SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #81 ---- 8/2/99
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
As We fight The Good Fight
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #81 ---- 8/2/99
TITLE: "Days Of Darkness Still Come O'er Me"
My Dear Fellow Pilgrim:
Again I trust that you are rejoicing in the Lord and are increasingly
excited over what God is doing in these last days. What a time to be
living, as we draw closer to the greatest harvest, the greatest
persecution, the greatest revival, and the greatest opportunity in the
history of man. All indicators seem to lead to the climactic culmination
of God's purposes for this old world. If I had to choose from all the
times of history, this would be my pick.
Incidentally ---- may I burst someone's balloon? I have waited for over
a year to hear someone else say this, and I have yet to hear it. If I
understand the calendar, next January 1st does not usher in a new
millenium. The new millenium does not begin until January 1st, 2001. I
may be totally wrong, but if 1A.D. was the first year of the First
Millenium, 1001 was the beginning of the Second, then 2001, and not
2,000, will be the beginning of the Third.
Just a thought I've wanted to get off my chest ---- for whatever it's
worth. Just because computers may go wacky and all kinds of chaos may or
may not happen because of Y2K, that doesn't mean God is obliged to change
either His plans nor His schedule.
Besides ---- what do you do, then, with the Jewish calendar, and all the
others?
If there's a big deal about it all, it's man's making, and not God's. I
would be delighted if someone could show me the error of my logic,
because, frankly, I'd like to really get pumped about January 1st, 2,000.
So, help me out if you can.
Now I don't mean by my comments that it's not a significant or even an
exciting time in our history. Frankly, I have a great anticipating of
moving from the 1900's to the 2,000's. My 84 year old Dad, born in 1915,
has three goals ---- play at least one round of golf, eat at least one
good steak, and preach one sermon in the year 2,000. After that he says
he's ready to go to heaven.
I'm not sure what I want for 2,000. But one thing is for sure ---- I
want it to be filled with the joy and adventure of serving the Lord Jesus
Christ 'til either He comes or I go. And, more importantly, I want God
to manifest His power and glory in ways unsurpassed thus far.
NOW TO THE MAIN THING:
God has reminded me through several letters recently received that this
time of year is often difficult to many people. It is during such times
that we often see attendance drop off, people go on holiday, churches
lose their pastors, worldliness and personal pleasures go rampant, and
there frequently seems to be a pattern of lethargy or discouragement, or
even hopelessness that tries to settle in on us, especially as we try to
remain faithful in sharing the Gospel with the unbelievers and
encouraging and motivating the believers.
This past Wednesday I responded to a letter from a friend going through
such a time of struggle. With his permission, here is what I wrote,
along with some additional comments. Perhaps both he and you will be
encouraged.
July 28, 1999
Dear John and Sue (not their real names):
As I read through your letter and then began to write to you, I realized
it might be helpful if I included some of your comments (anonymously, of
course) and my response in an upcoming "Shoulders" letter. A few
thoughts came to me that I just wanted to pass on to you and others ----
PRISON ---- THE PLACE FOR CONTENTED DREAMING:
"John" wrote . . .
>
>I wonder how long it was, as Joseph sat in his prison, before he was
>totally convinced that he was in the will of God and that he was
>actually where God wanted him to be? Before v21 in Genesis 39? ["But
>the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and He gave him favor in
>the sight of the keeper of the prison"]. How long before Genesis 45:8?
>["So it was not you who sent me here, but God..."].
I responded . . .
1. Not only did Joseph spend all those years in prison, but Paul spent
two years in the desert and Moses spent 40 years in Midian. And then it
took another 40 years after God took Israel out of Egypt for Him to get
Egypt out of them.
Allow God to use this time to refine your life and your message, rather
than seeing it as fruitless and wasted. In God's purposes there is no
such thing as fruitless and wasted time. It's a matter of how we respond
to such times ---- and to His right to put us in them.
Somewhere along the line Joseph had to come to that conclusion. My
question is, did he make that decision during his incarceration or before
it?
I'm not so sure but that some of our struggles come because we usually
wait until we're already In a "wilderness" time before we try to decide
whether or not it's God's will, rather than having made that decision to
surrender to it, whatever it is, beforehand.
My father put it in perspective for me years ago when he said, "Every
morning I surrender anew to God's Will for my life. If I really meant
it, then I can rest in the fact that everything that happens to me that
day is God's will ---- either permissive or planned. And in that I can
cease fretting and worrying, and can instead rest and relax."
I suspect Joseph understood that.
Frankly, based on the limited record we have of his experience, and based
on the over all pattern we see throughout his lifetime, I get the feeling
that his imprisonment, in the overall scheme of things, wasn't any big
deal to him, because he had settled the matter of God's will long before
he ever had the run in with Potiphar's wife.
It seems apparent to me, based both on his responses of loyalty to
Potiphar and his rejection of temptation by Photiphar's wife, that this
was a decision he made long ago while under the scheming and underhanded
strategies of hateful and jealous brothers. I mean, let's face it ----
Joseph was hearing God while he was just a young lad, and apparently had
a spiritual maturity about him that was way ahead of his time.
Notwithstanding, Joseph did indeed end up in prison. However, I believe
Joseph knew five things while sitting in the darkness of that Egyptian
cell:
1. He knew his own heart was pure and his actions were above reproach.
2. He knew he was faithful to his assigned task without usurping
authority beyond what he had been given.
3. He knew, given time, the truth would come out and he would be
vindicated. He seems to have left the "when" of it all in God's hands.
4. He knew he could be content doing the little insignificant things as
certainly as he could doing more visible and important things.
5. He knew he had to be faithful in the mundane if he was to be
entrusted with the significant.
When you know those things to be true about yourself and your plight, it
is easy to abide in some of the most unpleasant circumstances. Joseph
knew that, somehow.
That's just like God. If we will also abide by those same five things
that Joseph knew about himself, God can and perhaps even will promote us
right smack in the middle of our darkest imprisonments.
But, it wasn't because of Joseph's skill (though the chief jailer may
have thought so), but rather because "the Lord was with Joseph and
extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief
jailer." (Gen 39:21)
The chief jailer was so impressed that he made him the number one man in
charge of the entire operation of the jail, trusting him with total
authority. And in everything Joseph did, God caused him to prosper. (Gen
39:22-23).
To me that's an amazing testimony of how we need to respond to those
hopeless, incarcerating, and sometimes stifeling circumstances ---- and
of how totally faithful God is to prosper our servant spirit.
One of the most exciting lessons to me pertains to what happened to
Joseph while he was in prison ---- he got promoted! In fact, Joseph
received hree promotions in his lifetime.
First there was the promotion to head of a household, where only Potiphar
was in higher authority. That promotion was in a place of Privilege.
Second there was the promotion to head of a jail, where only the chief
jailer was in higher authority. This promotion was in a place of Prison.
Finally, there was the promotion to head of an entire kingdom, where only
Pharoah was in higher authority. This promiton was in a place of Power.
The progression and the symbolism are worth some serious contemplation.
God charges us with the stewardship of families, then with prisoners, and
then with kingdoms. He uses families and prisoners to prepare us for
extraordinary days of challenge and need in the kingdom work. Too often
we try to leap frog over what we think are lesser duties in order to get
on with the "really important" things.
So ---- how long do I think Joseph sat in prison before he was convinced
this was God's will?
Not one single minute.
In my opinion, he settled that in the years of his youth, long before he
ever arrived in Egypt. Oh, that all of us would have done the same.
THE PRISON OF FALSE PERCEPTION:
"John" also said . . .
>
>A friend of mine who over the years was used by the Lord in our lives
>crossed my path the other day. He asked "So, are you finally
>employed?...I've been praying for you" I had to answer him "No",
>searching in my mind for some explanation as to why I am not. And, you
>know what? I still am not; and I still don't know why.
I responded . . .
2. Just because you are not currently in some vocational position of
ministry does not mean you are not in ministry. This is another of those
"Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" lies that Satan has fostered
---- that we are in the ministry Only if we hold down some type of
"official" position. Nothing is further from the truth.
It is interesting that your letter, John, came when it did because I am
corresponding right now with a very dear friend in Croatia who has had a
major impact in the Balkans during and since the wars over there. And
yet, today he finds himself without funds and having to do "secular" work
in order to meet the needs of his family, thus taking away from his own
desire to devote his time and energy to ministering to the hundreds of
thousands of needy people in that part of the world.
I was shocked to discover years ago during such a time as you are facing
that one of my private personal struggles at that time was not so much
with my own sense of being in the ministry as it was what other people
were saying, and also why I wasn't doing ministry that was somehow
generating income ---- which gave me a false sense of affirmation,
because I didn't feel I was in the ministry unless I was getting paid or
unless people could point to me and say, "you're a minister ---- I know,
because you have a title."
it didn't take God long to show me that I was using man's measurements
and my concept of status to judge whether or not I was in ministry,
rather than looking at what God had established as His criteria. It's
obvious by the condition of the Church, especially in western cultures,
that multitudes of others have embraced the same false conclusion.
A PRISON CELL MATE:
"John" also said . . .
>
>Has God been with us? YES. Has He provided for us? YES. Has my
>strength at times been renewed by the Lord? YES. Do I still sense His
>directing/that He is actually taking me some where? That's becoming
>filled with fog. Do I know where I am going or why I am still sitting
>here? NO.
>
>It's funny how we encourage others to simply wait upon the Lord;
>giving, perhaps, insight as to what He is doing in their lives. It's
>funny how those words from our own messages [although true] bounce off
>of our hearts as the "sky is like brass" in our prayers to the Lord.
>It's strange how we learn to make "pets" of the rats that are around
>us as we sit in this cell instead of chasing them away.
I wrote . . .
3. I'm reminded of the words of a great hymn, "I Will Sing The Wondrous
Story". Verses three and four are very precious to me:
I was bruised, but Jesus healed me;
Faint was I from many a fall.
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
But ---- He freed me from them ---- all!
Days of darkness still come o'er me,
Sorrows paths I often tread,
But ---- the Saviour still is with me;
By His Hand I'm safely led!
Doctors who diagnose and prescribe are not imune from their own illness
just because they give out correct information and dispense proper
medication. Those of us in ministry are no more God than doctors are.
In fact, if we would be more honest and transparent about our own
frailties, weaknesses, and struggles, maybe our people wouldn't expect so
much from us and would be far more supportive and far less judgemental
when we do flounder.
Let me encourage you to use this time to allow the Lord to continue
refining your calling and your ministry. I believe both are ever
changing, ever developing, ever improving ---- as long as we are patient
with God's processes.
THE DANKNESS AND DARKNESS OF PRISON CELLS:
"John" went on . . .
>
>So, why am I writing this letter to you? To ask you to continue to
>pray for us. The further that I get away from ministry, the more that
>I doubt His call upon my life. The callings are without repentance, so
>the scriptures tell us. Paul exhorted Timothy to make sure that his
>calling was sure. Even so, the coldness of these prison walls are
>filling my bones with a coldness that seems to at times sap me of my
>strength to believe. It's ironic, I think, that we want to minister
>HOPE to this world and I seem to be continually drained of it.
I responded . . .
4. You mentioned the "coldness" toward ministry. That's a significant
recognition which can mean a number of things. One thing it may mean is
that God is putting your vision through the assayer's crucible. As you
know, James uses the "testing" to describe the process of the assayer
applying various chemicals and heat to the gold to check just what
quality it is.
When our Assayer does so, it's not so He can know, ---- but so We will
know. Since He already knows, the real benefit then is for us to know
---- beyond doubt. It is during times like this that we are given the
opportunity to really evaluate our calling, our ministry, our message,
and our commitment.
You talked about "Hope". One of our frequent mistakes is that hope is
without cost. Nothing is further from the truth. Arriving at true hope
is often a painful and high-priced journey. I talked about this in some
detail in my Shoulders #8 written on March 9, 1998, over a year ago.
1) We first have to recognize there are two types of hope ----
Anxious Wishing, and Confident Expectation.
Anxious wishing says, "I'm not certain, but I hope so." Confident
Expectation says, "I know so."
2) Then we need to understand the pathway we must travel in order for
hope to light up our world like a fresh sunrise. Paul spells it out
clearly in Romans 5: 1-5.
A. The Basis of our hope is on the fact that we have been
justified by faith, resulting first in having peace with God, and
secondly an enthusiastic confidence (hope) (verses 1-2).
B. The Development of Hope is where the rub comes. It comes by
way of tribulation, beginning first with an expected equally
enthusiastic embracing of our tribulations ---- "thlipsis" ---- crushing,
as when olives are crushed to produce oil, grapes are crushed to produce
wine, and wheat is crushed to produce bread.
When such difficult times come, God then gives us the gift of
perseverance ---- the ability to abide under such pressure packed trials.
It is here we often bail out, attempting to avoid the pain, and
subsequently missing the joy of God's finished product ---- character.
Proven character comes out of such willingness to stay in the fire,
endure the pain, bear up under the pressure. If we flee the pressure,
character is never developed, and ---- God starts the same process all
over again, perhaps in another time or another place.
The end result is that, when the character building process is accepted,
hope springs up like a freshly discovered spring.
And out of that confident expectation, something wonderful flows ----
"the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit."
(Romans 5:5)
ALL CELLS HAVE A WINDOW:
Then I continued . . . .
5. Then there is the matter of the vision. I have developed this quote
that is very important to me. "A vision before the Cross is only of what
man can do for God. A vision beyond the Cross is of what God can do
through a man." You've probably heard talk about the death of a vision.
I'm absolutely convinced of that fact, ---- and of its necessity.
If you look at all (and I believe I can say "All") the great ministers,
both in the Bible and since, you will find that, almost without
exception, they went through the death process to their vision before
they really began to minister with eternal effectiveness.
If you want a vital and effective ministry, there must be the Cross of
death followed by the tomb of hopelessness, before there can ever be the
power of resurrection life and ascended authority. People's attention
will be genuinely captured when they see something that has been raised
from the dead ---- and God will make it fruitful.
Ministering death out of death is not very appealing. Ministering
resurrection life out of a resurrected vision, on the other hand, does
wonders.
I then wrote . . .
6. I am reminded of a prayer I began praying nearly 30 years ago that
might be encouraging ---- "Lord do everything necessary To me in order to
do everything You desire Through me." I have never regretted that
prayer.
For years I was not able to confess "I have been crucified with Christ .
. . " (Gal 2:20. I clearly remember the day in 1966 when I finally
admitted it. I said, "Lord, I truly want something that I can confess
that genuinely expresses my heart's desire."
Moments later the Holy Spirit drew me to John 3:30 ---- "He must
increase, but I must decrease."
When I saw that, I thought, "I can honestly say that." Months later I
was finally able to embrace Galatians 2:20 because of that little prayer.
God is gracious and faithful. Out of that experience eventually came
that little prayer ---- a prayer that was totally honest but had a "cart
blanc" sense of praying in the unknown, but with willing permission
granted.
THE SUNRAYS OF HOPE:
"John" Concluded . . .
>
>So, my friends REJOICE that you have some sense of what you are to do
>today [for those of you who have it]. REJOICE that you are employed
>today [for those of you who are employed]. REJOICE that today you have
>a sense of where He is leading you.
>
>And please pray for me to continue to trust Him; do we have any other
>option? "Where else would we go, Lord...?"
>
>Thank you for your prayers and for your listening ears.
As I finished reading those final lines, I had several reactions to
"John's" letter. I felt like I detected a hint of resentment that others
had what he did not ---- as if that is the basis of rejoicing. I
remember a great preacher of earlier years, Elvis Marcum, say, "We
Rejoice by choice ---- not by circumstance."
That reminded me of a paper I received years ago from a Christian
Counseling ministry in California entitled "The Secret To Happiness".
The bottom line was very simple ---- happiness does not come through
other people; it comes from within.
At the same time, I also felt like "John" genuinely was glad that his
friends who had received his letter were not going through the darkness
he was currently experiencing. I felt like he was trying to encourage us
to genuinely rejoice in all that God is and does. I felt like he might
be saying, "I'm so happy you're not having to go through what we are at
this particular time, and I pray you never do. I want so much that you
grow in your walk with God without unnecessary pain and discouragement
and hopelessness."
All of that is pure conjecture on my part. How can I know "John's"
heart? That's only for him and God.
So, I concluded . . .
Hopefully these thoughts will encourage you. Please keep us posted. Jo
Ann and I appreciate receiving your updates. There's a part of us that
wishes we could jump in and "fix it" for you, but we also remember from
our own pilgrimage just how invaluable the dry times and the experiences
of testing have been, and we know they will be the same for you. I pray
my thoughts will encourage you rather than oppress you, and that the
light at the end of the tunnel will develop into the blazing reality of a
new dawn in your spirit and spill out into the most amazing ministry you
can ever imagine.
Bob
FINALLY:
You might like to know that just minutes after I finished writing the
initial portion of the above letter, with the same transmission in which
I sent my comments I received another letter from this same friend,
containing the following . . .
THE HOPE OF GLORY
"Oh how much more could any man desire
Than to know why he draws his every breath
Oh how much more could any soul require
Than that the Lord is near him at his death
CHORUS
Do not forget love's Greatest Story
God knows the tears that you have cried
Just set your sights upon the hope of Glory
it was for this that Jesus died
For every mile of rocky road you climb
There is a jewel added to your crown
For every doubt that drags you down sometimes
There is an answer that will be found
(repeat chorus)
Carry on, my family of the light
All those who march unto a different drum
And know the truth will guide you through the night
Until we rest in kingdom come"
(repeat chorus)
Randy Stonehill c. 1986 Stonehillian Music/Word Music
I trust that this brother's story will be a reminder of just how
important it is for us to develop "Barnabas Ties" with each other (not
for use around the neck, but around the shoulder), pray for one another,
and be available to minister to each other in transparency and genuine
interest.
Have another wonderful week, my friend. And ---- look up! Our
Redemption draweth night!
In Christ's Bond of Love and Grace,
Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
Copyright August, 1999. All rights reserved.
If this letter has blessed you and you know of someone else who needs to
be encouraged, feel free to forward it in its entirety to all such people
you know.
If you would like a list of past issues which you could receive upon
request, just let us know.
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/ ^ ^
{ (O) (O) }
------oOOOo--------U-------oOOOo------
Hang in there! I'm with you!
-------.ooooO--------------- Ooooo--------
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