We made it! The Upper Room page is coming together and we pray it is a blessing and a solid resource for you. Don’t be afraid to shoot suggestions my way for things you would like to see or information you think would be beneficial for Upper Room to post!
Monday, OCTOBER 24th —– I was reading I Chronicles this morning and was struck by a passage that I have read before with little effect akin to what I experienced today. In I Chronicles 15:12-13, David is speaking to the Levites and ordering them to carry the ark of the covenant. This comes on the heels of Uzzah, in chapter 13, putting his hand on the ark to steady it after the oxen that were pulling the cart had stumbled. Uzzah was struck dead by God for his seemingly minor infraction. In chapter 15, David explains to the Levites why this tragedy happened: “…because he did not seek Him according to the rule” (I Chronicles 15:13). Did you catch that? David admits that although they were doing a good and necessary thing (bringing the ark back), they had neglected to do it in accordance with God’s mandates. Not only were the Levites to minister around the ark, they were to carry it on their shoulders with poles, not a cart (see verse 15). The thing that struck me was the realization that I am often like Uzzah. My plans sometimes fail, my ministry efforts lack power, and my prayers don’t go any higher than the ceiling because I often jump into “good things” without seeking the Lord’s counsel through His word. How many endeavors lacked anointing because of a failure to seek the Lord’s Word for guidance? How often have I begun a work and then, after it has been attempted, invite God in to bless it for me? I am often like Uzzah, I am laboring in good things and yet feel a rebuke in my spirit……perhaps the Father is chastising me for not asking Him first? Look again at chapter 13 verse 11 — David was “angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah.” I am assuming that David, who was dancing and worshiping when Uzzah was killed, felt that it was unfair for God to do this! After all, they were serving Him, right? I am no different. I put my hand to things without seeking the Lord’s rule (Word) for instruction and yet have the gall to be angry with Him when it doesn’t pan out. Lord, forgive me for not seeking your Word for wisdom and bending my will to yours! May the Spirit of God bless you and drive you to the Word when you feel a call to serve Him!
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 6th, 2011 —- I saw an interesting footnote in my ESV as I was reading Psalm 11. Verse 3 of most literal or essentially-literal texts renders it thus: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” However, when I looked on www.biblos.com, this passage (in accordance with the ESV footnote) is most literally rendered: Literally, “The foundations (that is, of good order and law) will be destroyed, what has the righteous done (to sustain them)?” All his efforts have failed.In light of national debt, abortion (over 4,000 a day in America), pornogrpahy (3K every second is spent on this demonic industry every day in America), earthquakes, etc. what are the righteous doing? What are God’s people doing at an obvious hour of crisis? I look at the telescopic prophecy of Joel, a word that was given for Israel at the time of its writing (900-600 BC), for the early church at Pentecost (acts 2), and the church of the end times when the “Day of the Lord” comes to fruition. In light of the coming disaster, Joel instructs the people to “Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord” (Joel 1:14, ESV). How desperately we need more of God’s people crying out to Him for mercy and for the fear of the Lord to fall afresh on this generation! Revival starts on your knees. Maranatha!
THURSDAY AUGUST 18th, 2011 —— I was listening to an old David Wilkerson sermon the other day and he referenced an Old Testament passage that I have yet to spend a great deal of time meditating on. Pastor Wilkerson quoted from the book of Amos. Found in the minor prophets after the book of Joel, Amos offers cutting insight into the religious life (or lack thereof) of ancient Israel around the time of the Assyrian invasion. Most scholars date the writing of Amos to around 760 BC. Amos was not a prophet by profession but was a simple “herdsman and dresser of sycamore figs”. Amos’ message of impending judgment was, as is most prophetic voices, completely out of step with the social atmosphere of that day. Israel, blessed with a fairly stable government and financial prosperity, had little appetite for repentance. Amos receives a number of visions from the Lord that he is to relay to the people of the northern kingdom in an effort to expose their wicked, self-serving hearts.
The passage that cut my heart is found in Amos chapter 8. In this vision, the Lord shows Amos a “basket of summer fruit” (v.1), most likely indicative of the prosperity being enjoyed by Israel at that time. The Lord then, in contrast to the vision of blessing, pronouncing judgment upon Israel because their wealth had been obtained by oppressing the poor and desperate (Amos 8:5-6). Also, their love of God and obedience to His commands had digressed to the point of heresy in which they used worship as a means of manipulating God into blessing them, much like their pagan neighbors. In Amos 8:11, the Lord declares that a famine is coming upon the land:
“Behold, the days are coming, ” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land – not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.”
Wow. Due to Israel’s rejection of the words of the Lord through Amos (because they did not want to repent), they would be brought into exile and the Word of the Lord would not be sent to them. Are we in the same boat? Look around beloved, what do you see? Can you not discern the signs of the times (Matthew 16:1-3)? We have loved our comfort more than the gospel. We have treasured our commodities more than the cross. We have marketed the Holy Spirit for gain and still have “preachers” on TV every day trying to manipulate God for gain (If I see one more “pastor” wearing an Armani suit and a Rolex begging for money, I am going to scream!). Is there any wonder that there is a famine in our land of “hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11)? I want to challenge you to read, study, and obey the Words of God. The Word is a sword that cuts to the core of false teaching and pious religion (Hebrews 4:12). The people of God are starving for the Word of God! No more entertainment, no more showmanship, no more mishandling and manipulating God’s Word for gain – do not let the famine in our land claim you or your family! I leave you with this: “But He answered, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).
TUESDAY JULY 5th, 2011 —- NOTE to SELF: Reading “Why Revival Tarries” by Leonard Ravenhill causes extreme restlessness, probing self-examination, and uneasiness in Zion. I knew these side effects were awaiting me as this was my 2nd time reading this seminal book on revival, nevertheless I took the plunge! I don’t know about you, but I need (and long for) someone like Ravenhill to come and pick me up by my proverbial ear, drag me into the streets of Jeruslaem and scream, “Look!” Brothers and sisters, I have been persuaded that maintaining a “Kingdom focus” – a heart for the lost, a tender conscience in regards to personal sin, to strive in the pursuit of Godliness, and disciplining one’s self in prayer and study – is an all-out FIGHT! May I remind you (and I): “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather, train yourself for Godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (I Timothy 4:7, 8). Reading Ravenhill’s scorching words once again revealed how easy it is to become complacent in the fight against the enemy of our soul (I Peter 5:8), fold our hands, embrace the trifles of this world, and rest while the world perishes. Here is a quote that nailed me:
“Paul declares in good round English, ‘The world is crucified unto me.’ Is this far beyond 20th century Christians? Golgotha witnessed many crowds who came to see the humiliation of its malefactors. There was a carnival at the cross; there was a mockery at misery. But who went the next morning to view the victims? The first callers were vultures – to peck out their eyes and strip their ribs; then dogs ate the limbs which hung from these hapless victims. Thus distorted, and decorated with his own entrails, the felon was a fright. Even so, to Paul, the crucified world was as unattractive as that! Well might we, too, inwardly quake and with trembling lips repeat the phrase, ‘the world is crucified to me.’ Only when we are thus ‘dead to the world and all its toys, its idle pomp and fading joys’ can we feel the freedom that Paul knew. The plain fact is that we followers of Christ respect the world and its opinions and appreciations and qualifications. A modern critic says that we believers have gold for our god and greed for our creed. (Only those that are guilty will get mad at that quip!) On the other hand, in this year of grace, I do know some saints on both sides of the Atlantic who wear clothes that others have cast off, and so turn all their dollars and dimes (or pounds and pence) into grist for God’s mill. With his strong emphasis on separation, one wonders that Paul ever got any converts at all. This blessed man, to whom the world was crucified, was considered mad. Moreover, Paul so presented his message that others sought his death, for their ‘craft was in danger!’ Such blessed apostles, with their healthy, holy disregard for the world and its men, shame us….Soon it will be ‘farewell mortality, welcome eternity.’ Here’s wishing to you, beloved believer, a year of sacrificial service for Him was our sacrifice. May we too finish our course with joy.” (“Why Revival Tarries”, pp. 145-146).
A quote from an unknown author haunts me: “I cannot work my soul to save, For that my Lord hath done; But I will work like any slave, for love of God’s dear Son.” Fighting the flesh that entangles us, casting off the “pride of possessions” and the “cares of this world”, setting our eyes squarely on Calvary as we pick up our cross and trudge forward to death, training ourselves for Godliness, and combatting the princes of “this present darkness” require us to be both dead to self and alive unto Christ Jesus. It is only in this place of surrender that my heart is fully set on the hope of eternity and burdened for those that are bound for eternal punishment. May the Lord send His precious Spirit to urge, move, break, form, and sanctify us!!!!
TUESDAY JUNE 14th, 2011: I have come to the conclusion that I am too weak for fluffy preaching. I am too weak to be tempted to fold my hands and rest. I am too weak to go weeks or months without a man of God getting in my face and calling me back to the pursuit of Godliness. This is both a massive frustration and a source of peace to me in that I hate that my flesh is still so alive, yet I am thankful that there is a remnant behind the pulpit that is willing to oblige my need. I listened to an old sermon from David Wilkerson yesterday and it rocked me. He was preaching against the so-called “prosperity gospel” and quoted Isaiah 30:10 which reads, “…who say to the seers, ’Do not see’, and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions’…” Did you catch that? God instructs Isaiah to address a “rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord” (v. 9). Are we any different? Am I any different? NO! But by the grace of God and the conviction of the precious Holy Spirit am I, and anyone else, able to love and worship Him rightly. I thank God for men like Wilkerson, Ravenhill, Brown, Reidhead, Paisley, Edwards, Wesley, Luther, and many others past and present that refuse(d) to aquiesse to the sinful desires of lost and fallen people. Of Luther it is said that his pulpit still suffers from a case of the rickets from him beating it with his fist so often and with such force. My flesh wants to hear smooth things, to have a false prophet tell me, “peace, peace when there is not peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). If there were ever a time in history in which God’s people (me included) should be fervent in prayer, fasting, and kingdom proclamation, it would be NOW. Don’t settle for the false prophesying of smooth talkers, don’t surround yourself with the false prophets of this age (see I Timothy 6:3-10). Don’t give in to the desire to settle for earthly trifles – we were called to advance a kingdom and to “flee youthful passions” (2 Timothy 2:22). May the Lord give us grace to press into Him and abide in the shelter of His presence!
Tuesday 5/24/11—– You know, I was going to blog about the recent events regarding May 21st (ie: Doomsday, etc.) but I think a billboard I saw online sums it up: “That was awkward.” The insightful billboard goes on to quote Matthew 24:36 which declares plainly, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” Having said that, I say – “Come, Lord Jesus!” OK, moving on…….I have been meditating lately on “What is the NORMAL Christian experience/existence?” This may seem like a loaded question, so let me clarify. There are so many brothers and sisters in Christ that truly love the Lord, love others, and feed on the Word that would give varied responses to this question of “Christian Normality”. Some would say that selling all you have and living simply is the “norm”, others would say that “living peaceably with all men and serving God” would be the norm, others would say that “living a radically sold-out life” is the norm. Taking a panoramic view of the church (the true, invisible church) leaves you with an interesting tapestry. Having done this for quite some time now, I am still not prepared to offer a concrete answer – largely because I am not sure that there is one. However, there is one passage in scripture that is clear for all Christians across the spectrum – be filled with the Spirit. In his classic work on the subject, John Stott offers the following insight: “…the verb is in the present tense. It is well known that, in the Greek language, if the imperative is aorist it refers to a single action, while if it is present the action is continuous. Thus, when at the wedding in Cana Jesus said, ‘fill the jars with water’ (John 2:7), the aorist imperative shows that He meant them to do it once only. The present imperative ‘be filled with the Spirit’, on the other hand, indicates not some dramatic or decisive experience that will settle the issue for good, but a continuous appropriation.” Let us then do as Jesus commands in John 7:37-39. Here, Jesus is speaking to the multitude that are gathered for the water libation ceremony on the last day of the Feast of Booths. He declares that, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water……..Now, He said this about the Spirit….“ (v.38, 39). Are you thirsty? Are you “spiritually dry”? Stop walking in desert places, beloved, and come to Jesus and drink deep! Just as we need water to satisfy our physical bodies, we also need fresh fillings of the precious Spirit of the living God to refresh and realign our spirits and lives. When was the last time you asked the Holy Spirit to search your heart (Psalm 51) and expose sin? When was the time you asked for a fresh filling (Luke 11:9-13)? I tell you there is a storehouse of blessing for the children of God that remains untapped because “You desire and do not have so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:2-3). Let’s ask the Spirit to focus our eyes afresh on Jesus that we might live the “normal Christian existence” – a life given over to the Lord Jesus and that is filled and led of the Spirit. Doing this, we can trust Him to take care of the rest (Matthew 6:33). Bless you guys……….
THURSDAY, 5/12/11 — A team of men from Upper Room (and Jim Pross….love you, Jim!) partnered with a group from Bethlehem Baptist Church in MNPLS to hit the streets this past Tuesday in a joint evangelism effort. I had the pleasure of joining Bethlehem’s team last fall, they are on fire! I asked the young men from Upper Room to give me some feedback from their experience in downtown MNPLS in regards to what they heard, the conversations they had, etc. I think their feedback is insightful, thank you Shawn, Eric, and Jason for being willing to hit the pavement for Jesus!
“Well for me, I felt that I didn’t spend enough time in prayer in the days before I went. For God to really soften my heart to the unsaved in a part of the state that I despise driving to much less walking around in. A total failure on my part. If I don’t honestly have a soft heart, people are going to know its not genuine and I fail before I even started. Please God forgive my failure and soften my heart toward the unsaved in the city.” (Shawn Jones)
“As always those whose hope is in themselves will not talk with you. As a rule they appear to be the well off (e.g., wearing suits, dressed nice, and whatnot). However those who do not fit within that same socio-economic level are much more open to discussion. Additionally you never know what you are going to discuss. I got into a lengthy discussion on the trinity and why God is all anger while Jesus is all love (their viewpoint) not my own. A good question to ask somebody is this “If you could give God one reason why you deserve to go to heaven what would it be?” If their answer is not Jesus Christ and his atoning blood then you have a huge opening with which to dialogue. All I know is that God is Sovereign, knows our hearts, and we are commanded to bring the gospel wherever we go. To that end those believers who do not preach the Gospel by both word AND deed are sinners in open rebellionagainst him whom they claim as their king. We cannot be ashamed of the Gospel for it is the truth of how man is to be reconciled to God. It must be the singularity though which we live our lives. How can it be otherwise?” (Eric Loewen)
These are two men that I respect and have seen God mold and mature into mighty men of valor – thank you Lord! Their feedback is candid and from the heart, something I found refreshing. I want to challenge anyone reading this that claims the Name of Christ to reexamine their stance on Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Be bold (and humble) enough to ask yourself some probing questions: Do I know the gospel? Am I prepared to share it with those around me? Am I missionally-minded (ie: do I seek opportunities to share?), and most telling, Am I ashmed to share my faith and, if so, what are the scriptural implications?
May the Lord Jesus Christ be your all in all as you (the redeemed) reflect on what He has done (Romans 5:6-8), what He is doing (Hebrews 8:1-7), and what He will do (Revelation 19:11-21)!!!!!!
Tuesday 4/19/11 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, ESV). I read the entire book of Romans out loud to myself this morning. It took about an hour but is was worth it! It reminded me of how often we miss out on the “meat” when we just skim through a book or even a chapter of the Word. I put out a challenge to some of the guys in Upper Room to do do the same and I will now extend this challenge to all who read this blog: Read the book Romans out loud to yourself, chapters 1-16. The Word will not return void, ask the Spirit to open your eyes and ears, you WILL be blessed through this! Have a great day, stay filled on the meat of His Word, it is a privilege to have His Word so readily available!!!!!
MONDAY 4/4/11 – Well, as of 7:50am today, Jesus has not come back yet…………Ever feel like that? Sometimes when I am walking to the church, mall, down the sidewalk, etc. I look up and silently ask myself, “Today, Lord?” I think of the people that Peter mentions when he is talking about the last days. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (II Peter 3:3-4). I want to challenge myself and you to NOT allow ourselves to be a scoffer. Although we may not vocalize it, I know there are times when we feel like it won’t happen, that perhaps me missed something in scripture and that Jesus won’t actually come back at any moment. Let me assure you, dear saint, that the enemy of your soul would love for you live your life under that impression. The Word of God is clear in that Jesus, the reigning King, WILL return to establish justice and peace: “And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He does judge and make war” (Revelation 19:11). So, if you are having one of those days, please take this as a gentle reminder to run the race and stand firm – the trumpet could sound today. Come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday 3/3/11 — Just a quick reminder that the 24 Hour Prayer Vigil is coming up next Friday, March 11th at 5pm. The vigil will conclude at 5pm on Saturday, March 12th. I would love to see you all there at some point throughout the vigil. Prayer should be the lifeblood of our church! Bless you in Jesus’ Name!
Thursday 2/24/11 — Remember when, in John chapter 2, Jesus “cleanses” the temple? He sees the money changers marketing sacrificial goods/animals with no love for God or His ways. Jesus responds by tipping over tables, letting the animals go free, and prophesying about His coming resurrection. Oh, did I mention He did this with a “whip of cords” that He took the time to make Himself? The scriptures record something interesting in John 2:17 where it says, “His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house will consume Me.’” This calls upon the prophecy about the Messiah in Psalm 69:9. So, that’s what zeal looks like, huh? Jesus was offended that His Father’s house and, by extension, His Father’s glory was being reviled and disregarded. Do we have that kind of zeal for God’s Name and glory? When a coworker uses the Name of Jesus in a profane way, when we see churches marketing the presence and power of God like a commodity, when television and radio defame Him – does “zeal for you house consume [us]“? Are we so in love with and dedicated to our King that we will tip tables over and burn with righteous indignation? Let’s pray that the Spirit would stir in us and birth a hunger to see Jesus lifted high!
Feel free to contact me: 320-274-8591 or email jawhite@annandalefree.com