“What does the Lord require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him…to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statures which I command you today for your good.” Dt 10:12-13

Moses had been raised as royalty. He had received the best education the world in his day had to offer. He had had many face to face encounters with the Living God, some lasting for weeks on end. He had seen the power of God work through him in performing miracle after mind-boggling miracle. By his hand, a mighty deliverance was wrought to the children of Israel, culminating in the parting of the Red Sea and leaving a whole army of enemies dead in his wake. He had seen the miracle of manna, the provision of quails, the splitting of the rock to pour forth water to sustain more than two million people for nearly forty years in the Wilderness.

Now, standing on the very brink of the Promised Land, Moses performs one final act. He writes the book of Deuteronomy. The Hebrew meaning is 
“second law”, as the incident of the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai is repeated with details in its entirety. Nine times he uses the word “forget”, “remember” another fourteen. A full thirty-five times he exhorts them to “go in and possess the land” in accordance with the command of God. Moses was going to make sure God’s people knew exactly what He had planned for them, and what they needed to do.

This past week I returned to the land of my forefathers to hear the “words” of our “prophet” and “patriarch”, my own father who will soon go the way of Moses. Hour upon hour has been spent in reflection about the example, testimonies, character, and values that he is leaving behind. Our English word “legacy” derives from “lex”, the Latin word for law. As with Moses, a law, not just a written code, but a law representing a way to live, a pattern of how to conduct our affairs, how to be just, equitable must be passed down. Lest we forget. Lest we are tempted to lower standards. Lest we repeat the mistakes, or fail to access the accumulated wisdom of those who have gone before us. These are the days of my dad’s own deuteronomy. 

Joseph, the wisest of Jacob’s twelve sons, prioritized sitting at the feet of his dying father in those final hours. I’ve often wondered where the other boys were. He brought his two sons. Tell us the stories, grandpa. Did you really wrestle all night with the Angel of the Lord?! What was it like, gramp? And what did it feel like to hear God speak to you that night in Bethel, “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father…the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants”? Does that really mean this land is ours?! Ephraim and Manasseh were being marked for life! We need to hear the promises repeated. We need to be reminded of battles won, sacrifices made. We need to know why. We need to be convinced, no…convicted, woke to our own place in this picture.

The New Testament quotes from Deuteronomy more than any other Old Testament book. It was Jesus’ most often quoted book as well. Moses tells us to transmit all the laws, tales, warnings, and prophesies to our children, and grandchildren. He instructs us to be diligent to talk about them inside our homes and out, when we lie down and rise up. We are to write them on the doorposts of our homes, and on the gates of our cities, to “beware, lest you forget…” (Dt 6:12).

When Moses commanded us to be DILIGENT about these things, he must have known that most of us would not naturally be fervent about such a task. I have just finished a book by Sen. Joe Lieberman called “The Gift of Rest” about the Sabbath. A practicing Jew who walked home from the Capitol and turned off his cell phone and computer on the Sabbath, he convincingly portrays the keeping the Sabbath holy as a great blessing. The entire day is giving over to reflection, of ceremonies and songs which remind the Jews of God’s faithfulness to them through the centuries. From his own account, his diligence has been richly rewarded.

And that, beloved, is how it should be. It is as it was designed to be. In our day, should we really be surprised that our children disobey the Ten Commandments when they don’t even know them? When we or they are bear the consequences of our ignorance, or forgetfulness about the things God has spoken to us, whom can we blame but our own lack of focused, intentional, and regular repeating and recalling of our own stories.

Maybe we have become casual about the benefits of the law. I’ve driven in many nations where the laws governing how we drive, how fast, which lane, when and where to pass, or reverse, or turn, are taken as mere suggestions. Contrary to common, modern belief, the absence of laws is NOT freedom. It leads to confusion, and chaos–to accidents, pain and loss. God has not given us His laws for His benefit, but for ours. Lest we forget. Lest our society forgets, or our children, we need to announce that the laws of God are given for our good. As David’s timeless revelation says:

“The law of the Lord is perfect,
     converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure,
     making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right,
     rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure,
     enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean,
     enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true
     and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
     Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” Ps 19:7-10

“He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:16-17

In March, I wrote Part 1 of “As the World Turns”. My message focused on the first two “turnings” indicated in this prophesy spoken to Zecharias about his son, John the Baptist. The third turning is the least understood and yet will be the most exciting of all. While the first two turnings reference Israel, and then the Church, the third phase will impact the entirety of God’s creation. Literally, the “disobedient” are going to be made ready to meet their captivating and merciful Maker. The word disobedient (Gr. apeithes) used here is also translated rebellious, and means unable to be persuaded. The picture you get is that even those who are the most calcitrant, hardened, and stubborn will undergo a complete and radical transformation, compelled to turn their hearts completely over to God their Savior. These words prophesy of a mighty day of harvest which will gather in the multitudes of humanity just before the appearing of Jesus from heaven. Wow!

These verses reveal more than just the fact of a mighty revival. They give us a clue into the means by which this outpouring comes. How does God get the attention of these “disobedient” masses? Certainly His miraculous works on behalf of his covenant people Israel will play an important role. When the whole world seems set in array against them, and yet they survive, and thrive, and finally turn their hearts to their longed-for Messiah, many will be awestruck. The same God who led His people out of Egypt, whose story is still being told 3500 years later, has said to Israel “you will be my witnesses” yet again (Isaiah 43).

Then God is going to pour out His Spirit in an unprecedented way upon His sons and daughters. This time, the manifestation will not be local, or regional, but global. Rochester, NY in the days of Finney, and the nation of Wales in the days of Evan Roberts were but a foretaste of what God will do among all the nations (panta ta ethne, MT 28:19) in the last days. The beautiful Bride of Christ will come into her fulness. Her authority will be without equal. Signs and wonders will be done by old and young in the days prophesied by Zechariah when “the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David” (12:8).

Yes, God will have mercy upon His covenant people, the Jews. And yes, He will copiously pour out His precious Spirit upon all those who call upon His name. But there is yet another key which the angel gave to us to unlock the rebellious in the last days. Gabriel calls it “the wisdom of the just”. What exactly does this mean?

I don’t pretend to have the whole picture of what this verse is unleashing, but I believe the prime target for God’s wisdom is the marketplace. Beloved, think of it this way. The “rebellious” have been fed their versions of “reality”. The “wisdom” of this world, in its attempt to exclude God and discredit God’s Word, ultimately leaves people lost, confused, bereft, and angry. The more aggressively peoples across the earth pursue the agendas and promises of dark and narcissistic rulers, the more perplexed they become. Rattled rebels will come running to a Kingdom which cannot be shaken. Bound and broken peoples will yearn for an escape from a crooked and perverse generation. Suddenly, they’ll come streaming out of the shadows as the Morning Star rises in their hearts (2 Pet 1:19).

The ways of the just are good! Consider the words of David:

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes…
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold.”
Psalm 19:7-8

Get ahold of this! God is going to make a distinction in the last days. Men and women with David-like courage will do great exploits. People who carry Joseph-like anointings will again find solutions to complex problems “in order to preserve the lives of many people” (Gen 50:20). Daniel-like visionaries will interpret mysteries which will attract the visionless, opening the eyes of modern-day Nebuchadnezzars to “praise and extol and honor the King of heaven” (Dan 4:37). When God says the disobedient will turn to the wisdom of the just, then we have to believe that in that hour God is going to grant us a wisdom which so exceeds what we can know by learning or experience. This wisdom is not like some Green New Deal, lofty notions like castles in the sky to which there is no elevator. The answers God downloads are compassionate and pragmatic, solutions which achieve the elusive aspirations of equality and justice for neighborhoods, communities, and nations.

Just when we don’t think it could become any darker, glory will shine upon the children of God. The whole of creation is beginning to groan in earnest expectation for the revealing of the sons of God (IS 60:1-2; Rom 8:19). God is raising up a just people who will exhibit extraordinary wisdom in our day. I wanna be right in the center or it all, as the world turns.

The Double Portion

“Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 2 Kings 2:9

Being the father of seven kids, I have put a certain question to the test more times than I can count, and I can confidently say the answer has always been swiftly, resolutely, consistently, and enthusiastically the same. Maybe you have had a similar experience in your household when you break out a tub of ice cream. “Hey kids, do you want one scoop or two?” I never recall even once when any one of my children answered, saying he or she only wanted one scoop. I mean let’s be practical, why would you want less of a good thing?!

Elisha was smart. When Elijah called him to follow, he sprung into action. He quickly sacrificed the pair of oxen he was pushing, converting the plow into firewood, then announced at the ensuing community BBQ his decision to leave everything behind to serve the man of God. As he witnessed first hand the miracles, the accuracy of the prophesies, the impact Elijah had left on cities and towns, when finally Elijah brought the ice cream out, this was not time to be shy or feign false humility. Elisha was up for it: “give me two scoops, O man of God!!!”

Some of us may have been influenced by our own fathers, or by some wrong teaching along the way, but the first thing we have to embrace is that God is not stingy. He is not only well supplied, He is extremely generous with all that is His. Jesus was not just telling a one-off story: God always has a robe, sandals, a ring, a feast, and a big kiss waiting any of us who turn back to him. Even when we are filthy and smell to high heaven. Even when we’ve been an embarrassment. Even when we’ve totally squandered good things already given to us.

While God is never stingy, it is just as important to note that He is also not random. God is never indiscriminate. He is ever purposeful, ever alert, ever the Gentleman. He doesn’t lower His standards to suit us. He doesn’t respond to pettiness or performance. He can never be accused of sloppy agape. His grace is not like a smorgasbord, although there has been an aggressive attempt by attention grabbing preachers to give flashy portrayals otherwise. There were a lot of prophets trained by Elijah, but scripture does not record him asking any except for Elisha the question “what can I do for you?”

It turns out Elijah, and God, had been watching Elisha for a while. His response to Elijah even touching him with the mantle that carried the precious anointing was impressive. He was all in. But more than willingness, 1 Kg 19 ends with the words “then he arose…and became his servant.” To be sure, our attitudes too are constantly surveilled by the seven eyes of the seven Spirits of God. Would Elisha use the anointing for God’s purpose alone? Did he have a hidden agenda? Was he looking for glory, to be recognized, or legitimacy? Would he persevere, or was he only caught up in the thrill of the moment? It was only after a rigorous testing of Elisha’s resolve to stick with Elijah at all times, at all costs, that the mantle would be passed to him.

So as we realize God is not stingy, we will spontaneously come to him boldly to ask blessings from His hand. When we recognize God is not random, but responded to Elisha because of things Elisha was doing to prove and pique his interest, or qualify him as one who would persevere and faithfully steward God’s good gifts, we are sobered. This in turn causes us to press in to God, making our hearts pregnant with expectancy. Our eyes become fixed on Him, watching to see if He will rise and move towards the kitchen, open the freezer door, and pull out a tub of the goods.

But before our mouths water, there is one final and important lesson for us here. It seems the designation of “double portion” is tied to more than just eagerness, or faithfulness, or even tenacity. The term applies to an inheritance passed on to the first born son. It is not just more, it is better. It does not signify just quantity, but quality as well. Whereas those who were from the schools of the prophets undoubtedly learned from one of the best teachers in the history of Israel, the fact that a dramatic change was taking place in Elisha, that a promotion was being offered, that a distinction was being made, is unveiled in those breath-taking moments as Elijah was being swept up to heaven in a whirlwind by chariots of fire. Just before ripping his clothes open in emotional anguish, scripture testifies that:

“Elisha saw it, and he cried out, ‘My father, my father!’” 2 Kings 2:12

I missed this truth until recently, but Elisha had become a son; and being a son, he had qualified to inherit a double portion. And this, I am realizing, is at the heart of something God is saying to us at this hour, even as we approach the sunset of history. God is restoring a depth of relationship, a bond of fellowship, that existed in the earliest days of the church, but which has been dormant, and door-matted, for much of the past two millennia. This work of restoration is meant to reconnect spiritual fathers and mothers with spiritual sons and daughters. It reflects a deepening and desperate cry in the hearts of many for authenticity, accountability, and a true transfer of authority and power. It recognizes there was a time in the early church when giants like the Apostle Paul talked not of staff and co-workers, but of sons.

That God intended to highlight the story of Elijah and Elisha to become a call to the church in the last days is clear when we look at Malachi 4:5,6. An identifying characteristic of the last days is that hearts of fathers will be turned to their children, and children to their fathers. A healing will take place, an embrace, which will recover the highest possible standards of love and respect between generations. In this context, visions are carried on, legacies are made, and mantles are laid down, only to be picked up again with “double portion” potential.

So what is the sign of these things? Malachi says “I will send you Elijah”. In other words, God is going to raise up people who, like Elijah, will take the call to become spiritual fathers seriously. Elijah was in a cave, hungry for a word from God, when he heard a still small voice say three things to him he would do as the crowning events in the days he still had left on earth. He would anoint two kings, Hazael of Syria, and Jehu of Israel, and he would anoint Elisha as prophet in his place. The very next thing Elijah did when God finished speaking was go find Elisha. God had turned his heart towards a son. Raising up a successor, no, more than a successor, an heir, became his highest priority. That Elisha cried, “My father, my father” as Elijah was taken showed his heart had turned too.

Beloved, I can say with complete confidence that the transfer of a double portion anointing was not meant to be a one time thing. God did it then, and He is doing it again. God raised up Elijah to bring forth a powerful son who would perform twice the number of miracles he had done then, and now He is doing it again. As God restores this truth to His Church in these last days, are you hearing the still small voice? When you read this message, will the first thing you do be to go find your Elisha? Or maybe you are plowing in your field, yet readying your heart to lay it down at a moment’s notice upon hearing the voice of a father calling out to you to follow. Whether to become a spiritual father, mother, son, or daughter, God is restoring His design, and disbursing great grace and power to those who will yearn for a return to this blessed order. Join me and the many others who are awakening to this mightiest of all plans to raise up a generation which will truly possess God’s double portion.

“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
We mourned to you, and you did not lament.” MT 11:17

Jesus spoke these words about a generation that had become numb. Imagine a hungry lion yawning before a freshly killed chunk of meat; or a panda becoming disinterested in bamboo. These portraits are unnatural, aberrant. Only a tamed, pathetic people could become so plasticized, soulless. I watched a clip in horror one day of a scene from a park in Connecticut where scores of people, men and women, old and young, rich and ragged, lay motionless on the ground and on benches. Police and medics responding to this apocalyptic event shook and rolled the lifeless in an attempt to revive these who had been drugged into oblivion by laced opioids. These are just a few pictures of what we are shockingly becoming. Jesus had warned us it would happen:

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold…” Matt 24:12

So how do we vaccinate our hearts against this petrifying pandemic? In a day when social media clutters our minds with exhaustive images and posts of painful and horrendous tales, how do we keep and insulate our spirits from contamination and Novocaine jabs? How do we stay tender, and cultivate compassion? How do we turn tragedy and travesty into trajectory and triumph?

Acts 8:1-8 gives us a model response. Stephen had been stoned to death, and violent persecution was unleashed against the fledgeling church in Jerusalem. Saul was making havoc of the church, dragging men and women out of their homes and committing them to prison. When this flute began to play, the believers danced. Identifying with unflappable Stephen, throwing caution to the wind, devout men dove into the fray. Removing each guilty rock, lifting his bloody and broken body upon their strained and stained shoulders, they carried this firebrand to his tomb. We need this personal touch in an increasingly impersonal generation. Feeling begins with touching, and I don’t mean the keys of your computer. We must not be hoodwinked by Satan’s DEVICES. Interacting with people—godly, burning people, is like water on my clay-heart spinning on the wheel of our fast and furious generation. Water, like the Word splashing over me, keeps me able to be shaped and formed in His hand, in which I am kept forever warm.

Burial is digging, and dirging. And so these disciples “made great lamentation over him.” Jesus said if you want to be blessed, you must learn how to mourn. It’s probably been a while since you heard a sermon about this, but His mercies are fresh not just at the start every day but every mourning too. Mourning is a part of healing. Mourning is reflection, which inspires and invokes the perspective of Eternity. President Trump rightly walked the beaches once soaked with the blood of our nation’s young soldiers in commemorating D-Day’s 75th anniversary earlier this month. As Queen Elizabeth so aptly spoke, “the heroism, courage, and sacrifice of those who lost their lives will never be forgotten.” If we are to be a people who will not relent, we must take the time to greatly lament. The stories of those who have gone before are written on the recesses of our hearts with the pens of remembrance and honor.

Undeterred, the believers who had been bloodied and burdened, now badgered, scattered like pregnant seedlings into the soil of unreached towns and villages, sprouting flowers of healing and joy wherever they went. As the limb-littered shorelines of Normandy and Omaha brought liberty songs in their wake, so too these soldiers of the cross brought freedom’s praise to Judea and Samaria. May we resolutely commemorate and emulate all those who have paid a price to make Him known. In the spirit of D-Day celebrations, may we never, ever, forget.

“So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and LOT went with him.” Gen 12:4

When Abram left to find the Promised Land, he was old (75 yrs), and without an heir. He decided to take Lot with him, son of Abram’s brother who had passed away. God used Lot in Abram’s life to test him, to see whether or not he would have what it would take to raise his own son to become true heir of the covenant. It’s a fascinating study on having a father’s heart.

First of all, Abram clearly was a man of vision. One of the tactics of the enemy in our day is to keep us from thinking generationally. Families are no longer a place to raise sons and daughters to carry on our names, traditions, businesses, and wealth. We don’t need sons to share the burden of bringing in the harvest or do the chores. Dishwashers, laundry machines, dryers, and modern conveniences mean less hands are needed to manage a household. We don’t spend months chopping and splitting wood to heat our houses; we just adjust the thermostat! We could easily conclude we really don’t need family anymore. Many in the media, and academia concur. So it’s common for couples to marry today and not plan to have any children. Dogs are easier, and less expensive.

But let’s face it, it’s pretty hard to build a legacy with a German Shepherd. It’s also futile to leave your inheritance to a Siamese. It would be nice to never grow old, but since there’s never been anyone in history who has gotten younger, I think it’s likely that each one of us may become frail and need more than a lap poodle to give us a hand now and then as we age. Modernization and urbanization may have duped us into thinking families are redundant. But that is unequivocally and practically not true. Grasping that requires us to move beyond a culture which screams instant gratification to us through all its various megaphones. As it was for Abram, it begins for each of us with a vision.

God was with Abram, and it wasn’t long before his ten camels were a hundred; his hundred sheep soon became a thousand. As his wealth grew, as his possessions multiplied, he needed hundreds of servants to raise the crops and care for the animals. He had to build homes and shelters, and things needed to be repaired. All of this was supported by a busy kitchen and laundry department. Lot became wealthy too, and it was only a matter of time before prosperity would lead to change, which in their case meant putting some distance between them to allow room for each to continue to grow. As tensions built, Abram wisely sat Lot down for “one of those talks”. Then he motioned to Lot to follow him, ascending to the highest vista he could find. Directing Lot to “lift his eyes”, Abram then said something astonishing to his nephew: look as far as your eye can see, and take whatever place your heart desires. I want you to have the best. It’s yours. Be blessed!

Test passed. A true father is one who invests in his sons and daughters. When he builds, he builds with them in mind. When he moves, or plants, he does so with an eye to the future. By right, Abram was the older man. Lot prospered because Abram had prospered. Abram had every right to choose the best for himself. That is what most of us would do; indeed it is what most of us are doing. But the man through whom God would plan to entrust the promise that through his seed, his family, all the families of the earth would be blessed, this man needed to have a true father’s heart.

Abram invested in, put his hope and trust in, empowered, the next generation. Will you?

“He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:16-17

There are three mighty “turnings” that will mark the end of the age: the days before Jesus comes again. These were foretold by the angel who announced the miraculous birth of John the Baptist. They represent the fuller purpose of the forerunner, who comes “in the spirit and power of Elijah” but which was only partially fulfilled by John.

The first “turning” is the most obvious and well documented, having to do with Israel. Clearly the preaching of John did not result in a wholesale return of the Jews back to God. On the contrary, most rejected the Messiah. Though some “first fruits” were harvested in the early days of the church among the children of Israel, the restoration of Israel as a nation in 1948 awakened people to an awareness that God had not forgotten His special possession. Paul masterfully illustrates this in Romans 9-11, pointing to a day when:

“all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” (11:26-27)

Jehovah is a covenant keeping God, and in the last days His mercy towards and deliverance of Israel will shock the world and result in many calling on the God of Jacob. God is most certainly not done with Israel!

The second “turning” is taken directly from the last verses of the Old Testament. Malachi prophesied: “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (4:5,6). Again, although this prophesy pointed to John, restoration of broken families was not a defining feature of his message. Many promises are like this, such as the famed words of Joel which Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost. Here Peter witnesses the partial fulfillment of “I will pour out my Spirit”, but which will have to wait for “it shall come to pass in the last days” before the outpouring can truly be seen “on all flesh” (Acts 2:16,17). There yet remains a day when the outpouring of God’s Spirit will know no bounds. Localized seasons of revival such as seen in the days of the Great Awakening, of the Finney Revivals, the Welch Revivals, the Latter Rain or Charismatic Movements were marvelous, but God speed the day when the move of the Spirit of God will result in the whole earth being filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord “as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14)!!

I have dedicated much time ministering on this very subject for the past few years, even publishing a book on the characteristics of the hearts of children who have turned back to their fathers. The fact that we see a world full of broken homes and families, though alarming, should not alarm us. God knew, and He has released power and authority to redeem and restore. Malachi also prophesied this a few verses above these words, that “the Sun of righteousness will arise with healing in His wings” (4:2). Healing for families is an integral part of God’s end time plan and provision. Those who carry a forerunner heartbeat will see this, and not grow discouraged when the institution of the family comes under attack. It means the time of His return is approaching, and He is doing something in families behind the scenes for which the Father will be wonderfully glorified. Hallelujah.

Holocaust survivor Joshua Kaufman and WW II vet Sgt. Herman Zeitchik

Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught…” 1 Th 2:15

“Crack! Bang! Boom!” I woke to the sound of firecrackers as Chinese celebrate their New Year with lion dances, burning incense, pasting lucky sayings on their doorposts, and specialty foods. We had our “reunion dinner” as a family, and carried our fruit, especially our “golden” oranges, to visit friends. Such are some of the traditions of this festive season.

Toting some pineapple tarts home, I turned on the State of the Union address by President Trump. Interspersing policy achievements and barbs to his opponents, Trump aroused sympathy and sentiment by pointing to our own nation’s traditions. Rallying around the colossal successes of our military in averting evil, or asking the hero Buzz Aldrin who planted the American flag on the moon 50 years ago to stand, the deepest impression for me was the introduction of two men who first met on a cattle car destined for destruction in Nazi Germany at the end of the Second World War. Amazingly, Joshua Kaufman stood to represent two horrific survival stories: of the recent Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, and as a young man who would have perished in the Holocaust if it was not for the timely arrival of American troops to rescue him from the gas chambers. Among those soldiers, and now sitting next to Kaufman, was Sgt Herman Zeitchik. One year after Zeitchik had climbed over the bodies of countless fellow warriors on the beaches of Normandy, he had climbed onto Kaufman’s train where Joshua’s family and fellow prisoners’ fears had given way to cheers, crying in jubilation, “It’s the Americans!”

It’s good to recall, to recount, to reflect. Over the last three weeks I have completed the biographies of two British giants of history: Spurgeon and Churchill. Spurgeon, often called the greatest preacher of all time, had filled the largest stadiums of England in the 1850’s-80’s. His written sermons circled the globe in multiple languages, and even had a significant impact on the emancipation of the slaves in America. As Charles’ light faded, Churchill arose to become perhaps the greatest leader of the 20th Century. The “British Bulldog’s” role in the Second World War loomed so large that it may not be an exaggeration to say that had he not come to power when he did, Europe would have fallen to the Nazis, threatening the very survival of our Western values and traditions—what Churchill frequently referred to as Christendom.

Scripture too highlights the absolutely necessity of remembering the things which have been passed down to us from our forefathers. Moses’ writings oft repeat the warning, “lest you forget” (eg. Dt 6:12) . How about David’s words, “Now consider this, you who forget God…” (PS 50:22), or “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them you have given me life” (PS 119:93). Peter says that he wrote his epistle “to stir you up by reminding you” (2 Pet 1:13). The Hebrews writer exhorts “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured great struggle with sufferings” (10:32) I’m sure glad each of them pressed us to actively remember. I’m so forgetful!

And then there was Paul. Clear as he was that the traditions of men, which Jesus had so vehemently denounced, would lead to destruction, he also elevated the place of positive traditions in the life of the churches he had planted. He warned them to “stand fast and hold on” to the traditions they had been taught. He commanded them to withdraw from every brother who had walked away from these traditions (1 Th 3:6). He methodically gave detailed instructions for keeping the Lord’s Supper, inaugurating his teaching with “we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God” (1 Cor 11:16; 23ff). He constantly quoted, and referenced the Old Testament. He showed he understood that the fruit you bear up is directly a consequence of the roots that are planted down.

A healthy people understands and embraces its traditions. Families which identify and celebrate positive traditions which have been carefully transmitted from generation to generation set themselves in a position to prosper. These customs and the values they enshrine are anchors that keep peoples from drifting into dangerous seas, or towards rocky shores. President Trump artfully included snapshots of tradition to great effect in his SOTU. Any man, any people, who deftly cast this anchor in the turbulent waters of progress will benefit and stabilize all that they touch. May we be warned.

I miss Fox News’ Watter’s World, when Jesse would ask questions of random people on streets, college campuses, or outside events. It always struck me how ignorant this generation has become of the most basic and prominent aspects of our history. Despite having access to unlimited knowledge on demand, indeed, in the very palms of their hands, awareness of and appreciation for our past have reached an all-time low:

“Who discovered America?”
“Uh, Abraham Lincoln?”

“Who fought in the Civil War?”
“I don’t know, I’m not much of a history guy.”

“Who was the first president of the United States?”
“I have no idea!”

“What body of water is on the east coast of the US?
“The Red Sea?”
“Lake Erie?”

As the people of God, we must do better! The construction crew working on a high school next to our property spent two years on the ground and foundation. It seemed as though nothing was being accomplished. But in the past six months all the six story buildings have been completed. The chair I am sitting on would be worthless without legs. We will never leave a legacy without basking in our history. We will never advance as a culture if we neglect our past.

Who are the Joshuas and Hermans you need to identify and honor in your life? Have you paid attention to your root system recently? Does your boat have an anchor? When God wanted to strengthen the faith of His people, He moved upon the writer of Hebrews to recount the great and courageous deeds of our forefathers (Her 11). He connected us with our history. He urged and inspired us to stand fast and hold on to our traditions.

“Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree.
When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.”
Ex 15:25

The Red Sea had parted. Pharaoh’s army had been completely destroyed as the wall of water held back by the Hand of God collapsed and inundated them. Out broke the celebrations, the timbrels, the songs, the recounting of the miracles in the days leading up to the most famous account of deliverance of a people ever told.

Israel probably expected smooth sailing after this! But it was not to be. God “brought Israel from the Red Sea…into the Wilderness” (v. 22). He could have brought them to an oasis, but that would have to wait. God chose to test them. He chose to place an object lesson before them, since it was not His intention only to deliver the children of Israel. The Red Sea was indeed the culmination of a series of events which revealed God as powerful, matchless, awesome. Through it, they, and we, learned that those who are bound can be set free. Jehovah saves!

Moses took them three day’s journey into the Wilderness when their thirst became pronounced, and the only water they could find was bitter. What they needed now was not a Deliverer. They needed a Provider. They needed not just a revelation that God could rescue them, but that He was quite willing and able to nurture and sustain them as well.

The hard truth is that not even fairytales paint a rosy picture of life. There are ogres and giants and wolves with big teeth in the fairytales I read as a child! These are a reflection of real life, harbingers of the bumps and bruises that are the common experiences of palace and pauper existences alike.

Since we should not be surprised when our path leads us to bitter waters, then why do we complain when it happens? It is one thing to distance ourselves from our enemies; it is another to get along with our friends. Both are needed. Considering all that Moses had just risked and accomplished for them, it does seem quite heartless to start lambasting him after only a few days.

Moses had to act fast. This “test” could spell mutiny if he was not able to come up with a solution, pronto! Unless God showed him what to do, he was going to be looking at two and a half million thirsty, and angry men, women, and children. Now, the “answer” to the problem would not be logical. If you are expecting a logical answer to your situation, you are probably looking in the wrong place! It is not that God is illogical; it may be that He is beyond, or superlogical. When He chooses to use the foolish things to confound the wise, or the weak things to humble to strong, God is not working within, or on, our terms. So how does Moses solve this crisis? Simple. Get ready now. Don’t shake your head, though I can’t say I would blame you if you chuckle a bit. God showed Moses a tree, which he proceeded to throw into the water to heal it. As you let this picture settle, it may help to consider something…

This story was always going to be about more than just the Nation of Israel. The Red Sea was never going to be the sole possession of a people fleeing slavery 2,500 years ago. The songs of the horses and riders being thrown into the Sea have been sung around the world in more languages than you can shake a staff at. Pharaoh’s futile attempts to keep any person who would follow and trust God in bondage is an allegory for any people at any time, anywhere, who believe.

So what is the message behind the story of the bitter water of Marah? No less profound, though maybe not quite as obvious. You see, Jesus was hung on a tree. I know we call it a cross, but in many places it is also referred to as a tree. And while the tree (cross) is what saves us, by faith; the tree is also that which continues to nurture and sustain us all throughout our journey. The tree brings peace. The tree empowers us to drink to our heart’s delight. The tree heals, even as it declares in the very next verse that God is Jehovah Rapha (The Lord our Healer), promising “I will put none of the diseases on you which I put on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you” (v. 26).

Finally, the tree turns all that is bitter into sweetness. The true gospel does not falsely proclaim that we will go from triumphs to parties to oases and then go around again. We go from Red Seas, to Wildernesses. We go from singing and dancing, to hard times and disappointments. We really do need more than a Deliverer, and thank God, He has come not just to deliver. He comes to test us, to see if we will turn to him rather than attack each other. He comes to see if we will find the tree to heal our bitter waters.

And if that is not enough, He goes one step further. He doesn’t just make it so the Israelites can drink the water. He changes the water. When He heals it, what was once bitter now becomes…sweet. This is the perfect capstone rounding out the image of this God who came and sought a people who were oppressed and forsaken. He came to them as a Deliverer. And He also came to them as a Provider. He even came to them as a Healer. But when He made the water sweet? Well, this is something that only a Father would do.

The End Times are hard times. As things become more tight, and pressures increase on all sides, we have to arm ourselves with a different way of thinking. Peter put it this way: “since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same thought” (1 Pet 4:1). Of course, this is completely unnatural for most of us. Christians from Western nations and much of the free world have been raised with positive messages of hope, and promise. We’ve been told over and over that God wants to bless, even prosper us. Ours is the language of victory, of banners flying, of enemies fleeing. These are the songs we sing, the stories we write, the epitaphs of our heroes. There is only one very big problem with this…all of these things are only partially true. Not every battle is won. Sometimes our enemies don’t bow so easily. Not every problem gets solved. As I was just reading this morning from the book of Daniel:

“I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and
      prevailing against them.” Dan 7:21

Now I am not suggesting that we should change our tune, or lower our expectations. We need to keep singing the songs of triumph—just not with a rapture mentality, as though others go through tribulations but we are completely spared. Scripture does not teach us that we are only delivered from trouble, but through trouble too. God does not always keep us from danger, but He does keep us during dangerous times. God did not keep Daniel from the lion’s den, or his friends from the fiery furnace; but His Name was certainly glorified when the lions’ mouths were shut, and the flames did not consume His faithful ones. And even then, Daniel’s friends were not blind idealists, stating categorically that deliverance could not be presumptuously assumed:

“…but if not [delivered], let it be known to you, O King, that we will not
     serve your gods.” (Dan 3:18)

These men were armed with the right kind of thinking—sometimes we suffer. Sometimes we even die. So when faced with evil’s onslaught, they were not caught unawares. Because of right thinking, they did not crumble, or stumble. They trusted God. Jesus too did not soften his message to His disciples. In Matthew 10 he said, “you will be handed over to the courts and flogged with whips…when they persecute you in one town, flee to another” (vs 19, 23).

Which leads me to the crux of my point: Are we ready? Are we armed? Are we making others ready, and equipping them to stand in the day of battle? The writer of Hebrews tells us that everything that can be shaken will be as we approach the end. That is a promise, too.

I am just finishing reading through all the major prophets. Many times throughout the history of Israel, their voices were like trumpet blasts to warn and prepare the people of God to face impending doom and destruction. While voices of the majority were saying, “peace, peace” when God was not promising them peace (eg. Jer 6:14; Ez 13:10), these bold men were admonishing the children of Israel that things were about to get much worse. It was this “speaking the truth in love” that enabled some in Israel to stand when chaos and judgment fell on them like a nightmare. Sadly, things did not turn out so well for Lot’s sons-in-law. Though warned of immanent judgment, they thought Lot was joking and paid with their lives when they refused to run from the fire and brimstone which was about to rain down on Sodom.

The Church has to understand the times. Wishful thinking will not help us when our world begins to rock and reel. England wanted Neville Chamberlain to be right; but it was Churchill’s not so pleasant yet true insights about Hitler’s aggressive ambitions which proved true. Jesus told us of times of stress, conflict, disasters, epidemics, and collapse. In order to be prepared, scripture commands us to fix our gaze on how Jesus endured the shame and pain of the cross, and find courage to stand up against hostility. The popular couch-delivered gospel with its invitation to partake of a worry-free, buffet-filled life doesn’t jive with the realities we are beginning to be confronted with. We better make sure that the gospel we are preaching does not end up to be fake news.

Before China’s church sank into the abyss of decades of persecution, just after the Communists gained control in 1949, the pastor of one of the largest churches in the land, Wang Mingdao, began to deliver and publish scores of prophetic sermons. They may have appeared doomsday to some, but without them many people could not have withstood the extreme violence which was about to be unleashed upon them. The book based on his messages, A Call To The Church, is needed now as it was then to make a new generation strong in the face of the coming assault. Wang, whom I met on numerous occasions, spent 23 years and 10 months in prison. The God who sent an angel to deliver Peter from jail sent His angels to sustain Wang. That’s two very different stories, yet the same God faithful over all.

Friends, this is a call to arms. We need to put on the full armor of God, and with our words and deeds to raise the shield of faith and sword of the Spirit for others as well. Why not ask God for a prophet’s mantle? He has always raised up voices in wilderness times; He is doing it now as well. For the sake of our families, our friends, our churches, our communities and nation, let’s ask the God of Jeremiah for a trumpet (Jer 4:5). Then let’s put it to our lips, that all of God’s people will be well armed to face the dark days which even now are descending upon us.