When this very long book is summarized in a sermon, it’s easy to get the impression that Job’s friends weren’t really friends at all; that they used his misfortunes as an opportunity to cast stones at him. Yet, a careful reading of the text shows that they actually came to him in a true spirit of friendship. In fact, I think we might find something of ourselves in one of Job’s friends (or if you’ll like me, something of yourself in ALL of them).

The first friend, Eliphaz, interrupts Job’s initial tirade in a very respectful manner.

“Would you mind if I said something to you? Under the circumstances it’s hard to keep quiet.
You yourself have done this plenty of times, spoken words
that clarify, encouraged those who were about to quit.
Your words have put stumbling people on their feet,
put fresh hope in people about to collapse.
But now you’re the one in trouble—you’re hurting!
You’ve been hit hard and you’re reeling from the blow.
But shouldn’t your devout life give you confidence now?
Shouldn’t your exemplary life give you hope?” (Message Bible — Job 4:1-6)

Eliphaz then goes further to suggest that perhaps God is correcting Job for some sin that he is unaware of. Yet, he offers Job hope. He says that God will restore Job if Job will throw himself on the mercy of the Lord. In fact, Eliphaz even suggests that Job should consider his current troubles as a blessing.

“So, what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you!
Mind you, don’t despise the discipline of Almighty God!
True, he wounds, but he also dresses the wound;
the same hand that hurts you, heals you.
From one disaster after another he delivers you;
no matter what the calamity, the evil can’t touch you—” (Message Bible Job 5:17-19)

Now, you might be thinking, “With friends like that, Job certainly didn’t need enemies.” But is this advice really any different than the words you might hear coming from the pulpit on Sunday morning? How many times have we been warned that our sin could lead to disaster?

“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.” (Ezekial 18:30)

Likewise, how many times have we been told that God’s punishments are those of a loving father?

“For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.” (Hebrews 12:6)

I contend that over the next 35 or so chapters, Job’s friends don’t say anything to him that our friends wouldn’t say to us today. I know that I’ve certainly offered this same type of counsel. To the friend who lost a job, I’ve said, “Be glad. This was God’s way of moving you out of a place where you weren’t living up to your potential and into a place where you can flourish.” To the friend who got sick, I’ve said, “Consider this illness to be a wake-up call to stop [smoking, drinking, eating pork rinds, whatever] and to get your health in order. It might not seem like it now, but this is going to be a blessing in disguise.” And I’ve given similar “words of encouragement” for friends going through family troubles, financial troubles, and the like.

Now, in my defense, I thought I was being helpful. For one, sometimes our problems are of our own making and we need to mend the errors of our ways to succeed going forward. Second, we often have our greatest victories on the heels of our biggest defeats so it’s important to keep hope that God knows what He is doing.  Yet, I may have been doing more harm than good, except unlike Job, my friends didn’t have the heart to tell me that I wasn’t being a jerk.

Obviously, Job didn’t suffer from such shyness.  Throughout the story, Job lets his friends have it with both barrels.   He calls them every name in the book (and I suspect several names that the ancient translators had to censor … it is the Bible, after all).  And, at the end of the day, when God steps in to sort out the mess, He takes Job’s side.  Sure, He admonishes Job for questioning His wisdom and sovereignty, but He reserves the harshest criticism for the three friends.  Speaking to Eliphaz, He says, “I’ve had it with you and your two friends.  I’m fed up!  You haven’t been honest with me or about me — not the way my friend Job has.”  God goes even further to say that He will only accept Job’s prayers to pardon their iniquity.

But why?  Why did God come down so hard on Job’s friends?  I think the reason is two-fold.  For one, just like Job, they presumed to know the mind of God.  They thought they had all of the answers as to why Job was suffering. “It’s the way you treated the poor.” “It’s the wicked lives of your children.” “It’s your pride and ego.”  However, sometimes bad things happen to good people and none of us is smart enough to understand why God does what He does.

Second, the friends inspired God’s wrath because, unlike Job, they weren’t willing to be honest about their feelings.  Rather than empathizing with Job about similar times when they felt bewildered by seemingly unmerited suffering, they just kept pointing to scriptural principles (“God is good,” “God is all-knowing,” “God is all-powerful”).  While it might be true, it doesn’t provide much comfort during a time of trial.  Sometimes, the best thing we can do for others is to be honest — honest about our ignorance and honest about our hurt feelings.  Rather than reciting our favorite Bible verse, we should just sit with them and weep.

After all, isn’t this exactly what Jesus did when He finally came to Mary and Martha after their brother, Lazarus, had died.   He didn’t lay into the sisters with a sermon on how Lazarus had gotten what he deserved.  Nor did Jesus tell the sisters that they should rejoice because “Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  Instead, He just wept; sharing in their pain and sorrow and confusion.  And only after He had wept for a while, did He then speak the words of God that would raise Lazarus from the grave.

Perhaps, we should do likewise.  Whenever we hear bad news from a friend, we should just shut up (easier said than done for me) and listen to their complaints and frustrations.  Rather than trying to “fix” the problem (or their attitude towards the problem), we should just sit and weep with them.  If after doing so, God reveals to us words of wisdom, then (and only then) should we share it with them.

So in the words of this blog, I decided last month to move in the moment.  I was no longer going to act in accordance to what God HAD been doing in my life, but in accordance to what He is doing now.  I began to search out NEW opportunities to use my talents on a larger scale.  Here is just the first display of how God is faithful.

In a nutshell, a woman approaches the prophet Elisha with her dilemma.  Her husband, who had been a prophet of God, has died and apparently hadn’t taken out a big enough policy with Middle East Mutual (or whoever it was that wrote term life policies back then).  As a result, she found herself with debt that she was unable to repay.  Her creditor threatened to take her two sons as slaves.  Apparently, her boys were better behaved than mine, because this actually troubled her.

In all seriousness, if I had stopped reading the story at this point, I would have been blessed because it reminded me that “the rain falls on the just and unjust alike.”  Although the husband had revered the Lord and served in the company of the prophets, it did not prevent his death.  Nor did his service to God keep his wife and children out of debt.  During this particular season of hardship, it’s comforting to know that financial troubles aren’t always a punishment for sin or unrighteousness; that bad things can happen to good people.

Of course, this story provides more than mere comfort but also, a strategy for deliverance.  The wise prophet Elisha responds to the widow’s report of trouble with an unusual question.  ”What do you have in your house?”  Perhaps it’s just me, but I would have attacked the problem from the other end by asking how much she owed; the thought being that the appropriate strategy would depend on the amount of her liabilities.  For example, a small debt could be paid with an offering at the next temple service while a larger debt might require something more drastic, like writing a letter to Orpah Winfrey.

However, Elisha approaches the solution from the other standpoint — her assets.  What does she have to produce the results she wants in her life.  That alone is enough wisdom for an entire book of the Bible and we’re just on the second verse.  How often do we see our problems in light of what we are lacking as opposed to what we possess?  In fact, I suspect that most of our troubles come from an improper perspective in the first place.  As Americans, we are the richest people in history of the world.  Yet, 99% of us think of ourselves as “poor.”  Why?  Because instead of focusing on what we have — an abundance of food, clothing and shelter, friends, family, good health, freedom, and the love of the creator of the universe — we focus on those few things we lack.

In any event, the widow replies that all she has is a small amount of olive oil.  Elisha then instructs her to “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.”  If there are six words that I need to ingrain into my heart, these are the six: DON’T ASK FOR JUST A FEW.  All too often in life, I have asked for just a few.  ”Lord, can I have just a few clients?”  ”Lord, can you help me get my kids to church just a few times?”  ”Lord, can you let my attempt at evangelism reach just a few people in the audience?”  Elisha reminds me that if I’m going to go through the trouble of asking for something, don’t ask just for a few!

Elisha continues his instruction by saying, “Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”  I suspect that, at this point, the widow must have thought that the man of God had been sniffing too much incense.  Think about it.  He was telling her that she would receive more oil by pouring out the little bit that she had.  That doesn’t make any earthly sense at all.  However, it makes perfect heavenly sense.

Isn’t that how God always operates?  For example, when Elisha’s mentor, Elija, met the widow at the gates of Zarephath, she and her son had just a tiny bit of flour and oil. (1 Kings 11)  Their plan was to have one last meal and then lay down and die.  Obviously, this wasn’t the most well-thought out plan (unless Deon was doing the cooking … you know I’m kidding).  Fortunately, Elija came up with a slightly more optimistic plan.  He told her to make him a cake and then promised that her jar of flour and jug of oil would not run out.  In God’s economy, you receive by first giving.

And while this principle certainly works with regards to financial giving, I think it is even more powerful when applied to the giving of your talents.  The more of your talents that you pour out into others, the more you will ultimately receive for yourself.  I’ve found this to be true in regards to my speaking.  Over the years, I’ve given about 500 speeches and while I always thought that I was “hot stuff,” I know that I am a much better speaker today than I was back then.  I have a greater vault of stories to draw from.  I have more quotes and scriptural references to pull from.  I have more variety in terms of vocabulary, cadence and tone.  Why?  Because as I poured out my little talents, God filled me with more.

That is why I keep posting these blog entries.  As I pour out the little bit of revelation that God gives me, He fills me with more.  That’s why if you draw, you should pour out of your talents for others by … I don’t know … perhaps drawing the cartoon illustrations for someone’s new book for lawyers (hypothetically speaking, of course).  That’s why if you have marketing ideas, you should pour them out in … I don’t know … promotions for a new ministry (once again, hypothetically speaking of course).  Seriously, wherever your talents lie, you should pour them out so that you create an unending flow for your gift.

Of course, as always, there is a caveat.  You notice that Elisha didn’t tell the widow to just pour her oil onto the ground or into the river.  She had to pour her talents into vessels that could hold them.  Likewise, it’s important that we find “vessels” that can store our treasures.  For me, that means finding an audience for my talks and my writings.  God won’t furnish me with new speaking skills for me to preach sermons from my bedroom balcony.  What would be the point?  Likewise, God isn’t going to give you new drawing skills to bury in your sketch book or new marketing ideas to store away in your “one of these days files” or new recipes to just eat all week as left-overs (hypothetically speaking, of course).  We must find a way to pour ourselves out into something (or someone) that can receive what we have to offer.  In fact, in our story, the oil didn’t stop flowing until they ran out of jars.  And the moment one of the sons said, “There is not a jar left,” the oil stopped flowing.  

The good news is that, by the time that happened, they had filled so many jars with olive oil that they were able to sell the oil, pay off their debts and still have enough money left over to live on.  If you’re anything like me, that has to be a cause for rejoicing … and rededication.  It reminds me that if I just keep pouring out my God-given talents, I’ll build up more than enough man-made treasures.  But, as usual, it starts with me.  And it starts with you.  Start pouring and keep pouring.

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure– pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38

For two years, Paul is in the Greek city of Ephesus training a group of twelve disciples.  During this time, Paul is doing his thing — healing the sick and driving out demons.  In fact, God is working through him so mightily that people are being restored by just touching a handkerchief or an apron that has touched Paul.  As Paul’s miracles are creating a buzz in the city, some local Jews attempt to produce their own miracles by imitating Paul.  For example, they attempted to drive out demons by saying, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”  Acts 19:13  

Here’s where it gets good …

One day, the hapless sons of Sceva try to go into the house of an demon-possessed man and try to drive out the evil spirit by invoking the name of Jesus.  Speaking through the man, the evil spirit answers, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”  Then, and pray for me for finding this funny, the demon-possessed man opens up a “can of whoop #$%” on the SEVEN sons of Sceva; so much so that “they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” Acts 19:16

In my twisted mind, I can’t help but to think of these seven fools walking into the house practically humming the Ghostbusters theme song.  ”I ain’t afraid of no demon!”  I can see them surrounding the bed and looking down at the man thinking, “This is going to be a piece of cake!  We’ll hit him with a couple of “Jesus names” and a “Hail Mary” and it’s Miller Time!  The next thing you know, the front door flies open and seven naked and bleeding men are running for their lives screaming, “Run away!  Run away!” like in that scene from Monty Python’s Holy Grail.

However, what I find even more comical is the fact that SEVEN men would come into agreement on such a ridiculous plan in the first place.  After all, they were not professed believers in Christ.  Their father was a Jewish high priest — a member of the religious guard that was persecuting Christians for professing the “blasphemy” that Christ is Lord.  It would have made more sense for them to try to drive out the demon in the name of some other fictional character like the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus or Rush Limbaugh.  Seriously, what made them think that they could possibly draw on the power of someone they didn’t believe in?

I think the answer is that they did believe in Christ — at least, in His miracle working abilities.  For two years, they had seen people being held by His power.  The truth was inescapable.  Of course, their tradition and even standing in their community would not allow them to publicly acknowledge Christ.  In fact, they might not have even privately acknowledged Him.  And they certainly weren’t following Christ.  They simply figured that they would get the benefits of being a Christian without the relationship with Christ.

Does that sound familiar to anyone?  It certainly sounds familiar to me because I came into the faith as a son of Sceva.  I had heard the promises of God from the mouths of the great televangelists of our day.  I had even seen His miracle working power in the lives of friends and family.  So I began confronting my enemies in a like manner.  ”In the name of Jesus whom T.D. Jakes preaches, release your hold on my finances … In the name of Jesus whom Joel Osteen preaches, release your hold on my marriage … In the name of Jesus whom Gary Kinnaman preaches, free me from my addictions.”  And I think you can guess what happened.  My poverty, estrangement and addictions would look at me and say, “I know Jesus, and I know about T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and Pastor Kinnaman but who the hell are you?”  And then, it would commence beating me up like I was the white guy in a professional prizefight.

Yet, all of this began to change as I began to walk with Christ.  When I began to study His word and then … get this … APPLY IT, I began to exercise His authority over some of my demons.  As you know, God has authority over everything under heaven and earth.  And Jesus has been gracious enough to release his authority in some matters to his disciples.  For example, in Matthew 10:1, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

Yet, He doesn’t just release these powers to anyone.  I think this is important for us to understand as believers and to teach as disciples.  While I’m a firm believer that the gospel is “Good news,” it isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme or a “20 days to a brand new you” program.  And as people continue to search for a source of security during these uncertain times, we must be careful not to hold out an olive branch of hope based on empty promises and false hopes.

God, certainly “delights in the prosperity of His servants,” but the same doesn’t hold for those who think they are God’s masters.  Likewise, while “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,” the bad man is on his own.  Furthermore, “it is the Lord who gives you the power to get rich so that He may establish His covenant,” not so you can be on MTV Cribs.  In short, the promises of God are reserved for His disciples and not His fans.

As we encounter the sons of Sceva in our jobs and in our neighborhoods, let us pray to share with them (and more importantly, model for them), the difference.

Recently, my business has experienced a significant downturn; at least, in regards to booking new engagements.  In fact, I have not booked a new speech in SIX WEEKS.  At first, I didn’t think much of it.  Every business has its ups and downs and, as someone who has experienced more than his share of ups in the last two years, I figured that I was due for a down week or two.  However, when two weeks turned into three weeks and three weeks into four, I began to worry.

Of course, I didn’t just worry.  I also began to work.  I reached out to old and new clients and frantically searched for ways to increase business.  And while I received some sincere interest, my efforts didn’t result in any definitive commitments.  I couldn’t figure it out.  Sure, the economy is having a negative effect on everyone, but I supply something that is needed more now than ever — humor.  I was quickly becoming panicked and my prayers were becoming increasingly bitter and distrustful.

Just this morning, I prayed, “God, why would you take me this far only to abandon me now?  You could have shown me that I wasn’t cut out for this a few years back when the economy was better and companies were hiring lawyers.  How am I supposed to feed my family now?  And, not for nothing, you can forget about Renee believing in the god who left us homeless.”  As you can tell, I was starting to LOSE IT.  That is, until a few hours later, the following four words came into my head: “Then the manna ceased.”

When I heard them, I searched my online Bible and came upon Joshua 5:12, which reads:

“Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.”

I then went back and started reading Joshua from the beginning.  Before long, it all started making sense to me.

As you know, the children of Israel were sustained by manna for 40 years in the wilderness.  Yet, just as soon as they crossed the Jordan River and had a taste of some of the produce of the land at Gilgal, God cut off their food supply.  At first glance, this seems a little premature on God’s part.  Why not wait until the Israelites had “gotten on their feet” before cutting off their most reliable source of provision?  Why not wait until they had taken a few cities and established their own farming and agriculture before shutting off their food supply?  

I’ll tell you why: Because they might not have ever left Gilgal if they had the security of manna to fall back on.  Once, the manna ceased, they had no choice but to go forward and claims God’s promises.

I now realize that the same holds true for me.  For the last six months or so, I’ve been camping out at Gilgal.  My original goal was to establish myself as a nationally-known speaker who entertains and inspires MILLIONS.  However, once I had a little taste of the Promised Land, I became complacent.  I began to think, “Hey, this is pretty good right here.  Why don’t I build a little tent here and ‘chill’ for a while?  After all, I’ve been marching in circles for years.  Why rush into the Promised Land?  It will still be there in a few years.”

For example, as I’ve mentioned before, the biggest impetus for me to lose the weight was my belief that God was moving me onto a national stage and once on that stage, I would want to look AND FEEL my best.  In anticipation of that move, I lost 60 pounds and created the sexy body that you all get to see on Wednesday nights.  

Then, remarkably, I get a call from a television producer in January wondering if I’d like to be the next TV judge — the first funny (and extremely good-looking) TV judge.  So what do I do with this potential opportunity to expose my talents to MILLIONS of viewers?  You guessed it.  I show marginal interest (I haven’t called the guy in MONTHS).  Instead, I focus my efforts on speaking to HUNDREDS of lawyers.  All the while thinking, “I don’t know why people are always ranting and raving about milk and honey.  Manna is quite tasty and it just falls from the sky.  What suckers!”

Then the manna ceased.  I now realized that God hasn’t forsaken me.  He is trying to get me to stop from living FAR beneath my privilege.  As a result, He is weaning me from my current source of financial nourishment.  And just like a baby, I’ve been kicking and screaming; fighting to go back to what was comfortable and what was easy.

Then the manna ceased.  And I’m glad it has!  Now, it’s time for me to claim ALL that God has promised for me.

What about you?  Has your manna ceased in some area?  It might not be financial, but perhaps, it is spiritual.  You’ve had a spiritual mentor who would “feed” you the Word  (perhaps by cutting it into small bites for you).  However, now that person isn’t available to you anymore.  Or perhaps, your manna came in the form of a job or a position in the church or a particular routine.  But recently, you’ve noticed that the manna has ceased.

If so, then I encourage you to join me outside the gates of Jericho.  And you might want to hurry while there’s still time because … and I mean this with EVERY fiber of my being … those walls are coming down!

Very soon into the prayer, Jesus said something that struck me as odd.  In John 17:4, Jesus tells the Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”  Wait a minute!  How had Jesus finished the work God gave Him to do?  At this point, Jesus hadn’t been beaten with many stripes, crowned with thorns, nailed to the cross, pierced with a sword, or risen from the grave.  How had He possible finished His work?

At first, I thought that Jesus must have just been speaking prophetically.  After all, as God Himself, Jesus knew how the story would end.  He knew that He would fulfill prophesy and make a way for our salvation.  He was just speaking the truth as it would unfold in the future.

However, interestingly enough, as Jesus continues His prayer, He doesn’t speak the same way about the disciples.  In John 17:15, Jesus prays, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”  Please note that Jesus doesn’t thank God for having already protected His disciples.  Instead, He is asking God to do so; presumably, now and in the future.  The same is true when Jesus prays for the wider circle of believers.  ”May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21).  Once again, this is a prayer for believers to convert others in the future.

So why does Jesus prayer about Himself in the past tense, but about others in the future tense?  After all, Jesus knew that His disciples would eventually go out and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.  Why not just say so in His prayers?  I think the answer to that question is answered by the fact that Jesus was praying for the benefit of His disciples.  He was trying to show them and us (people who are NOT all-knowing) how to pray.

In doing so, He demonstrates two different types of prayers: (1) man prayers and (2) god prayers.  By “man prayers,” I mean the type of prayers in which we are praying for God to give us strength to do our part.  And by “god prayers,” I mean the type of prayers in which we are asking for God’s supernatural strength to accomplish what we can’t do on our own.

For man prayers, Jesus seems to indicate that we should pray for them in the past tense as He did by saying that His work was finished.  In essence, Jesus said, “I just want to thank you in advance for giving me the strength to face this horrific death so that I can bring you glory.”  This might not seem like much of a distinction but I think it can make a HUGE difference in the life of a believer.

For example, let’s just suppose that Jesus had publicly prayed something like, “If it’s in your will, Lord, give me the strength to grow through this ordeal.”  And then, two hours later, Jesus finds Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane literally sweating blood.  He knows that He has the power to stop his execution, but if He does, He will destroy the fulfillment of prophesy and ruin the plan for man’s salvation.  Also, He will prove Himself and God to be liars.  After all, just a few hours earlier, He had publicly declared that had finished his work.  How could Jesus go back to His disciples and say, “Well, you know, guys, when I was talking about finishing my work, I really didn’t mean that it was ‘finished finished’”?

In essence, by praying in the past tense, God put one more obstacle in the way of retreat.  There was one more reason for Him to finish His mission.  And while Jesus didn’t necessarily need the “backup,” you and I do.  When we are tempted to give up on God’s plan for our lives, we need all of the reasons we can get to “finish our course.”  And not wanting yourself (or worse, God) to lose face can be just the reason you need to get you over the finish line.

This motivation certainly got me over the finish line with regards to my health last year.  I was able to quit smoking after being a literal slave to nicotine for almost two decades.  Why?  Was it because I finally learned that it would kill me?  Of course not.  The label of every pack I ever bought read something like: “Cancer causes cancer, heart disease, lung disease and you are an idiot for smoking this!”  I knew the risks and I was willing to bear them.  This is despite the fact that I was risking not only my future, but the future of my family and all of those God has called me to lead home.

However, while I was willing to risk almost everything for nicotine, what I was not willing to risk was losing face with others.  Let me explain.

Being the loud mouth that I am, I told everyone of my decision to quit smoking on December 31, 2007.  I told my family.  I told my friends.  I told my doctor.  And I even told my audiences.  And I kept telling them all through January and February and even after.  As a result, I put myself on the spot.  How was I going to go back to, say, my clients, and say, “You can’t trust me as far as you can throw me with regards to keeping my promises, but I want you to give me a big check now and I promise to show up at your event in nine months”?  In short, by having a big mouth, I put my credibility on the line as well as my health.  And interestingly, that was just enough to tip the scales in my favor and allow me to break free of that bondage FOREVER.

I utilized the same strategy with regards to my weight loss, except that I took it to the next level by adding a “dash” of God to the recipe.  I know I need to explain that one, so bear with me.  Late last summer, the Lord began nudging me to lose the extra 50 pounds I had been carrying around.  He explained that, for the distance He wanted to take me, I needed to travel light.  And, once again, here is where insanity has its perks.  Not only did I believe Him, but I opened my big mouth and told everyone that I was going to lose 50 pounds in the next six months.  Not only that, but when the situation was right (and sometimes, when it wasn’t right), I would tell people that God told me to lose the weight.

As you might remember, I had a hectic travel schedule last fall (thank God).   Very often, I would wake up early to give an all-day seminar.  Afterwards, I would hop on a plane to my next city and finally arrive at the hotel; often at 10 or 11 o’clock at night.  As you can imagine, the very last thing I wanted to do was to spend the next hour in the hotel gym.  I would have preferred to hop in bed with a tray of nachos, a cheesecake and a Diet Coke from room service and doze off to SportsCenter.  Yet, I couldn’t do that because, earlier that day, I had added 200 people to the number of people who were expecting to see a skinny Sean at next year’s event.  Even worse, I had told a few select people that I was acting on God’s orders.  So for those people, not only would I be a weak man, but a weak Christian.  I could just imagine one of them saying, “Well, if God can’t depend on him, then I know our company can’t!”  In essence, I lost the weight not so much because I am strong and self-disciplined, but because I had declared “It is finished” and I had no choice but to follow through.

What do you need to be “finished” in your life?  It is a bad habit, like smoking?  Is it a pattern of behavior that leads to poor results, like being quick-tempered or a procrastinator?  Whatever it is, it’s time to put on your WWJD bracelet and follow in the footsteps of the master.  In private prayer and in public conversations, declare that “It is finished!”  It will give a boldness, power, and in my case, a sexiness, that passes all human understanding.

Can I get an amen?

After all, it had been almost 400 years since they had been brutally oppressed by Pharaoh.  Coming out of Egypt and into the wilderness, you think they might have asked God to make Moses their king.  After all, he had delivered them from their captivity.  But they didn’t ask for that.  And let’s be clear here.  The Israelites were not afraid to make their requests known to God.  For example, they not only asked God for quail, but complained that it didn’t come with enough flavor (remember, how they longed for the leek, onions and garlic of Egypt … Numbers 11:5).  Yet, even though, they were more than willing to tell Moses, “Hey, ask God to throw down some hot sauce,” they didn’t ask him to ask God for a king.

After entering into the Promised Land, they were led by men like Joshua and Gideon and ultimately, by the judges of Israel.  And while each of these leaders has a measure of power, none of them had the all-encompassing power of a king; and the Israelites seemed to prefer it that way.  However, at some point during the time of Samuel, the people began to clamor for a king.  They said to Samuel, “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Samuel 8:19-20)

I couldn’t quite grasp what had changed in their situation to make them want to be ruled by someone other than God.  That is, until a few chapters later, when I came across Nahash, the king of the Ammonites.  As the 11th chapter of 1 Samuel opens, Nahash and his army have besieged the city of Jabesh Gilead.  Of course, the Israelites being attacked by their neighbors is nothing unusual; it’s actually the norm.  However, what is unusual here is that the normally brave Israelites actually beg for peace.  They say, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.” (1 Samuel 11:1)

If you think that is strange, check out Nahash’s response. “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.” (1 Samuel 11:2)  Talk about driving a hard bargain!  It wasn’t enough for Nahash to be given complete control and authority of the city, but the men had to give up one of their eyes as well?  And to this ridiculous demand, the men of Jabesh Gilead replied, “Can we have a week to think it over?”

I kept thinking, “What was it about Nahash that made men who had been fighting their enemies in the Promised Land for 350 years so fearful?”  I just didn’t get it until I read a footnote explaining that the Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible goes into a little more detail about Nahash.  In short, before laying siege against Jabesh Gilead, Nahash had defeated the Gadites and Reubenites, gouging out the right eyes of all of the men.  A small number of these men then escaped to … you guessed it … Jabesh Gilead.

All of a sudden, the picture started to get a little clearer.  I could understand why the men of Jabesh Gilead were so willing to surrender to Nahash.  They had seen the consequences of standing up to him.  Likewise, it was becoming clearer as to why the children of Israel were so desperate for a king of their own.  While afraid of Nahash, they were strangely drawn to his power.  They wanted a Nahash of their own.  In fact, the men of Jabesh Gilead were willing to serve Nahash directly as their king.

Furthermore, as I studied Nahash a little closer, I began to realize that he was different from the other foreign rulers that the Israelites had clashed with in the past.  In ancient Hebrew, the word “Nahash” means serpent.  And, not coincidentally, Nahash used the tricks of the serpent in yet another attempt to get God’s children to forfeit their most precious gift — the gift of sight; or more specifically, the ability to see things as God sees them.

After all, the very first consequence of Adam and Eve eating the apple was that “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:7)  Of course, they had been naked all of the time, and they had been fine with it so long as they saw themselves as God saw them.  However, once the serpent obscured their vision, they saw things differently from the way God sees them. 

By insisting upon gouging out the eyes of his opponents, Nahash was trying to accomplish the same result.  With just one eye, the Israelite soldiers would be far less likely to succeed in a future battle against Nahash because they would lack the proper depth perception for effective hand-to-hand combat.  However, Nahash wasn’t just out to hinder the Israelites’ physical vision.  He wanted to hinder their spiritual vision as well.

One of the things that made Nahash so successful was that he was just as concerned about P.R. as he was about military prowess.  I have no proof but I’m convinced that he let the 7,000 Gadites and Reubenites escape to Jabesh Gilead so that they could tell their story and raise fear in the city.  I suspect this to be true because he agreed to let the men of Jabesh Gilead send messengers to the other tribes telling them about the situation.  He was trying to pave the way for his next conquest.  He knew that if he could affect the perceptions of the other tribes, they would also be willing to give up without a fight.  And it was working!  They were so scared that they were asking the almighty God for a king to fight their battles for them (sounds ridiculous when I put it that way, huh?).

However, that is what can happen to a people who have their vision distorted.  In times of crisis, they begin to look to men when they should be looking to God.  As a result, they begin to make “deals with the devil.”  That’s exactly what is happening in our churches today.

Last fall, the recession began to afflict people in earnest.  We began to see people losing their homes, their jobs, the savings in their 401(k) accounts, etc.  And these weren’t just anonymous faces on television screens.  Many of these people were our friends and neighbors — members of our tribe.  Seizing the opportunity, the serpent began to lay siege on Christians.

After witnessing the financial devastation faced by others, many of us lost sight of God.  Instead of heeding the words of James 4:7 (“Resist the devil and he will flee from you), we asked for terms of surrender.  And just like Nahash, the enemy chose terms that would ensure future victory.  In this case, he went after our tithes.  He told millions of Christians, “I can let you make it through this recession, but you’re going to have to cut out the tithe.”  And sadly, many of us accepted these terms of surrender.

According to numerous reports, church giving has decreased over the last year, despite the fact that church attendance has increased.  We’ve seen this phenomenon in our own church and just about every other church in the valley.  Why?  Because many Christians aren’t seeing their situation clearly.  They have bought into the lie that they can weather the economic storm if they just “batten down the hatches.”  If they can just cut expenses, they will be okay.  And when they looked at “discretionary” expenses to cut, their tithes seemed like the most logical place to cut.  And the devil shouted, “Hallelujah!”

Why?  Because like Nahash, the enemy knows that he has the best shot of ruling over us if he can distort our vision of our true salvation — God.  If he can get us to see God as a liability instead of an asset, he rules.  If he can get us to break the covenant of putting God first, he can sever the promise of His provision.  And not only is he out to rule during this crisis, he is striving for long-term victory by reducing our ability to fight back through prayer.

After all, when we don’t see God properly, we don’t pray effectively.  After all, we can’t effectively speak in the name of Jehovah-Jireh (“the Lord will provide”), if we see God as just another financial burden we must endure every month.  Likewise, we can’t possibly call out to Jehovah-Shalom (“the Lord our peace”), when we are constantly worried that we’ve “wasted” money by sowing it into the Kingdom.

As Christians, we must get our vision restored.  We need to see God with perfect clarity.  But how?  By following the example of the blind man who Jesus healed at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26).  As you remember, Jesus led the blind man out of town and partially restored his vision (“I see men walking as trees”).  So then Jesus touched him again, completely restoring his vision.  And then … don’t miss this … Jesus warned, ”Don’t go into the village.”

Likewise, if your vision is not 20/20, you need to ask God to “touch” you again.  In prayer and meditation, ask Jesus to give you a clear vision, to let you clearly see all of the times He has delivered you in the past; to let you clearly see that He loved you enough to die on a cross for you.

And, after He has restored your vision, don’t go into the village!  Your village might be the nightly news or the daily newspaper filled with countless reports of layoffs and foreclosures.  Your village might be naysaying friends or co-workers.  Regardless of whoever is bringing the bad reports from the last battle with Nahash, avoid them whenever possible.  They are obstructing your view of King Jesus.

And just imagine if we could hear as clearly from God.  If only we could hear His commands, then life would be so much easier.  Rather than trying to map out our course through books and self-help tapes or calling friends and mentors for advice, we could simply coast along on autopilot until God gave us our next instruction (“In one month, move to Chicago”, “In two years, marry Sue Ellen”, etc.)  Think about it.  Not only would life be so much less stressful, but we’d get to our destinations quicker and more consistently.

The good news is that we can hear God more clearly by learning from Samuel — the last judge of Israel.  As you remember, in 1 Samuel 3, young Samuel is lying in his bed in the house of the Lord when he hears a voice calling him.  Thinking that he is being summoned by Eli the priest, Samuel dutifully runs to the old man and says, “Here I am; you called me.”  A sleepy and irritable Eli responds, “I didn’t call you.  Now, take your crazy butt back to bed.” (Obviously, I’m paraphrasing here)  Samuel gets back into bed and once again, hears, “Samuel!”  He goes back to Eli again, who tells him that he didn’t call for Samuel and tells the young man to go back to bed.  A little while later, Samuel hears his name being called again and rushes to Eli’s bed.  However, on this third occasion, Eli realizes that Samuel must be hearing from the Lord so he instructs Samuel to go back to bed and to respond to the next call of his name by saying, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”  Now, whether this was incredible insight on Eli’s part or the desperate attempt of an old man trying to get a good night’s sleep is debatable.  However, what is not debatable is how this simple advice changed Samuel’s life and could change our lives as well.

Sure  enough, when the Lord called Samuel a little while later, the young man responded as he was instructed: “Speak, for your servant is listening.”   God then began to pour out revelation on Samuel.  First, he revealed the ultimate fate of Eli’s family.  However, this is just the beginning.  For the rest of Samuel’s life, he received direct instructions from the Lord that allowed the Israelites to defeat the Philistines time and again.  Furthermore, God told Samuel to appoint Saul and then later David as Israel’s first two kings.  Samuel definitely knew how to hear from the Lord, but that wasn’t always the case.

As you remember, Samuel came to live with Eli shortly after his birth.  He was raised in the house of the Lord and trained as a priest.  As a result, it’s safe to assume that Samuel had been studying the scriptures for years.  His training might have even included copying the scriptures by hand.  Yet, 1 Samuel 3:7 reads: “Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.”  As you can see, it’s possible to know the Word, but not the sound of the author’s voice.

Speaking of which, this story tells us something important about the sound of God’s voice — It is familiar.  Remember, Samuel knew Eli’s voice.  It was very likely the voice he knew best.  And when God spoke, Samuel heard a sound so familiar that he mistook it for Eli’s voice.  Likewise, I suspect that when God speaks to us, it must initially sound familiar.  In fact, you will often hear people say things like “I can’t get my mother’s voice out of my head.”  Perhaps, they are hearing the voice of God and just not knowing it.  Well, that was just a thought.  Nevertheless, Samuel’s encounter gives us a few concrete steps to train our ears to hear God.  

For one, we need to turn down the background noise so that God’s voice can be heard.  After all, God didn’t try to speak to Samuel while he was in the marketplace or even during religious services.  He spoke to Samuel late in the evening when everyone had gone to bed.  It’s often said that God speaks in a “still, small voice.”  Many times, we drown out that voice by surrounding ourselves with noise and then we wonder why we can’t get the instructions we need from God.  It would be like me driving down the road wearing my iPod headphones with the car stereo cranked on full volume and with the windows open and then being surprised that I didn’t hear Tammy’s instructions about the exit 200 miles ago.  We often drown out the voice of God by blaring our car stereo on the way to work, going to sleep with the TV on, and spending all night talking on the phone or e-mailing friends on the Internet and then we wonder why we “God is silent.”  He isn’t silent.  He just can’t be heard over all of the static.  Therefore, at the very least, we must turn down the noise.

Second, we must be receptive to God’s message.  As we see from the story, God waited until Samuel was listening before pouring out his revelation.  The word of God is simply too powerful to be poured upon the ground in a spirit of Onan (see Genesis 38).  God’s Word is life-giving and life-restoring.  God gave birth to the entire universe with four little words, “Let there be light.”  Jesus called a man from the grave with “Lazarus, come forth!”  Therefore, unlike a certain disciple in training, who might spend an hour writing blog entries that nobody reads (hypothetically speaking, of course), God isn’t going to waste his time speaking to someone who isn’t listening.  Until we make ourselves available to Him and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” we aren’t going to get much revelation.

Third, we must keep going back to God for His word.  Just as my Tammy doesn’t shout out all of the instructions at the beginning of the journey, God parcels out the information on a need-to-know basis.  God didn’t tell Samuel everything he needed to know in order to be judge over Israel.  He didn’t tell him where to keep the ark or how to find Saul or David.  God gave Samuel just a little piece in the puzzle.  Likewise, God isn’t going to lay out your entire life story for you the moment you say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”  Quite frankly, none of us could handle the complexity of his master plan.  Instead, we are going to get turn-by-turn instructions.  ”Call Steven!” “Tell your wife that you love her.” “Buy the man of God an iPod.”

Therefore, we must continually seek His word and guidance.  And we do so by clearing out the distractions and making ourselves available to hear the Word of God.  Can you hear Him now?

As you know, the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is one of the most common topics for preachers and rightfully so.  These 44 verses are packed with wisdom and truth.  From the story, we begin to understand why Jesus will sometimes wait before answering our prayers.  We also learn that, even if we faithfully serve the Lord like Martha and Mary, we aren’t exempt from trouble.  Nevertheless, we learn that Jesus weeps with us during our low points, even when He has already ordained to restore us in the end.  And, ultimately, we learn that there is often a purpose to our pain and that, in the words of Paul, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

However, the part of the story that resonates the most with me is Verse 43: “Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’”  I get goose bumps every time I read it.  I can just picture Jesus standing outside of the tomb amongst the crowd that had gathered.  People are murmuring and asking, “Why are they rolling back the grave stone?  Who does this Jesus think he is?”  And then Jesus starts to speak in that thundering voice that quieted the storm with “Peace be still.” (Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:37-41, and Luke 8:23-25). He says just three little words and Lazarus is released from the prison of death. Even more, in this shortest of sermons, Jesus teaches us everything we need to know in order to overcome defeat in our own lives.

Jesus’ sermon can be broken into two parts: (1) The necessity to speech; and (2) The specificity of speech. As for the first part, Jesus gives a “pre-sermon” in Verses 41-42:

“Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’”

In essence, Jesus is saying, “God, I know that you have already agreed to raise Lazarus and that your will be done, but for the benefit of the skeptics, let’s make sure that there is no confusion as to how Lazarus is raised, so I’ll say it and you do it.”  Jesus wanted to make sure that there was no question as to the source of the miracle.  Likewise, we should make it equally clear about the source of the miracles that God works in our lives; and that means calling them out, even in the face of the skeptics.

We need to speak out loud about getting a new job, growing our businesses, finding a mate, growing our ministries, etc.  We should do so not as a way of bragging about our abilities or as a means of self-promotion.  We should do so for the same reason that Jesus did — so that the people can see the glory of God.  When you’ve prayed for something and have received word from God that He will bring it to pass, you should call it out.  (“My family is coming to the Lord this year!”  ”My business is going to double despite the recession!”  ”God is healing the cancer in my body!”)  That way, when the miracle occurs, there can be no doubt as to who gets the glory.

The second thing is that Jesus was specific.  He called out Lazarus.  From a practical standpoint, it would have been safer for Him to just shout, “Come out!”   That way, if God couldn’t raise Lazarus but instead, God could raise someone who had been dead, say, for just a day or two, Jesus could have claimed that victory for God as well.  And you might find that example absurd, but as Christians, we make these type of vague pronouncements all of the time.  We say things like, “God is opening doors in my business” or “God is strengthening my relationships” or “God is growing me in wisdom.”

And while there is certainly nothing wrong with any of these statements, they are just a tad weak for such an awesome God.  I suspect that we say them to give God an “out” if He fails to come through for us.  In doing so, we demonstrate our unbelief and assure that we will NOT receive the promises of God.  As Jesus said in Verse 40, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”  Obviously, the prerequisite here is to believe.  You must believe to receive.  Furthermore, you must communicate it to others so that when (not if) God comes through, they will believe as well.

Take, for instance, Hannah, Samuel’s mother.  As you remember, Hannah was married to Elkanah but had not borne him any children.  In contrast, Elkanah’s other wife, Penninah, was having babies like the Octomom on steroids.  To make matters worse, Penninah was a … well, let’s just say that she wasn’t very nice to her “sister wife.”  Instead, she would taunt Hannah and make her cry.

One day, Hannah reached her breaking point.  And while no one would have really blamed her for opening up a can of “Whoop ass” on Penninah, that isn’t what she did.  She didn’t even complain to Elkanah or confront him with an ultimatum.  Nor did she call her girlfriends.  ”Girl, Penny is working my last good nerve!  If she calls me Hannah Bar-barren one more time, it’s on!”  Instead, she took her troubles to the Lord.  ”In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.” (1 Samuel 1:10)

Just as an aside, we should note that Hannah didn’t come to the Lord with one of those false King James prayers that we are tempted to pray.  ”Thank thee Father for thou great and exceeding grace!  Thou holiness and righteousness …”  To the contrary, like the young kids say, “She was keeping it real!”  She wept and mumbled with such fervor that Eli the priest thought she was drunk.

In her desperation for a child, Hannah even went so far as to strike a bargain with God saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” (1 Samuel 1:11)  If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking that Hannah went too far.  After all, what’s the point in asking God for something that you are just going to give back to Him anyway?  It’s seems kind of pointless.

That is, unless we take into account that everything belongs to God in the first place.  ”The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1)  As a result, when we ask for any blessing from Him, we really should be saying, “Lord, please entrust me with this child (business, ministry, job, etc.) so that I may use it to honor You.”  Otherwise, why should God entrust us with blessings?

Now, if you’re like me, you’re thinking, “That makes sense but why her only child?”  After all, it would be one thing if she had, say, four sons (hypothetically speaking, of course).  In that case, she might be glad to let one of them go, particularly if he had, say, poured Coke all over Daddy’s new laptop over the weekend (hypothetically speaking, of course).  Seriously, none of us would have a problem with donating, say, our fourth million dollars to the church or even our summer home to be used for a church retreat.  However, to give God the first blessing seems a little much.

Yet, this is precisely what God wants — our first blessing.  In Deuteronomy 18:4, He commands the Israelites, “You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.”  This is commonly referred to as the “first fruits” offering.  However, God goes much further than that.  In Numbers 3:13, He lays claim to something even more precious.  ”When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.”  It doesn’t get much clearer than that.

That being the case, why is Hannah such a hero?  After all, she was just doing what God required.  Well, as I see it, that simple act of obedience alone would have qualified her for the Bible Hall of Fame.  Yet, she went much further than just doing her duty.

Remember, she specifically asked for a son.  She could have asked the Lord for a daughter, who she would have been able to rightfully keep.  Yet, she didn’t.  Furthermore, even bearing a son, she did have an option of keeping him for herself through the process of Pidyon HaBen.  In short, Numbers 18:15-16 provided a process for parents to redeem (buy back) their first born son from the Lord for five shekels.  It certainly appears that Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, had the means to effect the redemption.  And even if he didn’t, Hannah was likely eligible for one of the many exceptions that the Israelites had built into the law over time, such as an exception for mothers who had previously miscarried a child.

Yet, Hannah didn’t try to get out of her obligation to honor God with this very special first fruit — Samuel.  As soon as the boy was weaned, she took him to Eli the priest and said, “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 1:27-28)  Knowing how much my wife loves our sons (even the Coke spiller), I can’t even imagine how hard this must have been for Hannah.  I’m tempted to wonder how she had the strength to give up the one thing she wanted most in the entire world and then … get this … walk away singing a song of praise to God.

However, I know the answer.  She didn’t give up Samuel at all.  Instead, she simply entrusted the boy back into the Lord’s care.  In a sense, she said, “God, you know how to raise this boy better than I could ever know how to do, so why don’t you raise him for me?”  And she was right.  As a result of being raised in the house of the Lord, Samuel went on to become one of the greatest prophets of Israel, specifically selecting its first two kings — Saul and David.   I doubt that Hannah could have raised him any better, although she did get a chance to exercise her parenting skill as God later blessed her with another three sons and daughters.

So what does this have to do with you and me?  Am I suggesting that we all drive our first born sons to Pastor Terry and shout, “Numbers 3:13!  Read it and weep, Terry”?  No, I’m not suggesting that (as tempting as it might be in my case).  However, I am suggesting that we should give God our first fruits by entrusting them into his care; at least, in two areas (for starters).  From a financial standpoint, that means trusting God with the first installment of a new raise or increase.  From a time standpoint, that means trusting God with the first hour of our day.

And while I know that neither of these things is easy to do, I truly believe that, in the long run, we will be glad that we did.  After all, can you take care of your money better than God can?  Likewise, can you manage your time better than He can?  Of course not!  I truly believe that if we sow our money and time first into His kingdom, the harvest will be greater than we could have ever hoped for.  Second, as a side benefit, I truly believe that the Lord will bless you with additional fruit.  After all, He gave the previously barren Hannah five more children.  Likewise, if you give God the first fruit of a new contract or a new promotion, he just might give you five new contracts or promotions down the line.  Likewise, if you give God the first hour of your day, he just might redeem that time five-fold by showing you the proper course of action over your day.

And if you’re still skeptical, why not test it out?  While the Lord certainly does not like to be tested (“You shall not put the LORD your God to the test” Deutoronomy 6-16), He provides one exception for us.  In Malachi 3:8-12, we read the following:

“Will a man rob God?  Yet you rob me.  But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’  In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. ¹¹ I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty.  ”Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.

This is your one chance to test God to see if He is true to his word.  Why not take advantage of this unique opportunity?  I can tell you from experience that you won’t be sorry!