The Hole In the Soul

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by John Leese

Some years ago I was in Hospital in Luxembourg recovering from surgery when I heard a
very excited voice in the corridor outside my room: “Where is he? Where is he? The man
from from Stoke-on-Trent?” I was born in Stoke-on-Trent, a not very well known City in the
UK. I was surprised by the sudden interest in my birthplace!.

The excited young lady, a Nurse, came into my room saying, “You come from where he
comes from!” “Who?” I said. “Robbie Williams” she replied. Unfortunately, I’d never heard
of this world famous English singer and songwriter! The Nurses’ enthusiasm was not
dampened. Next day she brought me several books about her favorite singer, which I
read, thinking there may be a test later!

I learned that not only was Robbie Williams born the same City as I was, but we both lived
in the same street, though not at the same time. I found the story of Robbie Williams
interesting, but sad. I got the feeling that he was searching for something that fame and
fortune had not given him. In his song, Feel, Robbie Williams sings: “I just want to feel real
love,There’s a hole in my soul, You can see it in my face. It’s a real big place.”

There is a ‘hole in everyone’s soul’ that neither celebrity nor wealth can fill. The problem
is, as Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot
be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus
Christ.” – Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John
10:10 NIV). It is God who ‘makes known to us the path of life…’ It is God who fills us with
joy in His presence …” (Ps 16:11)

The Feelings Are Gone?

But what about the Christian who was once rejoicing in God, eager to serve the Lord, but
who now feels dissatisfied, empty, even a bit bored by ‘church’? … How can the ‘joy of
salvation’ be restored? Allow me to suggest 3 things:

First, “Be filled with the Spirit…” says Ephesians 5:18 (NIV). The Greek present tense
suggests that the filling of the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience, but something that can
and should be repeated regularly. How? Start by asking the Lord to do it … to fill you with
His Holy Spirit. Ask every day, be persistent until the light shines and the Holy Spirits fills
you once again!

Then second, stay ‘filled with the Spirit’ by “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns,
and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving
thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians
5:19-20 NIV).

We need a varied selection of worship songs to keep us ‘filled with the Spirit’ – Songs that
are based on the Psalms, that are focused on God and honour Him. Hymns that have a
depth of meaning, filled with the great truths of the Bible. ‘Songs from the Spirit’ – songs
that are inspired by, influenced by the Holy Spirit, that glorify the Son. Make you own
spiritual playlist – sing ‘from your heart to the Lord’ at home, in the car, wherever you can!

Last, be thankful: “Always giving thanks to Goad the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” says Ephesians 5:20 (NIV). Nicky Gumbel, of the Alpha Cours, said
that while sitting on a bench in a park in London he started to thank God for His blessings.
Within a short time he had mentioned 100 things! I thought ‘I’ll try that’ … I soon reached
100 and was greatly encouraged.

So, let’s take responsibility for our spiritual well being. Let’s do all we can to stay ‘filled with
the Spirit!’

Would You Like To See Heaven? 

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Early in our ministry, I pastored a church where there was a fellow who had lots of visions. At least he said he did. Many of them seemed to lend themselves to exotic interpretations of the Book of Revelations. This really impressed some people. 

As a 24-year-old pastor, I wasn’t so sure, but I would have loved to see a vision, especially of an angel. That would have been cool.  

One night, though, when my wife and small children were away in Louisiana visiting her mother, I lay all alone in the bed in the dark bedroom. I thought, “I would like to see an angel, but not now.”

Have you ever noticed in the Bible that usually the first thing angels said to people when they showed up was, “Don’t be afraid.” 

A Glimpse Of Heaven

I can wait until eternity to see angels, even so, if the Lord wanted to give me a glimpse of heaven, I wouldn’t complain. Actually, He has through the eyes Isaiah (chapter 6) and John.

 “Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.” (Revelation 4, NLT) 

Rev. 15:5 shows us there is a temple in heaven. The earthly temple and the tabernacle in the desert were like copies modeled on this temple. Some estimate the gold in Moses’ desert tabernacle to be worth $10 to $40 million in today’s money. And Solomon’s temple? Some estimate that it would cost three to six billion dollars to build in our time!  

(The reconstruction project of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris cost around $900 million). 

Heaven’s Splendid Temple

If we valued earthly sanctuaries as much as this, how much would the heavenly temple be worth, a temple not of this creation, not made by human hands? That I would like to see. 

God warned Moses to construct the Tabernacle exactly according to the pattern shown him of this much greater tabernacle  — the temple in heaven. Imagine! If the earthly tabernacle, which was followed by the Temple, blazed in its opulence and glory, what must the heavenly temple be like? 

The writer of Hebrews gives us a glimpse of this heavenly construction, but the temple isn’t the focal point. Let me try to imagine one special day in this temple: the High Priest, without his colorful robes and adornments but resplendent in his simple linen garments, enters as God the Father sits on His throne. 

This High Priest carries His people in His heart and on His shoulders as He advances towards the throne with solemn, measured steps, bearing a vessel with His own blood. Did He sprinkle it on the temple furnishings? I think He must have knelt before His Father as He humbly offered His blood as a sacrifice for my sins, and yours.

Maybe a sweet aroma of incense filled the entire temple and did angelic choirs sing at the top of their lungs as all realized what was happening? The Son of God, Jesus the Christ, our Great High Priest, was offering the sacrifice He had made at the Cross. This would pay the price for Adam’s rebellion, for your sins, and for mine. 

Once For All

Earthly high priests entered the earthly temple once a year with the blood of bulls and goats to cover our sins and his own, but this High Priest …! His sacrifice paid the price for our sins once and for all. 

We were lost, but He reconciled us to Himself and to His Father by His sacrifice on the cross and His offering in the temple of heaven. 

“So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 

“Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:11-15, NLT). 

I don’t know about you, but that makes me want to stop and join the angels in praising the One who sacrificed all in order to bring us forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with the Father—our Great High Priest, Jesus.

Why Is Praise So Powerful?

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When I was younger and stronger, sometimes I’d take my wife in my arms and ask, “Why do you love me? Is it because I’m so good looking, or so rich, or because I’m so intelligent.”

She would give me one of those, “Are those the only choices their are?” and say, “I just love you. That’s all.”

So much for massaging my ego.

One day I had this terrible thought, If I ask people to praise me I’m egotistical. But, God commands us to praise Him. He even seeks worshippers (Jn. 4) Is He needy?

Turns out, it wasn’t one of those “Get thee behind me” moments. I think the question came
from the Lord and not the enemy.

Why?

-Praise is more for me than it is for God. Can my puny words add one
iota to His greatness and glory? Praise is just acknowledging reality.
-Praise is beautiful. “For praise from the upright is beautiful.” (Ps.33:1 NKJV)
-Praise belongs to Him. When we praise the universe is in order.
-When we don’t praise, we’re the center of everything. “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.” (Ps.
18:3, NIV)
-Praise brings us into intimacy with God.
God builds His throne in the midst of our praise. “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” P. 22:3 NKJV”
–Praise is the language of faith and power. When we see Him as He
is; when we praise Him for who and what He is, faith grows. And faith
is one of the three keys. I wonder if there are many people whose lives are marked by faith, whose lives aren’t also marked by praise and worship. David the warrior—Captain Israel, was also David the worshipper.

“Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
7 To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
8 To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
9 To execute on them the written judgment—
This honor have all His saints.
Praise the Lord!”

Psalms 150

Prayer In Secret

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We’ve got a guest writer this week–pastor John Leese, a good friend who lives in England after a long missionary career in Luxembourg and the Congo.

Some years ago a group of children from our Luxembourg City church were playing “church” together: The boys, all wanting to be ‘pastor’ worked out that one would play the guitar, one would lead the meeting with the microphone and one would preach … There was one girl with them who said, “Who can I be ?” “You can be Ann” the boys said… She replied, “I don’t want to be Ann, she doesn’t do anything!” – My wife Ann may not have had a visible public role in church, but her ministry took place in secret, alone with God, interceding, praying for the needs of others… and it still does!

Most prayer takes place in private, in secret. Jesus said, “But when you pray … (not ‘if you pray’ – the Lord presumed His disciples would pray!), go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6 New Living Translation)

The Lord Jesus often sought solitude to connect with the Father: Mark 6:46 says “After telling everyone good-bye [the Lord Jesus] went up into the hills by himself to pray.” (NLT)

Perhaps the most vital part of christian ministry takes place in secret, where only God sees: Acts 6:4 shows us what the Apostle’s priority was: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (English Standard Version).

Leonard Ravenhill was a British Christian and author who focused on the subject of prayer. He wrote, “The self-sufficient do not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No one is greater than their prayer life.”

Timothy Keller, pastor, preacher and theologian said, “To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.”

Life can be very demanding for most people today. Most of us have learned that our ‘devices’, smart phones, tablets and smart watches are not only labour saving, they are time consuming. For this reason we must strive to follow the example of the first disciples: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42 NIV).

If we do we may well experience the same results that they did: Acts 2:43 says, “A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.” (NLT)

I long to experience ‘awe’, ‘reverent fear’ in God’s presence as the Holy Spirit displays His power healing the sick, forgiving sins and changing lives! If we have to transform our Church buildings into theatres, dimming the lights and increasing the volume to get people in, ok, so be it, but may they experience awe as God moves in power in their lives when they are there. For that to happen, we need to pray.

So, as the Father’s adopted children, through faith in Jesus the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit and ‘without any doubting’, let us “devote [ourselves] to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2 New International Version).

Does the Word “Holiness” Scare You?

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Holiness

Somewhere in my checkered childhood, I heard a really stupid song. I thought about it recently. I didn’t remember much about the song itself, just the ending. So, I did what any highly educated person does today”I Googled it.

Turns out I was remembering a line from a song by Homer and Jethro, The Battle of Kookamonga (I hesitate to continue). That silly song lodged itself in my brain and remained there for decades. Probably explains a lot of things.

Anyway, it’s about a Boy Scout troop that sings, “We don’t smoke, and we don’t chew, and we don’t go with the girls who do.”

That’s good advice. If you see a girl with tobacco juice running down her chin, it’s probably best to let someone else date her.

However, what resonated most with me was the idea that this is how some view holiness. Don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t curse, don’t steal, don’t lie, etc. (And don’t go with girls who do.)

Is That Holiness Or Orderliness?

Now it’s good not to do that stuff. But that’s not the heart of holiness. At one time, many Christians thought that a holy life was a long list of “don’ts” designed to take all the fun out of life.

Today, holiness has simply taken its place as one of those theological words that soar into the spiritual stratosphere but have no meaning in our daily lives.

If our idea of a God-pleasing life is simply a list of do’s and DON’Ts, though, we are missing something vital about God. God is holy. Set apart. He’s the ultimate of every good thing”love, wisdom, power, etc.

A. W. Tozer, in “The Knowledge of the Holy,” defines God’s holiness this way:

“Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is. Because He is holy, His attributes are holy; that is, whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as holy.”

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!’”(Isaiah 6:1-3)

R.C. Sproul comments on this in his the book, The Holiness of God:

“On a handful of occasions, the Bible repeats something to the third degree. To mention something three times in succession is to elevate it to the superlative degree. Only once in Scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love or mercy, mercy, mercy or justice, justice, justice.”

He Is Holy, But Me, Holy?

“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16)

Sometimes when I hear the word “holiness,” I feel like one of the children of Israel trembling before God’s awe-inspiring presence on Mount Sinai. The mountain was shaking and smoking. The people were shaking in fear. There was a whole lot of shaking going on.

“The people said to Moses, “You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’” (Deut. 5:27, NKJV)

And when I see how God is, I’m shaking and sorrowful.

I’m shaking because He’s perfect peace, (Romans 16:20) the God of all grace, (1 Pi. 5:10), the God of hope, (Rom. 15:13), the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, (2 Cor. 1) and the God who gives endurance and encouragement. (Rom. 15:5).

Yeah, but He is but I’m not.

I’ve got a way to go in all those categories.

I love God’s presence, but how can I enter the presence of a holy God? And He commands me to be holy, else I’ll never see Him. C’mon Lord. How?

The fellow who has checked all the “do’s and don’ts boxes,” may get proud and feel like he can strut into God’s presence to the accolades of the angels and the Lord himself.

“Look at me.”

Or the flip side of the coin (for honest people). How can I enter God holy presence? Sure, I’ve done some good things, but I’ve screwed up, too. How could I hide my sins in the eternal light of God?

One Can

When God’s people saw Mt. Sinai shaking and burning, there was an injunction forbidding people to go on the mountain. Only Moses could go all the way to the top, into God’s presence. Moses’ action was a metaphor for what the Lord Jesus did for us.

Before Jesus died on the cross, there was a curtain in the Temple between God’s presence and the priests, except the High Priest who entered once a year to offer a sacrifice for the people’s sins. But Jesus entered the heavenly temple with His own blood to pay the price for our sins.

Jesus’ death on Calvary ripped that veil apart, and we can go boldly into the presence of God. Holiness isn’t a barrier. Jesus became our holiness. (1 Cor. 1:30, NIV). We are holy because he is holy. He lives in us. Does that mean we never fail? No, but it means we’re holy, set apart for God.

Our Acts Don’t Matter Then?

Holiness doesn’t make a difference in the way we act, then? Certainly, but our actions flow from what we are and not how we try to be holy. Now we have the power to live in a way pleasing to God by the strength of God’s Spirit within us.

It’s no longer just us, trying and failing, or checking all the boxes on the list. It’s God himself and His holiness living through us, giving us the power to live according to his Word. (Romans 8:1-4)mWe worship, we serve God and others, we separate ourselves from things that destroy us and those around us by His strength.

Holiness isn’t scary. Real holiness is beautiful.