Hammer on Anvil '

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Philippians 3:10).

Many people seem to think the one great aim in life is "finding themselves." They relentlessly pursue whatever they think might make them happy, and they resent any "interruptions" along the way.

For a Christian, the aim should be knowing Christ and realizing HIM in every situation. What others deem to be "interruptions" are very likely what God is using to grow us and shape us.

I love how Oswald Chambers describes this dynamic:

The spiritual saint never believes circumstances to be haphazard or thinks of his life as secular and sacred; he sees everything he is dumped down in as the means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Have you ever felt like you'd been "dumped down" into a difficult situation -- something over which you have absolutely no control? Your spouse leaves you. Your child rebels and walks away from God. Someone you love goes to prison. Your pastor leaves the church following a moral failure. These are all very serious things that may cause us to despair and give up hope.

We are also "dumped down" into circumstances that are merely annoying -- still things over which we have no control, but are much less serious. Your toddler suddenly finds sleep offensive, and every night is a battle. The driver in front of you on a two-lane road can't seem to go more than 40 miles per hour, though the speed limit is 60. You get all ready to mow your acreage, only to find your mower has a flat tire.

It is obvious that the cause of irritation in all these circumstances is that we are not in control. What we forget is that we are not supposed to be in control if we are Christ followers. Rather than reacting to adverse circumstances with irritation or despair, we should view them as avenues of intimacy -- opportunities to know Jesus as He really is, and have the mind of Christ about every situation.

Let us take Oswald Chambers' wisdom to heart. Never believe anything in your life is haphazard or coincidental, but as a means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Last week my husband and I had the pleasure of traveling to California. John is a journalist, and was assigned to cover a gathering of Chi Alpha students.

For those of you who are not familiar, Chi Alpha is a college ministry committed to a fivefold philosophy: being a community of worship, prayer, fellowship, discipleship and mission. If what we experienced with these young men and women last week is par for the course, they are going to turn the world upside down for the gospel.

A stroke of genius is that Chi Alpha erects small tents on campus and draws students with the promise of doing "spiritual readings" (unique to Central Valley campuses). Kids who are experiencing trials and heartaches in their lives come in, as well as those who may simply be curious about what a spiritual reading entails. At any rate, Chi Alpha makes it clear up front that they represent Jesus Christ. They ask if they can pray for the student, and the Holy Spirit will often reveal a need if the student does not. Prophetic utterances and words of knowledge have been spoken during prayer, encouraging the student who may have entered the tent confused and bewildered about life. Prayers of healing are also offered. One Chi Alpha collegian sees anyone in a wheelchair as an opportunity to extend the healing love of Jesus.

Worship with these students was as passionate as their zeal to win others to faith in Christ. Some knelt, some wept, others jumped as they worshiped their God with complete abandon.

One thing that struck me about this gathering was the unity of the Spirit. Though three college campus groups were represented, everyone seemed to genuinely love and care for each other. It is obvious that Chi Alpha is a great place for young believers to spread their wings -- to begin to do their part to fulfill Christ's admonition to not only preach the gospel, but to heal the sick and to cast out demons and raise the dead. Chi Alpha staff members encourage the exercise of spiritual gifts, and it is a safe place for newbies to try them out and receive feedback from others. If you fancy yourself a prophet and others don't see that gift in you, you will be encouraged to ask God what gifts He wants you to employ for the furtherance of His kingdom.

The best thing I heard in our time there came from the pastor who leads the Chi Alpha group. We were discussing how students are "caught," if you will, and why Chi Alpha offers spiritual readings. He explained, "The net you catch them with is the net you keep them with." If you catch them with entertainment, they will expect to be entertained in order to stay interested. But if you catch them with the power of the Holy Spirit, their faith will be genuine and based on God alone. That's a powerful word in this age of churches that pride themselves on drawing people in with "worship" that resembles a rock concert.

These young people came from all walks of life, and were refreshingly candid. One young man had previously been affiliated with gangs; a woman had undergone three abortions in her late teens and early 20s; a young couple, though promiscuous in their teens, fell in love and waited until marriage to share their first kiss. All had been profoundly impacted by the transformational love of Jesus. Chi Alpha doesn't merely preach Jesus -- they are His hands and feet to hurting kids on campus.

Our call to make disciples is a serious one, and these kids are doing it right.

Moses answered, "What if they do not believe or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?" Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" (Exodus 4:1,2).


Remember this great story of Moses? He and Abraham are the biggest names in the Bible, aside from Jesus of course. Their deeds are recalled throughout the Old Testament. They are among several saints mentioned in Hebrews 11, sometimes called the "Faith Hall of Fame."

Yet look at Moses' rocky beginning. God turned his shepherd's staff into a snake and said, "This is so they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers ... has appeared to you" (Exodus 4:5). Yet even after witnessing this miracle, Moses tells God he is "slow of speech and tongue." When God assures Moses that He will give him the words to say, Moses has the audacity to say, "Please send someone else" (Exodus 4:13).

Have you ever done that? Has God told you to do something, and you groused and told Him to go find somebody else? Perhaps you, like Moses, thought you were unfit for what He asked you to do. Maybe you suffer from low self-esteem, and think that surely God could never use you. But you're wrong.

When Moses started with the "what-ifs," God asked, "What is in your hand?" God was trying to convey to Moses that he didn't have to be a stellar communicator. All he had to do was entrust himself -- and whatever was in his hand -- completely to God. The point is that it's not about what YOU think you may or may not possess talent-wise; God's power is what makes the difference. He will use what you have, if you release it to Him for His purposes. A mere shepherd's staff was used to perform some of the greatest miracles the world has ever seen.

As I read this story, I perceived another interpretation to the "what is in your hand" query. I think sometimes God asks us that question because He wants to employ our hands to do His work, but they are so full of other things that He can't use them. Remember the "cares of the world" mentioned in Mark 4:19? Jesus warns that they will choke the Word in us and render us unfruitful. Are you carrying burdens around that God never intended for you to carry, simply because you can't or won't let go? God may be waiting to pour abundant blessing into your hands, but they are so filled with other things that you are incapable of receiving.

If your hands are full, but not of the right things, it's time to let go. Perhaps you have been unable to serve God for a long time because you are bound up in bitterness and unforgiveness. I have been there, and it's not fun. Victim mentalities have no place in the kingdom of God.

What is in your hand? I encourage you today to examine your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if you have been holding back from giving yourself completely to God because you doubt your giftings or you feel awkward and clumsy as a Christian. Maybe you compare yourself too much to other Christians and tend to give up because you know you could "never be as good as (fill in the blank)."

Friends, God doesn't WANT you to be like anybody else. He created you with unique personality traits and giftings, and He wants to use all of that to bring glory to himself. Allow the ugly, nasty things you may have experienced to become useful tools in the hands of your Maker. He is a master at bringing beauty out of the ashes (Isaiah 61:3).

It seems quite obvious from this passage of Scripture that worship involves action. Psalm 134:2 exhorts us: "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord."

Why, then, is the song part of many worship services the time where people continue their pre-service chatting, or get up to get coffee and a bagel? Why do many stand with arms folded obstinately across their chests, seemingly impervious to the Spirit of God moving in their midst?



 I heard a wonderful sermon some time ago about worship, and how we are supposed to be fully engaged in adoring our Savior. Afterwards, a friend told my husband that he "just isn't emotional," and that he wasn't planning on changing anytime soon. My heart grieved. To hear the Word of God and refuse to be changed is a tragedy.

Remember Jehoshaphat? In 2 Chronicles 20, we see a powerful illustration of how worship was employed as a weapon to defeat the enemy:

Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Worship does more than exalt God and give Him the glory due His Name. It also empowers us to defeat the enemy of our souls.

Robert Webber, in his book Worship Is A Verb, states:

In worship our focus is not on self, not on our problems, not on other people or circumstances, but on God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Our calling is to be present to the action that is taking place, to focus on the moment, to center on the Christ whom we have come to celebrate.

I can't say it better than that. We need to lay aside our preconceived notions of "proper church behavior," and worship God the way He loves us -- with complete, reckless abandon.

I leave you with this wonderful Matt Redman song. I use it often in my own personal worship time, because it helps me quiet my heart and give my full attention to praising my heavenly Father. May it do the same for you.

"We Are Here for You."