About Me

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Mother of Three, Mother-In-Law of One, Wife to my Wonderful Husband, Daughter/Sister, and Accountant. Loves Hiking, The Colorado Rockies (which means the mountains AND the baseball team), Entertaining family & friends, and Baby Calves in Spring but Most of All: I Love Jesus because He First Loved Me.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is a very personal psalm written by David:  a shepherd boy anointed by God to be the Shepherd King.  Long before the crown was placed on David’s head, the Lord was preparing him to lead the people of Israel by first shepherding the sheep of his pasture: protecting them, tending to them, feeding them, caring for them, and guiding them to green pastures. 

Are you aware that when David, as a youth, stepped out to slay Goliath, that he picked up 5 stones and placed them in his shepherd’s bag?  He did not know it at the time, but David was protecting his future flock of Israel and willingly putting his life in harm’s way. It affirms in Psalm 78 that the Lord chose David, His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds “to shepherd Jacob His people…so he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands.”(v. 70-72) As a man after God’s own heart, David is a living example of the love and protection we find in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who said of Himself, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (John 10:11)

Let’s linger over Psalm 23 and explore the riches of each verse:

The Lord is my Shepherd:  If God is Lord of my life, then I am allowing Him to govern and guide my life, wherever and however He deems best.

I shall not want:  If I am trusting in my Shepherd to guide me, than I will not have any wants or needs other than what He provides.  He knows what is best for my life and feeds me out of His hand in His own timing and His own way.

He makes me lie down in green pastures: If my Father is providing for my needs and wants, I will find contentment and will not have to constantly graze or look for “greener pastures”.  I will be able to rest in His blessings and His care, no matter how abundant or how scarce.

He leads me beside quiet waters.  If I have found contentment and trust in His provision, then I will not drown in the rapid waters when life attempts to pull me under.

He restores my soul:  If I am finding peace and rest in Him, then this will give Him time to heal my innermost being and renovate the broken pieces of my life where harm has come to me from others or from myself. 

Our soul is our entire being: mental, physical, and emotional—our inner self.  It is the very core of who we are. The Lord not only wants to restore our spiritual life by giving us new life in His Son, Jesus Christ, but He also wants to restore the very center of our beings.  To restore means “to turn back, return, refresh, repair.” (H7725) During these times in my life I will learn to trust Him more as He teaches me His ways and that He created me for His workmanship. He wants all of our being healthy and whole, complete and satisfied in Him.  “You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, and with ALL your soul, and with ALL your strength, and with ALL your mind” (Luke 10:27, emphasis mine)

He guides me in the paths of righteousness:  If I allow Him to come in and restore my soul, then I will become more like Him and will choose His righteousness over my own.

For His names’ sakeIf I choose His paths of righteousness, this will bring glory and honor to His name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death:  If my life’s goal is to bring Him glory, than nothing is outside of His purposes for me.  Not the death of a loved one, the death of a dream, the death of my health, the death of a relationship.  He will never leave me nor forsake me, and He will work all things together for good “to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  I must walk by faith and not by sight during these dark times of life.

I fear no evil, for You are with meIf I trust that the Lord is with me and for me, and that He will ultimately right every wrong--maybe not in this lifetime on this side of eternity--but forevermore as we each stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. If I trust the Lord with all the circumstances of my life, I will trust Him in His discipline and correction of the path I have chosen to bring me back to Him.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: If I trust the Lord to right every wrong, then ultimately Jesus will settle the score for me.  I do not have to take retribution or vengeance out on even the worst of grievances.

You have anointed my head with oil:   If I trust the Lord to be a God of Holiness and Justice, He will sooth my wounds done to me by others.

My cup overflowsIf I allow Him to sooth my wounds, the cup of my life will overflow. Gratitude and thankfulness will be the result that pour forth over my lips.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life:  If my life is overflowing with His grace and mercy and healing, then His goodness and lovingkindness will be evident in my life.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. If I trust in Him and abide in His love, I will delight in eternity by daily entering His gates with thanksgiving while here on this earth and knowing that I will dwell with Him forevermore in Eternity.
One thousand years after the reign of King David, an angel of the Lord stood before the shepherds tending their flock outside the city of Bethlehem and announced that “today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)  How beautiful that from David, past Shepherd King, to Jesus, future Shepherd King, the most famous birth announcement from heaven on high would be delivered with great joy to the shepherds protecting their flock by night.

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will be on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forever more.” (Isaiah 9: 6-7)

How about you?  Have you allowed the Lord to draw you into a very personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd?  If not stop and ask Him into your heart today. If, however, you have a personal relationship with Christ, , are you allowing His Holy Spirit to lead and guide you daily through the good times of green pastures and the dark times of valleys and trials?  Allow Jesus to be both Savior and Lord of your life.  If you have known Him for a long time in your journeys, how can you personalize this psalm for your own life?  What does this psalm mean to you? Take some time to either memorize David’s words or rewrite this psalm with your own pen.  Below is my personal paraphrase of David’s most beautiful of all psalms:

Eternal guidance
Leads me to salvation
And rest for my weary soul.
Earthly trials
Teach me to trust Him more
And seek protection
In His discipline and love.
Eternal victory results,
Bringing with it
Abundant grace, goodness,
And lovingkindness
While I walk this earth
And forevermore in eternity,
Experiencing everlasting joy forever and ever
Through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

THE GATES OF OLD

“LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, O GATES, AND BE LIFTED UP, O ANCIENT DOORS, THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN!  WHO IS THE KING OF GLORY?  THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY, THE LORD MIGHTY IN BATTLE.” PSALM 24:7-8

Nehemiah in the Old Testament is best known for his leadership in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.  In today’s world, we live in cities without walls, but in ancient days, a strong city had fortified walls as a main line of defense.  Large doors and passageways were placed in the walls that could be guarded, protected and locked.  When open, commerce flowed in and out of the city through the gates.  Legal matters were resolved at the gates of a city. Prophets proclaimed God’s judgment to the nations.  Criminals were taken outside of the gates to be punished.

At the time of Nehemiah, the Israelites were living in exile and slavery, scattered throughout the Persian Empire.  Nehemiah received a report that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, which signified great disgrace to the Israelites. For Nehemiah, the news caused him to weep and mourn, to fast and pray for days on end. But then, through a miraculous sequence of events, King Artaxerxes not only gave Nehemiah permission to travel back to Jerusalem but also funded the project and gave him protection for travel.  Nehemiah and his fellow Israelites rebuilt the walls within 52 days, despite much opposition.

Hidden within this story of the physical rebuilding of the walls is a story of spiritual rebuilding for believers.  There are many lessons to be learned, including building up what has been torn down in our lives and creating healthy boundaries in our relationships. But within the story of the walls is another story: the rebuilding of the gates to the city.  When you examine closely the account in Nehemiah 3, you realize that God’s word has a beautiful parallel of the doorways to our lives and what we allow to flow in and out of the gates to our hearts as we walk with Christ.

It says in Psalm 87:2-3: “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.”  Let us examine together the significance of the gates in our lives.

THE SHEEP GATE.  This gate represents Jesus Christ. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)  Just as sheep were brought through this gate to be sacrificed at the temple, Jesus became our sacrifice on the cross, the atonement for our sins.  Once and forever more His death and resurrection has reconciled us to God. Next to the Sheep Gate sits the Tower of Hananel, which means “God’s mercy”.  We do not deserve His unmerited favor. Then next to it is the Tower of Ne’ah, which means “one hundred”.  Jesus told a parable in Luke 15:3-7 of a shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to go find the one lost sheep, and when he returns with it, there is great rejoicing.  God does not want anyone to perish but for all to come to salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. “The sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” (John 10:4)

This gate was the only gate consecrated and hung by the Jewish priests.  To consecrate means “to recognize as something special, set apart for God’s glory.”

Application:  Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? If you have not, Jesus declares, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

THE FISH GATE.  This gate represents that we are to be witnesses.  Someone told us the good news of Jesus Christ that led us to salvation.  The scales came off of our eyes and we believed. Now we are to tell others of the same hope that is in us. “And He said to them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) The Fish Gate was literally where fishermen brought their fish to market from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River.  Isn't it interesting that four of the twelve disciples were fishermen casting their nets on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called them into ministry?  And just as it was brothers who were rebuilding this gate during Nehemiah’s time, it was 2 sets of brothers who left their boats to follow Jesus. God created us for fellowship and to go tell others  with our brothers and sisters in Christ by our side. “Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.” (Luke 10:1)

Application: Does your life speak about Jesus, both with words and with action? Are you in the marketplace getting to know those who have not heard of the love of Christ? Are you part of a band of brothers that has an abiding love for those without hope?

THE OLD GATE. This gate represents our heavenly Father, the Ancient of Days.   Holy, perfect and complete.   Filled with loving kindness and truth with no beginning and no end.  “Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.” (Psalm 93:2) The first builder of the gate was Joiada.  His name means “Yahweh knows.”  Our heavenly Father knows us and is intimately acquainted with all of our ways.  The second builder’s name is Paseah, which means “counsel of the Lord.”  Are you seeking the counsel of the Lord who knows everything about you? Later in the book of Nehemiah, both of these men will stand alongside Ezra to read and explain His written word to the people so they could understand God more fully.

Application:  Are you growing and being rooted in Him more and more each day through His Word? Do you “stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it?” (Jeremiah 6:16)

THE VALLEY GATE.  This gate represents humility.  “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)  Are you exercising a humble heart or demanding your own way?  Are you following the Good Shepherd in obedience and faith no matter what the circumstances?  Valleys in the Bible also represent trials. You can praise God and trust Him in the difficulties, when you have been brought low and been broken, because you can choose to trust Him no matter what the physical eyes can see, but instead what  the eyes of faith believe.   

Application:  Is your heart humble before the Lord? Are you allowing suffering to produce righteousness in your life?  Are you trusting Him by faith?

THE REFUSE GATE. This gates represents confession.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)  The primary Greek word for confess is ‘homologeo’ which means ‘to say the same thing’ and then ‘agree, admit, acknowledge.” Confession is simply agreeing with God that what you have done is wrong in His eyes and aligning our character to His character.

Application: Are you humbling yourself and confessing your sins to Almighty God?  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.” (Psalm 51:10)

THE FOUNTAIN GATE. This gate represents the Holy Spirit, “the river of life in us.” (John 4:14)  He is alive and active in us to guide and direct our footsteps and to complete the work that was begun in us. Historically the Pool of Siloach was located at this gate.  Fresh, clean water flowed from this pool to  the city through Hezekiah’s tunnel. This water was called “mayhim chayim” which translates “living water”.

Application:  Are you quenching the Spirit in our lives? Or are you allowing the living water to flow freely through your life?  It says in Revelation 21:6: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.”

THE WATER GATE.  This gate represents the Word of God.  When Ezra and the priests read the Law to the Israelites later in the book of Nehemiah, they did not stand at the Temple but instead in front of  the Water Gate.  “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.” (Ephesians 5:25-26)  After hearing God’s word read and explained to them by the priests, the Israelites worshipped, confessed, wept, and then rejoiced and recommitted themselves to becoming His people once again.  Next to the Water Gate is the Gate of Ephraim, which means “doubly fruitful.”  When you are putting God’s word into practice, you are doubly blessed.

Application: Are you daily pouring over His Word and growing in Him?  To study His Word is to grow in Christ, because “His name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19: 13)

THE HORSE GATE.  This gate represents spiritual warfare. In the ancient world the horse was only used for one purpose: battle.  It either carried a warrior on its back or pulled a chariot.  Nothing else.  We are instructed to “put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”  (Ephesians 6:11)

Application:  Do you know you are in a spiritual battle?  Have you put on your armor for the day: the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit? 

THE EAST GATE. This gate represents Hope—expectancy--Christ’s return.  And when He does return, the 12 gates to the city of Jerusalem will never be closed again. (Revelation 21:25)

Application: Are you looking for Jesus to return, even today?  “For this reason you also must be ready: for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” (Matthew 24:44)

THE JUDGMENT GATE. This gate represents inspection or examination.  What are the motives of your heart?  Are you allowing God to search your heart for a clear conscience, pure heart, and right motive?  Ultimately “we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10) and receive the crown of life, but daily are you allowing Him to also inspect our hearts?

Application: Are you accountable today before the Lord for your motives and actions? “Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart.” (Psalm 26:2)


How about you? Your heart is God’s temple and in and out of your city gates flows life everlasting.  Have you neglected a gate in your life and it needs repair? To repair is the word “chazaq” which means “strengthening, encouraging or making something strong.”  It is the same word used in Ephesians 4:12 for the equipping of the saints, which means “to prepare, strengthen, and make something able to be used.” Inspect your heart daily and do the same as in the days of Nehemiah: they saw what needed to be done and “put their hands to the good work.” (Nehemiah 2:18) 

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

TAKE COURAGE

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

These words, “be strong and courageous”, are repeated in the Old Testament to and by some of the most elite of our heroes of the faith.  They were said:
  • ·        By Moses to the nation of Israel before they crossed the Jordan and possessed the land. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
  • ·      By Moses to Joshua as he was transferring leadership of the nation of Israel to Joshua. (Deuteronomy 31: 7-8, 23)
  • ·        By the Lord to Joshua after the death of Moses. (Joshua 1:6,9, 18)
  • ·       By King David to his son, Solomon, as he was commissioning him to be king and for the building of the temple. (I Chronicles 22:13)
  • ·      By King Hezekiah to the people of Israel as the King of Assyria was preparing to attack Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 32:7)

Daunting tasks.  Unknown territories.  Terrifying enemies.  Each circumstance could allow doubt and fear to creep in.  Why is it that we are not to fear or be dismayed?  Because the Lord promises that He will "not fail you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5) and that He is “with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

In each of these passages of scripture listed above there is similar thought of how to acquire courage in the face of adversity or a daunting task:
1.       GOD GIVES THE ASSIGNMENT: The assignment is always something beyond ourselves. To the nation of Israel: cross the Jordan River in its flood stage with several million men, women, children and livestock.  To Joshua: take possession of the land and conquer very powerful enemies, the very same giants in the land that caused the nation of Israel to doubt God 40 years before.  To Solomon: follow in the footsteps of your father, King David, and build a temple for My Glory.  To Hezekiah:  defeat the enemy.  The point is to not trust in our own strengths and abilities but to trust Him by faith for His provision. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)
2.       GOD GOES BEFORE US: As disciples of Christ, we are called to follow Him and be like Him, and He is the Lion of Judah.  “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)  Many times in the Bible it states that we are to “take courage.”  Not mustering it up, not conjuring it up on our own, not talking ourselves into it kind of courage.  Instead, like borrowing someone else’ cloak to wrap around us, we are to put on the full armor of God. “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:24)  Follow the example of Daniel.  An angel appears before him and Daniel says “As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.”  The angels response: “O man of high esteem, do not be afraid.  Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!”  What was Daniel’s response?  “Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, ‘May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”  (Daniel 10: 17-19)
3.       FEAR GOD, NOT THE TASK IN FRONT OF YOU: We are human, finite creatures who cannot see the beginning from the end.  The unknown terrifies us. But “God is love” (I John 4:16) and “perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18) We are to bring our fears to the Lord to allow Him to cast them out. To cast is the Greek word “ballo” which means: 1) to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls and 2) to give over to one’s care uncertain about the result. (G906)  Go to God in prayer, casting your human fears onto Him and allowing Him to replace those fears with a healthy reverence of who He is.  When we see Him as He truly is:  all powerful, all knowing, all wise, we can place our trust in Him and not in the circumstances we are up against.  This is exactly how David defeated Goliath.  He did not look at the size of his opponent or the armor he was wearing or the reputation that proceeded him.  Instead, David, a shepherd boy, challenged Goliath because Goliath was insulting the one true living God.  “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.  This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” (I Samuel 17:45-46)
4.       YOU STILL MUST POSSESS THE LAND:  In God’s strange economy, He still asks us to step out in faith and do our part.  Action and obedience are required. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) To say it in an opposite manner:  “To disbelieve is to disobey.”--Charles Spurgeon
5.       OUR VICTORY IS FILLED WITH HIS PROMISES: When we are obedient to His calling, we get to experience victory and will grow in faith because of it.  It took courage for the Israelites to follow the Lord’s command to march around the walls of Jericho for 7 days with no war cries and no attack, only the marching sound of the army’s footsteps  following behind God’s presence as the priests carried the ark of the covenant.  How foolish the Israelites looked to a gated city with fortified walls.  But it did not seem so foolish when the walls came tumbling down!  To be of good courage is literally translated “to be of good cheer.” Can you imagine the shouts of cheer and the joyful celebration afterwards to actively participate in God’s plan and to see His hand at work?
6.       IT’S HIS SPIRIT THAT EMPOWERS US FROM WITHIN. The word for good cheer is “tharseo” which refers to: “God bolstering the believer, empowering them with a bold inner-attitude. For the believer, tharseo is the result of the Lord infusing His strength by His inner working of faith.  Showing this unflinching, bold courage means living out the inner confidence that is Spirit-produced.” (HELPS Word-studies)  He asks us to exercise faith, but then He supplies  faith through His Spirit.  Amazing!
7.       SUCCESS IS BUILT ON HIS WORD:  The Bible is God’s very own words to you.  He is speaking to you, giving instruction and revealing who He is to you.  When you are meditating on it and being affirmed in the assignment He has given you, “then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” (Joshua 1:8)
8.       THERE ARE THOSE AROUND US WHO WILL BRING US ENOURAGEMENT: To “encourage” means: to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence.” God is the first one to encourage us.  “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) But God also brings those around us to encourage us.  This is the beauty of being in a body of believers that walks by faith also.  “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11)
9.       THE ENEMY BRINGS DISCOURAGEMENT TO TRY AND STOP US:   “Discouragement” means: “to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit. Our enemy is the opposite of God and will do everything he can to discourage us and stop us in our tracks. When Jerusalem was about to be under attack by a powerful enemy, King Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to his people, reminding them to be strong and courageous and that “with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:8) To discourage them, the King of Assyria sent messengers to proclaim to the Israelites in their own language that both their God and King Hezekiah could not be trusted so as to frighten and terrify them.  Did encouragement or discouragement win out?  “And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria.  So he returned in shame to his own land” (2 Chronicles 32:21)
10. SOMETIMES COURAGE REQUIRES ACTION:  King Hezekiah “took courage and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it…and made weapons and shields in great number.” (2 Chronicles 32:5)
11. SOMETIMES COURAGE REQUIRES WAITING:  “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)  Waiting should not be passive.  Instead, it should be alive and active.  In this Psalm, David speaks of dwelling in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, singing praises to God, hearing His voice, seeking His face.  David was actively seeking God and learning to trust Him more while in the waiting. 
12. SOMETIMES CHANGE REQUIRES COURAGE: This is probably the most fascinating thought of all: sometimes a good change that we desire requires courage.  Jesus stated the phrase “take courage” immediately before healing a paralytic, before healing a blind beggar, and before healing a woman that had bled for 12 years.  Why would this take courage on their part?  Because they would have to tell others of what Jesus had done for them.  They would have to change patterns of life they had known for most or all of their life.  The beggar could no longer beg.  The paralytic could now walk to work when he had never had to work before. The woman, trying to hide her private illness, was asked to publicly proclaim her faith.  Sometimes the very prayer we have uttered for years gets answered, but then it takes courage to see it through with the next steps of faith.

How about you?  What assignment has God given you today?  To turn your world upside down by accepting His love and forgiveness through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ? To share His love with your neighbor? To stay pure until marriage? To forgive someone? To take a step of faith and go where He has told you to go? Let faith overcome your fears.  Take your shaky knees to the cross and set them down on solid ground in prayer and in His word.  He will strengthen you.  He will encourage you. If He has assigned it, He has designed it.  Take courage from His brave heart, be an overcomer, and experience the joy of victory in Christ Jesus today.

“Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers.  Pray for powers equal to your tasks.” –Phillips Brooks


“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.”—John Wayne

Saturday, March 29, 2014

THE TEST OF TRUTH

“…that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you.”
Genesis 42:16

What would you do the first time you saw your 10 brothers for the first time after they stripped you of your multi-colored coat and throw you into a pit?  The ones who hated you, who had discussed killing you, but ultimately settled on selling you into slavery.  As you are chained and taken away, begging your siblings not to do this, you turn back to see them splitting up the 20 pieces of silver that was their price to get rid of you.  The only thing you have done wrong is that you are the favored son.  You are sold into slavery in Egypt.  No one comes for you.  No one looks for you. You go from a life of privilege to no position in life.  You are despised and rejected as a Hebrew in the Egyptian culture. You serve others day after day after day.  You learn a new language.  You learn a new culture.  You wonder what you have done to deserve this.

Joseph: Born the eleventh of twelve sons in Jacob’s household. Joseph finds himself completely alone in a foreign country, except for one thing that he knew and that others around him saw: God was with him.  The Lord blessed him in all that he did.  First in Potiphar’s household, who was a high ranking official as captain of the guard for Pharaoh.  Then falsely accused and placed in the king’s jail.  Each time Joseph rose up and managed the business dealings of both because the Lord was with him.

Joseph had another unique skill; he could interpret dreams. First he tells his brothers in his teenage years of 2 dreams he has of them bowing down to them.  This fueled the fire of their jealousy.  Then he interprets 2 other dreams: one of the cup bearer and one of the baker to Pharaoh.  Both interpretations of the dreams come to pass just as Joseph said they would occur.  Then, through circumstances that only God could orchestrate, Joseph is brought before Pharaoh to interpret 2 dreams that Pharaoh is perplexed by and that no one else can interpret. When Pharaoh states that he has heard that Joseph can interpret dreams, Joseph replies, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” (Genesis 41:15) The message from God is that Egypt will have 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine.  Pharaoh promotes Joseph from slave to second in command of Egypt to prepare for the famine to come.  “You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne will I be greater than you.” (Genesis 41:40)

Joseph goes from rags to riches overnight.  He is given a wife and has 2 sons.  His firstborn son he names Manasseh, which means “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” (Genesis 41:52).  But his father’s household, these same ten brothers, whom he has not seen for 22 years, travel to Egypt to buy grain, for the famine has arrived and was very severe in Canaan also.  Just when you think you have forgotten all your troubles, here walks in trouble through the door!  When his brothers bow down to him, not recognizing him, Joseph remembers his dream of the sheaves of wheat bowing down to him that he had told to his brothers so many years ago.  Now, years later, he is the overseer for the sale of grain to those affected by the famine, and his brothers have come to buy wheat from him.

Joseph had a choice at this moment in time. He had every opportunity to enslave his brothers who had enslaved him.  He also had the power to have them killed as they had talked about doing to him.  If revenge had been on his heart, oh what sweet revenge it would have been.  No one would have ever known…no one but God Himself.  But Joseph understood that to sin was to sin against God.  It is what kept him pure through the temptation with Potiphar’s wife and being stripped of his garment a second time.  It is what kept him pure now seeing his brothers and not seeking retribution.

Instead, Joseph works out a plan to see if his older brothers would respond differently with a similar set of circumstances.  No one knows if Joseph knew from start to finish what he would do, but we do know that it mirrored the same situation of when they chose evil and hatred over goodness and truth.  We can see God’s hand in bringing them to repentance and redemption. They were given a second chance to prove if their hearts had changed.

  • ·     Would there be repentance?  There was no remorse when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery.  When they did so, they sat and ate dinner while he was in the pit, discussing if they were going to murder him.  Now in Egypt, Joseph holds his brothers in jail for 3 days (could it be the same king’s jail that he had been placed in?), accusing them of being spies.  During this time Joseph hears them talking about the fact that distress has come upon them because of what they did to Joseph and “now comes the reckoning for his blood.” (Genesis 42:22) Their sin of 2 decades before, although buried deep down in their hearts until this day, is already rising to the surface.  It moved Joseph to tears to hear them talk of their past sins against him. 
  •      Would there be truth spoken?  Joseph had no proof that his father or his brother, Benjamin, were alive and that his other 10 brothers were telling the truth.  “If you are honest men…bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified…” (Genesis 42:19-20). Joseph keeps his brother, Simeon, in Egypt while the other 9 brothers travel back home to convince their father to allow Benjamin to return with them.
  • ·       Would there be greed? Joseph returned the money into their sacks of grain that they had used to pay for the grain on their first journey home.  Would they keep it or return it?  The brothers not only returned it, but doubled the money to return plus brought some other gifts, the best of the land, from Canaan, when they arrived back the second time to Egypt, this time bringing also their youngest brother, Benjamin.
  • ·     Would there be a sacrifice of another younger, favored brother? Joseph sets up a final test in which a special cup of Joseph’s is placed in the sack of Benjamin as they leave to return home for their final journey.  “He whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” (Genesis 44:10)  How tempting it might have been for the 10 other brothers to decide to allow Benjamin to remain a slave in Egypt, and repeat their past pattern of selling Joseph into slavery in Egypt.  It was presented to them that the rest could go free.  But this is when Judah, one of Joseph’s older brothers, steps forward and repeats the promise he made to their father, that Judah himself “became surety for the lad to my father.” (Genesis 44:32).  Judah offered to take Benjamin’s place as a slave forever in Egypt and send his brother home so that he would not bring further distress upon his father again, knowing his bereavement over Joseph all these years.

“Then Joseph could not control himself…he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.” (Genesis 45:1)  His brothers had passed the test of truth.  They could be trusted so that Joseph could reveal who he was to them and ultimately bring his family to provision and safety in Egypt, including being reunited with his father who thought his son was dead.

Character is both revealed and developed through a time of testing.  “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind.  Even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17.10)

Joseph is evidence of a steadfast heart through the trials of faith.  He never let bitterness or revenge take over his heart.  Somehow the Lord had revealed to him that “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)  Joseph’s life would be a testimony of the meaning of the name of the second son, Ephraim, who was born to him: “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” (Genesis 41:52)  Joseph would ultimately save his extended family from starvation and receive a double blessing through his father to his 2 sons, and would extend mercy and grace to those that did not deserve it.

Judah is evidence of a repentive heart through the test of faith.  First he gives a confession before Joseph: “…how can we justify ourselves?  God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession and cup has been found” (Genesis 44: 16) Then, Judah, who was the brother who originally suggested that they sell Joseph into slavery, is the one all these years later who offers himself up to go into slavery so he could protect his youngest brother, Benjamin, from harm.  “Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with brothers, for how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father.”(Genesis 44:33-34)

Although fourth in the line of brothers, Judah stepped forward and took the lead in breaking the past and forging the future.  His tribe would rise up and become the largest and most influential tribe of Israel. “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.” (Genesis 49:8) It would also be the tribe from which the Messiah would come forth, and Jesus Christ would forevermore be known as the Lion of Judah.

How about you?  Do you see God in your circumstances, even when you are currently in the land of affliction?  Are you allowing the Lord to make you fruitful in the midst of your suffering?  Where is there sin in your life buried deep down?  Have you come to realize that any sin is a sin against God?  Ask the Lord to speak truth in your heart on where you need to ask for forgiveness from Him and from others, and start anew.  Are you going through a test of faith right now?  Is it proving your character or developing you spiritually? The Lord wants you to change and grow and pass the test of truth, the test of faith.


“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  James 1:2-4

Sunday, March 16, 2014

THE JOURNEY OF JACOB

“Then Israel (Jacob) bowed in worship at the head of the bed.” (Genesis 47:31)

Jacob had a bright and promising beginning to life.  He was in a linage of faith by being Abraham’s grandson and Isaac’s son.   Born as a younger twin to his brother, Esau, God had revealed to Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, that “the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23) 
But did Jacob model this lifestyle of faith?  Not in his early days.  Just because you are in a family of faith does not mean that you possess that faith. We see a progression of Jacob’s spiritual life as his story unfolds in the chapters of Genesis.

NO FAITH OF HIS OWN:  Jacob’s name means “supplanter: one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place for another.”  And boy did he live up to his name!  First, Jacob convinced his brother, Esau, to sell him his birthright in exchange for a bowl of stew.  This had serious consequences because the first born son received a double portion of his father’s inheritance and became the patriarch of the family.  Then, secondly in an even more devious act, Jacob deceived his father, Isaac, by disguising himself as Esau to receive the blessing given from the father to the first born son.  To receive the blessing was irreversible and considered a legal act, not to be undone, even though deception was at the heart of receiving the blessing.  When Esau realized what had occurred, “he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, ‘Bless me even me also, O my father.” (Genesis 27:33)  Isaac’s response: “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing…Behold I have made him your master…” (Genesis 27: 35, 37)

Why did Jacob do this when God has promised that Jacob would rule over his brother while he was still in his mother’s womb?  Most likely because he did not have a faith of his own or a faith strong enough to believe the promises of God.  Jacob said a very interesting thing in the middle of his deception to Isaac. He says to his father, “The Lord your God caused it to happen to me.” (Genesis 27:20).  Note that Jacob is talking about Isaac’s God, not his own God.

WHAT HE CAN GET OUT OF GOD:  Because of Jacob’s deception, he ends up leaving his household, fearful that Esau will kill him, and travels to the home of his Uncle Laban.  The first night he has a dream of the angels of God ascending and descending on a ladder from heaven to earth and back again. In the dream God affirms the same covenant with Jacob that He did with Abraham and Isaac, that the Lord will give him the land and that all the families of the earth will be blessed through his descendants.  Jacob’s response: “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God.” (Genesis 28:20)  This is a conditional vow based on what  God can do for him.  Note that God’s covenant promise to him is unconditional.  God will see His promise through no matter what Jacob’s response.

JACOB WRESTLES WITH GOD:  Twenty years have passed since Jacob laid his head on a rock at Bethel and dreamed his dream.  Our God, who is a covenant keeping God, has proven himself to Jacob.  He has fed him, clothed him, and is returning him to his father’s house in safety.  The Lord had blessed him in his business ventures.  He was returning home with oxen, donkeys, goats, camels, sheep, cows, servants, and a very large family.  But along the way home he encounters his brother, Esau coming towards him with 400 men.
Jacob was exceedingly afraid, but he prays this prayer to God, “I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant.” (Genesis 32:10)  To protect his family, he sends everyone across the river for the night.  It is during this same evening that he wrestles with God until daybreak.  Jacob would not let go until the God blessed him.  Jacob was looking for the true blessing, not a stolen blessing, and the Lord blessed him with the best gift of all: He changed his name from Jacob, the supplanter, to “Israel”, which means “he fights or persists with God (in prevailing prayer)”.  The Lord changed his identity, the very nature of who he was.  Because of this, when he completes his journey, Israel builds an altar and calls it El-Elohe-Israel, which means “a Mighty God is the God of Israel.”  Note that Jacob, now known as Israel, is proclaiming that this mighty God is now his God, not just that of his families.

JACOB BECOMES A WORSHIPER OF GOD:  From here on out, everywhere Jacob went, he built alters and worshipped the Lord.   In Bethel, not only does he build an altar, but he also instructs his household to put away all foreign idols and to purify themselves. Jacob declares to his family and servants: “I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress and has been with me where I have gone.” (Genesis 35:2-3) In Paddan-aram, Jacob sets up a pillar of stone and pours a drink offering and oil on the stone, which was customary in that day to mean that Jacob was making a covenant with the Lord, not just God fulfilling His covenant with Jacob as it had been in the past. And then, years later, as Jacob is nearing death, it says in the faith chapter of Hebrews 11:21:  “By faith Jacob, as he was dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshipped leaning on the top of his staff.”

Was Jacob’s life perfect?  No, not by any means.  Deception ran throughout his life, and he reaped great suffering because of it.  But during his lifetime, did Jacob learn to trust, rely, and worship the Lord God Almighty?  Most definitely yes. Fourteen times in scripture the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob” is mentioned with their four names intertwined and linked together. The heritage of Jacob’s father and  grandfather became his own as Jacob embraced this personal, covenant keeping God.

There are two other ways among many that Jacob was blessed.  First, Jesus referenced the dream of Jacob of the angels ascending and descending on a ladder. In John 1:51, Jesus said that the Son of Man is the ladder and the link between heaven and earth.  “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which you must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)  Jacob was given a vision of the coming Messiah.  We have the privilege of accepting by faith that Jesus is the Messiah, that we believe He is  the Son of God and the Son of Man, and that salvation comes through Him and no one else.

Second, the nation of Israel would be known by Jacob’s new name.  And his 12 sons would become the twelve tribes of Israel, forever known as the Israelites.  Every time you watch a news event and hear the nation of Israel mentioned today, it is a reminder of Jacob and his faith in El-Elohe-Israel.

How about you?  Where are you on your faith journey?  Maybe those that surround you have an abiding faith, but you have not committed to trusting in Him yourself.  Ask the Lord to supply your faith and allow you to see Him for who He truly is.  Place your trust in God’s son, Jesus,  asking Him to come into your heart, knowing that He has a new identity to give to you. Maybe you are playing “Let’s Make a Deal” with God:  If You will do this for me, I will do this for you.  If so, ask the Lord to open your eyes to His daily provision of loving you and keeping His covenant with you and to trust Him more fully for who He is, not just what He can give you.  Hopefully  you are a true worshipper, worshipping in Spirit and in Truth.  Then keep at it, building your daily alters to Him and sacrificing your life for the eternal life He has blessed you with, not out of duty but out of relationship and love.  Be obedient to the call in Christ Jesus.  The same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the same God who glorified His Son, Jesus, and raised Him from the dead so you may have new life in Him forevermore.

“How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psalm 146:5)


Friday, February 28, 2014

MY ALL IN ALL

“TEACHER, WHICH IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENT OF THE LAW?  AND HE SAID, ‘ YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. THIS IS THE GREAT AND FOREMOST COMMANDMENT.” (MATTHEW 22:36-38)

The word “ALL”.  Three little letters packed with so much depth and meaning.  The Hebrew word for all is “kol” which means: the whole, any, each, every, anything, totality, everything. (H3605)  We are to love the Lord our God with our whole, entire, everything we’ve got being.  Not just our dressed up, Sunday morning best self, but every component of our mind, our emotions, our wills, and our strength. The very essence of who we are every moment of every day is what we are to dedicate daily to Him.

Why does the Lord require this of us?  For one simple reason: Because He has given His ALL towards us. 

WHO GOD IS:
  • HE IS ABOVE ALL OTHER GODS:  "For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above ALL gods." (Psalm 135:5)
  • HE IS HOLY:  "There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God." (I Samuel 2:2)
  • HE IS RIGHTEOUS: "The Lord is righteous in ALL His ways and kind in ALL His deeds." (Psalm 145:17)
  • HE IS FAITHFUL:  "For the word of the Lord is upright, and ALL His work is done in faithfulness" (Psalm 33:4)
  • HE IS MERCY AND GRACE:  "But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth."  (Psalm 86:15)
  • HE IS GOOD: "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindess to ALL who call upon You."  (Psalm 86:5)
  • HE IS LOVE:  "We love, because He first loved us." (I John 4:19)
There is no other God like our God!

WHO WE ARE:

  • WE ARE HIS CREATION: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27)
  • WE HAVE SINNED:  "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
  • WE HAVE GONE ASTRAY: "ALL of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way..." (Isaiah 53:6)
Compared to others, we may be moral and good people, but compared to God and His Holiness, we fall short of His glory.

WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US:

  • GOD HAS PAID THE PRICE:  "...but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us ALL to fall on Him." (Isaiah 53:6)
  • GOD GAVE US HIS SON:  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
  • GOD HAS REDEEMED US:  "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us."  (Ephesians 1:7-8)
  • GOD FORGIVES OUR SINS: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness."  (I John 1:9)
God created us for fellowship with Him, but when disobedience and sin entered into this world, it created a gap far too wide for us to fill.   So God, in His great wisdom and love, provided The Way, The Truth, and The Life to fill that gap: through believing in His Son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus paid it ALL, ALL to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” (From the hymn “Jesus Paid it All”).


WHAT HE ASKS OF US:

  • BELIEVE IN HIM: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)
  • PLACE OUR TRUST IN HIM:  "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  (Proverbs 3:5-6)
The Lord asks us to simply believe in Him for salvation and then to trust by faith in Him daily to grow in His grace.  ALL to Jesus, I surrender; ALL to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live. I surrender ALL, I surrender ALL, ALL to Thee my blessed Saviour, I surrender ALL.” (From the hymn: “I Surrender All.”)


HOW HE RESPONDS TO US:

  • HE BLESSES US: "Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)
  • HE GIVES US FULLNESS OF LIFE: "I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
  • HE LOVES US: "ALL the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies." (Psalm 25:10)
  • HE DRAWS NEAR TO US: "The Lord is near to ALL who call upon Him, to ALL that call upon Him in truth." (Psalm 145:18)
  • HE PROTECTS US: "He is a shield to ALL who take refuge in Him." (Psalm 18:3)
  • HE DELIVERS US FROM OUR FEARS: "I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from ALL my fears." (Psalm 34:4)
  • HIS GRACE ABOUNDS TO US: "And God is able to make ALL grace abound to you, so that always have ALL sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." (2 Corinthians 9:8)
  • HE GIVES PURPOSE TO OUR LIVES: "And we know that God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according  to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
When responding to God with all of our selves, He responds to us with everything He has to bring us into fullness and fellowship with Him.

HOW WE RESPOND TO HIM:

  • DWELL IN HIM: "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord ALL the days of my life." (Psalm 27:4)
  • WALK IN HIM: "so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in ALL respects, bearing fruit in EVERY good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:10)
  • ABIDE IN HIM: "I am the vine and you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
  • GIVE THANKS TO HIM: "I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with ALL my heart, and will glorify Your name forever." (Psalm 86:12)
With grateful hearts, full of God’s love and mercy, we  respond to Him by giving ourselves more fully to HIm when we realize ALL the many ways He has blessed our lives with His abundant, overflowing grace.

Our relationship with the Lord should never be singular or linear. I get a ticket to heaven and prayers answered from God; He gets good behavior from me. Instead, our devotion to God should be multi-faceted and circular. He is in the center, filling us up with His presence, His goodness, His faithfulness in our lives every moment of every day. He becomes our first love, our first joy, our first delight.  Nothing else of this world will satisfy except His abundant grace and mercy and love. It’s about His Spirit indwelling us and overflowing in us to allow us to walk in a manner worthy of His calling as we fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ.  “Watch over your heart with ALL diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

How about you?  How are you responding to God the Father today?  Do you see Him as ALL mercy, goodness, love, and faithfulness?  If not, open up your Bible to the Psalms and read aloud about His character and who He is, praying His words back to Him and asking Him to reveal more of His character to you.  Are you in relationship with His Son, Jesus, today?  If not, He offers salvation to ALL who believe.  Stop and ask Him into your heart today.  If you are a Christ Follower and are in fellowship with Him, have you given Him your ALL, your everything?  You may have given Him your heart for salvation, but not your heart for day to day Lordship and fellowship.  If not, ask Him to step into the crevices and cracks and have Him supply ALL you needs, including to give Him your ALL, today. Your life will be fully blessed and enriched if you do.

“Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all.”--Augustine

“The Lord’s everything is worthy of our everything.”—Tullian Tchividjian