“God makes a home for the lonely.”

Matthew 28: 20, ”teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I suppose that there are times in everyone’s life when they feel all alone. Actually, this is an awareness of something that has always existed. A person may have always been alone but recognize it at a time when there is not activity around him. One woman, recently widowed, aptly said, “I know God is with me, but this morning I fell and there was no one there to pick me up.” In the outer life loneliness is more readily recognized; however, in the spirit and soul we were all born lonely. There has never been (in spite of the insipid teaching of having a “soul mate”) anyone who can touch our mind, heart, soul, emotions, will, and spirit. No one, that is, save One, and that One is Jesus. Psalm 25:16, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” Psalm 68:6, “God makes a home for the lonely.” If you have invited the life of Jesus to live within, you’ve learned that He is the only One who fills loneliness and assures you that you never were alone. I like feeling lonely and turning to Him to discover His nearness. I like that fact that He alone can fill the emptiness that is deepest within me. I can’t imagine that He wants to be that near, but He does.

Genesis 9:18-25, “Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was populated. Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. So he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants he shall be to his brothers.’” There is a lesson for us. Are we to uncover the nakedness of our brother? Many believe it is their job to find the sins of others and then expose them to everyone. Not only is this contrary to Matthew 18, but it will bring a curse upon the accuser. Let God deal with a man’s nakedness. I know a pastor who, out of spiritual jealousy, discovered a hidden sin that another pastor committed some thirty years ago, and he made sure that everyone found out about it. Is this how we treat the people of God? If you want to be a Ham, it is. I prefer to be like the other two brothers, backing up with the Blood that covers and not publicizing the failures.

As the topic of alcohol is examined, the first thing to establish is the fact that God did create it.

Solomon, with all his wisdom, took a long hard look at the topic of alcohol and experimented with its use. Eccl. 2:3, I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. He drank wine in an attempt to discover its benefits. As the topic of alcohol is examined, the first thing to establish is the fact that God did create it. Often the argument is made that fallen man, attempting to feed the flesh, created alcohol, and indeed, there is specific testimony throughout the Bible as to the misuse of wine. Proverbs 23:20 sums it up, Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine. Proverbs 20:1, Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. The New Testament gives injunctions concerning those that are addicted to wine. Within the context of this argument against God’s involvement in the creation of alcohol, the point is made that God created grape juice, or new wine, but never created alcohol. However, Scriptures do not bear out such a distinction. Judges 9:13, But the vine said to them, “Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?” I can’t see how grape juice cheers the heart. Also, Isaiah 20:6, The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow. The Lord is preparing a feast that includes aged wine! Then in Acts 2:13, But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.” Sweet wine, new wine, aged wine–all wine contains some alcohol content. The fact that something is misused does not discount either its creator or its original purpose. If this were true, what could be said of the sex drive, medications, and computers? God has created wine. In fact, God required the sacrifice of wine, a libation, along with the other things that He created.
Ex. 29:40 and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb. There are other interesting or perplexing passages. Remember, Scripture must be used to interpret and limit the meaning of other Scripture, so a validation of wine is not an endorsement of drunkenness any more than the rightful institution of sex in marriage is an endorsement of wanton promiscuity.
Psalms 104:15And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man’s heart.
Proverbs 31:6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.
Eccl 9:7, Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works!
Finally, we have Jesus turning water into wine. John 2:7 Jesus said* to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8And He said* to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the _headwaiter.” So they took it to him.

This will make us stop trying to change it and put it on the shelf called flesh.

We believe that if we have a negative in our lives, others can feed enough positives to make it go away. Therefore, we are always trying to make a positive out of others or hope they will admit the negative that they have put in our lives. In reality we need another negative to feed the negative in order to make the original negative become so large that we will, by revelation, see the stupidity of trying to get undone the negatives in life. This will make us stop trying to change it and put it on the shelf called flesh. I see many dissatisfied believers, and often they are motivated not by need but want. They see their lack of goods as a negative and want to get a positive. Some cheat to do so. After their accomplishment of milking a positive out of someone, they remain a negative. I have a friend in Africa; to many it appears that he has many negatives. He asks for nothing. He is not materialistic but is Christ-minded. He is very positive, for he doesn’t see his situation as a negative, he sees Jesus. One time I gave him a computer, and later I was erroneously thinking that I had sent two. I wrote and asked that he give one away to another brother. He immediately wrote that he would. Then I discovered my mistake and explained it, told him to keep the computer, and said I would purchase one for the other brother. But I asked the question, “How could you so easily give back the computer you need so much?” His response was, “When you mother cooks a large meal and asks for some of it, would you not give it to her?” He is a full and free man not trying to change the negatives. In fact, at the highest revelation of Christ in you, there are no negatives, for He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.

The fearful person is the perfect person in whom God can be creative.

Mark 2:22, No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.
God can only do something creative through a weak, unknowing person. Familiarity with a job encourages doing it the same way and not, in humility, seeking Him for His way. For example, a person with 50 years’ successful experience with missions, teaching, or church building will not, generally speaking, seek the Father for how He wants things done in a new place. It will be done the same way, without thought, and the person will find himself in a rut. The problem with many churches is that they either stay in a rut or go examine other people’s ruts instead of going to the Lord and discovering whether there is something new that He would do. I meet many people fearful to take up the call of God. They don’t know how to preach, they don’t know how to lead, and they don’t know enough about the topic. But here is a secret: water cannot be put in a full cup; new wine cannot be put in an old wineskin. The fearful person is the perfect person in whom God can be creative. If you can’t do something, admit it, and let Him do something new. This message of Christ in you is old, and yet with each generation God would make it fresh. In your weakness, allow Him to do just that, make it fresh.

In these times we are not creating hearts as much as watching them be revealed.

The Revelation of the Heart
Romans 2:5, “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” In these times we are not creating hearts as much as watching them be revealed. It is the time for the revelation of hearts. The heart is being revealed all around us. When someone says, “I can’t believe in a God that allows suffering,” that person’s heart is being revealed. They know that God didn’t cause the suffering, but they are taking occasion to blame Him. If He did take away suffering, do we honestly think that such a person would immediately repent and turn to Jesus? No, the statement or the event is simply a revelation of the heart. We will be surprised in heaven to discover all that God has done for suffering people. Just as the heart of His own Son was revealed in hardship, so have many others’ been. It is amazing to be in a place where there has been persecution, because that type of suffering accelerates the revelation of the heart and allows us to see men for what they really are. “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around,” said the man being healed from his blindness. Do you know the hearts of those around you? They are not revealed in comfort. One day you will see that those you thought were enemies are friends and those believed to be friends were enemies. It is the time for the revelation of hearts.

The facts of the earth and the faith of heaven blend perfectly without conflict.

Well, the Indians say it, and it is an obvious truth: If you go east long enough you will find yourself west, and likewise, if you go west long enough you will find yourself east. Maybe those in the West have yet to travel far enough east, and those in the East have not traveled far enough west. Eastern Religion, in the absence of fact, draws pictures. There was never a boy with an elephant head, and drawing it doesn’t make it so. Please, travel a bit further to the West. On the other hand, no one in the East would question the existence of God, and when I say that Jesus spoke to me, no one questions it, for God must be alive. However, in the West many have yet to believe that there even is a God, and to say one has heard Him is to border on insanity. Those in the West need to travel a little more to the East. In the East miracles are an accepted part of life, and yet they have opened the door to the false and the deceiving. In the West, those without an inner awareness that Jesus is actually alive and active IN them seek miracles OUTSIDE them as proof that He exists. Move east a little and discover the greatest miracle: Christ is in you. In the West it is believed that the flower must be dissected to be understood, and yet the beauty is destroyed. In the East the flower must simply be smelled. In the West a bridge made out of water is unthinkable; in the East many have walked on ice across a great river. In Christ East meets West. The facts of the earth and the faith of heaven blend perfectly without conflict. In Him everything created on the earth and in the heavens merges without contradiction. This place many believe is impossible to find–the place where East meets West–is not a place but a person, Jesus!

If we do not invite Him today to live His life through us, we will discover that we have not changed, and God will use the ensuing failure to bring the point home.

Romans 7:18, For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

Because of how religion infiltrates the Church, so few have a doctrine of failure. There is one very big problem with this: We all will fail! Most are emphasizing a one-time fix, meaning that some understanding or some conference will free a person from all future conflict. It is not so with us. Our system not only allows for failure but plans for it. The Epistles are written because Christians are failing, they are not getting it, but most importantly they have moved away from their focus on Jesus. Without their failures we would not have those books. We have all learned as they did through their failures. If they learned through theirs, is it not true that we will learn from ours? Do any believe that the early Church didn’t have failures? Paul uses the occurrence of believers’ going to temple prostitutes to explain the principle of oneness. He didn’t tell them they were hopeless; he told them why they should not be doing it and to stop. Peter was a tremendous failure after being taught by Jesus for three-and-one-half years. What do we learn about soul strength in our attempts to serve God from his example? What did he learn? If you are prepared for failure, when it comes (and it will) you will not have to enter into condemnation, unbelief, and become a Galatian. The flesh doesn’t change, but that really is a beautiful thing, because if I don’t want to walk with Jesus, I will be the same mess I was before . . . well, actually worse. With Adam’s life in me, wearing sin was natural. With Christ’s life in me, wearing sin is very abnormal and miserable. The hardest thing to get across is that we are not improving, but only abiding longer. I know a man that was in a mental institution, came to see Christ as his life, and as Christ flowed from him, people could see Jesus. However, he believes in a one-time fix, and now when he isn’t abiding he still acts very psychotic, but now it is more of a Christian psychosis and more “acceptable.” Well, amen. An elephant can live up to 100 years, and the reason it dies is this: It has six set of teeth. As it wears out one set of teeth, the next set comes in, and so on until it has no teeth, can no longer eat, and it dies. We, like the elephant, have many sets of spiritual teeth for eating at different stages of our life. There are teeth for the milk of the early things and teeth for the later things, and one day we will leave this body. Until then there is always something to chew, and if we chew long enough we need a new set of teeth. We have chewed long enough on heaven vs. hell. It is time to chew on the fact that Christ is in us. As we by choice invite Him to live through us, He will today, but for today only. I am not saying He is coming and going; I am saying we must choose to relate to Him in a certain way. If we do not invite Him today to live His life through us, we will discover that we have not changed, and God will use the ensuing failure to bring the point home.

He could see God in everything.

14: 6 “Jesus said* to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
I woke up this morning thinking of an old friend. Charley was my friend from Jr. High on. His mother ran a bar and his father was an absent alcoholic. One day I stole the neighbor’s car with Charley, and when we got it up to 40 mph we discovered that the reason it had been sitting so long was that it didn’t have brakes. Another friend, Clark, had us get close to the ditch, and he jumped out. Charley and I continued until we realized that we could simply turn off the engine. He was a good friend and taught me how to hop the train from the intersection near the school to my house that was a little over a mile away. One day, in high school, a boy from the local reform school told Charley that I said something about his girlfriend that I never said. Charley confronted me and wouldn’t believe that I didn’t say it. He insisted on a fight. That afternoon after school we fought until someone called the police. Here is what is vexing me: If I only knew what I know now, I would have let Charley hit me and never struck back. There is The Way and a not the way. Jesus is The Way and every other way is not the way. Why am I thinking of that? Why do I wish Charley would have been allowed to hit me? I suppose that I am projecting my present revelation on the past, and that is dangerous, for it can cause something demonic called regret. However, I really wish I would have stood still and let him hit me. Well, amen. Charley, like most all of my childhood friends, died by the time he was 33 (one friend died with a brain tumor, one was hit by a train, and the other was killed in a traffic accident). He had quit school to work as a laborer; in the country one night, sitting in his car trying to persuade his wife not to leave him, he shot her and himself. I wonder if I would have let him hit me, would it have made a difference in his life? I am no David, but I am becoming like David in my attitude. When he was with his mighty army and a man came cursing him, David simply said, “Leave him alone; it may be God.” He could see God in everything. I should have let Charley hit me. I have “hit” Christ many times, and yet He has never hit back. Well, amen! Only Jesus knows, but this morning I am thinking of Charley.

No one can be born again by the will of the flesh, insidious in its ability to take the eyes off of Jesus.

Job 34:15, “All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.” John 1:13, “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
No one will be born of the will of the flesh. It is impossible. For in the flesh are the senses of man that constantly need feeding. One may think of them as instinct gone amuck. Senses in the body are given attention either by pain or reward, feeding or starving, or consciously avoiding or obsessing on. Either way it is in being activated that they are kept alive and in charge. The greater truth is that the senses want to be activated; the lesser truth is how they are activated, which is by eating from the tree of good and evil. The desire for food (wish fulfillment or fantasy) will keep senses alive just as much as condemnation from eating too much. Look at the anorexic or observe the obese, and both scream “flesh in control.” An overwhelming desire for sex or the condemnation of looking at porno both scream that the flesh has regained control. Thinking of oneself as intelligent or stupid are both still flesh. Again, flesh is simply the senses in control. The east denies the flesh in an attempt to appease it and the west feeds it in an attempt to appease it. Of course, the west doesn’t have a choice in that nothing is enough to satisfy it, nor does the east really choose, since there is ultimately no way to withhold from the flesh. Nevertheless, the flesh is flesh and is hostile to God. Now, why does flesh desire to be in control? It is because flesh desires man to be flesh-centered. If man becomes Christ-centered, the senses of flesh would not be fed but would be sublimated to Christ. The flesh can never be more than a slave, and a rebellious one at that, for by the works of the flesh will no flesh be justified. No one can be born again by the will of the flesh, insidious in its ability to take the eyes off of Jesus. The flesh constantly screams for attention and has a thousand methods at its disposal to get it. Believers and non-believers alike have flesh. The saddest thing is to witness someone who has abandoned his will to flesh. Like a tick, flesh will feed until it explodes and destroys itself. I meet many Christians that struggle with the sin of homosexuality but are not homosexual, and if you were to meet them, you would never guess what their particular deed of the flesh is. However, meet someone who has, by choice, yielded to that area of the flesh, and it is evident in his or her body. Just a few minutes with that person reveal to what they have yielded their flesh. Now, why would God put us in flesh? I am not talking about a physical body, but the desires of the senses that reside in the physical body. Well, it has been said that the greatness of a man is not determined by what he does but rather by what he refuses to do. The man who feeds his flesh through adventure and the procession of praise for victory or the mockery for defeat is not as great a man as he who says, “Not my will but Thy will be done.” Having flesh and its senses allows man the unique opportunity of choice, of living on the earth but not being of the earth, of living to God and not to senses, and the discovery of something higher in this life, spiritual fulfillment. Flesh, or rather the call of the senses to stay alive, is a constant reminder that we must move our eyes to Jesus. It is another stronghold allowing us to stay focused. If God is for us, then who can be against us? Again, the flesh is never a friend; you may buffet it and make it a slave, but it will never be a friend. The flesh is a strange thing in that it cannot live on its own but must live on something that is living. It adapts to resemble the thing on which it lives, but it isn’t really a living thing. When man dies, the fleshly condition of the man dies. It is weird.