An Open Letter

To the Grads: 

I just want to take a second and encourage you and also let you know how much I love you and truly do pray for you. My prayer is that you all would grow even deeper in the wisdom and understanding of Jesus, in the Light of His grace and His power.

Congratulations on a job well done! I know the past 4 years have seemingly flown by and now here you are about to enter into a whole new chapter of your life. I know how exciting it is - and also how scary it can feel at times. The thought of the unknown; new places, new people, new friendships...and new challenges. When you look back over the past 4 years you will see so much—proud moments of accomplishment, heart-wrenching times of hurt, memories you will cherish forever, people whose lives have impacted you, and people whose lives you have impacted. There's decisions you'll be proud of and some you'll wish you could go back and change. Through all the ups and downs, the good and the bad, an important thing to remember is to learn from it all. Glean the lesson out of every part, because even in the bad, always remember that God wastes nothing. He truly does work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).

As you move forward continue to seek His heart, He will never fail you. When your path seems to be unclear remember that He goes before you (Deut. 31:8). Even in the seasons of silence, trust His promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6). Allow yourself to be open to His leading, even if you can’t see the end result- knowing that His plans are not for harm or destruction, but for a future and a hope (Jer 29:11). Hope that is seen is not hope (Rom. 8:24-25). There will be times where God will call you to go against all your logic, everything that seems to make sense in your own understanding. Remember, His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9). Trust in Him with your whole heart, don’t lean on your own understanding or reasoning, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He WILL direct your path (note: He will direct your path, not give you every single detail about it). When we ackowlege Him in our circumstances, no matter what they may be, we allow Him the room to have His way in us. God is light and in Him there is no darkness, so when we ackowlege God we acknowledge Light (1 John 1:5). Light floods in the situation and all darkens must be expelled. This doesn’t always mean the situation we are in changes or the question that we are asking gets answered, but it means that the Light of God illuminates the habitation of our hearts, minds, and spirits, redirecting our focus on Him which allows us to better hear, see, and understand what His Spirit is saying. His Light brings His peace- peace which passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7).

In the midst of the new challenges you will face in the years ahead of you remember that Jesus is enough. So often we get stuck on all the little things that seem so big at the moment and we lose sight of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous Light (1 Peter 2:9). We get so focused on knowing where we’re going and how to get there that we forget that it isn’t about either one of those two things. God may lead us in a complete circle, it doesn’t matter. It isn’t about an end, but about the end, which is Christ (Rev. 21:6). He is the author and the finisher of your faith (Heb. 12:2). He knows the end from the beginning and the very reason for your breath is to know Him more, to walk in the Light of His countenance (Num. 6:26). Live in the Light, because it is only there that the heavenly vision can be obeyed uncompromisingly. No matter what goes on or what you face, don’t isolate yourself. And remember, no matter how old you get, God placed your parents as your parents for a reason. Seek their godly counsel and wisdom and heed their words in the days to come, even if they are not necessarily what you want to hear in the moment (Pro. 11:14). This can save you a lot of heartache in the long run. When there is something that needs changing remember that you have to get closer to it instead of running from it…no matter how much it may hurt. Sometimes it will seem that God is unjust and unfair. He is not. No matter what your head may be screaming and your heart may be feeling, we have a good God who is a good Father (Mat. 7:9-11). He gives us exactly what we need when we need it, and He takes other things away for our good and His glory. You may never understand the “why?” in things that you go through, and that’s ok. It’s never really about the “why”, but rather the “who”- and the “who” is Him. No matter what you go through, no matter what you face or the what decisions you make, it is only about Jesus Christ and His glory being revealed in and through every part of who you are. Even in your hurts, in your failings, in your regrets…God is going to use everything that seemed to try and shatter you to strengthen you beyond belief. We all acquire scars in this life, some self-inflicted and others that we have no control over. Don’t be ashamed of those scars (whatever they may be for you), because often it is the things we think could never bring God any glory that turn out to be the things that bring Him the most. The scars you have now and the scars you will get throughout the rest of your life will serve as one of your biggest assets that God will use to bring freedom, healing, and life in the lives of the people He brings in your path. Never try and hide them- they are apart of your testimony of the faithfulness of God in your life, which no one can ever take away from you. They are part of how we overcome, by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, loving not our lives even unto death (Rev. 12:11). All He requires of us is everything we have, because all that was required by His Son was everything He had. That’s all – just everything (Phil. 3:8).  You will be used by some people, judged and misunderstood by others. You will see the ugliness of human nature in your encounters, but remember that no matter – Christ still died for them. Never let the raw reality of the world make you cynical towards people, Christian or unchristian alike. Don’t let the disappointments you will face make you hard and judgmental. Let the Love of God continue to permeate every part of who you are, no matter the circumstance-no matter the person. Bear your cross knowing that He will not give you more that you can handle (1 Cor. 10:13), but also that He will require you to come to Him in order to bear it (Mat. 11:28). The further in Him you go, the more dependent on Him you must become. Wisdom is not found in the knowledge you have, but in the humility that you’ve gained. This life is never about what you know, but about who you know. It’s all about Jesus, only Jesus.

I look forward to seeing where God takes you. The things He can do in and through you are insurmountably more than you can even fathom now (1 Cor. 2:9). Stay open to His leading no matter the cost. Remember that you are not your own, you’ve been bought with a price so honor Him in everything you do (1 Cor. 6:20). Live and move and have your being in Him, no matter where you find yourself (Acts 17:28). God is faithful and His Word is true (Ps. 115:1). Stand firm in the good soil and may your roots go down even deeper, planted by the River of Life (Eph. 3:14-21). You are called up and called out for such a time as this in your generation (1 Peter 2:9). Don’t compromise. Be unafraid of the perception the world will have of you. Perfect love casts out all fear (1Jn 4:18). Do not seek the approval of men; you do not need their smiles, nor should you fear their frowns. Walk in the freedom made available from the Heavenly Father and look only to Him (Gal. 5:1).

And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment], So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble]. May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized]. ~Philippians 1: 9-11

Go live the difference! For His glory!

~Lauren Jackson

50 Characteristics of Pharisees- Part 3

I realized after going through some older posts that I never posted my promised Part 3 of Zac Poonen's teaching, 50 Characteristics of Pharisees. Feel free to go back to my posts for Part 1 and Part 2 since it's been so long.

Like I said in Part 1:

Most Christians today are in more danger of becoming a Pharisees than anything else. This is why it’s important to look at dispositions that attach themselves to Pharaseeism, not only will it have an impact on us BUT we will be held responsible for the people who follow. Some of these things are so subtle and can creep in out of our desire to be holy and have right doctrine which is why we should be aware, walk in humility, be honest with ourselves, have ears to hear and eyes to see. 

and Part 2:

I just want to take a moment and make it clear that these posts are not to point the finger nor condemn anyone or any group of people, ironically that would be Pharisaical. Also I am, for the most part, only listing/summarizing what Poonen himself says in this series. I am simply sharing what the Holy Spirit has been using to reveal Himself to me over the past several months in hopes to, if nothing else, provoke my brothers and sisters in Christ to further love and good works for the glory of the Father. Things such as these, and many more, are so easy to let slip in our lives. Even out of our pure heart and pursuit for righteousness and Truth we can find ourselves facing our biggest issue, our SELF. My prayer is that God will continue to open up our eyes, that we may see and that our whole bodies will be full of Light. Maturity and perfection are never ending processes. May we be found faithful, humble and ever bearing fruit worthy of repentance. 

God gives us His word to give us light on ourselves. If you can see the Pharisees in yourself, then you won't be a pharisee. 

Mat 21:25-27 "The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And the Pharisees began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, `From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know."

34. Care much for the opinions of people.

• Afraid of what others will say about them, especially those in their church, in their own group
• Their convictions are determined not by God’s Word, but by what the people around them will think of them
• We are called to live in freedom in Christ. Are we truly free from the opinion of others?
• They preach very strict rules to others, but modify those rules when it comes to their own family members
• Many loose their children because of this 
• Don’t ruin your children’s future, by listening to the foolish, legalistic rules of Pharisees
• Let them judge you! 
• Because of the Cross you have been set free from the stifling atmosphere from pleasing other people, fitting into the little patterns they dictate. 
• Simply ask yourself what GOD will say, fear no man

Luke 16:14 “The Pharisees were lovers of money”

35. Love Money

• One of the clearest marks
• They become scoffers 
• God gave us material things to use and people to love
• They love things and use people for their own advantage
• Jesus came to turn the world right side up
• Some of the biggest legalists 
• They stack up money, but are legalists when it comes to little rules for other people
• Don't just swallow even thing your elder brother says, seek God  

Luke 18:9-11 “Jesus spoke this parable to some people who viewed others with contempt: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee…who prayed to himself: `God, I thank You that I am not like other people”

36. Imagine that they are better than others

• Spiritual pride is like an onion, there’s more layers than what you can see
• Judge yourself faithfully
• Spiritual pride is very subtle and can clothe itself in the garb of humility

Luke 18:9 “He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous.”

37. Trust in their own righteousness.

• Are you proud of your righteousness? If so, it's self produced.
• You cannot be proud of what you did not write
• If it was God’s work, you could not be proud of it...only thankful
• If you can remember all your sacrifices, then you must be in the darkness still – for it is only at night that we can see the stars
• Our sacrifices are nothing in comparison to Calvary

Luke 18:9  “Jesus spoke this parable to some people who viewed others with contempt”.

38. Views other people with contempt 

• Pride destroys
• Learn the accents of humility and love clearly
• The more we become like God, the more we will value people
• Let us cleanse ourselves and learn to look at people as God looks at them
• “What do you have that you did not receive from God? How can you boast then about anything or despise anyone else?” (1 Cor. 4:7)

Luke 18:14 “This tax-collector went to his house justified rather than the Pharisee – for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled”

39. Exalt themselves over others

• God humbles all those who exalt themselves over others
• Totally inconsiderate about the feelings of others
• God justifies only the humble
• Ask the Holy Spirit to make us sensitive in this area

Luke 18:11, 12 “God, I thank You that I am not a swindler, or unjust, or an adulterer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get...”

40. Boast about their achievements 

• Our testimonies must be given for the glory of God
• Many are trying to prove that they are doing a great work for God
• Subtly imply they’re doing a greater work than others
• God gives His grace only to the humble

John 8:3-6 “The Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?’ They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him”

41. Accuses others

• According to the law she should have been stoned to death
• "He who is without sin, cast the first stone."
• Not actually interested in obeying the Law
• Have no fear of God and would accuse the godliest men as much as they would accuse anyone else
• The adulterous woman was on one side of Jesus and the legalistic Pharisees on the other
• Adultery was only a speck in the woman’s eye compared to the massive logs of legalism and hatred in the eyes of the Pharisees
• How many times you have accused good brothers and sisters of things which are not even one-millionth as bad as adultery? (Think of the things you have spoken about them behind their back, in your house and elsewhere).
• Every time you have indulged in such accusations, the log in your eye – your hard, judgemental, accusative attitude towards others – has become bigger and bigger and made you more and more blind to spiritual things. Who have you harmed ultimately? Yourself, more than anyone else.
• Judgement begins in the house of God.
• If you want to progress spiritually, stop judging others and start judging yourself. Use your microscope on yourself and not on others. And after you have judged yourself, I’ll tell you what you should do. Judge yourself some more. When should you stop? When you have become completely like Jesus Christ.
• Correct someone who is wrong with mercy – with tremendous mercy
• God’s grace doesn’t condone our sin! It forgives our sin first and then warns us not sin and then helps us not to sin.
• Don’t just obey the law, by apologizing to a brother, to keep your conscience clean.
• A judgmental attitude breaks you
• Allow God to break your stubborn heart
• "For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy..." James 2:13
• Elder brothers and parents tend to be the #1 culprits
• When an elder brother is a legalist he will build a church worse than an elder brother who's in adultery 
• Many do not want to see their own accusing lifestyle 

John 8:42, 44 “If God were your Father, you would love Me…You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father”

42. Imagine that God is their Father when actually Satan is their father.

• Children manifest the nature of their father
• Pharisees are “accusers of the brethren”, the main characteristic of Satan
• Accuse, judge, despise, and condemn all while saying they love God
• The Pharisees in the first century didn’t believe what Jesus told them. And today’s Pharisees don’t believe it either.
• There should be fruit in our lives that indicated that we know the Lord
• We should be faithful to tell people the truth, like Jesus was

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

43. Are liars and murderers.

• The Pharisees had a murderous desire towards the woman caught in adultery
• Murder people...only with their tongues
• It is possible to tell true stories about a believer with the spirit of the accuser in order to destroy his reputation
• Whenever a believer backslides, he begins to tell lies immediately
• They won't speak the whole truth
• We must hate lying as much as we hate murder

John 9:34 “The Pharisees told him (the blind man who was healed), “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out (of the synagogue).

44. Persecute those who don’t listen to them

• Threaten to put people out of the church if they won’t obey the leader’s orders
• "If a brother sins, we should go and speak to him and try and win him." (Matt.18:15)
• Excommunication should be the last option
• There is an option: To speak to him as Jesus would, or as a Pharisee would
• Jesus would want to win him, a pharisee would want to destroy him
• Jesus would seek to win the brother. But the devil will want to destroy him
• Will harass and persecute those who do not listen to them, or who do not submit to their authority 

John 11:47, 53 “The Pharisees said, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many miracles’. From that day on they planned together to kill Him”

45. Jealous of those who can do miracles that they cannot do

• The Man who did the miracle (raise Lazarus from the dead) was not from their group
• Even the world can recognize jealousy, “For he [Pilate] knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.” -Matt. 27:18
• The people through whom God is doing such miracles today are ordinary, unknown believers
• Be careful to give Him the glory and not to boast

John 9:16 “The Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath”

46. Judge godly people for not doing something that they do

• Assess people not by their godliness, but by whether they observe some religious ritual or not
• Remember, the Pharisees were certain that Jesus could not be from God, because He did not keep the Sabbath the way they kept it
• We have our own ideas as to how something should be done in the church; and if someone does not do it that way, we can write him off as ungodly
• Prejudice is a powerful evil that can destroy fellowship
• Should we assess a man’s godliness by whether he agrees with us or not?
• We have to be careful that we don’t speak empty words of criticism against godly men 

Matt.12:38 “The Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You’”

47. Tests God by asking Him for signs

• Want some sign or miracle to be assured of the truth
• Don’t ever imagine that asking God for a sign or a miracle is a mark of spirituality

John 7:49 “The Pharisees said, ‘This crowd which does not know the Law is accursed’”

48. Have no concern for lost sinners

• When we witness to others, our concern should be their salvation and not that their blood should no longer be on our hands
• “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved” -John 3:17 

Mark 7:9 “Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition’”

49. Value their traditions more than God’s Word

• Have your “traditions” become more important to you than God’s Word?
• Are your traditions more important to you than loving God with all your heart and loving your fellow-believers (in every denomination) exactly as Jesus loved you?
• Do you reject a child of God just because he does not keep your church-traditions?

Luke 16:15 “Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God’”

50. Justify themselves

• Justifies himself in every situation
• Cannot humbly acknowledge his error and take the blame for his sins and his mistakes
• As a result of his justifying, Adam was driven out of paradise (he couldn't take the blame)
• Paradise is made for those who accept the blame for their own sins and who don’t blame anyone else (Luke 23:41)
• Let us take responsibility for ourselves

“Since we have a kingdom that nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving Him with thankful hearts and with holy fear and awe. For our God is a consuming fire. So continue to love each other with true brotherly love” -Hebrews 12:28-13:1

Phariseeism is like the pus inside an infected boil on your skin. As you squeeze out the pus each day, you will find more and more pus there until it is completely cleansed. So we must squeeze out all the Phariseeism within us, until nothing is left.

May the Lord help us walk this way all the days of our life.

Fifty Marks of Pharisees is Poonen's full text in book format available for free on his website. 

"Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness  and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God, With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago.] If indeed God permits, we will [now] proceed [to advanced teaching]." -Hebrews 6:1-3