"The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. "
Numbers 21:7-9
"Hezekiah removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. It was called Nechustan."
2 Kings 18:4
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols."
1 John 5:21
There are many instances where the Lord did something awesome for the Israelites, but instead of thanking, praising, and glorifying God, the people turned the symbol that was used into an idol.
This was the case here...Just a piece of metal, but for hundreds of years it was worshipped and sacrificed to, instead of the Lord! In reading this, my first thoughts are, "How stupid can these people be, ignoring God and making up false gods like that?"
But people do this all the time. What is it about us-man-that turns away so easily, and gives that which belongs to God alone to another? Why do we seek to adore worthless things, and heep adoration on other devoted things besides the One who is worthy? Idolatry is equal to adultery, perhaps even graver, because it involves forsaking our eternal Bridegroom.
David said: "Create in me a pure heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me..."
As we enter the Days of Awe between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, let's purify our hearts and perspectives, and gravitate only to He who is worthy, forsaking all idols and graven images.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Diving In/Days of Awe
Rosh HaShana
The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire.’ ”
Yom Kippur/The Day of Atonement
The Lord said to Moses, “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
Leviticus 23:23-31
Rosh HaShana is the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentance or Atonement, is 10 days after; the days between are known as Yamim Nora'im, the literal translation mean "terrible (or bad)days", but are generally known as Days of Awe. The mood changes from joy and happiness, to somber as we are called to take a good, hard, and long introspective "look in the mirror".
These days are somber and sobering, but the truth is that no matter how hard a person tries to be righteous, do righteousness, mitzvot, sin is right there with us, there is no one good, not even one".(Rom.3:10). There is only One who is righteous. But instead of focusing on me, I desire to focus on HIM- every day is a Day of Awe! How wonderful are Your works, oh God...what a mighty and awesome God we have and serve...the Creator knows His creation, and He searches for real intent, looking for those who really desire to love and serve Him, not just to get stuff from He.
My heart's desire is for total immersion in the Holy Spirit, to dive in, and be covered up by my Father, Bridegroom/King...I desire to be captivated, consumed, ignited by the Awesome One...the Lord alone is Master of All, especially me, and as I climb awestruck into His lap, He inclines His ear to me, moving at the sound of my voice. Meditate on this- He moves at the sound of our sold-out voices! There is a conversation the Lord desires with each of us.
Reflect, meditate on Him, talk to Him...dive in.
The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire.’ ”
Yom Kippur/The Day of Atonement
The Lord said to Moses, “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
Leviticus 23:23-31
Rosh HaShana is the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentance or Atonement, is 10 days after; the days between are known as Yamim Nora'im, the literal translation mean "terrible (or bad)days", but are generally known as Days of Awe. The mood changes from joy and happiness, to somber as we are called to take a good, hard, and long introspective "look in the mirror".
These days are somber and sobering, but the truth is that no matter how hard a person tries to be righteous, do righteousness, mitzvot, sin is right there with us, there is no one good, not even one".(Rom.3:10). There is only One who is righteous. But instead of focusing on me, I desire to focus on HIM- every day is a Day of Awe! How wonderful are Your works, oh God...what a mighty and awesome God we have and serve...the Creator knows His creation, and He searches for real intent, looking for those who really desire to love and serve Him, not just to get stuff from He.
My heart's desire is for total immersion in the Holy Spirit, to dive in, and be covered up by my Father, Bridegroom/King...I desire to be captivated, consumed, ignited by the Awesome One...the Lord alone is Master of All, especially me, and as I climb awestruck into His lap, He inclines His ear to me, moving at the sound of my voice. Meditate on this- He moves at the sound of our sold-out voices! There is a conversation the Lord desires with each of us.
Reflect, meditate on Him, talk to Him...dive in.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Lessons of Rosh HaShana/ Moving Forward
13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[a] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thess.4:13-18
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
1 Cor.15:51-54
"May your name be written in the Book of Life"... "A Sweet and Happy New Year"
~ Rosh HaShana greetings
Rosh HaShana is a special event filled with spiritual significance. This year as the holiday begins there are a couple things that strike me in particular.
The Sounds of the Shofar/ Tekiah G'dolah: As a child I remember being in shul, and listening to the plaintive, yet rousing sound of the shofar. Even then it gave me chills, goosebumps, as if a call from the past, the shofarim of generations before us rolled up into those blasts, especially the last one, the tekiah gadolah. In the Spirit I see so many layers to the sounding of the ram's horn. It is a call to wake up, to be alert to the things of the Lord, to hearing His voice and doing what He calls us to (Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."Eph. 5:14), old things passing away, and new things beginning. It is the sounding of the alarm, calling us to battle stations; we are in fact in a vast army that is being awakened for such a time as this. But what I look forward to the most is that the sound of the shofar one day will signal the return of the Messiah, that Great and Terrible Day of the Lord - the Rapture! It may be the last sound the believing Church hears on this Earth.every Rosh HaShana I subconsciously hold my breath when I hear it, wondering, hoping - Even now, Maranatha, Come Lord Yeshua.
Honey: It's sticky, thick, and sweet. We dip challah or apple slices in it, and it transforms everyday and ordinary into something extraordinary, its thickness covers defects, overwhelms bitterness. In Judaism, people wish each other a "Sweet New Year". It won't be without trouble or difficulty, but we serve a God who is full of grace, love, and mercy.
It's a picture of a loving, transcendent Savior who never lets go of us. I am overwhelmed by His goodness, lovingkindness, and mercy towards me...towards us all.
Tashlich (casting off): In this ritual, Jews go to a body of moving water, and they turn their pockets inside out into the water. It is symbolic of casting away all our sins, past, present, and future, as we move forward into a new season, making a new start with God's help. The Scriptures read: "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12. I remember hearing the late Corrie ten Boom say that "God has cast all of our sins into the bottom of the ocean and put up a sign, reading NO FISHING ALLOWED".
We are moving forward in the Lord, He is calling us into new things, To leave old and dead ways behind us...He is waking up the Church, and preparing His bride, the Shofar blast announcing His soon return. He desires that our names, all of them, be written in the Lamb's Book of Life...there are plenty of empty pages waiting to be written into, as souls are won back from the devil, pages are torn from the Book of Death.
I'm undone today, overcome by the depth, height, width, and length of His love, His Banner over us. Everything that I am-in it's entirety-is wrapped up in Him- He is Creator, King, Father, Master, Bridegroom, Healer, Protector, Sun and Shield, Provider...and so much more.
He is coming, He will come in the blink of an eye...think about it...this is not a fable or story...BEHOLD HE COMES.
L'Shana Tova U'Metukah- Happy and Sweet New Year to you all.
1 Thess.4:13-18
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
1 Cor.15:51-54
"May your name be written in the Book of Life"... "A Sweet and Happy New Year"
~ Rosh HaShana greetings
Rosh HaShana is a special event filled with spiritual significance. This year as the holiday begins there are a couple things that strike me in particular.
The Sounds of the Shofar/ Tekiah G'dolah: As a child I remember being in shul, and listening to the plaintive, yet rousing sound of the shofar. Even then it gave me chills, goosebumps, as if a call from the past, the shofarim of generations before us rolled up into those blasts, especially the last one, the tekiah gadolah. In the Spirit I see so many layers to the sounding of the ram's horn. It is a call to wake up, to be alert to the things of the Lord, to hearing His voice and doing what He calls us to (Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."Eph. 5:14), old things passing away, and new things beginning. It is the sounding of the alarm, calling us to battle stations; we are in fact in a vast army that is being awakened for such a time as this. But what I look forward to the most is that the sound of the shofar one day will signal the return of the Messiah, that Great and Terrible Day of the Lord - the Rapture! It may be the last sound the believing Church hears on this Earth.every Rosh HaShana I subconsciously hold my breath when I hear it, wondering, hoping - Even now, Maranatha, Come Lord Yeshua.
Honey: It's sticky, thick, and sweet. We dip challah or apple slices in it, and it transforms everyday and ordinary into something extraordinary, its thickness covers defects, overwhelms bitterness. In Judaism, people wish each other a "Sweet New Year". It won't be without trouble or difficulty, but we serve a God who is full of grace, love, and mercy.
It's a picture of a loving, transcendent Savior who never lets go of us. I am overwhelmed by His goodness, lovingkindness, and mercy towards me...towards us all.
Tashlich (casting off): In this ritual, Jews go to a body of moving water, and they turn their pockets inside out into the water. It is symbolic of casting away all our sins, past, present, and future, as we move forward into a new season, making a new start with God's help. The Scriptures read: "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12. I remember hearing the late Corrie ten Boom say that "God has cast all of our sins into the bottom of the ocean and put up a sign, reading NO FISHING ALLOWED".
We are moving forward in the Lord, He is calling us into new things, To leave old and dead ways behind us...He is waking up the Church, and preparing His bride, the Shofar blast announcing His soon return. He desires that our names, all of them, be written in the Lamb's Book of Life...there are plenty of empty pages waiting to be written into, as souls are won back from the devil, pages are torn from the Book of Death.
I'm undone today, overcome by the depth, height, width, and length of His love, His Banner over us. Everything that I am-in it's entirety-is wrapped up in Him- He is Creator, King, Father, Master, Bridegroom, Healer, Protector, Sun and Shield, Provider...and so much more.
He is coming, He will come in the blink of an eye...think about it...this is not a fable or story...BEHOLD HE COMES.
L'Shana Tova U'Metukah- Happy and Sweet New Year to you all.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Out of My Mind (But Desiring His)
"When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on men's wisdom but on God's power.
6 However, among the mature we do speak a wisdom, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 On the contrary, we speak God's hidden wisdom in a mystery, which God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew it, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written:
What no eye has seen and no ear has heard,
and what has never come into a man's heart,
is what God has prepared for those who love Him.
10 Now God has revealed them to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the natural man does not welcome what comes from God's Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to know it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone.
16 For: who has known the Lord's mind,
that he may instruct Him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Cor. 2:1-16
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own"
1 Cor. 6:19
I want to be out of my mind! Yes, you heard me right! The mind I want to be in is not my own, but the mind of Christ.
After all, we have been crucified with Christ, that old person had to go! The new life we want to live is one that's dead to sin, but alive in Jesus. If our body is not our own, but bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus, and we are resurrected and renewed by the Holy Spirit, then the Spirit that quickens us can take His place, take up residence, in us, right in the center of our hearts.
Possessing the mind of Christ, is an awesome prospect! In Jeremiah, the Lord declares to Jeremiah that "his thoughts are not our thoughts, not his ways our ways".
But in 1 Cor. 2, Paul writes:
"Now God has revealed them to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God.
We need only let the old man stay dead, ask the Spirit to come and dwell in us, and get our flesh out of the way.
6 However, among the mature we do speak a wisdom, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 On the contrary, we speak God's hidden wisdom in a mystery, which God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew it, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written:
What no eye has seen and no ear has heard,
and what has never come into a man's heart,
is what God has prepared for those who love Him.
10 Now God has revealed them to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the natural man does not welcome what comes from God's Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to know it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone.
16 For: who has known the Lord's mind,
that he may instruct Him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Cor. 2:1-16
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own"
1 Cor. 6:19
I want to be out of my mind! Yes, you heard me right! The mind I want to be in is not my own, but the mind of Christ.
After all, we have been crucified with Christ, that old person had to go! The new life we want to live is one that's dead to sin, but alive in Jesus. If our body is not our own, but bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus, and we are resurrected and renewed by the Holy Spirit, then the Spirit that quickens us can take His place, take up residence, in us, right in the center of our hearts.
Possessing the mind of Christ, is an awesome prospect! In Jeremiah, the Lord declares to Jeremiah that "his thoughts are not our thoughts, not his ways our ways".
But in 1 Cor. 2, Paul writes:
"Now God has revealed them to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God.
We need only let the old man stay dead, ask the Spirit to come and dwell in us, and get our flesh out of the way.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Dying and Living/Who's The Boss??
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
John 12:24
" I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."
Galatians 2:20a
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body
Galatians 2:19-20
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other..."
Matthew 6:24a
These scriptures are so familiar to me, so life changing, and yet I have a confession to make: There is a struggle that has continued in me-
Who will occupy my body, who's the boss?
Jesus has crucified my sin at Calvary/Golgotha for me, but the issue of self vs. spirit... this struggle of sowing in the Spirit or sowing in the flesh ... as long as I hold onto my self nature and self-will even by a thread, I am not fully surrendered to God's will, and when I tug on that thread my self will pop out of the grave, and this is something I do not want to be resurrected!
I'm currently reading the biographical REES HOWELLS: INTERCESSOR, Rees is confronted by the Holy Spirit. He is saved, and he has pledged his life to God ( we have been bought, ransomed back, at the highest price, have we not?), his sin had been dealt with, but his self was another story! He was presented an ultimatum by the Holy Spirit, who is a real person, just the same as the Lord God and the Lord Jesus are, who desires/requires residence in our bodies- which are the Temple of the Holy Spirit! There's a catch though- just as God is a jealous God, the Holy Spirit will not co-habitate with any thing else in this temple, Which includes our selves. We have a picture of how the physical temples in Jerusalem were constructed, where purity and holiness were essential. The Spirit of the Lord would not occupy unless the place, the Holy of Holies, had been prepared for Him.
Jesus said that "no man can serve two masters", and this applies not only to God and mammon, but God and anything else, including, especially our selves, and all that means.
There's a funeral today-mine-maybe not my physical body, but the soulish, selfish nature that is so hard to kill. There's another rebirth, too, and a house warming party, as I has evict my self, and give the keys to this temple to the only rightful owner.
John 12:24
" I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."
Galatians 2:20a
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body
Galatians 2:19-20
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other..."
Matthew 6:24a
These scriptures are so familiar to me, so life changing, and yet I have a confession to make: There is a struggle that has continued in me-
Who will occupy my body, who's the boss?
Jesus has crucified my sin at Calvary/Golgotha for me, but the issue of self vs. spirit... this struggle of sowing in the Spirit or sowing in the flesh ... as long as I hold onto my self nature and self-will even by a thread, I am not fully surrendered to God's will, and when I tug on that thread my self will pop out of the grave, and this is something I do not want to be resurrected!
I'm currently reading the biographical REES HOWELLS: INTERCESSOR, Rees is confronted by the Holy Spirit. He is saved, and he has pledged his life to God ( we have been bought, ransomed back, at the highest price, have we not?), his sin had been dealt with, but his self was another story! He was presented an ultimatum by the Holy Spirit, who is a real person, just the same as the Lord God and the Lord Jesus are, who desires/requires residence in our bodies- which are the Temple of the Holy Spirit! There's a catch though- just as God is a jealous God, the Holy Spirit will not co-habitate with any thing else in this temple, Which includes our selves. We have a picture of how the physical temples in Jerusalem were constructed, where purity and holiness were essential. The Spirit of the Lord would not occupy unless the place, the Holy of Holies, had been prepared for Him.
Jesus said that "no man can serve two masters", and this applies not only to God and mammon, but God and anything else, including, especially our selves, and all that means.
There's a funeral today-mine-maybe not my physical body, but the soulish, selfish nature that is so hard to kill. There's another rebirth, too, and a house warming party, as I has evict my self, and give the keys to this temple to the only rightful owner.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Recharge
“To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:25-31
Sometimes life can wear us down. In the world that we live in, our schedules can be so busy, and so draining physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Some days I'm frankly so exhausted at the day's end that it's all I can do to just tumble onto my bed, mornings can come too soon, as I crawl out of bed. I am weak, with serious limitations.
I am very often drawn to this passage, my hope is my Father alone, and the scripture says that GOD GIVES HOPE TO THE WEARY, and as I hope in Him, casting all my cares on Him, I am strengthened.
When you are weary, and feeling a bit thread-bare, when your "tank" is on empty, all you have to do is ask, seek, and knock-the renewal of our strength is promised! Supernatural and seemingly from out of nowhere, it will come, like the water that came when at the Lord's command, when Moses struck a stone in the middle of the desert-abundant, inexplicable, refreshing, more than enough.
Be recharged and strengthened.
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:25-31
Sometimes life can wear us down. In the world that we live in, our schedules can be so busy, and so draining physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Some days I'm frankly so exhausted at the day's end that it's all I can do to just tumble onto my bed, mornings can come too soon, as I crawl out of bed. I am weak, with serious limitations.
I am very often drawn to this passage, my hope is my Father alone, and the scripture says that GOD GIVES HOPE TO THE WEARY, and as I hope in Him, casting all my cares on Him, I am strengthened.
When you are weary, and feeling a bit thread-bare, when your "tank" is on empty, all you have to do is ask, seek, and knock-the renewal of our strength is promised! Supernatural and seemingly from out of nowhere, it will come, like the water that came when at the Lord's command, when Moses struck a stone in the middle of the desert-abundant, inexplicable, refreshing, more than enough.
Be recharged and strengthened.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Forwards or Backwards(Freedom)
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. "
Galatians 5:1
"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."
Proverbs 26:11
Human nature and the heart of man is a curious thing. Suffering from the bondage and enslavement to sin, we cry out in desperation for the Lord to set us free, He hears our cry and reaching down, touches and delivers us! We walk in newness of life and freedom, but it's wisdom to always bear in mind our weaknesses and remember where we came out of...to return is to go backwards-backslide- and it only takes one step off the Narrow Way, a turn down a dark "side street" to tumble down those slippery slopes. We cannot be so foolish as to say to ourselves, "I can handle that now", or " Just one look, just one sip, just one kiss..." Our eyes have to remain locked on our First Love, the goal is a crown of glory, we cannot, must not, end up as a trophy head on the devil's halls of hell...our enemy is playing for keeps, this is not a game!
The only yoke we can allow ourselves to slip onto is the easy and light one that belongs to our Messiah-Jesus. With it comes discernment, revelation, favor, grace, and strength.
Without it...
Galatians 5:1
"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."
Proverbs 26:11
Human nature and the heart of man is a curious thing. Suffering from the bondage and enslavement to sin, we cry out in desperation for the Lord to set us free, He hears our cry and reaching down, touches and delivers us! We walk in newness of life and freedom, but it's wisdom to always bear in mind our weaknesses and remember where we came out of...to return is to go backwards-backslide- and it only takes one step off the Narrow Way, a turn down a dark "side street" to tumble down those slippery slopes. We cannot be so foolish as to say to ourselves, "I can handle that now", or " Just one look, just one sip, just one kiss..." Our eyes have to remain locked on our First Love, the goal is a crown of glory, we cannot, must not, end up as a trophy head on the devil's halls of hell...our enemy is playing for keeps, this is not a game!
The only yoke we can allow ourselves to slip onto is the easy and light one that belongs to our Messiah-Jesus. With it comes discernment, revelation, favor, grace, and strength.
Without it...
Friday, September 23, 2011
Following Instructions
"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”"
John 2:1-5
In this passage, Jesus' mother preps the servants, saying to them what I would paraphrase as-
"Do whatever He tells you, even if you think it seems ridiculous, preposterous, impossible, or unusual."
Jesus did many unusual things, said many unusual things, and still does. He didn't come to be ordinary or usual, and so we also are told - DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
As we listen and obey, extraordinary things can happen: people saved and delivered because of Jesus' love and compassion displayed through us as we respond... emotional and physical healings...widows, orphans, and other's needs met and the givers blessed unexpectedly as the Holy Spirit moves and random acts of lovingkindness WWJD style spread...and so much more.
Jesus tells us - "Greater things than the things I've done here will you do..."
I want to hear Him, listen to Him, and follow the instructions that Mary gave. Jesus said that He came to do the will of His Father who sent Him, and I am called to follow Him, imitate Him, no matter how unusual or extraordinary His instructions.
How will we know if what we hear is really from Him? Jesus said that "my sheep hear and recognize my voice"... just listen, attune yourself to Him...you'll know.
Today, listen, and do whatever He tells you.
4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”"
John 2:1-5
In this passage, Jesus' mother preps the servants, saying to them what I would paraphrase as-
"Do whatever He tells you, even if you think it seems ridiculous, preposterous, impossible, or unusual."
Jesus did many unusual things, said many unusual things, and still does. He didn't come to be ordinary or usual, and so we also are told - DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
As we listen and obey, extraordinary things can happen: people saved and delivered because of Jesus' love and compassion displayed through us as we respond... emotional and physical healings...widows, orphans, and other's needs met and the givers blessed unexpectedly as the Holy Spirit moves and random acts of lovingkindness WWJD style spread...and so much more.
Jesus tells us - "Greater things than the things I've done here will you do..."
I want to hear Him, listen to Him, and follow the instructions that Mary gave. Jesus said that He came to do the will of His Father who sent Him, and I am called to follow Him, imitate Him, no matter how unusual or extraordinary His instructions.
How will we know if what we hear is really from Him? Jesus said that "my sheep hear and recognize my voice"... just listen, attune yourself to Him...you'll know.
Today, listen, and do whatever He tells you.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Blessed
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 1
I almost made the title of this blog: Blessed-or Not? Because this psalm contains both the prescription for blessing, and when you consider not doing what is written here, in other words, the opposite-then you get the opposite of being blessed...cursed. So why would we walk in step with wicked and ungodly people, why would we let the words of scoffers fall on ears that are made to hear high praises offered to the Melech HaM'Lachim, the King of Kings? Blessings await us, granted in His timing, not ours, but why would we not meditate on His Law, His Greatness, His goodness to us, the fact that He is the source of Love, Goodness, Joy, Provision, the Bright and Shining Morningstar?
He sets before us a way of life, admonishes us not to reach towards ways of death, and yet because of a fallen nature many choose darkness, corruption, temporal instead of eternal, the snake oil instead of anointing oil...the struggle continues.
But the choice is ours.
Today let's choose His way...blessings.
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 1
I almost made the title of this blog: Blessed-or Not? Because this psalm contains both the prescription for blessing, and when you consider not doing what is written here, in other words, the opposite-then you get the opposite of being blessed...cursed. So why would we walk in step with wicked and ungodly people, why would we let the words of scoffers fall on ears that are made to hear high praises offered to the Melech HaM'Lachim, the King of Kings? Blessings await us, granted in His timing, not ours, but why would we not meditate on His Law, His Greatness, His goodness to us, the fact that He is the source of Love, Goodness, Joy, Provision, the Bright and Shining Morningstar?
He sets before us a way of life, admonishes us not to reach towards ways of death, and yet because of a fallen nature many choose darkness, corruption, temporal instead of eternal, the snake oil instead of anointing oil...the struggle continues.
But the choice is ours.
Today let's choose His way...blessings.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Who Moved?/Drifters
"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."
Psalm 18:10
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Isaiah 53:6
"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
James 4:8
"From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
Psalm 61:2
I was watching Jack van Impe Ministries last night and at the end of the program, Rexalla Van Impe ended the show with this statement: " If you are feeling like God ia far away from you, remember and know this- He wasn't the one who moved".
I'm sure that word was an "ouch" and flipped on the light bulb to many, present company included...the same reason that I write this today. In the parable of the prodigal, it was the son who strayed, going to strange distant land, a place he did not belong in.
The Scriptures tell us that God is ever-present, that His ear is inclined towards us...
God never leaves us or forsakes us, it's us who do the straying ... when the anchor is not in place we will find ourselves drifting, when we leave the safety of His shelter.
Today wash your hands and purify your heart, turn from anything that causes you to drift, and/or keeps you away from the Rock. He is standing right there- right here- arms wide open for us.
The only safe place, our fulfillment through real relationship, is found not just in believing and receiving, but drawing near, to sit in our Abba's lap, to embrace and be embraced by the Bridegroom.
Psalm 18:10
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Isaiah 53:6
"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
James 4:8
"From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
Psalm 61:2
I was watching Jack van Impe Ministries last night and at the end of the program, Rexalla Van Impe ended the show with this statement: " If you are feeling like God ia far away from you, remember and know this- He wasn't the one who moved".
I'm sure that word was an "ouch" and flipped on the light bulb to many, present company included...the same reason that I write this today. In the parable of the prodigal, it was the son who strayed, going to strange distant land, a place he did not belong in.
The Scriptures tell us that God is ever-present, that His ear is inclined towards us...
God never leaves us or forsakes us, it's us who do the straying ... when the anchor is not in place we will find ourselves drifting, when we leave the safety of His shelter.
Today wash your hands and purify your heart, turn from anything that causes you to drift, and/or keeps you away from the Rock. He is standing right there- right here- arms wide open for us.
The only safe place, our fulfillment through real relationship, is found not just in believing and receiving, but drawing near, to sit in our Abba's lap, to embrace and be embraced by the Bridegroom.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Psalm 27 (Expanded) 242
1 The LORD is my guiding light and my salvation-
He gives me revelation and discernment,
and I know My deliverance comes from Him alone-
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life— my impregnable fortress
of whom shall I be afraid? No one nor anything
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me, I am bold as a lion, but it is not my strength I trust, but God's only-
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall. God will arise and my enemies will be shattered
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear; it matters not how lopsided the odds might seem
though war break out against me,
my foes have not discerned the destruction that will overtake them,
which is why even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek, my heart and soul yearns for Him
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, this is the only place that I desire to be,
nothing else can compare, and I desire only to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple, where He,
my Bridegroom/Father/King waits for me
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling,
for He knows every fibre of my being and all my thoughts-
my days are laid out before Him
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock where I am out of reach,
but can see the plans of the wicked shattered
6 Then my head will be exalted as the Lord rescues me
From the enemies who had surrounded me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD, He inhabits my praises
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, and all I desire is to “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek, nothing has a higher priority in my life than to know You
9 Do not hide your face from me, I am seeking you and desire to gaze into your fiery eyes
do not turn your servant away in anger;
your lovingkindness draws me to repentance
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior. I come to you openly,
there is no sin that remains hidden from You
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me; your love is unconditional,
As I seek you I have no fear of rejection
11 Teach me your ways, LORD; for a man's ways lead only to death
lead me in a straight path, the way of life, both here and in the age to come
because of my oppressors, I ask for your truth that brings freedom.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living, and in the age to come
14 Wait for the LORD; Have patience, His timing is perfect.
be strong and take heart, keep your eyes fixed on Him alone
and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27
He gives me revelation and discernment,
and I know My deliverance comes from Him alone-
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life— my impregnable fortress
of whom shall I be afraid? No one nor anything
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me, I am bold as a lion, but it is not my strength I trust, but God's only-
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall. God will arise and my enemies will be shattered
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear; it matters not how lopsided the odds might seem
though war break out against me,
my foes have not discerned the destruction that will overtake them,
which is why even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek, my heart and soul yearns for Him
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, this is the only place that I desire to be,
nothing else can compare, and I desire only to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple, where He,
my Bridegroom/Father/King waits for me
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling,
for He knows every fibre of my being and all my thoughts-
my days are laid out before Him
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock where I am out of reach,
but can see the plans of the wicked shattered
6 Then my head will be exalted as the Lord rescues me
From the enemies who had surrounded me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD, He inhabits my praises
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, and all I desire is to “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek, nothing has a higher priority in my life than to know You
9 Do not hide your face from me, I am seeking you and desire to gaze into your fiery eyes
do not turn your servant away in anger;
your lovingkindness draws me to repentance
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior. I come to you openly,
there is no sin that remains hidden from You
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me; your love is unconditional,
As I seek you I have no fear of rejection
11 Teach me your ways, LORD; for a man's ways lead only to death
lead me in a straight path, the way of life, both here and in the age to come
because of my oppressors, I ask for your truth that brings freedom.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living, and in the age to come
14 Wait for the LORD; Have patience, His timing is perfect.
be strong and take heart, keep your eyes fixed on Him alone
and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Dwelling Places
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.
Isaiah 62:1-7
For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling:
Psalm 132:2
1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the Great King.
3 God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.
4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,
5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.
8 As we have heard,
so we have seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
forever.
9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
10 Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 48
Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
Psalm 90:1
Jerusalem. City of the Great King, of God Himself. Yerushalayim shel Zahav...City of Gold...the very name conjures such strong emotions in me, it pulls my heartstrings, my existence is tied to this place, for some reasons I can explain, and some that are too deep for words. Anyone who has been there will tell you that it is haunting, unforgettable...
Jerusalem is God's dwelling place, chosen and owned by Him. The Lord Himself is our dwelling place.
For decades, with increasing intensity and ferocity, the battle for ownership and control of Jerusalem rages. This is nothing new- Jerusalem, the "City of Peace", is the most contested and bloodied place of the earth. Conquered, and reconquered, the prize of Crusaders, Muslims, Babylonians, Turks, Romans, Assyrians, and countless others, Jerusalem could no more be theirs, than the Ark was the possession of the Philistines, the Lord bringing down curses and destruction. The reason is purely spiritual, as those enemies of God have tried, and are still trying to steal, that which they will never own or master-Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is owned by the Lord Himself. It's unique and special, because He fashioned it for His dwelling place. The people that He has chosen to live there, that He decided to bless, and bring back to the Holy Land are the Jews. that is not our decision...not yours, mine, the Muslims, the UN's, no one's- the power and authority is the Owner's alone. But we have, by spiritual algebra, a connection to this amazing place...Jerusalem is God's dwelling place, and He is ours.
Because Jerusalem is the Lord's and we are His, as God's enemies continue to rage, we must stand with Jerusalem, with Israel. Battle lines have been drawn, Israel's enemies have not been able to steal Jerusalem by force, so they're using craftiness like their ancestors- the Hamans, Pharoahs, those who came against Nehemiah, using other nations and the UN who are deluded, thinking they have power to carve up this place. Instead they only bring future judgement and destruction on themselves as they align themselves against Israel and ultimately, God Himself.
Today, consider this place, meditate on it, go there in your spirit, if not physically:
Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.
Isaiah 62:1-7
For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling:
Psalm 132:2
1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the Great King.
3 God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.
4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,
5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.
8 As we have heard,
so we have seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
forever.
9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
10 Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 48
Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
Psalm 90:1
Jerusalem. City of the Great King, of God Himself. Yerushalayim shel Zahav...City of Gold...the very name conjures such strong emotions in me, it pulls my heartstrings, my existence is tied to this place, for some reasons I can explain, and some that are too deep for words. Anyone who has been there will tell you that it is haunting, unforgettable...
Jerusalem is God's dwelling place, chosen and owned by Him. The Lord Himself is our dwelling place.
For decades, with increasing intensity and ferocity, the battle for ownership and control of Jerusalem rages. This is nothing new- Jerusalem, the "City of Peace", is the most contested and bloodied place of the earth. Conquered, and reconquered, the prize of Crusaders, Muslims, Babylonians, Turks, Romans, Assyrians, and countless others, Jerusalem could no more be theirs, than the Ark was the possession of the Philistines, the Lord bringing down curses and destruction. The reason is purely spiritual, as those enemies of God have tried, and are still trying to steal, that which they will never own or master-Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is owned by the Lord Himself. It's unique and special, because He fashioned it for His dwelling place. The people that He has chosen to live there, that He decided to bless, and bring back to the Holy Land are the Jews. that is not our decision...not yours, mine, the Muslims, the UN's, no one's- the power and authority is the Owner's alone. But we have, by spiritual algebra, a connection to this amazing place...Jerusalem is God's dwelling place, and He is ours.
Because Jerusalem is the Lord's and we are His, as God's enemies continue to rage, we must stand with Jerusalem, with Israel. Battle lines have been drawn, Israel's enemies have not been able to steal Jerusalem by force, so they're using craftiness like their ancestors- the Hamans, Pharoahs, those who came against Nehemiah, using other nations and the UN who are deluded, thinking they have power to carve up this place. Instead they only bring future judgement and destruction on themselves as they align themselves against Israel and ultimately, God Himself.
Today, consider this place, meditate on it, go there in your spirit, if not physically:
Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever
Saturday, September 17, 2011
For Us
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53
Friday, September 16, 2011
Burdens vs. Baggage
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Proverbs 27:17
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 7:12
What are our responsibilities to those we love and care for? There is a difference between helping carry each other's bearing burdens to help, strengthen, heal and being an enabler of a brother or sister who has been weighed down with baggage. Burdens I would classify as grief, financial needs, single parenting, standing in prayer ... By baggage I mean compulsive, repetitive behaviors that one engages in that are destructive, such as drug and alcohol abuse, pornography, adultery, and others.
We are called to love one another, to treat one another as we want to be treated. These are concepts that can be forgotten, or often times it's easier to turn a blind eye, and let stuff just happen that we know is wrong, dangerous, or destructive, without confrontation. Confrontation can be uneasy, difficult, and downright uncomfortable. Jesus was a confronter, though, and since we are called to imitate him, we must make hard choices, and ask for divine timing as He prepares the heart. He tells us to hold to His teaching if we are his disciples, and truth is revealed as we move forward, following Him, as insight and revelation are graciously given, loosening shackles.
Iron sharpening iron makes a razor edge, but often with much opposing force, friction, and flying sparks, producing often just what is needed to cut away the ties that bind baggage to us. Loving one another strengthens us to carry loads we all are weighed down with from time to time.
I have learned to appreciate those who apply these principles with me, and it is my hope that the Lord uses me to sharpen, shoulder other's burdens, and cut free baggage from brothers and sisters.
Lord, make us all instruments.
Proverbs 27:17
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 7:12
What are our responsibilities to those we love and care for? There is a difference between helping carry each other's bearing burdens to help, strengthen, heal and being an enabler of a brother or sister who has been weighed down with baggage. Burdens I would classify as grief, financial needs, single parenting, standing in prayer ... By baggage I mean compulsive, repetitive behaviors that one engages in that are destructive, such as drug and alcohol abuse, pornography, adultery, and others.
We are called to love one another, to treat one another as we want to be treated. These are concepts that can be forgotten, or often times it's easier to turn a blind eye, and let stuff just happen that we know is wrong, dangerous, or destructive, without confrontation. Confrontation can be uneasy, difficult, and downright uncomfortable. Jesus was a confronter, though, and since we are called to imitate him, we must make hard choices, and ask for divine timing as He prepares the heart. He tells us to hold to His teaching if we are his disciples, and truth is revealed as we move forward, following Him, as insight and revelation are graciously given, loosening shackles.
Iron sharpening iron makes a razor edge, but often with much opposing force, friction, and flying sparks, producing often just what is needed to cut away the ties that bind baggage to us. Loving one another strengthens us to carry loads we all are weighed down with from time to time.
I have learned to appreciate those who apply these principles with me, and it is my hope that the Lord uses me to sharpen, shoulder other's burdens, and cut free baggage from brothers and sisters.
Lord, make us all instruments.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
A Bill of Goods (Snake Oil)
"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him."
Matthew 4:8-10
"Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright."
Genesis 25:29-34
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"
John 1:12
I am having to be "Mr. Mom", right now, as my bride of 23 years recuperates from surgery. I am dealing with juggling work, family, etc., and while I was discussing this with a friend, we began talking about how so many people have been hooked by consumerism, "keeping up with the Jones'", no family time, forced to work constantly to pay for the latest and greatest house, car, stuff, whatever... never home, no family life, family relationships, and the above scripture in Matthew 4 came to mind. Many have traded everything valuable for what in the end is as nothing, even less than nothing, bowing down to the Prince of the power of the air, often inaverdently, falling for prosperity teachings, and other self serving philospophies, gaining the whole world for a moment, but losing that which has real and lasting value, including their very souls, for eternity in the process. The devil is the ultimate snake oil salesman. He's always looking to cheat, kill, rob & destroy relationships, people, spritual legacies- but we have a divine birthright, bestowed on us the moment we believe and receive the Lord Jesus: Children of the Most High God.
Today, focus on that which is lasting and eternal; worship, love, adore the Lord alone, and don't be sold a worthless bill of goods.
Matthew 4:8-10
"Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright."
Genesis 25:29-34
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"
John 1:12
I am having to be "Mr. Mom", right now, as my bride of 23 years recuperates from surgery. I am dealing with juggling work, family, etc., and while I was discussing this with a friend, we began talking about how so many people have been hooked by consumerism, "keeping up with the Jones'", no family time, forced to work constantly to pay for the latest and greatest house, car, stuff, whatever... never home, no family life, family relationships, and the above scripture in Matthew 4 came to mind. Many have traded everything valuable for what in the end is as nothing, even less than nothing, bowing down to the Prince of the power of the air, often inaverdently, falling for prosperity teachings, and other self serving philospophies, gaining the whole world for a moment, but losing that which has real and lasting value, including their very souls, for eternity in the process. The devil is the ultimate snake oil salesman. He's always looking to cheat, kill, rob & destroy relationships, people, spritual legacies- but we have a divine birthright, bestowed on us the moment we believe and receive the Lord Jesus: Children of the Most High God.
Today, focus on that which is lasting and eternal; worship, love, adore the Lord alone, and don't be sold a worthless bill of goods.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
On Notice
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back–whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”
Mark 13:32-37
We have been put on notice.
Our Lord Jesus told each and everyone of us: "Watch!"
That particular day and hour maybe uncertain to us, but not to our Father, and so He told Jesus, who only says and does what His (and our) Father tells Him to say and do, to tell us to keep watch. Again the message comes: Be alert, be on guard!
Do not be found unaware, or sleeping.
The problem, beloved, is that many are, in fact, asleep. What is your responsibility then to the sleeping? John the Baptizer, was a forerunner, warning the people that the "ax was already laid at the root" ...Paul Revere rode through town, sounding the alarm, awakening the people, another type of forerunner...We who are alert and awake are forerunners, keepers of our brothers, sisters, neighbors, responsible to sound the alarm, not just to be alert ourselves. Use the talents given to you today, and don't forget for a split second, that as surely as the Lord lives, that He is coming, that he has told us, and every moment that passes is a moment closer.
Get ready, stay ready...WATCH.
“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back–whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”
Mark 13:32-37
We have been put on notice.
Our Lord Jesus told each and everyone of us: "Watch!"
That particular day and hour maybe uncertain to us, but not to our Father, and so He told Jesus, who only says and does what His (and our) Father tells Him to say and do, to tell us to keep watch. Again the message comes: Be alert, be on guard!
Do not be found unaware, or sleeping.
The problem, beloved, is that many are, in fact, asleep. What is your responsibility then to the sleeping? John the Baptizer, was a forerunner, warning the people that the "ax was already laid at the root" ...Paul Revere rode through town, sounding the alarm, awakening the people, another type of forerunner...We who are alert and awake are forerunners, keepers of our brothers, sisters, neighbors, responsible to sound the alarm, not just to be alert ourselves. Use the talents given to you today, and don't forget for a split second, that as surely as the Lord lives, that He is coming, that he has told us, and every moment that passes is a moment closer.
Get ready, stay ready...WATCH.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Praise/Peer Pressure
"Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God."
John 12:42,43
Peer pressure can be a powerful obstacle to doing the right thing, when we are afraid to acknowledge what we know clearly is the truth because of those around us! The words of Jesus's own voice fell on the ears of Israel's Sanhedrin, and even though some believed, they feared retribution, criticism, and perhaps forthcoming persecution. But beyond that we read in this scripture that they loved human praise more than praise from God Himself! When faced with a situation where we feel hindered from openly acknowledging our faith and adoration in our Bridegroom/Father/Lord, I believe that the Master weighs our heart's intentions…what holds us back? Are we fearful, or do we love being the beneficiaries of misplaced praise that is heaped on us instead of the only One who is worthy? Today, beloved, let's not fear retribution for doing what we were created to do: to praise and worship the Lord alone! He is worthy, if we don't praise Him, even the stones will cry out! "Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, His greatness no one can fathom."
John 12:42,43
Peer pressure can be a powerful obstacle to doing the right thing, when we are afraid to acknowledge what we know clearly is the truth because of those around us! The words of Jesus's own voice fell on the ears of Israel's Sanhedrin, and even though some believed, they feared retribution, criticism, and perhaps forthcoming persecution. But beyond that we read in this scripture that they loved human praise more than praise from God Himself! When faced with a situation where we feel hindered from openly acknowledging our faith and adoration in our Bridegroom/Father/Lord, I believe that the Master weighs our heart's intentions…what holds us back? Are we fearful, or do we love being the beneficiaries of misplaced praise that is heaped on us instead of the only One who is worthy? Today, beloved, let's not fear retribution for doing what we were created to do: to praise and worship the Lord alone! He is worthy, if we don't praise Him, even the stones will cry out! "Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, His greatness no one can fathom."
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Laying It Down/Remembrance
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:9-17
"As the head of security for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter,decorated combat veteran Rick Rescorla evacuated 2,700 of his company's employees from the World Trade Center. After everyone in his company got out safely, he rushed back inside to help more people. He died when the south tower collapsed."
"Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twenty Nine Palms, Calif.; died April 22 at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md., of injuries sustained April 14 when he used his body to shield comrades from a grenade explosion in Husaybah, Iraq. He will receive the Medal of Honor."
"Let's Roll!"
Todd Beamer, Flight 93
Dec. 7,1941...Sept.11,2001... Did anyone awaken that day realizing that the ultimate sacrifice would be required of them that day?
Love=Sacrifice. There are no two words, concepts, that are more synonymous. The ultimate model that we have for real love, demonstrated by willingness to sacrifice one's self for others comes straight from above. Our Father loved us so much that He sent his only begotten Son-Jesus-to be the sacrifice for us, so we could have life- while we were yet sinners!
Greater love has no man than to lay down His life for his friends...
We live in times where much has been required of quite a number who have made that sacrifice and I believe, many more sacrifices will be required moving forward. We live in interesting and sobering times, as Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24. Should we fear, try to hold onto that which doesn't belong to any of us to begin with? No- the scriptures tell us that "perfect love casts out all fear", and we know that whoever seeks to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life will save it in the end."
Our lives, the Spirit that makes our hearts beat, our lungs to draw breath, comes from our divine Lover/Sacrificer, not from ourselves... I ask the ultimate question: If faced with such a situation, are we- me...you...any of us, each of us, all of us-prepared to demonstrate love through sacrifice if faced with such a situation?
May we remember what we are all truly capable of, reflecting on the words of our Lord and Savior: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."
John 14:12
John 15:9-17
"As the head of security for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter,decorated combat veteran Rick Rescorla evacuated 2,700 of his company's employees from the World Trade Center. After everyone in his company got out safely, he rushed back inside to help more people. He died when the south tower collapsed."
"Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twenty Nine Palms, Calif.; died April 22 at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md., of injuries sustained April 14 when he used his body to shield comrades from a grenade explosion in Husaybah, Iraq. He will receive the Medal of Honor."
"Let's Roll!"
Todd Beamer, Flight 93
Dec. 7,1941...Sept.11,2001... Did anyone awaken that day realizing that the ultimate sacrifice would be required of them that day?
Love=Sacrifice. There are no two words, concepts, that are more synonymous. The ultimate model that we have for real love, demonstrated by willingness to sacrifice one's self for others comes straight from above. Our Father loved us so much that He sent his only begotten Son-Jesus-to be the sacrifice for us, so we could have life- while we were yet sinners!
Greater love has no man than to lay down His life for his friends...
We live in times where much has been required of quite a number who have made that sacrifice and I believe, many more sacrifices will be required moving forward. We live in interesting and sobering times, as Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24. Should we fear, try to hold onto that which doesn't belong to any of us to begin with? No- the scriptures tell us that "perfect love casts out all fear", and we know that whoever seeks to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life will save it in the end."
Our lives, the Spirit that makes our hearts beat, our lungs to draw breath, comes from our divine Lover/Sacrificer, not from ourselves... I ask the ultimate question: If faced with such a situation, are we- me...you...any of us, each of us, all of us-prepared to demonstrate love through sacrifice if faced with such a situation?
May we remember what we are all truly capable of, reflecting on the words of our Lord and Savior: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."
John 14:12
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Radiance & Revolution/Perspectives
"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:2-3
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly."
Psalm 84:11
Yesterday I received a word from a brother: Hebrews 1, and as I read it and reread it and let it soak in, an image of our solar system came up in my spirit. The planets of course, are us and everything else created, and the Lord is our Sun. Such a simple observation, and yet so powerful: such a powerful gravitational pull that it anchors everything else, everything revolves around Him, His radiance is the source of all illumination, energy, nourishment, our very existence. This star we call our sun, is just another created thing from a Creator/Father/God who is so awesome, so powerful, that our sun, so huge and intense to us is as a pin point on the surface of other stars, the Lord God has also made. Everything is under His control, with His very word He creates and destroys, and this is a hard thing for many to comprehend, that His ways and thoughts are so much bigger, so beyond us, that even consideration of grasping the concept of who His nature is beyond them. The kicker though: We are always on His mind…while sustaining all things by His word, He provided a way for us, purification for our sins- salvation attained. Operating a universe, nor anything else, is not as important as providing a way for us to be with Him, He keeps His promises, every word true … He loves us so powerfully.
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly."
Psalm 84:11
Yesterday I received a word from a brother: Hebrews 1, and as I read it and reread it and let it soak in, an image of our solar system came up in my spirit. The planets of course, are us and everything else created, and the Lord is our Sun. Such a simple observation, and yet so powerful: such a powerful gravitational pull that it anchors everything else, everything revolves around Him, His radiance is the source of all illumination, energy, nourishment, our very existence. This star we call our sun, is just another created thing from a Creator/Father/God who is so awesome, so powerful, that our sun, so huge and intense to us is as a pin point on the surface of other stars, the Lord God has also made. Everything is under His control, with His very word He creates and destroys, and this is a hard thing for many to comprehend, that His ways and thoughts are so much bigger, so beyond us, that even consideration of grasping the concept of who His nature is beyond them. The kicker though: We are always on His mind…while sustaining all things by His word, He provided a way for us, purification for our sins- salvation attained. Operating a universe, nor anything else, is not as important as providing a way for us to be with Him, He keeps His promises, every word true … He loves us so powerfully.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Public Displays of Affection
All the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clearand giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-9
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Luke 10:27a
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children."
Hosea 4:6
In the times precedeing Nehemiah the people had achieved separation of God- or should I say from God- his holy name, unmentioned, the Temple untended, his Book containing the instructions for life, the Torah handed down from God Himself to Moshe- unread. The result: disaster. The country had moved from being world leaders, safe and secure in their own land, the people prosperous and happy as they worshipped and praised the One from whom all blessing flow- the Lord God Almighty, our Father in Heaven, who is gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger. But anger Him they did, just as the world today is. Israel disintegrated, her enemies conquering, the people exiled, the national treasures stolen...and Israel's history is much longer than ours. Do we think that the same thing can't or won't happen to us? What have we become? So "progressive" that the moment the Holy One of Israel's name is mentioned, the moment anyone publicly wants to praise Him, thank Him, adore Him, all aspects of worship He desires and requires, the agents of a wicked and deprived generation screams foul, proclaiming contrived principles of "Separation of Church and State" , a principle expounded by a God hating, selfish humanity that is reaping what they have sown- separation . As I write this parts of this country are literally ablaze with raging hotter-than-furnace fires, while other areas of the country are deluged with raging floods, the media declaring record topping disasters. In this once great nation, abortion flourishes, our public schools dispense condoms, while metal detectors are required as students enter the halls of institutions where the name of God is prohibited from being uttered except as a curse word. Everywhere we look factories are closed and empty, the jobs exported to foreign nations, given to others by corporations who answer not to God but to stockholders, as the love of money abounds, unemployment offices are packed, our Treasury prints worthless paper, people squander their valuable time seeking to be entertained, idolizing and cheering on sports figures and movie stars, while a remnant prays MARANATHA HOSANNA- Lord, how long will you relent??
My prayer today: Lord, turn the hearts of the children back to their fathers, pour yourself out out all flesh, lift up this generation of God lovers, worshippers who will push the envelope of PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION FOR YOU GOD. Breathe on dry bones of dead-people-walking across this nation and others, and that they would be drawn to read and understand the Bible, not pointless books about vampires and warlocks... that your Word that has been buried under layers of dust in their homes and offices would draw them, your Word read and hungered after, just as it was pronounced publicly by Nehemiah and Ezra, as to a people hearing the Word of the Lord for the first time.
Who will you serve today? Whatever venue you work in, whoever you are, who will you serve? In every office, factory, marketplace, school, at very flagpole of every school, hospitals, hotels, barracks, Congress- from the school house to the White House...we need not fear worshipping God publicly...
We only need to fear not worshipping Him.
So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clearand giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-9
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Luke 10:27a
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children."
Hosea 4:6
In the times precedeing Nehemiah the people had achieved separation of God- or should I say from God- his holy name, unmentioned, the Temple untended, his Book containing the instructions for life, the Torah handed down from God Himself to Moshe- unread. The result: disaster. The country had moved from being world leaders, safe and secure in their own land, the people prosperous and happy as they worshipped and praised the One from whom all blessing flow- the Lord God Almighty, our Father in Heaven, who is gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger. But anger Him they did, just as the world today is. Israel disintegrated, her enemies conquering, the people exiled, the national treasures stolen...and Israel's history is much longer than ours. Do we think that the same thing can't or won't happen to us? What have we become? So "progressive" that the moment the Holy One of Israel's name is mentioned, the moment anyone publicly wants to praise Him, thank Him, adore Him, all aspects of worship He desires and requires, the agents of a wicked and deprived generation screams foul, proclaiming contrived principles of "Separation of Church and State" , a principle expounded by a God hating, selfish humanity that is reaping what they have sown- separation . As I write this parts of this country are literally ablaze with raging hotter-than-furnace fires, while other areas of the country are deluged with raging floods, the media declaring record topping disasters. In this once great nation, abortion flourishes, our public schools dispense condoms, while metal detectors are required as students enter the halls of institutions where the name of God is prohibited from being uttered except as a curse word. Everywhere we look factories are closed and empty, the jobs exported to foreign nations, given to others by corporations who answer not to God but to stockholders, as the love of money abounds, unemployment offices are packed, our Treasury prints worthless paper, people squander their valuable time seeking to be entertained, idolizing and cheering on sports figures and movie stars, while a remnant prays MARANATHA HOSANNA- Lord, how long will you relent??
My prayer today: Lord, turn the hearts of the children back to their fathers, pour yourself out out all flesh, lift up this generation of God lovers, worshippers who will push the envelope of PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION FOR YOU GOD. Breathe on dry bones of dead-people-walking across this nation and others, and that they would be drawn to read and understand the Bible, not pointless books about vampires and warlocks... that your Word that has been buried under layers of dust in their homes and offices would draw them, your Word read and hungered after, just as it was pronounced publicly by Nehemiah and Ezra, as to a people hearing the Word of the Lord for the first time.
Who will you serve today? Whatever venue you work in, whoever you are, who will you serve? In every office, factory, marketplace, school, at very flagpole of every school, hospitals, hotels, barracks, Congress- from the school house to the White House...we need not fear worshipping God publicly...
We only need to fear not worshipping Him.
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