Active Expectant Anticipation

Active Expectant Anticipation
07.24.08

“But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”
- Isaiah 40:31

If to wait on the Lord means to literally wait, then I have certainly been waiting for awhile now. I’m waiting for a job, a miracle really, to get me through and above the bad choices I’ve made, as well as the current situations that I come to find myself in. But I get the impression that this “waiting” is not a pacifistic waiting, like someone in the “waiting” area to see a doctor, or something as mundane as waiting for the water to boil. Even a chef has to turn the knob or press a button in order to get the heat going, the process started, in order for the water to boil. So what is God asking when he instructs us to wait on him?

I will suggest that waiting on the Lord could be described in several ways. The basis for me and my understanding is that waiting on the Lord is an active expectant anticipation of the Lord’s coming – both in our struggles and the future when God judges the world. To wait on God is more than just passively sitting in a chair expecting to be swooshed up into blessings, because you just prayed to the Holy One. Instead it is an active role where we participate in following God’s commandments, teachings, and life lessons.

Trusting God and waiting on him will include being patient through trying times, times of despair, and times of utter frustration. I’ve gone through a lot of frustration; in fact I am still going through a lot during this season of my life. However, though I may vent my anger and discontent at God, I have never ceased to, though I may have “slowed” down on, seeking God. Trust God throughout all of life’s circumstances – both good and bad, for it says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge him in all you do, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6) And in Romans 8:28, it says that God works all things together for good to those who love God and have been called according to His purpose (I would add that it’s more like those who have accepted the “call”).

When we are able to wait on God, he promises to renew our strength...a new hope, or renewing our hope, I believe, is also an accurate description too. So do not be afraid to come to God in whatever state you may be in, just do not give up, but continually seek after him, following his word and instructions for a fruitful life the best you can, for God loves us and cares for us even more than the best of friends, family, or partner.

God bless you as you wait on the Lord,

Ikaika Mossman

Preparing to Further Hope

Preparing to Further Hope

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy”
- 1 Peter 1:13-16

Faith - my beliefs and choices put into action, executed by self-control, founded in my hope that is being fully placed in Jesus Christ (in what he has done, and in the promises that the Lord has made to those who seek him and follow after him).

Trying to daily remind myself of what I am living for, what my actions are telling the world of what I stand for, has taken on a new form and definition for me. Perhaps it is more than just that, but that perhaps what I think I know is actually growing and becoming more complete in what the truth really is regarding what Jesus said about “counting the cost” – am I willing to put the effort required for following Christ?

“Prepare” - what God is trying to get our eyes to open up to and minds to wrap it’s understanding around, is what Peter says. There really is a preparation for moving the thoughts of our faith into action, it takes time, and it takes our willingness to use our self-control. So what does this “preparing” look like?

It’s quite simple; it means that we need to choose our choices before the opportunity to make them comes. Did you catch that? For instance, if there was a test and the only way to pass was to study for it, you would need to prepare by studying. In the same way, we need to study God’s word to help prepare our minds for the decisions that will come and test our faith. In Hosea 4:6 it says that God’s “people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge.” (emphasis added)

In the Old Testament, after Moses had passed away, the Lord commanded Joshua to lead his people to cross the Jordan River into the promise land. God had previously given them instructions to follow out as well as his commandments that they were to follow. The Lord continued to speak to Joshua saying “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)

Even Kings in the Old Testament were required to have a copy of the lord’s instructions and commandments as it says, “He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way...” (Deuteronomy 17:19-20)

Meditating on God’s word, day and night, and daily reading to learn to fear the Lord, keeping us from turning away, is what we must do to prepare our minds to action (just as Joshua and the Kings of Israel had to do). This is the best way, if not the only way, to be ready for the tests that come in our lives. God does not want us to be caught off guard or unprepared, and this is the reason why God graciously guided the completion of the Bible for us.

Do not forget to prepare, to study God’s word, allowing it to penetrate, pierce and transform our thoughts as well as our hearts. Our faith lived out is the most important thing we can do after choosing to follow our Lord and savior; living consciously of our thoughts and actions to live with self-control. All of this for the hope we have in Christ, living without regret, knowing that our actions are furthering not only God’s Kingdom, but stretching out the hope we carry inside to those who are hurting, in need of, and searching for the one true God.

Seek God and live out your faith full heartedly,

Ikaika Mossman

More than words, but actions

More than words, but actions

"Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory."

-2 Kings 18:5-8

Time and time again I’ve read feats and characteristics of men such as David, Hezekiah, and Abraham. These were men who sought after God’s own heart, men who were called friends of God, and who held fast to their faith and belief in God and what he said. Last night a friend of mine, the beautiful Jen, took me to New Hope in Hawaii. It had been at least six months since I’ve been there because of my circumstances at the moment. To my surprise neither Pastor Wayne, nor Pastor Elywn were to speak, but a Pastor from New Hope Tokyo – Pastor Talo.

He gave a message entitled “Make Us Evangelistic.” It was really inspiring and reminded me of the importance of living out your faith, doing more than just believing alone. It was simple, but powerful. A wake-up call if you will that ideas and beliefs alone will not get the job done, but the deeds and actions behind driving that faith forward into reality. It is like there is a void between what we believe and what actually takes place in each of our individual lives. This emptiness between can only be crossed when we make the effort and take the initiative to bridge that gap with the choices we make and actions that we take.

A part of me used to think that it may be enough to just believe it, and when it suited me I would bridge that gap, or when there would be no cost and chance of embarrassment. However this is not what it means to be like Hezekiah who “held fast to the Lord,” or David who “was a man after God’s own heart.” Being a Christian is not about what is convenient or easy for me, having a relationship with God is not about him just benefiting us with “blessings” of money, some hot chick or that hunk of a man, or even a job. Our relationship with God most not just be in our heads, but our hearts through actions and deeds. Knowing God’s word and seeking after God as followers did before us will be a part of our guidance, and the other will be God’s Holy Spirit that has been promised to us.

Hezekiah was not noted for holding fast to God because he picked and chose what commands to follow and which to ignore. His success did not come from doing whatever he wanted, or even what he may have “thought” God wanted him to do. Hezekiah loved God to the extent of not just putting his own life on the line, but the risk of his entire kingdom – which was being threatened by the king of Assyria at that time. It is his actions that pleased God; he would not follow certain kings before him who worshiped and burned incense to other gods. By tearing down and destroying objects, and practices that God had commanded his people not to do, he chose his love for God over his love for man and his approval.

Choices, our world, our life are filled with them. We can either choose what we believe, or what is popular. We can choose our friends, or we can choose God. Not everything is always so cut and dry, or black and white, but this is why there is also the option of seeking God.

There was a time in my life where I forgot these things and let down a lot of people – best friends, family, and others that I failed to love properly. My choices were poor and did not match up to the beliefs and values that I held, I suppressed them in bitterness and anger. Obviously that was not the right choice, instead of the bitterness and anger I should have chosen to hold fast to God.

The past is done and over with, but with the present I have the choice to change my future. Even though it will not be easy to move forward fast with ease, my hope is in the Lord and choosing to take actions on my faith, I know now, is worth more than all the money, or even beautiful women, in the world. I choose Christ Jesus. It is my hope and prayer that those who read this will look at their lives and make the same choice to follow after our Lord. Don’t just think about following, but do it, make your next choice one which you will never regret; choose to follow Christ.

God bless and choose well,

Ikaika Mossman

Two Parts to Faith

Two parts to Faith

“If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead... You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” - James 2:16-17, 22

Faith, what is it really? Is it just hoping, or wishful thinking, or an out-dated belief in some “god” or “higher power”? Normally when someone says faith, it is to be taken as that they believe in...whatever it is they have faith in. For example: I have faith that the U.S will come home with 20 gold medals from this year’s Olympics, or I have faith that I will get a job. Believing that something will happen or come to pass even without really knowing is faith, but it is just the first half of it.

The Bible puts it this way, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Is it enough to just believe? It is not enough to just believe, but to act on those beliefs as well. Putting action behind what we believe is true faith, a faith made whole really. Believing is good, but to just believe, what would be the point?

So right now I need a job. I could sit at home and do nothing and say to myself, “Ikaika, I believe you need a job!” And then I’ll reply to myself, because that’s what crazy people do, “Yes, you are right I do, need a job. I hope I get one.” Well, I believe, and do add to it, I’m hoping. Unfortunately sitting down is not going to help my belief at all. But if I believe and then get off my boney butt and apply for a job, that is when I truly believe it. To truly believe something, you must do something that supports your belief, because if not it is just an idea, an unconvincing thought.

Laughing to myself, this seems so very commonsense, like we should all slap our foreheads and say “duh” in a very dramatic fashion. I suppose though that commonsense really is not all that common, and the reason for that is because often we are too close to a problem or situation to see the answer clearly. In other words, commonsense is so common that it is too close for us to see it.

However, more than just applying it to our daily mundane ventures, I believe that this needs to be applied to our spiritual lives, because a lot of good can come from doing just that. A lot of us are trying to live a “good” life, trying to say the “right” things, praying at every meal, but other than things that just seem so ritualistic and repetitive – which there is nothing bad about, wouldn’t it be more potent as Christians to do more of what we say we believe?

Without dragging this on any further, I would like to challenge you, as well as myself, to look at what you believe from the Bible and find just one thing that you could put action behind to make it a true, whole, and complete faith. Find just one thing that you can identify with, that you believe and have faith in, but have taken little or no action behind and take action on it. It could be something simple as honoring your mother and father, visiting a friend or family member in prison, helping a friend that is in need that you are able to help, or even something as big as buying me “Star Wars: Unleashed” for my Xbox 360 (that was a joke by the way).

Find something to challenge your spiritual growth, even if it’s the same challenge for several days. Your spiritual growth will mature you and grow you in ways that going to school, having a full-time job, or parenting alone won’t do. This will ultimately draw you nearer to God, and like Abraham and Kind David, you will be considered a friend of God and A man, or woman, after God’s own heart.

God bless and grow well,

Ikaika Mossman

To Christ Encouraging Hearts

To Christ Encouraging Hearts

“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”

- Hebrews 3:12-14

No words could be truer for someone whose eyes had been opened to the truth. Whether it is someone who just understood for the first time or someone whose heart had been hardened after first believing and whose hard-shell over the heart had finally been cracked open – like the cracking of a window, enjoying a fresh breeze of air, in a hot and humid house.

Everyone has fallen away from God; you fell away when Adam and Eve brought sin into the world. Even after believing for the first time, after first realizing - that this world is more than what it seems, that there is a spiritual reality, a God, a savior, and true life – many fall right back into the life they first knew, they fall back into a “default” way of living. Just as a dog will return to its vomit, we will often return to old ways, the ways before we entered into the reality of the spiritual pulls and throws of deceivers – the prince of darkness and things which follow him.

Whether you have fallen away or not, it is having Him as the source that is important. Coming to God, “clinging” to him and seeking him, this will have to happen and have to be if any of us are to be called “friends of God,” and to really be a believer.

Sin has a way of distancing us from God, the counter-action of our steps of faith and pushing off the path of purpose that God has planned for us – plans he devised even before we were born, before we gave up our stubborn ways and opened our hearts to the living God. And this is why Hebrews says that we must encourage one another daily, as long as we are alive and breathing – this is our “Today.” This is because sin really does harden us if left unchecked. When we allow sin to linger in our hearts, our hearts will become calloused due to the simple fact that we did not correct it. Sin has the power to destroy even the closest of relationships to God, to anyone really, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Encourage each other to be strong in Christ, because when our own strength withers and gives out from exhaustion and confusion, it will be the strength of God through fellow believers – our family in Christ – that will help us to withstand whatever the enemy throws at us. Do not give in to the lies of the enemy; do not believe the doubts in your own head, just because you think it does not mean it’s true. Our best source of truth comes from God; it comes from his word – The Bible.

Remember that sins deceitfulness is that when we fall, or give in to temptation, we think that we should give up and roll over, perhaps even to crawl into a hole and die. This is not true, it is not God’s truth, and his truth and what he says and thinks should matter above all else, even above our own thoughts and disabling inner babblings.

Can you recollect your mind set, thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the time when you first believed? Do you recall your confidence in Christ, even though you were just saved, the zeal and joy you experienced diving into God’s word, attending church, and speaking to friends and loved ones of your new found faith? Bring back that freshness and newness into your life, take confidence in Christ just as David did as he faced Goliath. Encourage each other and remind each other of what God has done, and what he will do, everyday.

Be blessed and encouraged through whatever trials and hardships you may be facing. You are not alone, for at the least God is there and his Holy Spirit dwells in all who believe and acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

with much Encouragement,

Ikaika Mossman