Desperation

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24

Dear Reader,

Here is a story about a man with a demon possessed child. He brings the child to Jesus’ disciples, and they cannot cast out the evil spirit. They had removed demons previously, so their lack of power is puzzling to them. But this appears to be a severe case.

The boy could not talk and he foamed at the mouth. Sometimes the spirit threw the boy into the fire, and sometimes into the water; to destroy him. Apparently, the boy’s life was quite dangerous, fragile, and miserable. His father was in complete exhaustion and agony.

Then Jesus appears on the bleak scene and tells the father that all things are possible, if he can believe.

This leads us to the father’s response in this scripture: “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

A Common Theme

To complete the story, Jesus heals the boy. The impossible was made possible. Father and son were whole again.

But let us examine a common attribute among those who prevail with Christ:

Desperation.

Think of the blind beggars yelling for Jesus as He passed by. It was their one chance and they had no regard for what others thought! Think of the woman with an issue of blood. She had nothing left when she reached out to touch Him! Think of the Canaanite woman. She would not let Jesus go until He healed her daughter!

These people did not haphazardly ask for something. They were not double minded. They were seriously invested, undoubtedly determined, and completely desperate.

There was no other option. Get this blessing from Christ. Period. There is no plan B. Jesus is the only hope!

Think of Rachel saying to Jacob, “Give me children or I die!”

This is the attitude that prevails. This is that disposition that unlocks the storehouses of heavenly blessing.

Apply It

All these stories are examples for us to learn the type of prayer God answers. Leonard Ravenhill used to say, “God doesn’t answer prayer. God answers desperate prayer.”

You do not just toss God your laundry list of things you want. That is not prayer. When you have a burden, it is like fire in your bones. Like Jacob, to prevail with God, you must hold onto Him and not let go.

So dear reader, are you desperate? Do you want to know God a little bit? Because if so, you will not find Him. Do you want to know God a lot? That isn’t enough. You have to be desperate!

God says if you seek Him with all of your heart you will find Him. He leaves no room for double mindedness. If you go after God with 99% of all that you are, you will not find Him. Period.

Are you desperate? Are you willing to stay up late and wake up early to know Him? Are you willing to give up worldly entertainments to seek His heart through the scriptures? Does your heart burn to be in His presence? Be desperate!

Greater Than Gold

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” Matthew 13:44

Dear Reader,

What a profound statement from Christ! In just one short sentence, He proclaimed many deep truths to us about the kingdom of Heaven. Come, let us see.

He is speaking of the “kingdom of heaven”. He taught his disciples about life after death and its direct connection with this present life we now live. Most everyone, with the exception of a very few subverted souls, would say they want to go to Heaven when they die. Religious or not, what human would pick eternal suffering over eternal bliss? Therefore, Christ’s short parable has paramount importance for anyone who wants to go to Heaven when their life on earth ends.

He said, “the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field.” Do many people find treasure? Do most have great riches? No. Likewise, this eternal kingdom is hidden from the masses, and only a few find it.

Dearest reader, have you believed a lie? Have you believed that most people go to Heaven? Open your heart and keep reading.

Then He said, “the which when a man hath found.” Does a man find something he is not searching for? Rarely.

Casual Seeking

A county fair comes to a town for a week and has a large amount of people come. At the end of the week, the rides pack up, the animals load in their trailers, and everyone leaves. When the dust settles, there is an open field and scattered trash. Walking through the field for exercise, a non-seeking man may find a quarter on the ground that someone dropped. He smiles, tosses it with the other change in his truck, and drives away. But it is the seeking man with the metal detector who finds the lost 1.5 ct diamond ring of great value. He carefully wraps it in a cloth and holds onto it the whole way home.

Which man found something greatly valuable? The one who was searching for it. So it is with the kingdom of Heaven. Don’t expect to live a life of sin and vanity, to then stumble upon the kingdom of Heaven in your dying day. You need a map, a compass, and passion to find the buried treasure.

Back to our example. Then Jesus said, “he hideth.” Did the man who found the quarter wrap it in a cloth and hold it all the way home? No, he tossed it with the rest of the coins. See the carefulness of the man who found the precious stone!

Likewise, it is common for people to claim to have found God and the kingdom of Heaven. Yet, they treat this eternal kingdom more like a common quarter than a costly stone. Dearest reader, have you tossed God’s eternal kingdom into a cup filled with other joys of similar value? Have you placed Heaven in the same cup as the Super Bowl, your new promotion, or SXSW? If so, examine your ways. It could be that your lack of carefulness indicates your lack truly finding.

Finally he said, “and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” Reader, was your learning of the kingdom of Heaven so significant that it produced great joy? Such joy that placed all other joys in life in a completely lesser category? Does the kingdom of Heaven all-consume you as the prize that your eyes are set on daily?

Did your Bible reading begin to crowd out your hobbies like sports or painting? Did you begin to see that your old influences hindered you as you walked the narrow road toward Christ’s kingdom? Did you start seeing how the music you were listening to would not be acceptable in the kingdom of God?

Reader, your heart may cry out, “Wait! That is intense! That is religious fanaticism! That can’t be necessary to obtain the prize of Heaven!” Quiet your heart and think logically.

We praise Olympians once every four years for their two minutes of fame when they compete. The truth is that they train for countless hours every day, eat the strictest diet, and maintain the firmest schedule. They become obsessed with that prize of gold that is four years away. And they sacrifice all to win it. And we praise them for it. If they seek an earthly crown with such care and passion, do they shame those casual seekers of the greatest eternal prize? Yea, I tell you, with much shame.

May the Kingdom of Heaven be exalted in your mind and in your heart.

The Seeking Heart

“The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” Matthew 12:42

Dear Reader,

In this scripture, Christ was speaking of the Queen of Sheba traveling a very long distance to personally witness King Solomon and his kingdom for God. Her long travels and ultimate approbation of Solomon’s reign was a definite sign of her growing faith in the God of Israel.

She was a seeker.

She risked much to travel across the known world in search of truth. Because it cost her a lot, it was more valuable to her than gold when she found it.

Jesus used her example as a shame to the Jews. She had no books, no light, no oracles from God; yet she crossed perilous paths just to find wisdom from a man she had never seen. Her seeking was commended by Christ.

The Jews, on the other hand, were reproved. Jesus, much greater than Solomon in wisdom and holiness, was not sought after by the Jews, despite His complete accessibility. They did not need to travel across the known world to hear the greatest wisdom ever preached. Christ proclaimed it in all of their cities. He went to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

Therefore, the greater condemnation abides on those people. When the Judgment Day comes, the seeking of the Queen of Sheba will be a testimony against the Jewish peoples’ rejection of Christ.

Do You Seek

My dearest reader, have you considered what this means for us today? We learn from the Bible that Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus Himself testified that all the holy scriptures, point to Him. Therefore, it is logical to conclude, that Jesus’ ministry continues on Earth today through His Bible. If you want to know Jesus, and what He says to this generation, simply open a Bible.

Americans, we live in a day where Bibles are given away. If you want one, you can have one. If you want to read it, you can read it. Your relationship with the Bible a profound indication of your relationship with Christ.

So, where do you stand?

Have you sided with the queen of the south and sought God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind? Or, do you align yourself with the people of Israel by neglecting God and His Word daily? Does the Bible sit as mere decoration in your home? Or does it guide your entire daily existence on this earth?

Seek with all your heart!

Ears That Hear

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15

Dear Reader,

Two thousand years ago, God took on flesh, came to this Earth, and taught man his doctrine. He came to His own creation; and on the whole, He was despised and rejected of His creatures. Most of the hearers of His teachings did not hear Him. They certainly heard His words, but the truth of His words did not grip them.

They did not become His disciples.

Allow me to put Jesus’ earthly ministry into perspective. He preached to the nation of Israel, sometimes to crowds of thousands. In the course of His ministering, He was extremely well known to the entire nation. He ministered to the rich and poor, the rulers and the peasants, the well and the dying, the educated and the uneducated.

His miracles were talked about from town to town. The dead were raised to life, the lame walked, the eyes of the blind were opened. Everyone in Israel knew about the man Jesus.

Therefore the assumption would be that a man so kind, so tenderhearted, so loving, would be loved by all.

Yet was it not so.

The Lonely Christ

Despite all the thousands of hearers of His ministry, Jesus was a very lonely soul. Many hated Him and didn’t believe His words. Further, many believed His words, yet found them too difficult. These disciples turned back from following Him.

At the conclusion of His earthly ministry, all that remained was a handful of disciples.

As it was two thousand years ago, so it is today. Sadly, many don’t believe His words. They reject Him. Regrettably, many believe His words, but find walking His narrow road too difficult. They abandon Him. Thankfully, a few know His voice, and follow. They glorify Him.

So, dear reader, examine yourself. Do you hear His voice? What is your life’s response to the King of Kings? Do you have ears to hear?

Ambition

“But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28

Dear Reader,

This teaching by Jesus is directly after James and John asked to be on His left and right hand in the coming kingdom. They had ambition to be great. Christ’s teaching in these scriptures was in response to their appeal.

Often in the kingdom of heaven, principles are the exact opposite of the kingdom of earth. Many of Jesus’ stories are paradoxical. And many of His hearers simply could not fathom something so opposite to what they have known.

This teaching is in the same vein. Essentially, Jesus says that to be great in the kingdom of heaven is to make yourself nothing. It is to give your life for others. Jesus declares that He is the primary example of this principle.

Almost Right

His teaching was an indirect rebuke of James and John. Their ambition was to be great. Note that their ambition was of a good cause. They wanted to be in Christ’s kingdom, under His authority. They simply wanted to be above the other disciples in authority. This was wrong.

In the world, we see the principle of the Gentiles that Jesus spoke of. The biggest bull has authority of the female herd. The person who shamefully self-promotes their business finds success. The ambitious candidate with the loftiest promises and the most money, wins the election.

In the kingdom of God, this is not so. In fact, sinful ambition is so abominable to God that He will not honor it. We live in a confusing day where many preachers look like rock stars, or worse. Simply because they attract the crowds, does not mean that they honor the cross.

If a young man starts the path to preach God’s word and desires a stage, an audience, and a following, he just might find it. Unfortunately, he might find it without Christ and without God. Ambition is a dangerous thing in the spiritual realm.

Dear reader, examine those you put your spiritual trust in. Do they seem personally ambitious? Beware of those men.

Draw it Out

Allow me to ask a few questions. Why is this ambition condemned? After all, what good can a human be without ambition? Would that not be defined as a lazy person? Is ambition inherently bad? These are valid questions.

Clearly, laziness is condemned in the scriptures, so we see that it cannot be the opposite of ambition. Here is the important distinction:

Ambition is dangerously sinful when it is personal.

James and John wanted to be on the right and left hand of Christ. They wanted authority. They had personal ambition of the dangerous nature. What is commendable by God is this:

Ambition is dangerously powerful when it is not personal.

If someone is ambitious for Christ’s cause in the world, then that is a good Christian. That is commendable. So it was with every honorable preacher since Christ. He had great ambition for the Kingdom of Christ. But his heart was lowly. That good Christian has stripped himself of all personal ambition to the point that he would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than well known or important.

God Does This

Very often however, God lifts those beggars from the dunghill and makes them well known and important. God does this because they are the only ones who can handle such a godly responsibility, without personal ambition. So it is wrong to jump to the conclusion that because a preacher is well known and important, they are of the wrong type of ambition.

Paul the Apostle comes to mind. A real-life changer of the world. Mountains of ambition to preach Christ where idols have reigned since the beginning of time. Yet no ambition whatsoever to be greatly esteemed among men.

Dear reader, what about you? Examine your Christian ambition. First, does it even exist? Do you have any desire of attaining anything in the spiritual life? If the answer is no, you are in great need. Get alone with God and His word!

Second, if you do have spiritual ambition, is it personal? Do you want to have your name in the church bulletin for all to see your devotion? Do you aspire to preach at important conferences to thousands?

Or do you want nothing of the honors, accolades, and respect so long as Christ is exalted? Will you sweep the floor in the kingdom of God while other men take the stage? Will you wash saints’ feet while others sign books? Will you pray in the unknown closet while another is in the pulpit?

These are not questions to exaggerate. Christ will ask similar questions to everyone that begins with Him. He will give you the opportunity to display your true ambition. In love, He will also correct you when you need it. We need not ask James and John. If necessary, take their example and repent of sinful ambition immediately!