of delighting in the worship of God and enjoyment of sweet communion with the Lord. Along with a rejuvenated passion and enthusiasm to hear God’s word.

True revival will entail transformation such as this. Where the hearts cry is ‘restore in me the joys of my salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit’ (Psalm 51:12). Genuine revival is a revival of the whole persons posture before God. Whereby, our affections, attitudes and actions are reoriented to worship God, live for God and delight in His presence. 

Be mindful of where it’s happening |

Revival isn’t about an event or location. Though these might be involved. And, are often an impetus. Revival isn’t marked by passionate expressionism locationally. It won’t remain confined to an auditorium or campus. When revival is poured out, it will spill over into our daily affairs and decisions. It will spill over into how we go about working and spending our time. It will spill over into a renewed interest in sharing the gospel and worshipping together. It will spill out into our households, jobs, Sunday’s together so forth and so on.

Revival will eventually bring us to be mindful of all the places the church is being renewed in all the places we find ourselves. The singular location that might have served as an impetus, will eventually fade from our view as revival spills over into all those ordinary aspects of life. Otherwise, it may be that the revival was perhaps a worship of revival or a movement, rather than the Lord God.

Israel was brought to a revival of sorts as Joshua was portending his death. He brought Israel together at Shechem, where the whole of Israel renewed their faith in Joshua 23-24. There was a revival of interest in obeying the Lord, loving the Lord and serving the Lord. All of this language permeates this ancient revival. However, they moved in revival out into their ordinary lives from Shechem. Their renewal of faith, or revival ultimately was a matter of bringing them to serve the Lord all of their days (Judges 2:6-7).      

Be looking for Christ-centering |

Any genuine revival that God stirs (Ezra 1:1; 1:5) in the spirits of His people will always center everyone’s attention upon Jesus Christ. Worship will be elevating His name. Preaching will be drawing faith to His name. Teaching will be attracting attention to the call of God to turn from sin and to follow Jesus (Acts 2:22-41; Matthew 16:24-28 et al). Praying will be praying in His name. Inner healing will come about through the forgiveness of sins and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus baptizes us with (John 1:33; Ephesians 5:15-21).

As the Spirit of God indwelling the temple of God -aka the church- is filling the church with a revived presence of God, the center of attention will always be Jesus Christ. For, as Jesus taught, “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:14).

When revival impacts a person, or a gathering of believers of whatever size, it won’t be the event or location being accented, it will be the whole of life that is impacted. The whole of life being impacted by the whole of Christ’s life.

During two recent #SGCRevitalize Sunday’s, we explored prayer from Mark 9:14-29. As we’ve seen, Jesus revitalizes us as our prayer life is renewed. Turning to Jesus prayerfully is essential to your and our revitalization as a church.

Conversely, the disciples in that Markan account were unable to promote revitalization among the lives of a father and spiritually oppressed son in. This was so, because they -themselves- were cut off from revitalization resulting from being personally cut off from prayer. Cut off from the oxygen of revitalization, much like a diver will be left struggling to breathe or will be gasping for air when their oxygen line is tangled or cut off. 

Prayer is essential for revitalization personally. And essential for revitalization among SGC corporately. After all, Jesus imbrues our souls with His life as we are turning to Him, in faith, for life. Plus, our turning to Him and pursuing Him prayerfully will invariably promote life in others. As we have seen with the father pursuing Jesus personally and prayerfully for the life of his son in those verses in Mark. 

“Prayer is essential for revitalization personally. And essential for revitalization among SGC corporately. After all, Jesus imbrues our souls with His life as we are turning to Him, in faith, for life. Plus, our turning to Him and pursuing Him prayerfully will invariably promote life in others”

If you recall, a main accent point from those Sundays was to clarify how prayer isn’t as mystical or ethereal as is often thought. It isn’t reserved for super-spiritual elites or monastic spiritualists. Prayer is personal and conversational. It’s best to simplify. The above account in Mark records personal conversations between a father (regarding his son) with Jesus. Along with personal conversations with the disciples and Jesus. 

We often don’t construe such accounts with Jesus in the gospels as praying to Him. But. . .this is precisely what is happening. So, let’s bear this in mind moving forward.

As a quick reminder from the other Sunday, here are a few of the practical prayer pointers that cultivate revitalization spiritually. God’s Word evinces that we prevail when praying : 

1. By pursuing Jesus in prayer privately
2. By pursuing Jesus in prayer corporately (with the church)
3. By persisting in these areas of prayer
4. By listening in prayer
5. By unloading in prayer
6. By asking in prayer

Beyond these, there is another essential area of prevailing prayerfully found in a unique exchange between Jesus and His disciples in Mark 8:14-21. . .An area of our lives appertaining to TRUST. 

What’s striking about this area of trust Jesus is calling us to and drawing us to in this account, is that it is uniquely counterintuitive to our ordinary experience and sense of things. In that, this trust in Jesus isn’t achieved through cataloguing various details in order to arrive at confidence. This trust isn’t attained by way of mentally processing accessible facts as a means to comprehend or even understand the variegated situations and circumstances we find ourselves entrenched in. This trust, is provided by Jesus as we turn to Him by faith. This is primarily what Mark 8:14-21 particularly illustrates for us.

“…trust isn’t attained by way of mentally processing accessible facts as a means to comprehend or even understand the variegated situations and circumstances we find ourselves entrenched in. This trust, is provided by Jesus as we turn to Him by faith.”

Now, what unfolds just prior to this account, lays important stepping stones for grasping what Jesus is accentuating. Mark 8:14-21 doesn’t happen in isolation. In Mark 8:1-10, Jesus multiplies 7 loaves of bread and “a few small fish” the disciples had among them to feed a crowd of 4,000 people. Wow! Quite astounding. This ought to inspire confidence, right?! Well, not so much with a certain group of folk.

Shortly after this (Mark 8:11-13), Pharisees “argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test (or prove) him”. Bear in mind, the Pharisee’s are gainsayers of Jesus. Pathological doubters to be sure. They demand tangible and empirical data to garner their trust that Jesus is the Son of God. They want Jesus to prove Himself to them. Christ’s response was that they would be given no such “sign from heaven”. After all, they’ve already seen and heard all the proof for such confidence that a reasonable person would need.

It’s immediately on the heels of these two accounts that Mark records the aforementioned situation of trust involving bread and the disciples (Mark 8:14-21). They find themselves low on supplies and in a bit of a bind. Aware of their depleted situation and hungry condition (and Jesus is always aware SGC!) Christ warns them, “saying, watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod”. This warning follows upon the heels of Christ’s rebuke of the Pharisees’ disbelieving and cynical demand for a sign to be convinced by Jesus. Bottom line, they were demanding verifiable data or corporeal ‘believe it if I see it’ facts in order to secure their trust. And this leaven was trickling down into the disciples own faith.

This is what Jesus is drawing the disciples attention to as the disciples are expressing their concern about not having bread. A worry and concern that precipitated as they were, “discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread” (v.16). In response, Mark recounts, “And Jesus, aware of this (Jesus is always aware SGC), said to them, ‘Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?” This line of questioning is directly referring to remembering the occasion where Jesus previously fed 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread. And the more immediate occasion where He multiplied 7 loaves to feed 4,000 (Mark 8:1-10). 

In other-words, how can the disciples still be struggling or losing sleep over the “fact that they had no bread” (v.16)? When the very One Who fed thousands upon thousands with next to nothing is in their immediate presence?! This is why Jesus ended this conversation saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

While the disciples had hard, accessible and undeniably real facts before them (lack of bread), they had Jesus, the sustainer and provider with them.      

Jesus wants us and invites us to trust Him. We’re always surrounded by facts and ensconced in the details of life. We’re often busily painting by numbers. And intently focused on and worried about the details of following the numbers to fully ‘perceive’ the picture we know is already there. It’s confidence boosting to remind ourselves SGC, that Jesus is present and with us in the details and among the details. He is with us, by His Spirit, as He was physically with the disciples in Mark 8:14-21. 

“It’s confidence boosting to remind ourselves SGC, that Jesus is present and with us in the details and among the details. He is with us, by His Spirit, as He was physically with the disciples. . .”

We can turn to him prayerfully, with confidence, trusting that He’s present and providing and sustaining; even as the very real data points or fact patterns we are processing are crowding our minds. We can trust him as the real data points of divorce or marriage conflict are swarming. We can trust him as real  financial and economic fact patterns are depleting our checking accounts. We can trust him as real data points are being relayed with us from our surgeons or doctors. We cant trust him as real fact patterns bring concerns into our worlds relative to our children or parents or friends. 

This is a helpful reminder that prayer isn’t to be conceived of as transactional. You know, like an ATM machine or bank. Whereby, as we request money from our account, that exact amount is given upon request. It is true, Jesus elsewhere assured his disciples , “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). A promise you and I are also assured of. However, this also assumes, as Jesus reminds us in 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God (prayerfully): that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”. It was assumed in the “whatever you ask in my name” assurance, that the disciples would be praying in accordance with God’s will in Jesus Christ. Jesus wasn’t espousing transactional prayer with them. This reminds us, our trust in Christ isn’t transactional. Rather, life giving and revitalizing trust precipitates as we entrust ourselves to his, “good and acceptable and perfect” will of God (Romans 12:2). 

“…our trust in Christ isn’t transactional. Rather, life giving and revitalizing trust precipitates as we entrust ourselves to his, “good and acceptable and perfect” will of God (Romans 12:2).”

And, what you’ll find and experience is – as you turn to Jesus prayerfully – trust and peace will burgeon within you. Jesus was with the disciples as they were overwhelmed and worried about the data points and fact patterns in their immediate and real experience here in Mark 8:14-21. However, they weren’t turning to Jesus in conversational and personal prayer. Their personal and spiritual (mental and emotional) unrest would have been assuaged in turning to Jesus. In fact, as they listened to Jesus speaking to them (prayerfully) in person, I imagine all unrest melted away much like the shivering cold of winter dissipates with the rising of the warming sun. 

Jesus also prayerfully and personally speaks to us. He does so through His word and by the Holy Spirit who indwells us. I believe this is why the letter to Jude concludes with an urgent call to, “  

So SGC, we’ve been sorting through how God’s Word speaks to revitalization during our present sermon series –#SGCRevitalize. And, where better to turn, than God’s Word to incite and excite spiritual renewal among us?! To have His very Word speak to us about inward vitality. After all, it’s by means of His written Word that Jesus, Himself, personally administers soul nourishing and enlivening strength and awakening. An awakening the Holy Spirit effects and affects internally. 

As Jesus, the Word in the flesh reminds us, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life” (John 6:63).   

And, we’re accenting spiritual renewal, in contradistinction to, say, physical healing or renewal, because Scripture’s primary loci of focus is upon the condition of our soul. Our inner self. The “You, you”, as Francis Schaefer put it. Such spiritual revival, if you will, is the locus of interest reverberating throughout God’s Word.  

Of course, the Lord cares about our physical condition and well being. After all, upon his return Jesus, “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body. . .” (Philippians 3:21). However, our spiritual fortitude and our inner condition of faith’s health and vitality is the pulse that enables us, by God’s grace and empowering, to endure all things physical. All circumstances. All disappointments. All heartaches and headaches. Every such all. 

“. . .our spiritual fortitude and our inner condition of faith’s health and vitality is the pulse that enables us, by God’s grace and empowering, to endure all things physical.”

This is why Paul writes the Corinthians saying, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. . .” (2 Corinthians 4:16) And, again, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are a home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:6)

This is also why Jesus spent concerted time and energy imbuing his disciples with spiritual “peace” and “joy” inwardly just prior to His departure. He knew they needed inward peace as they were about to undergo a great deal of oppression. Including their own deaths, physically. (John 16:16-24; 16:33 et al). Jesus was revitalizing them. 

Well, beyond them, He also well knows we/you need the same inward, spiritual endowments. He knows life bogs you down. He’s aware juggling work, kids, home, finances, et al, is so often overwhelming for you. He knows your inhibitions, your discomforts and frustrations. Along with your worries and anxieties. He’s familiar with the social pressures at school and among friends you are often confronted with. Not to mention the sexual enticements in a ‘your body, your right’ environment. Jesus is aware how all of this weighs on you and wears you down. It often depresses your faith and suppresses your spiritual vitality. As with the disciples (above) Jesus also wants your personal revitalization. As well as our revitalization as a church. 

“As with the disciples (above) Jesus also wants your personal revitalization. As well as our revitalization as a church.”

This revitalization is firstly realized, as we pursue Jesus among those areas of ordinary and complicated life. We need Jesus speaking revitalized life and vitality into our every day experiences and ordeals. And, He does so as we read His Word and gather with our local church to hear what His Word says to us. Such life awakening peace and joy is needed so that we are excitedly gathering with the church to worship Him and receive great grace from Him as we do. We need to “count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. . .that I may know him and the power of his resurrection” as Paul gladly boasted in Philippians 3:8-10.     

“. . .revitalization is firstly realized, as we pursue Jesus among those areas of ordinary and complicated life. We need Jesus speaking revitalized life and vitality into our every day experiences and ordeals.”

Jesus also well knows the areas in life you are prone to temptation. He knows your sinful predilections and shortcomings. It’s with this in mind that Jesus exhorted his disciples so incessantly in the Garden of Gethsemane to spend their time praying rather than sleeping. And He did so, by the way, during one of His most overwhelming moments – apart from his path to crucifixion and judgment that was about to be more immediately set in motion. Jesus knew what was about to unfurl, and He urged his disciples to prayer. His reason, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). We need to hearJesus speaking to us through His Word about sin, in all of the aforementioned settings just mentioned, in order to know life apart from sin’s destructive and damaging presence. Paul reminds the church, “we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. . .For this is the will of God, your sanctification. . . .” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-3) 

This is Christ’s will – His Word – to us and for us, for personal and church revitalization. Moreover, this Word also involves prayer as Jesus exhorted His disciples -and us- to do in Gethsemane above. 

Revitalization is secondly realized through prayer. Such spiritual renewal happens where there is a prayerful renewal. This is the renewal we find the Sons of Korah praying for in Psalm 85, “Restore us again, O God of our salvation. . .Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice (action of inner joy) in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints” (85:4,6-8). The revival or revitalization these guys were praying for was part and parcel spiritual. They were praying for a revitalization of soul, inwardly. An inner renewal appertaining to their salvation. A revival of the condition of the soul tantamount to what David prayed for in Psalm 51:11-12, “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

“Revitalization is secondly realized through prayer. Such spiritual renewal happens where there is a prayerful renewal.”

What’s glaringly obvious from the aforementioned, is that praying is essential to revitalization. And, it was expressed in nothing short of petitioning desperation. We need to be praying individually and privately as David was. We need to be praying personally and corporately as the Sons of Korah were. We need to be awake, consciously and purposely conversing with our God, as Jesus was urging His disciples to give themselves to. If we are physically disengaged from prayer or asleep to prayer personally, our souls will be asleep to being revitalized. Additionally, if we are physically disengaged from prayer or asleep to prayer corporately, the soul of our church will be asleep to being revitalized.

Jesus wants us revitalized. And, He is present through His Word and Spirit to revitalize our own -your own- souls among all the variegated stuff of life. And, what’s more, as we -you- are revitalized, the church will find herself being revitalized by her Grooms -Jesus Christ’s- life. He has the life and power and authority to give us such renewed life and vitality. As He overcame the life suppressing and depressing power of sin and death and judgment through His vital resurrection. “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. . .For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself” (John 5:21,26)

When I was an early teen, I would often bike around our neighborhood with a buddy of mine. We would often cut through alleys that divided backyards. On one occasion, as we passed by an open lot between houses, I noticed a large white image charging at us from my peripheral view. As I turned to better visualize what this image was, adrenaline kicked into gear as my legs began peddling faster and harder. This was because that large white image was an enormous, and apparently, a ravenous pit bull chasing us. At the time it seemed more like a smaller polar bear.

Come to find out this dog broke free from its backyard. It was unleashed and able to terrorize anyone out and about in the neighborhood. Even if on a bike. Eventually this pit bull was re-connected to its leash. Its free movements were curtailed.  And thus, the neighborhood was no longer subject to this dogs animalistic surprise and unrestrainedattacks.

Similarly, the devil has been tied to a leash. As we’ve seen SGC, Jesus has bound this mongrel. This mut. Satan isn’t free to run amuck without the restraint of a leash. He isn’t a free range devil or adversary. 

To be sure, he has never been able to freely inact or instigate his devilish schemes, carte blanche, apart from God’s providential consent and sovereign approval. We’re reminded of this very uniquely in Job chapters 1-2 as the Lord our God oversees, so to speak, Satan’s activities and instigations against Job. Apart from God’s sovereign approval, Satan would have had no business with Job. To be sure, God Himself, introduces Job to the devil’s consideration (1:8, 2:3). 

“Satan isn’t free to run amuck without the restraint of a leash. He isn’t a free range devil or adversary.”

On one level,  Satan’s mobility has always been limited to the Lord God’s own purposes among Creation. And subject to our Lord’s will as it’s being worked out among humankind. On another level, he has always been, “going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” (1:7, 2:2). And, still, on another level, Satan has been able to have a locution among the heavenly host of God, in some sense (1:6; Zechariah 3:1-2).

However, as we’ve seen from Revelation, in particular, Satan has been permanently cast out of heaven. As John is given vision in chapter 9, “I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth.” This star is who Jesus had in mind when mentioning during his earthly ministry, “I saw Satan fall like lighting from heaven” (Luke 10:8). Upon his falling, John envisions Satan being, “given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit” where he unleashes a flurry of demonic activity as is described in 9:1-11. After all, Satan is the king of this bottomless pit ‘into’ which he has fallen (9:11).

Although, this Satan instigated flurry of demonic -or fallen angel- locomotion is, as it has always been, subject to the Lord God. All of this demonic commotion is restrained. Or leashed. “They were told not to harm the grass of the earth. . .but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (symbolism of ownership and belonging in their time)” (9:4). What is more, their tormenting actions among those unsealed by God – those unsaved by God or those not elected (Rev.7:3,13:8,14:3-4; Matthew 24:22, 22:14{1-14},13:36-39) by God for salvation – are also limited and restrained in various ways throughout history until Jesus returns (6:2-3,9:5,13:7).

All satanic and demonic oppression is leashed SGC. Anything such spiritual powers unleash is limited by the leash God has tied them to. This is such an assurance for believers, for the true church and Bride of Jesus. We are protected from such devilish and demonic oppressive influences and movements, spiritually and personally and salvifically. We can have such confidence in the security and permanence of our salvation that Jesus goes so far as to say, “For false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, IF POSSIBLE, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). Jesus is conveying the impossibility of the elect being led astray into unbelief. And, what is more, Jesus makes this confidence boosting statement in the context of the final and intensified tribulation just prior to His return (24:25-31).

“This is such an assurance for believers, for the true church and Bride of Jesus. We are protected from such devilish and demonic oppressive influences and movements, spiritually and personally and salvifically”

And, to amplify this confidence, Jesus promises just prior to 24:24, that the greatest persecution of the church will be shortened “for the sake of the elect” (24:23). This speaks to our Lord’s care and concern for our condition and suffering. Such oppression and suffering just prior to Christ’s return, won’t be permitted for long. He will bring great and eternal relief from sins suffering and God’s judgments against sinful unbelief. 

For all who are brought to saving faith in Jesus, there isn’t a power of hell that can disqualify nor ruin our salvation. As Jesus himself reminds us, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29).

The devil may do his ‘darndest’, as we say in the south, to nefariously influence us with unforgiveness, and yet, there isn’t a single thing he nor anyone can do or say to nullify or cancel our forgiveness in Christ. This gospel truth is what brings Paul to joyously and confidently assert, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The assumed answer is no one! “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn (us for sin). . .Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution?” etc. The answer to these three rhetorical questions is an emphatic and unflinching, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers. . .nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39)  

“For all who are brought to saving faith in Jesus, there isn’t a power of hell that can disqualify nor ruin our salvation.”

Our confidence in sins forgiveness SGC, is in Christ. He has suffered God’s judgment for the whenever’s of our sin and the whatever’s of our sin. He has satisfied the righteous wrath of God against our sin. He has paid the full penalty of our sin by bearing the full weight of our sin on the cross, in our place.

Moreover, Our security in God’s salvation, is also in Christ. As Hebrews 7:25 reminds us, “he is able to save to theuttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for us”. Our salvation knows no expiration. Only aspiration. We see this when Christ prays for Peter in Luke 22:31-32. “Satan demanded to have” Peter, “that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” 

And this is why the Son of God and Son of Man, took upon Himself human nature in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). And this entails Jesus coming to “bind the strongman” -aka Satan- as He entered the “strong man’s house” to “plunder his goods” (Matthew 12:29). An entering and plundering that commenced upon Christ’s earthly ministry. And, arguably began when Jesus defeats Satan on his own turf in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). As Willliam Hendrickson goes so far as to say in his book More Than Conquers, “This work of binding the devil was begun when our Lord triumphed over him in the temptations in the wilderness”

The ‘Away from me, Satan!”, Jesus declared and established as He was tempted by the devil in that wilderness, has also become our declaration in Him! 

We will explore this more in the next post.