BELIEVE YOU RECEIVE

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24

I must admit that lately I have been awestruck with details I have been learning about the late George Mueller. Mueller was born in 1805 and passed in 1898, at the age of 92. He saw the great awakening first hand in 1859, worked alongside such ministers as D. L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon, and is said to be the inspiration for the missionary Hudson Taylor. However, what Mueller is best known for is the details of his life in Bristol, England, and the work he accomplished with the orphans there. It is said that he built five large orphan houses that accommodated for well over 10,000 orphans throughout his entire life. According to sources, Mueller stopped receiving a salary in the final 68 years of his life, praying that God would supply both his needs and for the needs of the orphanages. Converting currency, it is estimated that the equivalent of millions in today’s currency were prayed in for the needs, as he never took out a loan, and neither he nor the orphans were ever in lack.
Previous to my recent research on Mueller, I knew very little about this man of God. In reading about him and in pieces of his autobiography, it is said that Mueller shared his needs with no one but God, thus allowing his faith to grow in God’s provision. Still, it was only while reading through a study early this week that I read an account that challenged me in my faith, and I would like to share it with you.

“On another occasion, so the story goes, George Mueller was on his way to Canada to keep an appointment he was sure was in God’s will. As the ship which was bringing him from England entered the St. Lawrence River it ran into a heavy fog. George Mueller went to see the captain, a Christian friend of his. ‘Tell me, Captain,’ he said, ‘will we arrive in time for my meeting?’ The captain, looking out at the fog from the bridge, replied, ‘Not unless the weather clears at once.’ George Mueller was a man who knew how to talk to God so he suggested that they pray. In simple terms he reminded the Lord of his appointment, of his assurance that the appointment had been in the will of God; he then requested that the fog be removed. When he had finished, the captain was about to pray when he felt a hand on his arm. ‘Don’t you pray, Captain,’ said George Mueller. The captain looked up in astonishment. ‘Why not?’ he exclaimed. ‘For two reasons,’ said George Mueller. ‘In the first place you do not really believe God is going to take away the fog and in the second place it has already gone.’”

So I must admit again that while reading this story, I was challenged. The line that got me was, “…you do not really believe God is going to take away the fog…” I began to contemplate, how many times have I prayed, but not really expected God to do what I prayed for? This answer would be more than I care to admit. When I pray for my sick children, do I really believe the fever will just leave? When I pray for funds in order to pay that one last dangling utility bill, do I honestly expect that provision will come from God rather than my getting a second job? When I pray even for the needs of others, do I find myself praying just to say I prayed, or do I have faith to know with all certainty that God will answer?
The Bible is clear in how we are to pray. We are to believe. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). Believe here in the Greek is the word PISTEUO, meaning to have faith, give credit to, or entrust. This is the same word used in John 11:25, where Jesus, comforting the sisters of Lazarus, states that He is the resurrection and the life, and “…he that PISTEUO in (Him), though he were dead, yet shall he live.” It is only in having this belief in Christ that things prayed for can be received.
Another instance of this word is found in John 3:16. While this is a verse we probably all know, let us take a moment still to look at it with our new found understanding. We read that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever PISTEUO in the Son will have eternal life. Again we see this concept of believe and receive. When we have faith, or entrust our lives to the Son, then we receive the gift of eternal life.
If Mark records Jesus telling us to believe so we will receive, then why is it still so hard for me at times? Let’s dig a little deeper. The word PISTEUO is derived from the word PISTIS, which we may be more familiar with. We read of PISTIS in Ephesians 6:16, where we read of taking up the shield of faith. Is it safe to assume that there are times when I have dropped my shield? I know that sounds a little odd, but it is an honest question. Are the times when I pray and do not honestly expect an answer to come not only in times when I am going through the motions, but also in times when I have actually dropped my faith, my belief that God will do what I am praying for?
Only in our belief do we receive. But please do not read into this that I am suggesting God is our own personal vending machine. What I am suggesting is that we have a faith like that found in the example of George Mueller. His needs were met as a result of his strong faith in knowing God would provide. So should it be for us, that our faith rests in God to provide. God may chose to use an outside source, a second job, or even a raven to provide, but the receiving must begin with the believing.

I WILL RESCUE HIM

“’Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.’”
Psalm 91:14-16

About four years back now my kids and I were in the car, driving from getting breakfast to going to get haircuts. We were enjoying ourselves, talking, and singing with the radio. I watched as the light at the intersection turned yellow and I began to slow down knowing red was soon to come. However, the truck behind me failed to see the color change and when he did, found it too late to hit his brakes fully. From behind we were hit, pushing our car fully through the intersection. As we later found out, the man in the truck was watching activity on the side of the road and not in front of him. And by God’s protection, no one was coming as we hurled through the intersection. While the event scared both my kids and I, we were safe, protected, and thankful. In that moment, even while shaking a bit from the collision, we knew God had rescued us from something far worse.
The truth is God protects us more than we probably realize. As we read in Psalm 91, when we stay in His shelter and under His covering, He upholds His promise of protection. But today, let us define further our protection. And what better a way to do so than with a promise from God that we will be protected. It is in the final three verses of Psalm 91 that we read, “’Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.’”
There are so many words in this section that we could define, but I promise I will only hit the words that call out the loudest. The first of those is ‘love’. This word in the Hebrew is CHASHAQ. It is not the gushy puppy love feeling, but rather is defined as being attached to or long for. This is a love that comes over the course of time, and my first thought of this expressed in reality is of my parents who, through all life served them, stayed together for 39 years before dad passed away. The greatest testament of their love was seeing mom care for him the final few years of his life while he battled ALS. I can almost see God looking at us and seeing that same depth, and as such, vowing to protect and care for us as well. It is because of this love that God determines He will deliver us and answer us when we cry out to Him.
But notice how God says that He will deliver and honor those who call on Him in trouble. The word for ‘deliver’ is CHALATS, meaning to remove and to equip. Likewise, the word ‘honor’ is the word KABAD, meaning to be made abundant and glorified. In troubled times when we call out, God promises to equip us with what we need while the removal is being done, and then glorify us both in and after the battle. With long life we are ‘satisfied’, SABA’, fulfilled to the fullest capacity, and shown salvation.
This act is more than just a military action where the goal is to rescue the POW. This act is far greater than simply a plan. This act is a promise, and it is a promise from the One who knows no limits. In listening to a Newsong song recently, I heard the words, “Who can do the things that You can? / If it’s impossible, Lord You know the way.” In our moments of entrapment by the enemy, it is God who finds a way to rescue us. Let us then be those who love God, fall under His protection, and reside in His shelter.
I pray the truth of these verses will change your life as it has been doing in mine recently.

SPIRITUAL HEALING

I want to draw you attention today to two specific chapters in the Book of Matthew. As I was studying the Bible this week in Matthew, I was amazed by what I saw; actually surprised I had never seen it before. It was in my reading of chapters 8 and 9 that I began to see myself in a whole new light. It was here that I saw myself first as a leper, but in the end as something far greater. Within chapter 8 and 9 we read the accounts of Jesus’ power over leprosy, paralysis, fever, the storm, demon-possession, a hemorrhage, and finally blindness. While we read of these ailments as physical conditions, I saw these ailments for the first time as definitions of our spiritual condition at times.
What do I mean? Well let us look first at Matthew 8:1-4. The account shares that a man with leprosy came to Jesus, knelt before Him, and spoke, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus responded that He was indeed willing, touched the man, said “Be clean,” and in an instant the man was free from the disease. But let us not speed read through what has just happened here. Leprosy in Jesus’ time was fatal disease. Furthermore, it was so bad that colonies were set up for lepers, away from other ‘clean’ people, so that the clean would not become infected. The leper had to stay a distance away from others, and call out ‘unclean’ when others were within a certain radius. What does all this remind you of? Does it perhaps remind you of sin?
How so, you ask. What is the one thing we learn early on about our sin? While I am sure answers flood your mind, I think we can all agree that we have learned that sin will separate us from God. Much like the leper, we become unclean when we sin. We may not have to call out that we are unclean in our situation, but we are unclean. And just like the leper, we are separated from the relationship we desire with God. The redeeming fact is, though, that just as this leper came to Jesus, so we can come to Him also. Just asked he questioned if Jesus was willing to make him clean, so we can ask Jesus to make us clean. And just as Jesus said He was willing, so He is willing to make us clean also, forgiving us of the sin that has caused the separation.
In reading these two chapters we find other relations between the physical and spiritual. The centurion’s servant suffered from paralysis, which in many ways can relate to helplessness. To this Jesus spoke and the disease obeyed Christ’s command. Jesus healed the mother-in-law of Peter who suffered a fever. The fever can relate to restlessness. When she was healed she arose and began serving Jesus. So to when we are calmed of our restlessness, we find we can serve Jesus with clear mind.
Jesus showed His power over the wind and waves of the storm that came in the night. But is it not true that Jesus also calms the turbulence of our life, when the waves of fret, worry, and stress come to swallow us up? And then we read of the demoniacs, whose details match those of control. The demons knew the control Jesus had, but they wanted to control things themselves. Please note, I am not saying you have control issues, but what is controlling your life? If it is not Jesus now, then let it become Jesus by letting Him cast off that spirit of control holding you back from giving your all to Him.
In chapter 9 we read of a hemorrhaging woman who relates to the defilements that hemorrhage from us. Notice that she was ill for twelve years. May I ask how long you have been hemorrhaging and ill; how long have you been defiled. Jesus healed her, and He can heal you. And finally we read of His healing of the blind, which we read as physical but can easily relate to blindness of spiritual truth. Spiritually blind cannot lead, just as a blind person does not make for a good choice to follow. But take heart, for Jesus wants to heal your blindness as He did those who called out, “Son of David, have mercy on us.”
So what is it you need from Him? I guarantee you He is willing to heal you. He does not want you to suffer or live with your disease any longer. Call out to Him, allow His touch, and find as I am finding, that He is willing. His love for you is greater than the ocean, deeper that any person can dig. Come to Him and let Him restore you, let His power over your spiritual disease wash over you now.

THE GIFT OF PENTECOST

Would you like to listen to the Pentecost message I shared this past weekend?
Please follow here, launch the sermon player, and listen to "The Gift of Pentecost"
http://www.eastgateccf.com/#/im-not/listen

3000 LOST, 3000 SAVED

“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
Acts 2:41

I realize I have shared this post before, but in light of Pentecost coming this Sunday, I felt inclined to share it once more.

Between the time when Jesus ascended to heaven and when the Holy Spirit fell in the Upper Room, but I felt inclined to share some today concerning events that happened around this time. The Festival of Weeks is first named in Exodus 34:22, with a command given to celebrate with the first fruits of the wheat harvest. It is actually one of three times on the Jewish calendar when men were required to go to Jerusalem to celebrate and pay tithes. Following the timeframe of fifty days from the start of Passover, Jews and Christians alike celebrate and remember what we have come to know as Pentecost. But to gain a little more understanding behind this celebration, I want us to draw our attention today to Exodus 32:28. It is here that we read of more than just an agricultural significance to this festival, but rather are able to relate Pentecost to a commemorating of the giving of the Law, the Torah, to Moses. Let us start our journey then for today.
Starting a few verses earlier in Exodus 32:25, we read of Moses coming down from Mount Sinai to the sights and sounds of the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. The Bible describes that the people had allowed themselves to becoming the laughingstock of their enemies based on this action. So then, Moses took a stand. Standing physically at the entrance to the camp he said, “’Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.’” This decision shot to the hearts of the people and it is recorded that all the Levites rallied to him (v26) as well as others. Moses then turned to those who had come to him and gave the command of God, to strap a sword to the side and go throughout the camp killing those who had not chosen to follow God (v27). When the Levites had completed this command, three thousand people lay dead. Now right away one could argue that God’s ways seemed extreme, but does not Romans 6:23 tell us that the wages of sin is death? For these Israelites that chose not to follow after God and obey Him, they found death to be their punishment. For the remainder that had sinned, Moses sought the LORD’s forgiveness, begging that He forgive them or wipe Moses’ name out of the book.
In order to catch the relationship from this action then to Pentecost, we now need to skip ahead in time to Acts 2. It is here that we see another aspect of God’s redeeming qualities. To quote the former pastor of the church I attend, Don Finto, “On Pentecost fifteen hundred years earlier, when the Law was given on Sinai, three thousand died because of rebellion. On this Pentecost three thousand became the first fruits of new life in the Spirit.” After the Holy Spirit fell on the people in the Upper Room and empowered them with boldness, among other characteristics, Peter addressed the crowd that had gathered around mocking them. He explained that although they looked physically drunk they were indeed not, but rather drunk in the Spirit. Then, starting with a verse in the book of Joel, Peter preached one of the best salvation messages ever recorded (Acts 2:14-41). In the end, when the simple fisherman under the influence of the Holy Spirit had completed his message, he gave an altar call. And here’s the awesome part. “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
In one day, three thousand were slain because they chose to rebel against God and His commands. Years later, three thousand came into a relationship with God because their eyes and hearts were opened to who God was and they wanted to follow Him. The question beckons then, which one are you? Be careful to answer, though. I know personally that I have at times declared to God that I will follow Him and then shortly following found myself worshipping my own golden calf. If not for the grace of God, I too would face the Romans 6:23 penalty of death for my sins. God is looking for people who are sold out for Him so that He can pour His Spirit out on them. I pray this is not only the cry of our hearts, but also the way of our actions.

REFLECTING ON HOSEA

So today, instead of posting a blog for you to read, I want to engage your response. I have decided to go back to school, and have been in session for about a month already doing both a grad program and some counseling classes on the side. This week, though, a question was posed in my Biblical Counseling class that, well honestly, I had a hard time answering. The session revolved around the story of Hosea and Gomer, and took a deep look into love that Hosea shared as an example of the love God has for us. After thinking on it for some time, I gave my honest answer, which was supposed to have included an account from my life of how I either showed this unconditional Hosea-type love to someone, or had it shown to me. As I formulated my answer, though, not using family or God accounts, I could not think of a time where I had shown this type of love. How sad.

So my mission today is to pose the same question to you. Feel free to answer on the Vanguard Facebook page, or email me personally at account4dan@yahoo.com if you do not want others to read. But I wonder if others are perhaps in the same spot as I. Anyways, here is the question for you to ponder:

Reflect upon a circumstance where you have shown passionate and determined love to someone in a bad situation (or you have been the recipient of such love). Briefly discuss this circumstance and describe how this love modeled God's love as shown in the book of Hosea.

My answer follows; interested to hear yours.

Upfront, I cannot think of a circumstance where I have given a love as deep as Hosea's to Gomer to anyone. Looking back I have been one of those who gives in order to get. Please don't be mistaken, I am capable of loving others, but cannot think of a time when I went against my human nature to marry (love) one I did not want to, have them refuse my love, and then go after them with tenacity in the effort of rescuing them from the trouble they were in. I am disappointed to share this truth.

I think this shows two things about myself. First, I have been too consumed with myself. Ironic how just recently I posted that all sin derives from pride, but really looking in my own mirror I see how I have been proud, and selfish. I can see where there have been times when God has nudged me, but I have reasoned my way out of obedience to help, love, and rescue because I saw no benefit. I think to how I reacted with my first wife. Our whole relationship was based on what we could get from each other. It was the "I'll scratch your back if your scratch mine." As long as we both benefitted we were happy. But the moment the other didn't scratch, things went sour and the wedge got wider. Not so much with my own kids, but I see it with my step-boys too. I will show you a version, shallow as it is, of love if your show me respect. It is built on what I can gain.

Secondly, this reality shows me that I have a distance to go if I plan to help others. From the age of 9 it was prophesied over me that I would be a pastor. I went to bible school, did missionary work, did internships in the church, and her I am at age 40 and God has never released me yet. Prophecies continue to come that it will happen and not to lose heart, but I question when. I think I have learned more about myself in this course than I ever expected to. Mostly I have learned that I have more to learn. How can I be a help to someone when I cannot answer when was the last time I showed a Hosea type love to another person, or any love without benefits. God has used this course to open my eyes and show me I am not standing as tall as I think. The good thing, though, is He will not leave me here. Now having the opened eyes, He will continue my own healing so that when He deems it right, I can work with Him to heal others.

So I am sorry I cannot give an honest story from my past for this question right now. But there will be a day. Who knows, with this reality now, it may be closer than I think.

AT ONCE...

"'Come, follow me.' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once [Simon and Andrew] left their nets and followed [Jesus]. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother, John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him."
Mark 1:17-20

As a child I knew that when my parents called my name, using my middle name, it meant trouble was coming. That calling of my name could be heard all the way down the street I am sure. Daniel Ryan Tichota! And when I heard that calling, I knew there was no time to waste unless I wanted the upcoming wrath to be worse than it was already destined to be. Now as a parent I am on the otherside of the call. Just like it was for me as a child, so now I find that my children also know that when the middle name is spoken, something major is about to happen. Yet why is it that this is the tone used too often to get us to do something at once?
In reading a brief study on the first chapter of the Book of Mark recently, my eyes were fixed on the calling of the first few disciples. This section which I have read many times before now included words that jumped off the page. Here was Jesus, fresh from His forty days of temptation, walking beside the Sea of Galilee where He came upon a set of brothers, Simon (Peter) and Andrew. We are not told how long He stood there, or really what He witnessed other than perhaps the two casting nets and hoping for a catch. Yet we are told they were fishermen, and that became the invitation Jesus used when speaking to them. "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
But here is where I was gotten, where the words went from words on the page to words that jumped out at me. The two men responded by leaving their nets and coming at once. At once! Jesus didn't have to use their middle name, didn't have to give a threat, and didn't have to sweeten the pot. All He said was come and at once they came.
Notice in the verses that follow, however, that a simple invite was given to another set of brothers and their response was just about the same. "Without delay [Jesus] called them, and [James and John] left their father..." In an instant of Jesus calling to the two, the family business was already split as the two brothers who would more than likely inherit the company were now following a man who really only promised a career in fishing for men. And still, there was no middle name used, no bait, and no deception to get the brothers to come.
So here is my question. As a parent the middle name being called seems to work, or to at least let the kids know I am serious about them coming, listening, performing, etc. Yet Jesus gives an invitation without forcing the middle name. Do we hear it? The two sets of brothers did, and they at once left all they had to follow Him. Why do we decide that we will only follow, or obey, when there is some type of benefit promised? Why do we wait and wait and delay and delay instead of just coming when He calls gently to us? It makes me truly question how many blessings we miss out on because of the delay. If the brothers had delayed, would Jesus have waited? I personally think He may have moved on to another who was willing to come at once. That said, I want to be ready and drop all I have to follow Him at once when He calls.