The Power of Praying for Your Children
by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
The sobering news about raising children is that we really have no ultimate control over whether our child will choose the narrow gate that leads to life (Matthew 7:14) or the wide gate that leads to destruction. If other experiences in life have not humbled us and shown us how dependent we are on God, then parenting a preadolescent or teenager will.
Understanding our desperate need to depend on God is the good news. Once we give up the naive idea that we parents can dictate the choices our children will make and the spiritual gate they will walk through—narrow or broad—then we are ready to slip on the kneepads and get serious about prayer.
What have we learned about prayer for our children as they prepare for and enter adolescence?
Pray regularly. Bring every concern, dream, and desire about your child to God in fervent, persistent prayer. (Luke 18:1–8 contains a great parable on persistent prayer that must have been for parents of teenagers.)
Two of the best times to pray with your child are on the way to school (assuming you drive him) and at bedtime—regardless of age. We live about five miles from our school. Every morning we would pray about things most important to our children—tests, friends, teachers, activities. As the car topped the hill right before the school building, we always concluded with the same request: “And Lord, we ask that you would keep Rebecca, Deborah, and Laura from harm, evil, and temptation this day, that they would experience You at work in their lives and be used by You to influence others for Your Kingdom. Amen.” Now that our teenagers drive themselves to school, we use breakfast for this prayer time.
Bedtime prayers can be more personal for each child. Pray for his future mate, relationships, activities, challenges, temptations, and heart for God. Don’t assume that a teenager is too big for you to kneel beside his bed and stroke his face and pray.
Pray offensively. Before your child hits adolescence, pray for his peer group—that he will have at least one strong Christian buddy for the teenage years. Ask God to protect your child daily from others who would be an evil influence. Also consider asking God to help you spot your child doing things right so that you can encourage him in making right choices.
Pray defensively. On more than one occasion we have sought the Lord’s help in removing a friend of questionable character from our child’s life.
From time to time we have felt that one of our teens might be deceiving us, but we could never be absolutely certain. In those situations we have asked God to help us catch him if he’s doing something wrong. God seems to feel sorry for parents who pray this prayer!
Pray intensely. One of the most misunderstood spiritual disciplines of the Christian life is prayer accompanied with fasting (the giving up of food for a prescribed period of time). Although fasting does not earn points with God, He nonetheless assumes in Scripture that we will fast and pray (see Matthew 6:16–18) and promises to reward us if we do it correctly. We know a couple who have set aside each Monday to fast, sunup until sundown, and pray for their struggling 14-year-old child.
Pray when God brings your child to mind. It may be at that very moment, your child is facing a circumstance of critical importance. Some friends of ours felt a strong and sudden need one night to pray for their daughter. At the very time they slipped out of bed and to their knees, a police car was driving by their daughter’s car on a remote mountain road where she and a girlfriend had gone to look at the city lights, eat a sandwich, and talk. Unknown to them, an escaped prisoner was hiding underneath the car. The prisoner was apprehended, and the girls drove off unharmed.
Pray with your child. It’s easy for prayer to become an exclusive dialogue—you and God. Why not do what one mom, Nina, did with her teenage daughter, Natalie, and become prayer partners? Natalie’s teenage years were filled with special moments in which she and her mom knelt together and prayed over Natalie’s struggles and challenges.
Pray together as a couple. For more than 26 years of marriage we have ended each day in prayer together as a couple. No spiritual discipline has protected our marriage and our family more than this daily time of communion together with God.
Three of our six children have made it through adolescence. With that behind us, you might think we are tempted to coast to the finish line. Hardly! We’ve been humbled so many times that we know how impossible it is for us to shape the hearts of our children on our own. We pray more than ever for our children—all of them.
God wants the same thing for you and your child. Talk to Him. James 5:16 tell us, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
September 23, 2010
Struggle, Turn to Him
Written by Joe Gibbs
In Mark 6, it discusses the disciples being on the sea. They were out at sea during a storm and they were toiling in the boat. They were rowing those boats as hard as they could and they were being swamped. In the middle of all this, it says that Christ saw them toiling. And then he came walking to them on the water. He then said to the sea, "Be calm." Is anyone out there toiling? If so, we can find encouragement in this story because Christ sees us toiling. He can do all things: He's all knowing, all powerful, and all loving. If you're toiling, turn to Him. God loves us so much that he sent His only Son to die on a cross for our sins. Christ can save anyone. He couldn't save himself though. He allowed himself to be sacrificed for us.
So, if you're toiling, please turn to Him.
Written by Joe Gibbs
In Mark 6, it discusses the disciples being on the sea. They were out at sea during a storm and they were toiling in the boat. They were rowing those boats as hard as they could and they were being swamped. In the middle of all this, it says that Christ saw them toiling. And then he came walking to them on the water. He then said to the sea, "Be calm." Is anyone out there toiling? If so, we can find encouragement in this story because Christ sees us toiling. He can do all things: He's all knowing, all powerful, and all loving. If you're toiling, turn to Him. God loves us so much that he sent His only Son to die on a cross for our sins. Christ can save anyone. He couldn't save himself though. He allowed himself to be sacrificed for us.
So, if you're toiling, please turn to Him.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
September 22, 2010
A LIVING SACRIFICE
by Charlene Manning
I still remember about 40 years ago when I first heard about 'giving it all to Jesus.' A friend remarked, "That guy is just not totally sold out to Jesus." I puzzled about that. Not long after, somebody else said, "God doesn't want just ten percent, He wants it all." I knew I didn't understand that either, but suspected I was destined to find out.
The Lord Himself taught me in so many ways over the years. The first lesson came when I saw that Jesus told people to follow Him and they just got up and went. They left their fish nets, their job with the IRS, their homes, their families and followed Him. He told one wealthy young man, Sell all your have and join my merry band." But his money got in the man's way of being "totally sold out to Jesus."
There are so many Scriptures that illustrate the truth concerning living sacrifices. David prayed "bind me to the horns of the altar." Research told me that this was a reference to how sacrifice was made in that day. The altar was a raised bench thing, big enough to hold a large animal for burning. A sort of giant barbecue grill. On each corner there was a projection, a horn, for tying and securing the animal in place. David was picturing himself as the animal being sacrificed, in need of being held on the altar by restraints. He asked the Lord to tie him on the altar so he could not escape. (The problem with living sacrifices is they are able to get up and run off. David knew that.)
Being a living sacrifice means we hold nothing back. It really is an all or nothing situation. Many of us do not believe this, and hold our Christian experience in a pigeon hole of our compartmentalized life. It is separated so it does not spill over into other areas of living. We who live this way are not totally sold out. When Abraham took Isaac up on Mt. Moriah to make a sacrifice [Genesis 22], God provided a ram for the occasion. But it was actually Abraham who went away sacrificed. He held nothing back from God, not even His only son. He was totally sold out. When Jesus prayed in Gethsemene "Not my will, but Thine be done," He was totally sold out, and went on to become the ultimate sacrifice: the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
When playing poker, being "all in" means you bet everything you have at one time. You hold nothing back. If you don't win, you lose everything. How many of us are loathe to be "all in" with our bet on Jesus? Do we have something in reserve that we depend on more than God, or something we can rely on in case He lets us down.
You have longed for God's peace and for faith to increase, and have earnestly, fervently prayed; But you cannot have rest or be perfectly blessed until all on the altar is laid.
Would you walk with the Lord in the light of His word, and have peace and contentment alway?
You must do His sweet will to be free from all ill, on the altar your all you must lay.
Oh we never can know what the Lord will bestow of the blessings for which we have prayed, Of the fellowship sweet we shall share at His feet when our all on the altar is laid.
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blessed and have peace and sweet rest as you yield to Him body and soul.
-----Hymn by Elisha A. Hoffman (1839-1929)
I was crucified with Christ, so I died, and yet, Christ lives in me. And this life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Charlene Reams Manning,
Believer in the Lord Jesus Messiah
by Charlene Manning
I still remember about 40 years ago when I first heard about 'giving it all to Jesus.' A friend remarked, "That guy is just not totally sold out to Jesus." I puzzled about that. Not long after, somebody else said, "God doesn't want just ten percent, He wants it all." I knew I didn't understand that either, but suspected I was destined to find out.
The Lord Himself taught me in so many ways over the years. The first lesson came when I saw that Jesus told people to follow Him and they just got up and went. They left their fish nets, their job with the IRS, their homes, their families and followed Him. He told one wealthy young man, Sell all your have and join my merry band." But his money got in the man's way of being "totally sold out to Jesus."
There are so many Scriptures that illustrate the truth concerning living sacrifices. David prayed "bind me to the horns of the altar." Research told me that this was a reference to how sacrifice was made in that day. The altar was a raised bench thing, big enough to hold a large animal for burning. A sort of giant barbecue grill. On each corner there was a projection, a horn, for tying and securing the animal in place. David was picturing himself as the animal being sacrificed, in need of being held on the altar by restraints. He asked the Lord to tie him on the altar so he could not escape. (The problem with living sacrifices is they are able to get up and run off. David knew that.)
Being a living sacrifice means we hold nothing back. It really is an all or nothing situation. Many of us do not believe this, and hold our Christian experience in a pigeon hole of our compartmentalized life. It is separated so it does not spill over into other areas of living. We who live this way are not totally sold out. When Abraham took Isaac up on Mt. Moriah to make a sacrifice [Genesis 22], God provided a ram for the occasion. But it was actually Abraham who went away sacrificed. He held nothing back from God, not even His only son. He was totally sold out. When Jesus prayed in Gethsemene "Not my will, but Thine be done," He was totally sold out, and went on to become the ultimate sacrifice: the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
When playing poker, being "all in" means you bet everything you have at one time. You hold nothing back. If you don't win, you lose everything. How many of us are loathe to be "all in" with our bet on Jesus? Do we have something in reserve that we depend on more than God, or something we can rely on in case He lets us down.
You have longed for God's peace and for faith to increase, and have earnestly, fervently prayed; But you cannot have rest or be perfectly blessed until all on the altar is laid.
Would you walk with the Lord in the light of His word, and have peace and contentment alway?
You must do His sweet will to be free from all ill, on the altar your all you must lay.
Oh we never can know what the Lord will bestow of the blessings for which we have prayed, Of the fellowship sweet we shall share at His feet when our all on the altar is laid.
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blessed and have peace and sweet rest as you yield to Him body and soul.
-----Hymn by Elisha A. Hoffman (1839-1929)
I was crucified with Christ, so I died, and yet, Christ lives in me. And this life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Charlene Reams Manning,
Believer in the Lord Jesus Messiah
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
September 21, 2010
Modeling Christ to Your Employer
By Os Hillman
September 21
"Urge slaves to obey their masters and to try their best to satisfy them. They must not talk back, nor steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy. In this way they will make people want to believe in our Savior and God" (Titus 2:9-10 TLB).
Sometimes I hear people say they don't see how they can have any significant impact on their workplace because they are pretty low on the totem pole, with little authority to make change. "I'm just a worker," they say. They fail to realize that the authority to impact any workplace comes from having authority with God, not man. And each person can have great authority in God.
The apostle Paul was instructing Titus on how common workers on the island of Create could have an impact on their employers. These workers were often no more than slaves, working in deplorable conditions for masters who were likely involved in lawlessness, drunkenness and idolatry. Not the nicest of working conditions.
Paul felt the way to win over your employer was to follow several key principles: 1) don't talk back, 2) don't steal, and 3) be trustworthy.
There is a great example of a young girl who worked for the wife of an army commander named Naaman. He had leprosy. The godly servant girl from Israel told her employer how he could get healed. What faith and boldness on the part of the servant girl!
"Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy" (2 Kings 5:1-3).
Naaman followed the advice of the lowly servant girl. God healed him through Elisha. I can only imagine the conversations between the servant girl and her employers after this healing occurred.
How might God want to use you in your employer's life?
By Os Hillman
September 21
"Urge slaves to obey their masters and to try their best to satisfy them. They must not talk back, nor steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy. In this way they will make people want to believe in our Savior and God" (Titus 2:9-10 TLB).
Sometimes I hear people say they don't see how they can have any significant impact on their workplace because they are pretty low on the totem pole, with little authority to make change. "I'm just a worker," they say. They fail to realize that the authority to impact any workplace comes from having authority with God, not man. And each person can have great authority in God.
The apostle Paul was instructing Titus on how common workers on the island of Create could have an impact on their employers. These workers were often no more than slaves, working in deplorable conditions for masters who were likely involved in lawlessness, drunkenness and idolatry. Not the nicest of working conditions.
Paul felt the way to win over your employer was to follow several key principles: 1) don't talk back, 2) don't steal, and 3) be trustworthy.
There is a great example of a young girl who worked for the wife of an army commander named Naaman. He had leprosy. The godly servant girl from Israel told her employer how he could get healed. What faith and boldness on the part of the servant girl!
"Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy" (2 Kings 5:1-3).
Naaman followed the advice of the lowly servant girl. God healed him through Elisha. I can only imagine the conversations between the servant girl and her employers after this healing occurred.
How might God want to use you in your employer's life?
Monday, September 20, 2010
September 20, 2010
Years of Confusion
How to learn to trust God in the midst of uncertainty
by Gina Rago
The ground starts to shake; parts of the earth are shifting. An earthquake begins to separate the land around you. Bits of the earth are crumbling into the depths of the ground. To the left to the right, behind you, and in front of you is sinking ground. Chaos and destruction is destroying everything around you . . . but the land directly below your feet remains unshaken.
There was a point in my life where I felt like I was the person on that small piece of land watching everything fall apart around me. Around 2006, my time was spent between hospitals as I watched two people very close to me battle life-threatening diseases.
I watched my aunt struggle with the fiercest and fastest form of lung cancer I’ve ever seen. Within six weeks, I saw a life so full of love and joy reduced to painful chemo treatments and breathing tubes. I sat helpless until the last day when she couldn’t fight anymore and lost her battle to cancer.
A few weeks later I found myself back in the hospital trying to muster up strength for a friend who was undergoing multiple brain surgeries. After six attempts, he was finally released from the hospital.
Around this same time, I struggled to find a job. Fresh out of college, I thought I had a safety net: a diploma from a private university. That turned out to be just a piece of paper with a lot student loans attached to it. Months turned into years as I had plenty of interviews but no job offers.
I did what every other degree-holding, job-seeking post graduate would do: I took a job at Starbucks. Over-caffeinated I was; happy I was not. I was an eager young person ready and willing to make my mark in the world and definitely ready for a life of independence.
Frustration, depression, and anger were slowly creeping into my soul. To say I was confused about my life would be an understatement. I began to doubt the very character of God and his promises.
But God, I prayed, I’m doing everything in my life to glorify and serve you. Bible studies, prayer meetings, helping out with the children’s ministry, singing on the worship team. How could I be doing everything right and still have no blessings, no provisions?
Where are you, Lord? I wondered, frustrated. My wait continued, with silence from God.
During one of my darkest days, a friend gave me some encouragement, which changed my whole outlook and understanding. She told me to remember that no matter what, we must continue to follow our great Shepherd. We must trust and believe that he hasn’t turned his back on us. But sometimes all we can see is his back because we’re following him so closely.
And the land directly below your feet remains unshaken . . .
This is the imagery I think of when I read Hebrews 12:26–28 when God says he will shake up the heavens and earth so that what cannot be shaken will remain. Slowly, I came to realize that even when everything around me was swirling out of control, when I chose to trust him, I was on solid ground. Everything may have been shaken, but what would remain was a deeply rooted faith in Christ Jesus and his sovereignty.
While I still don’t understand why I had to wait and struggle through that period of waiting, I’ve realized ultimately it doesn’t matter. Because God is in control.
I couldn’t control those circumstances, but I could focus on the things I could control. I could control my faith. So instead of doubting, I began to offer God a sacrifice of praise, just as David commanded in Psalm 27:6: “At his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD” (NIV, emphasis mine).
When we struggle, we can praise God—even if there’s nothing inside of us that wants to. Praise will be our biggest weapon. Keeping our eyes focused on what’s holy, and seeking to praise him because he’s good will ensure that we will collide with our destiny.
How to learn to trust God in the midst of uncertainty
by Gina Rago
The ground starts to shake; parts of the earth are shifting. An earthquake begins to separate the land around you. Bits of the earth are crumbling into the depths of the ground. To the left to the right, behind you, and in front of you is sinking ground. Chaos and destruction is destroying everything around you . . . but the land directly below your feet remains unshaken.
There was a point in my life where I felt like I was the person on that small piece of land watching everything fall apart around me. Around 2006, my time was spent between hospitals as I watched two people very close to me battle life-threatening diseases.
I watched my aunt struggle with the fiercest and fastest form of lung cancer I’ve ever seen. Within six weeks, I saw a life so full of love and joy reduced to painful chemo treatments and breathing tubes. I sat helpless until the last day when she couldn’t fight anymore and lost her battle to cancer.
A few weeks later I found myself back in the hospital trying to muster up strength for a friend who was undergoing multiple brain surgeries. After six attempts, he was finally released from the hospital.
Around this same time, I struggled to find a job. Fresh out of college, I thought I had a safety net: a diploma from a private university. That turned out to be just a piece of paper with a lot student loans attached to it. Months turned into years as I had plenty of interviews but no job offers.
I did what every other degree-holding, job-seeking post graduate would do: I took a job at Starbucks. Over-caffeinated I was; happy I was not. I was an eager young person ready and willing to make my mark in the world and definitely ready for a life of independence.
Frustration, depression, and anger were slowly creeping into my soul. To say I was confused about my life would be an understatement. I began to doubt the very character of God and his promises.
But God, I prayed, I’m doing everything in my life to glorify and serve you. Bible studies, prayer meetings, helping out with the children’s ministry, singing on the worship team. How could I be doing everything right and still have no blessings, no provisions?
Where are you, Lord? I wondered, frustrated. My wait continued, with silence from God.
During one of my darkest days, a friend gave me some encouragement, which changed my whole outlook and understanding. She told me to remember that no matter what, we must continue to follow our great Shepherd. We must trust and believe that he hasn’t turned his back on us. But sometimes all we can see is his back because we’re following him so closely.
And the land directly below your feet remains unshaken . . .
This is the imagery I think of when I read Hebrews 12:26–28 when God says he will shake up the heavens and earth so that what cannot be shaken will remain. Slowly, I came to realize that even when everything around me was swirling out of control, when I chose to trust him, I was on solid ground. Everything may have been shaken, but what would remain was a deeply rooted faith in Christ Jesus and his sovereignty.
While I still don’t understand why I had to wait and struggle through that period of waiting, I’ve realized ultimately it doesn’t matter. Because God is in control.
I couldn’t control those circumstances, but I could focus on the things I could control. I could control my faith. So instead of doubting, I began to offer God a sacrifice of praise, just as David commanded in Psalm 27:6: “At his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD” (NIV, emphasis mine).
When we struggle, we can praise God—even if there’s nothing inside of us that wants to. Praise will be our biggest weapon. Keeping our eyes focused on what’s holy, and seeking to praise him because he’s good will ensure that we will collide with our destiny.
September 17, 2010
Yom Kippur: 365 Days of Repentance
David Brickner
Jews for Jesus
CBN.com
Yet the Jewish Scriptures, particularly the book of Psalms, can be a tremendous guide to true repentance. Perhaps that is why the Psalms, most notably Psalm 51, are part of the Jewish liturgy during this season. If we only paid attention, we would discover that repentance is not an occasional requirement, or even an annual appointment for ten days on the calendar. For the follower of God, repentance is to be a lifestyle, 365 days a year.
King David wrote Psalm 51 after the prophet Nathan had confronted him with his sin: adultery with Bathsheba and the covered-up murder of her husband Uriah. In repenting for these terrible sins, David exhibits an amazing comprehension of the nature of God, the nature of sin and the nature of true repentance. If we can learn these important truths from David's plaintive plea, we will find that repentance can indeed become a year-round lifestyle that will lead us to spiritual health and blessing.
The foundation of genuine repentance begins with a deep understanding of the nature of God. People fail to repent and fail to live a life of repentance because they have a false understanding of who God is. They either see Him as a judgmental tyrant out to exact vengeance or a benevolent and kindly old man who appears indifferent to the moral condition of His own children.
As we look at Psalm 51 a beautiful, full-orbed picture of God begins to emerge. David asks God to act "according to lovingkindness and tender mercies." He asks God to act according to His true character, knowing that God is first of all consistent.
Malachi 3:6 tells us:
For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
God does not need to be convinced, placated or cajoled into forgiving us. We don't have to wonder what kind of mood God is in before we approach Him. We can rely upon Him to act in accordance with His nature each and every time—He is like clockwork—or rather, clockwork is like Him!
It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, and if we make repentance a daily discipline we will experience His goodness in this way each day.
The foundation of genuine repentance continues with a deep understanding of the nature of sin. A second reason people fail to repent and fail to live a life of repentance is a false or incomplete understanding of sin. One prevalent misconception of sin limits it to only the grossest forms of deviancy—the evil we can all acknowledge in the worst of criminals but don't see in ourselves. Others regard sin as more pervasive but shrug it off as mere mistakes that we all make. They fail to understand how deadly sin is.
Psalm 51 shows how David's view of God has deeply informed his understanding of sin. David is graphic in explaining the nature of his sin, but notice that nowhere does he mention the details of his own sinful behavior. How does he describe sin? Transgressions: the crossing of a boundary; iniquity: missing the mark. It all relates to standards far beyond himself, standards that point back to God and His perfections.
Sin is first and foremost a rebellion against the very nature of God, a shaking of our fist at the heavens. Augustine explained sin as believing the lie that we are self-created, self-dependent and self-sustained. We might speak words of acknowledgment about God, but when we fail to acknowledge who God is with our trust and obedience, we miss the mark. That is sin.
Two men were trying to escape from an erupting volcano. As they ran from the molten rock they found their only path blocked by another river of boiling hot lava. One man was old and infirm while the other was young and healthy. With a running start the older man tried to leap across the river of fire to safety. He only managed to get a few feet before falling into the bubbling mass. The younger man, with far greater strength and skill catapulted himself much farther. He nearly made it, but still missed the mark and shared the fate of the first man. It didn't matter how much farther he went than his companion. Missing the mark by any degree meant perishing in the burning lava. Understanding the nature of sin, of missing the mark, is one of the keys to repentance.
The third reason I believe people fail to repent and fail to live a life of repentance is a false or incomplete understanding of what repentance truly is. Once again, David's view of God and of sin very deeply informed his understanding of repentance. It is not a matter of fearing the consequences of getting caught; it is not embarrassment, shame or self-loathing; it is not even genuine regret over hurting someone. While David probably experienced all those things, his repentance went much deeper because he understood something of the nature of God, and that he had done something odious in the sight of the One who created and sustained him. Because he understood something of the true nature of sin, he could only cry out for mercy.
The cry for mercy comes from someone who has no more tricks up his sleeve. David recognized that he had no basis of appeal, no merit to claim, no leg up to hope for more favorable treatment. In his cry we hear a combined a sense of desperation and resignation. I have nothing else to hope in other than the mercy of God. David is aware of the record of his sin, a catalog of debt, and he pleads as he cries out to the Lord, "Blot out my transgressions." But once again, because he understands the nature of God, there is also a note of hope.
When was the last time a preacher challenged you to repent? While it is not a politically correct message, it is one that we see over and over in Scripture. Noah's message from the steps leading up to the ark was not, "Something good is going to happen to you." Jeremiah was not thrown into the pit for preaching, "I'm okay; you're okay." Daniel did not go into the lion's den for telling people, "Think positive." John the Baptist was not beheaded because he preached, "Smile, God loves you." The two prophets of the tribulation will not be killed for preaching, "God is in His heaven and all is right with the world." The prophetic message of all these godly people, whether in word or deed was simple: Repent.
And David is confident, as one who has heard and responded to the call to repent, that as he proclaims the message to others, people will respond; "And sinners shall be converted to You." We must have that same confidence as God's people.
The rabbis have taught that David's sin was so heinous that had he been confronted immediately by Nathan, his life would have been forfeited, because only death could atone for David's sin. But you remember the story. Bathsheba gave birth to a son, and that son became ill and died. So the rabbis have taught that David's son died in his place. About this they are correct—but they have the wrong son. Y'shua (Jesus) is referred to as the son of David over and over, for that is one of His Messianic titles. His sacrifice once for all for sin is how David ultimately found his forgiveness and it is how all of us can find ours, 365 days a year.
Colossians 2:14 tells us that Jesus,
... wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Hallelujah!
David Brickner
Jews for Jesus
CBN.com
Yet the Jewish Scriptures, particularly the book of Psalms, can be a tremendous guide to true repentance. Perhaps that is why the Psalms, most notably Psalm 51, are part of the Jewish liturgy during this season. If we only paid attention, we would discover that repentance is not an occasional requirement, or even an annual appointment for ten days on the calendar. For the follower of God, repentance is to be a lifestyle, 365 days a year.
King David wrote Psalm 51 after the prophet Nathan had confronted him with his sin: adultery with Bathsheba and the covered-up murder of her husband Uriah. In repenting for these terrible sins, David exhibits an amazing comprehension of the nature of God, the nature of sin and the nature of true repentance. If we can learn these important truths from David's plaintive plea, we will find that repentance can indeed become a year-round lifestyle that will lead us to spiritual health and blessing.
The foundation of genuine repentance begins with a deep understanding of the nature of God. People fail to repent and fail to live a life of repentance because they have a false understanding of who God is. They either see Him as a judgmental tyrant out to exact vengeance or a benevolent and kindly old man who appears indifferent to the moral condition of His own children.
As we look at Psalm 51 a beautiful, full-orbed picture of God begins to emerge. David asks God to act "according to lovingkindness and tender mercies." He asks God to act according to His true character, knowing that God is first of all consistent.
Malachi 3:6 tells us:
For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
God does not need to be convinced, placated or cajoled into forgiving us. We don't have to wonder what kind of mood God is in before we approach Him. We can rely upon Him to act in accordance with His nature each and every time—He is like clockwork—or rather, clockwork is like Him!
It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, and if we make repentance a daily discipline we will experience His goodness in this way each day.
The foundation of genuine repentance continues with a deep understanding of the nature of sin. A second reason people fail to repent and fail to live a life of repentance is a false or incomplete understanding of sin. One prevalent misconception of sin limits it to only the grossest forms of deviancy—the evil we can all acknowledge in the worst of criminals but don't see in ourselves. Others regard sin as more pervasive but shrug it off as mere mistakes that we all make. They fail to understand how deadly sin is.
Psalm 51 shows how David's view of God has deeply informed his understanding of sin. David is graphic in explaining the nature of his sin, but notice that nowhere does he mention the details of his own sinful behavior. How does he describe sin? Transgressions: the crossing of a boundary; iniquity: missing the mark. It all relates to standards far beyond himself, standards that point back to God and His perfections.
Sin is first and foremost a rebellion against the very nature of God, a shaking of our fist at the heavens. Augustine explained sin as believing the lie that we are self-created, self-dependent and self-sustained. We might speak words of acknowledgment about God, but when we fail to acknowledge who God is with our trust and obedience, we miss the mark. That is sin.
Two men were trying to escape from an erupting volcano. As they ran from the molten rock they found their only path blocked by another river of boiling hot lava. One man was old and infirm while the other was young and healthy. With a running start the older man tried to leap across the river of fire to safety. He only managed to get a few feet before falling into the bubbling mass. The younger man, with far greater strength and skill catapulted himself much farther. He nearly made it, but still missed the mark and shared the fate of the first man. It didn't matter how much farther he went than his companion. Missing the mark by any degree meant perishing in the burning lava. Understanding the nature of sin, of missing the mark, is one of the keys to repentance.
The third reason I believe people fail to repent and fail to live a life of repentance is a false or incomplete understanding of what repentance truly is. Once again, David's view of God and of sin very deeply informed his understanding of repentance. It is not a matter of fearing the consequences of getting caught; it is not embarrassment, shame or self-loathing; it is not even genuine regret over hurting someone. While David probably experienced all those things, his repentance went much deeper because he understood something of the nature of God, and that he had done something odious in the sight of the One who created and sustained him. Because he understood something of the true nature of sin, he could only cry out for mercy.
The cry for mercy comes from someone who has no more tricks up his sleeve. David recognized that he had no basis of appeal, no merit to claim, no leg up to hope for more favorable treatment. In his cry we hear a combined a sense of desperation and resignation. I have nothing else to hope in other than the mercy of God. David is aware of the record of his sin, a catalog of debt, and he pleads as he cries out to the Lord, "Blot out my transgressions." But once again, because he understands the nature of God, there is also a note of hope.
When was the last time a preacher challenged you to repent? While it is not a politically correct message, it is one that we see over and over in Scripture. Noah's message from the steps leading up to the ark was not, "Something good is going to happen to you." Jeremiah was not thrown into the pit for preaching, "I'm okay; you're okay." Daniel did not go into the lion's den for telling people, "Think positive." John the Baptist was not beheaded because he preached, "Smile, God loves you." The two prophets of the tribulation will not be killed for preaching, "God is in His heaven and all is right with the world." The prophetic message of all these godly people, whether in word or deed was simple: Repent.
And David is confident, as one who has heard and responded to the call to repent, that as he proclaims the message to others, people will respond; "And sinners shall be converted to You." We must have that same confidence as God's people.
The rabbis have taught that David's sin was so heinous that had he been confronted immediately by Nathan, his life would have been forfeited, because only death could atone for David's sin. But you remember the story. Bathsheba gave birth to a son, and that son became ill and died. So the rabbis have taught that David's son died in his place. About this they are correct—but they have the wrong son. Y'shua (Jesus) is referred to as the son of David over and over, for that is one of His Messianic titles. His sacrifice once for all for sin is how David ultimately found his forgiveness and it is how all of us can find ours, 365 days a year.
Colossians 2:14 tells us that Jesus,
... wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Hallelujah!
September 16, 2010
Small But Huge
Never underestimate the power and rewards of kindness. Serving others in small ways can open big doors in your life.
This truth is illustrated all through the Bible. One example is found in the life of Moses.
Moses was rescued from the Nile River as a baby and taken in by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter. Although he was a Hebrew, Moses was raised as an Egyptian. When Moses grew up, he became more aware and concerned about the terrible conditions of slavery the Hebrews were experiencing. On one particular day, he noticed an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew slave. Moses, angered by this injustice, killed the Egyptian. He then had to flee for his life into the desert of Midian to avoid the punishment of Pharaoh.
Scripture tells us about his arrival in Midian. Moses found a well there and set down to rest and refresh himself from his journey. At some point, a group of shepherdesses — seven sisters — showed up to water their father’s sheep. At about the same time a group of shepherds arrived and, wanting the water for themselves and their animals, drove these young ladies away.
Moses observed all of this and stepped in with acts of kindness. Take a look at what the Bible says he did:
” … Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks.” – Exodus 2:17 (NLT)
Moses, in that moment, responded by protecting the girls. He then went a step further. He did something that was totally unexpected or required. He drew water for the young ladies’ flocks. He went the “second mile.” He performed, what seems like, some very small acts of kindness.
But these acts paid big dividends. When the sisters went home, they reported Moses’ deeds to their father, Jethro. Jethro immediately sent for Moses, inviting him to come and eat at his house. It was Jethro’s way of showing appreciation for what Moses had done. Fast forward in time and you’ll see that Moses eventually married one of Jethro’s daughters, was given responsibility over Jethro’s flocks, and benefited greatly from the advice this sage God brought into his life.
All of these good things happened to Moses because he did something kind for someone else. God’s plan for his life unfolded as a result of his willingness to help seven young women with their sheep! Think about all the blessings he would have missed if he had ignored this opportunity to serve others. He could have sat by the well, sulking in his own self-pity, and ignored the need God placed before him. He didn’t. And because He didn’t, he was blessed!
What about us? How often does the Lord allow us opportunities to serve others with acts of kindness, and for whatever reasons we miss the moment or refuse to step up and help. You never know what act of kindness you perform for someone else might be the key that opens the door to God’s provision and blessings for your future.
Remember, serving others in small ways can bring huge blessings!
Pastor Dale
Never underestimate the power and rewards of kindness. Serving others in small ways can open big doors in your life.
This truth is illustrated all through the Bible. One example is found in the life of Moses.
Moses was rescued from the Nile River as a baby and taken in by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter. Although he was a Hebrew, Moses was raised as an Egyptian. When Moses grew up, he became more aware and concerned about the terrible conditions of slavery the Hebrews were experiencing. On one particular day, he noticed an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew slave. Moses, angered by this injustice, killed the Egyptian. He then had to flee for his life into the desert of Midian to avoid the punishment of Pharaoh.
Scripture tells us about his arrival in Midian. Moses found a well there and set down to rest and refresh himself from his journey. At some point, a group of shepherdesses — seven sisters — showed up to water their father’s sheep. At about the same time a group of shepherds arrived and, wanting the water for themselves and their animals, drove these young ladies away.
Moses observed all of this and stepped in with acts of kindness. Take a look at what the Bible says he did:
” … Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks.” – Exodus 2:17 (NLT)
Moses, in that moment, responded by protecting the girls. He then went a step further. He did something that was totally unexpected or required. He drew water for the young ladies’ flocks. He went the “second mile.” He performed, what seems like, some very small acts of kindness.
But these acts paid big dividends. When the sisters went home, they reported Moses’ deeds to their father, Jethro. Jethro immediately sent for Moses, inviting him to come and eat at his house. It was Jethro’s way of showing appreciation for what Moses had done. Fast forward in time and you’ll see that Moses eventually married one of Jethro’s daughters, was given responsibility over Jethro’s flocks, and benefited greatly from the advice this sage God brought into his life.
All of these good things happened to Moses because he did something kind for someone else. God’s plan for his life unfolded as a result of his willingness to help seven young women with their sheep! Think about all the blessings he would have missed if he had ignored this opportunity to serve others. He could have sat by the well, sulking in his own self-pity, and ignored the need God placed before him. He didn’t. And because He didn’t, he was blessed!
What about us? How often does the Lord allow us opportunities to serve others with acts of kindness, and for whatever reasons we miss the moment or refuse to step up and help. You never know what act of kindness you perform for someone else might be the key that opens the door to God’s provision and blessings for your future.
Remember, serving others in small ways can bring huge blessings!
Pastor Dale
September 15, 2010
Marriage in Real Life
Shaking free from the bonds of expectation
by Bonnie McMaken
I recently started watching Friday Night Lights, an NBC show about the inner workings of a small Texas town and its obsession with football. The show centers on the high school football coach, Eric Taylor and his wife, Tami, as they—sometimes unknowingly—disciple the inhabitants of this small town in football and in life.
I’m only on the first season, but I’m already struck by Eric and Tami’s marriage. In fact, it might be the healthiest portrayal of marriage I’ve seen on TV . . . ever. In a sitcom world of oblivious, lazy husbands and manipulative wives, it’s refreshing to see a marriage in which husband and wife are equally supportive and kind toward each other.
I also appreciate that this fictional couple isn’t romanticized, but they’re healthy. Eric and Tami struggle through issues—with each other and with others—together. They unpack these worries at the end of the day, giving each other advice and grace as they go. And even in the thick drama of a television show, their lives aren’t flashy. In fact, sometimes the occasional mundane doldrums of marriage are so realistic that I wonder if I’m watching a real couple.
Sometimes a real, working marriage seems boring to an outsider, or even to us. And so many weeks in my own marriage, I find myself saying, “Wow, this is harder than I expected.” The tedious ins-and-outs and the difficulties of life together can be grating unless we realize this truth: It’s not all about us.
This stark concept, so utterly simple, is one of the hardest for us to grasp as individuals and as a culture. For example, I just finished reading Eat, Pray, Love, in which the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, becomes unhappy in her marriage . . . and leaves her husband. Wait, I must have missed something. When has marriage only been about personal fulfillment?
Marriage is not about the way of happiness, it’s about the Way of the Cross. This really shakes things up for us. Living in the shadow of the Cross, especially in the context of marital love, involves a daily dying to self, a constant sense of living for the other person, even when they’re annoying, thoughtless, or distant.
And this union, which the media fails to capture well, is built on a lifetime of sacrifice for the sake of Christ, for the sake of each other. Sometimes the sacrifice even means loving through the mundane moments, when we’d rather be flitting around Italy, eating copious amounts of pasta, and finding spiritual enlightenment. But marriage certainly isn't joyless, even with its sacrifices. Beauty and laughter also fill the cracks of the day-to-day, where we catch glimpses of heaven.
Real marriage, a far cry from even the best fictional portrayals, is a crucible, a vessel that can stand high stress and ultimately alter its contents, husband and wife. Through its joys and trials we are sanctified in order that we may love more fully.
What have you found to be untrue of our culture's perception or the media's portrayal of marriage? How does a true understanding of marriage combat those false messages?
Shaking free from the bonds of expectation
by Bonnie McMaken
I recently started watching Friday Night Lights, an NBC show about the inner workings of a small Texas town and its obsession with football. The show centers on the high school football coach, Eric Taylor and his wife, Tami, as they—sometimes unknowingly—disciple the inhabitants of this small town in football and in life.
I’m only on the first season, but I’m already struck by Eric and Tami’s marriage. In fact, it might be the healthiest portrayal of marriage I’ve seen on TV . . . ever. In a sitcom world of oblivious, lazy husbands and manipulative wives, it’s refreshing to see a marriage in which husband and wife are equally supportive and kind toward each other.
I also appreciate that this fictional couple isn’t romanticized, but they’re healthy. Eric and Tami struggle through issues—with each other and with others—together. They unpack these worries at the end of the day, giving each other advice and grace as they go. And even in the thick drama of a television show, their lives aren’t flashy. In fact, sometimes the occasional mundane doldrums of marriage are so realistic that I wonder if I’m watching a real couple.
Sometimes a real, working marriage seems boring to an outsider, or even to us. And so many weeks in my own marriage, I find myself saying, “Wow, this is harder than I expected.” The tedious ins-and-outs and the difficulties of life together can be grating unless we realize this truth: It’s not all about us.
This stark concept, so utterly simple, is one of the hardest for us to grasp as individuals and as a culture. For example, I just finished reading Eat, Pray, Love, in which the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, becomes unhappy in her marriage . . . and leaves her husband. Wait, I must have missed something. When has marriage only been about personal fulfillment?
Marriage is not about the way of happiness, it’s about the Way of the Cross. This really shakes things up for us. Living in the shadow of the Cross, especially in the context of marital love, involves a daily dying to self, a constant sense of living for the other person, even when they’re annoying, thoughtless, or distant.
And this union, which the media fails to capture well, is built on a lifetime of sacrifice for the sake of Christ, for the sake of each other. Sometimes the sacrifice even means loving through the mundane moments, when we’d rather be flitting around Italy, eating copious amounts of pasta, and finding spiritual enlightenment. But marriage certainly isn't joyless, even with its sacrifices. Beauty and laughter also fill the cracks of the day-to-day, where we catch glimpses of heaven.
Real marriage, a far cry from even the best fictional portrayals, is a crucible, a vessel that can stand high stress and ultimately alter its contents, husband and wife. Through its joys and trials we are sanctified in order that we may love more fully.
What have you found to be untrue of our culture's perception or the media's portrayal of marriage? How does a true understanding of marriage combat those false messages?
September 14, 2010
Be Careful!
One of the natural tendencies we all have is to magnify, and sometimes exaggerate, the sins, weaknesses and failures of others while either ignoring or minimizing our own. The Bible calls this tendency “judgment.” It indicates a self-righteous spirit. At its root is a major spiritual problem — pride.
Most often our negative judgments of others are cloaked in “righteous justifications.” We convince ourselves that we have an obligation to change someone or some situation. We take on a role as “God’s policeman;” God’s “law enforcement officer.” And while proclaiming humility about ourselves, we’re actually infected with a subtle spirit of pride. Unbeknownst to ourselves, we have set ourselves up as God’s judge of others — which is a role He never assigns to us. This was the very thing Jesus condemned so forcefully and frequently with the Pharisees during His earthly ministry. He still condemns it today!
Judging other people is a horrible way to live. It damages them and it destroys us. It’s a poison inside our hearts. It leaves us dead and dry on the inside. When we judge others, we enter into spiritual darkness. As soon as we give place to a judgmental spirit, whether we realize it or not, we shut ourselves off from the freshness of God’s life and power. A judgmental spirit leaves us spiritually barren, emotionally frustrated and mentally confused. It sets us up for God’s judgment in our own lives. It’s something we need to carefully and diligently avoid.
Note what Jesus said:
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own.” – Matthew 7:1-3 (NLT)
The Message paraphrase makes Jesus’ words very clear:
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults — unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.” – Matthew 7:1-3 (Message)
How do you know if you have a judgmental spirit? Inventory your thoughts about others and listen to what you say about others. Our thoughts and words reveal the real contents of our hearts.
The only cure to a judgmental spirit is to see it for what it is — sin — and to truly repent of it. The remedy is to let go of our need to police and judge others, and to choose to love them instead!
Pastor Dale
One of the natural tendencies we all have is to magnify, and sometimes exaggerate, the sins, weaknesses and failures of others while either ignoring or minimizing our own. The Bible calls this tendency “judgment.” It indicates a self-righteous spirit. At its root is a major spiritual problem — pride.
Most often our negative judgments of others are cloaked in “righteous justifications.” We convince ourselves that we have an obligation to change someone or some situation. We take on a role as “God’s policeman;” God’s “law enforcement officer.” And while proclaiming humility about ourselves, we’re actually infected with a subtle spirit of pride. Unbeknownst to ourselves, we have set ourselves up as God’s judge of others — which is a role He never assigns to us. This was the very thing Jesus condemned so forcefully and frequently with the Pharisees during His earthly ministry. He still condemns it today!
Judging other people is a horrible way to live. It damages them and it destroys us. It’s a poison inside our hearts. It leaves us dead and dry on the inside. When we judge others, we enter into spiritual darkness. As soon as we give place to a judgmental spirit, whether we realize it or not, we shut ourselves off from the freshness of God’s life and power. A judgmental spirit leaves us spiritually barren, emotionally frustrated and mentally confused. It sets us up for God’s judgment in our own lives. It’s something we need to carefully and diligently avoid.
Note what Jesus said:
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own.” – Matthew 7:1-3 (NLT)
The Message paraphrase makes Jesus’ words very clear:
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults — unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.” – Matthew 7:1-3 (Message)
How do you know if you have a judgmental spirit? Inventory your thoughts about others and listen to what you say about others. Our thoughts and words reveal the real contents of our hearts.
The only cure to a judgmental spirit is to see it for what it is — sin — and to truly repent of it. The remedy is to let go of our need to police and judge others, and to choose to love them instead!
Pastor Dale
Monday, September 13, 2010
September 13, 2010
In Judges 14:14, Sampson propounded a riddle. He did so to confound and trap the Philistines. Below I offer my own riddle. My purpose is to teach and edify whoever is willing to hear ...
What was:
Contained in the call and connected with the covenant?
Resulted in:
Waiting for a wife and water from the wells?
Affirmed by:
Fleeing as a fugitive and fulfillment in the funeral?
Seen through:
Exaltation in exile and expectation in the exit?
Have you figured it out? Here are some clues: The four couplets of the riddle are built on the lives of four men. The first involves Abraham, the second Isaac, the third Jacob and the fourth Joseph. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are fathers of the Jewish nation. In Romans 11:28, Paul explains that because of them, Israel remains beloved to the heart of God in spite of all our sins and failures. God identifies himself as eternally connected to them in Exodus 3:6, when he said to Moses at the burning bush, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."
Of all the 12 sons of Jacob, Joseph was the most beloved. Even though through Judah would come the royal line and through Levi, the priestly line, it is Joseph whose life prophetically parallels the life of Yeshua. Joseph was a savior to his brothers. It was because of him that all the tribes were preserved alive.
Still having trouble? It's okay, I'll tell you the answer. The answer to all 4 couplets is the same: the promise of the land of Israel to the people of Israel forever. Let's go back and look at these lines and see how it works.
Contained in the call Genesis 12:1-3, 7.
Connected with the covenant Genesis 15:18-21, 17:7, 8.
Genesis 12 is a major turning point in the history of the world. I would dare say it is the most significant event up to that point. As important as the building of Noah's Ark was to the preservation of the human race, it was still just a stopgap measure. It was only with the call of Abram that the foundations of the ultimate solution to the problem of sin in the world were laid. Abram was called of God to leave everything and follow Him.
Incredible promises were made to him as to the outcome of his obedience - "all the families of the earth would be blessed." God told Abram in Genesis 12:7, "To your descendents I will give this land." The promise of the land was contained in the call. In Genesis 15:6, we see Abram believing God for a multitude of descendents that were at that point unseen and in the natural, impossible. As a result of Abram's faith, God entered into covenant with him.
The promise of the land is a central feature of the covenant. In Genesis 15:7, God tells Abram he will give him the land. In verse 8, Abram asks, "How will I know I will possess it?" This question is not a lack of faith regarding God's promise, but a concern that perhaps he or one of his descendents might do something that would cause the land be taken away from them. God's response is demonstrated in the act of covenanting. Rather than both parties passing through the two altars with the pieces of the sacrificial animals on them, God puts Abram to sleep and takes full responsibility upon Himself by His fiery presence passing through on behalf of both Himself and Abram. Genesis 15:18, "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying, 'To your descendents I have given this land.'" The promise of the land was connected with the covenant.
Waiting for a wife Genesis 24:1-9.
Water from the wells Genesis 26:1-5, 12-24.
Before Abraham passed away he made sure his son Isaac would have a godly wife. As important as this was, it could in no way overshadow the centrality of the land in fulfilling the covenant. In Genesis 24:5, after Abraham commissions his servant to return to the land of Abraham's birth to find a suitable wife for Isaac, the servant asks, "Suppose the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?" Abraham's response is very strong. "Beware lest you take my son back there! The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, and who swore to me saying, 'To your descendents I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath, only do not take my son back there." The servant was successful and returned with Rebecca for Isaac, who was waiting for a wife in the land.
God told Isaac that what was promised to Abraham was also his and he began to assert himself in his possession of the land. Even when there was a famine, Isaac obeyed God and did not go down into Egypt. Because of Isaac's wealth, the Philistines envied him. They stopped up the wells that Abraham had dug and gave them new names to break the continuity between Abraham and Isaac. The Romans did the same in 135 C.E., when they plowed over Jerusalem, forbade Jews to enter it and renamed the land of Israel, Palestine. Muslims are trying to do the same today by claiming that there never was a Jewish temple on Mt Moriah. But Isaac's servants continued to dig in the face of Philistine contention until he came to a place they would not challenge. God came to him, blessed him and reiterated the covenant promises as he drew water from the wells.
Fleeing as a fugitive Genesis 28:10-15.
Fulfilled in the funeral Genesis 47:28-31/49:28-33/50:1-4.
In Genesis 28, after deceiving his father Isaac, in order to receive the blessing in place of his brother Esau, Jacob was running for his life. Esau was planning to murder Jacob. With just the clothes on his back and his staff in hand, he headed out to a frightening and unknown future. But even in his fleeing as a fugitive, Jacob was met by God, who once again emphatically promised him the land and the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. He had much ahead of him to suffer and experience before he would be transformed into Israel, but the Lord promised to be with him all the way until all was completed.
Many years later, having lived for 17 years in Egypt with his 12 sons and their families, the promise of the land was never far from Jacob's heart. When his time to die came close, Jacob made his sons promise that he would not be buried in Egypt. They were to take his body and place it in the cave of Machpela in Hebron, which Abraham had purchased for a burial site. It was a huge undertaking, with the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of Egypt, chariots and horsemen all accompanying Joseph and his brothers and their households in returning Jacob's body to the land. Death did not release him from the land, but returned him to it, and this fulfillment in the funeral stood as a prophetic promise of the return of the entire family.
Exaltation in the exile Genesis 41:37-46.
Expectation in the exit Genesis 50:22-26.
Joseph had not left the land of promise willingly, but was sold as a slave by his jealous brothers. His coming to Egypt was a consequence of sin and seemed to be the very opposite of God's purpose for his life. Yet, it was there in Egypt that he was raised up and became a savior, not only for the Egyptians, but also for the nations around them and for his own family. His exaltation in the exile was a guarantee that God's promises would be fulfilled, a demonstration of the lengths to which the Lord will go to preserve his people that they might receive what was promised to them.
Even in Joseph's royal status, the expectation of return to the land stayed with him. When he died he was not returned to the land of Israel as his father was, but on his deathbed he made his brothers promise that when (not "if") God brought them back to the land, his remains would also be brought back. Hundreds of years later, when Moses led Israel out of Egypt, they carried the bones of Joseph with them, fulfilling Joseph's expectation in the exit.
The Philistines thought that they would gain by cheating to get the answer to Sampson's riddle. But instead, their losses were great at the hand of an angry Sampson. The answer to the riddle I have written here is not hidden; it is open for all to see. The danger to today's Philistines is in their coming against that truth that the land of Israel has been given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their children forever. Wherever the Bible promises that all the families/nations of the world will be blessed through the offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob you will find in close proximity the promise of the land to their descendants. You can't have one without the other. The people of Israel, in the land of Israel, is the will of the God of Israel, and a major component in blessing the whole world.
By Moshe Morrison
What was:
Contained in the call and connected with the covenant?
Resulted in:
Waiting for a wife and water from the wells?
Affirmed by:
Fleeing as a fugitive and fulfillment in the funeral?
Seen through:
Exaltation in exile and expectation in the exit?
Have you figured it out? Here are some clues: The four couplets of the riddle are built on the lives of four men. The first involves Abraham, the second Isaac, the third Jacob and the fourth Joseph. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are fathers of the Jewish nation. In Romans 11:28, Paul explains that because of them, Israel remains beloved to the heart of God in spite of all our sins and failures. God identifies himself as eternally connected to them in Exodus 3:6, when he said to Moses at the burning bush, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."
Of all the 12 sons of Jacob, Joseph was the most beloved. Even though through Judah would come the royal line and through Levi, the priestly line, it is Joseph whose life prophetically parallels the life of Yeshua. Joseph was a savior to his brothers. It was because of him that all the tribes were preserved alive.
Still having trouble? It's okay, I'll tell you the answer. The answer to all 4 couplets is the same: the promise of the land of Israel to the people of Israel forever. Let's go back and look at these lines and see how it works.
Contained in the call Genesis 12:1-3, 7.
Connected with the covenant Genesis 15:18-21, 17:7, 8.
Genesis 12 is a major turning point in the history of the world. I would dare say it is the most significant event up to that point. As important as the building of Noah's Ark was to the preservation of the human race, it was still just a stopgap measure. It was only with the call of Abram that the foundations of the ultimate solution to the problem of sin in the world were laid. Abram was called of God to leave everything and follow Him.
Incredible promises were made to him as to the outcome of his obedience - "all the families of the earth would be blessed." God told Abram in Genesis 12:7, "To your descendents I will give this land." The promise of the land was contained in the call. In Genesis 15:6, we see Abram believing God for a multitude of descendents that were at that point unseen and in the natural, impossible. As a result of Abram's faith, God entered into covenant with him.
The promise of the land is a central feature of the covenant. In Genesis 15:7, God tells Abram he will give him the land. In verse 8, Abram asks, "How will I know I will possess it?" This question is not a lack of faith regarding God's promise, but a concern that perhaps he or one of his descendents might do something that would cause the land be taken away from them. God's response is demonstrated in the act of covenanting. Rather than both parties passing through the two altars with the pieces of the sacrificial animals on them, God puts Abram to sleep and takes full responsibility upon Himself by His fiery presence passing through on behalf of both Himself and Abram. Genesis 15:18, "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying, 'To your descendents I have given this land.'" The promise of the land was connected with the covenant.
Waiting for a wife Genesis 24:1-9.
Water from the wells Genesis 26:1-5, 12-24.
Before Abraham passed away he made sure his son Isaac would have a godly wife. As important as this was, it could in no way overshadow the centrality of the land in fulfilling the covenant. In Genesis 24:5, after Abraham commissions his servant to return to the land of Abraham's birth to find a suitable wife for Isaac, the servant asks, "Suppose the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?" Abraham's response is very strong. "Beware lest you take my son back there! The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, and who swore to me saying, 'To your descendents I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath, only do not take my son back there." The servant was successful and returned with Rebecca for Isaac, who was waiting for a wife in the land.
God told Isaac that what was promised to Abraham was also his and he began to assert himself in his possession of the land. Even when there was a famine, Isaac obeyed God and did not go down into Egypt. Because of Isaac's wealth, the Philistines envied him. They stopped up the wells that Abraham had dug and gave them new names to break the continuity between Abraham and Isaac. The Romans did the same in 135 C.E., when they plowed over Jerusalem, forbade Jews to enter it and renamed the land of Israel, Palestine. Muslims are trying to do the same today by claiming that there never was a Jewish temple on Mt Moriah. But Isaac's servants continued to dig in the face of Philistine contention until he came to a place they would not challenge. God came to him, blessed him and reiterated the covenant promises as he drew water from the wells.
Fleeing as a fugitive Genesis 28:10-15.
Fulfilled in the funeral Genesis 47:28-31/49:28-33/50:1-4.
In Genesis 28, after deceiving his father Isaac, in order to receive the blessing in place of his brother Esau, Jacob was running for his life. Esau was planning to murder Jacob. With just the clothes on his back and his staff in hand, he headed out to a frightening and unknown future. But even in his fleeing as a fugitive, Jacob was met by God, who once again emphatically promised him the land and the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. He had much ahead of him to suffer and experience before he would be transformed into Israel, but the Lord promised to be with him all the way until all was completed.
Many years later, having lived for 17 years in Egypt with his 12 sons and their families, the promise of the land was never far from Jacob's heart. When his time to die came close, Jacob made his sons promise that he would not be buried in Egypt. They were to take his body and place it in the cave of Machpela in Hebron, which Abraham had purchased for a burial site. It was a huge undertaking, with the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of Egypt, chariots and horsemen all accompanying Joseph and his brothers and their households in returning Jacob's body to the land. Death did not release him from the land, but returned him to it, and this fulfillment in the funeral stood as a prophetic promise of the return of the entire family.
Exaltation in the exile Genesis 41:37-46.
Expectation in the exit Genesis 50:22-26.
Joseph had not left the land of promise willingly, but was sold as a slave by his jealous brothers. His coming to Egypt was a consequence of sin and seemed to be the very opposite of God's purpose for his life. Yet, it was there in Egypt that he was raised up and became a savior, not only for the Egyptians, but also for the nations around them and for his own family. His exaltation in the exile was a guarantee that God's promises would be fulfilled, a demonstration of the lengths to which the Lord will go to preserve his people that they might receive what was promised to them.
Even in Joseph's royal status, the expectation of return to the land stayed with him. When he died he was not returned to the land of Israel as his father was, but on his deathbed he made his brothers promise that when (not "if") God brought them back to the land, his remains would also be brought back. Hundreds of years later, when Moses led Israel out of Egypt, they carried the bones of Joseph with them, fulfilling Joseph's expectation in the exit.
The Philistines thought that they would gain by cheating to get the answer to Sampson's riddle. But instead, their losses were great at the hand of an angry Sampson. The answer to the riddle I have written here is not hidden; it is open for all to see. The danger to today's Philistines is in their coming against that truth that the land of Israel has been given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their children forever. Wherever the Bible promises that all the families/nations of the world will be blessed through the offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob you will find in close proximity the promise of the land to their descendants. You can't have one without the other. The people of Israel, in the land of Israel, is the will of the God of Israel, and a major component in blessing the whole world.
By Moshe Morrison
September 10, 2010
Christianity's Jewish roots
Rosh Hashanah and The Days of Awe
By Intercessors Network
CBN.com
Tishri begins sometime during the last three weeks of September or the first week of October. The first day of Tishri is the Jewish New Year or Rosh Hashanah which means "head of the year." If you read Exodus 12:2, you will discover that the Torah teaches that the month of Nisan when Passover is celebrated, is to be the first month.
How then did the first of Tishri come to be celebrated as New Year's day? Probably because the letters of the words "the first of Tishri" in Hebrew can be rearranged to form the words "in the beginning". This was probably understood as being a hidden indication that the world was created on the first of Tishri, according to a certain method of Rabbinic interpretation, and, therefore, the year begins on this day.
There is a Biblical holiday, however, on this day, the Feast of Trumpets (see Lev. 23:23 and Nu. 29:1- 6).
Rosh Hashanah, also known as Yom ha-Din (Day of Judgement), begins the "Ten Days of Awe" (Yomin Noraim), the "Ten Days of Turning or Repentance" or "the High Holy Days" which conclude with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During this period, it is customary to greet one another with the phrase, "L'Shanah Tovah Tikateyvu" meaning "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life."
This holiday is both solemn and joyous since it is both the Day of Repentance or Day of Judgement and the birthday of the world. It is celebrated for two days. On the first day, some Orthodox Jews practice a custom called "tashlich", which involves going to a body of water and emptying one's pockets or casting bread crumbs into the water. This is symbolic of Micah 7:19, "And you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." A family meal is celebrated which includes honey cake, wine, and apples dipped in honey to symbolize hope for a sweet and happy year. On the second night, a fruit not yet eaten that season is served. Hallah bread, in a round loaf, symbolizing a crown, is another traditional food.
In the synagogue, the major focuses are introspection and repentance. It is a time for recognizing one's sins and turning from them. The blowing of the shofar (trumpet) is a central feature and calls the worshippers to turn to God. It also announces that a great event is about to take place. Genesis 22, which tells of God's command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, is read on the second day.
The Biblical holiday of the Feast of Trumpets is described most fully in Numbers 29:1-6. The central elements are the number 7 (7th month, 7 male lambs offered), the abstaining from regular work, the sounding of the ram's horn trumpets, various burnt offerings, and the sin offering of one male goat to make atonement for sin.
Notice that this holiday, which focuses on sin and repentance, is followed by the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur on the 10th of Tishri, and then Sukkot or the Feast of Booths on the 15th of the month, which focuses on God's providential care of his people. We must acknowledge our sin, repent and receive God's atonement for sin before we can experience God's providential care over our lives.
The New Covenant Fulfillment Rosh Hashanah God has provided the ultimate Sabbath rest through Jesus the Messiah. We can rest from our own efforts to be accepted by God. Our own good works cannot save us, as even the traditional Jewish song from the liturgy, Avinu Malkeynu says: "We have no good works of our own; deal with us in mercy and kindness and save us." Messiah is our sin offering. If we recognize our sin, turn away from it, and return to God in faith, we can be sure our names are inscribed in the Book of Life (Phil. 4:3 and Rev. 3:5). The ultimate Day of Judgment of sin will come. Jesus' death demonstrated that sin must be judged. He received the judgement in our place. His resurrection shows that God has appointed Him the Judge (see John 5:21-27; 12:31; and Acts 17:31).
The Ultimate Day of Judgement will come when the trumpet shall sound and Jesus the Messiah returns to judge the earth (I Thess. 4:16; I Cor. 15:52). He will preside over the heavenly court. We are called to repent and celebrate the New Creation that has begun in the Messiah (2 Cor. 5:17; Romans 5:12-19; and I Cor. 15:45) and will come in fullness when he returns (Romans 9:19-22).
Rosh Hashanah and The Days of Awe
By Intercessors Network
CBN.com
Tishri begins sometime during the last three weeks of September or the first week of October. The first day of Tishri is the Jewish New Year or Rosh Hashanah which means "head of the year." If you read Exodus 12:2, you will discover that the Torah teaches that the month of Nisan when Passover is celebrated, is to be the first month.
How then did the first of Tishri come to be celebrated as New Year's day? Probably because the letters of the words "the first of Tishri" in Hebrew can be rearranged to form the words "in the beginning". This was probably understood as being a hidden indication that the world was created on the first of Tishri, according to a certain method of Rabbinic interpretation, and, therefore, the year begins on this day.
There is a Biblical holiday, however, on this day, the Feast of Trumpets (see Lev. 23:23 and Nu. 29:1- 6).
Rosh Hashanah, also known as Yom ha-Din (Day of Judgement), begins the "Ten Days of Awe" (Yomin Noraim), the "Ten Days of Turning or Repentance" or "the High Holy Days" which conclude with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During this period, it is customary to greet one another with the phrase, "L'Shanah Tovah Tikateyvu" meaning "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life."
This holiday is both solemn and joyous since it is both the Day of Repentance or Day of Judgement and the birthday of the world. It is celebrated for two days. On the first day, some Orthodox Jews practice a custom called "tashlich", which involves going to a body of water and emptying one's pockets or casting bread crumbs into the water. This is symbolic of Micah 7:19, "And you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." A family meal is celebrated which includes honey cake, wine, and apples dipped in honey to symbolize hope for a sweet and happy year. On the second night, a fruit not yet eaten that season is served. Hallah bread, in a round loaf, symbolizing a crown, is another traditional food.
In the synagogue, the major focuses are introspection and repentance. It is a time for recognizing one's sins and turning from them. The blowing of the shofar (trumpet) is a central feature and calls the worshippers to turn to God. It also announces that a great event is about to take place. Genesis 22, which tells of God's command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, is read on the second day.
The Biblical holiday of the Feast of Trumpets is described most fully in Numbers 29:1-6. The central elements are the number 7 (7th month, 7 male lambs offered), the abstaining from regular work, the sounding of the ram's horn trumpets, various burnt offerings, and the sin offering of one male goat to make atonement for sin.
Notice that this holiday, which focuses on sin and repentance, is followed by the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur on the 10th of Tishri, and then Sukkot or the Feast of Booths on the 15th of the month, which focuses on God's providential care of his people. We must acknowledge our sin, repent and receive God's atonement for sin before we can experience God's providential care over our lives.
The New Covenant Fulfillment Rosh Hashanah God has provided the ultimate Sabbath rest through Jesus the Messiah. We can rest from our own efforts to be accepted by God. Our own good works cannot save us, as even the traditional Jewish song from the liturgy, Avinu Malkeynu says: "We have no good works of our own; deal with us in mercy and kindness and save us." Messiah is our sin offering. If we recognize our sin, turn away from it, and return to God in faith, we can be sure our names are inscribed in the Book of Life (Phil. 4:3 and Rev. 3:5). The ultimate Day of Judgment of sin will come. Jesus' death demonstrated that sin must be judged. He received the judgement in our place. His resurrection shows that God has appointed Him the Judge (see John 5:21-27; 12:31; and Acts 17:31).
The Ultimate Day of Judgement will come when the trumpet shall sound and Jesus the Messiah returns to judge the earth (I Thess. 4:16; I Cor. 15:52). He will preside over the heavenly court. We are called to repent and celebrate the New Creation that has begun in the Messiah (2 Cor. 5:17; Romans 5:12-19; and I Cor. 15:45) and will come in fullness when he returns (Romans 9:19-22).
Thursday, September 9, 2010
September 9, 2010
Stopping Fear! How does fear affect you?
We all struggle with fear. It's an active force of darkness that creeps and seeps into the souls of us all at times. Its invasion impacts us in many different ways.
Some people are crippled, paralyzed and incapacitated by fear. Their fear brings them to an absolute standstill in their work, relationships or responsibilities. They freeze emotionally, and the result is inaction, hiding, running and resignation; attempting to avoid what they are afraid of.
Other people deal with their fear through frantic, and sometimes aggressive actions. When fear attacks, they go into a "command and control mode." Their approach is to try and manage the circumstances, situations and people connected to their fears. They may do this through anger or intimidation.
Fear is a horrible, tormenting monster. It's the mother of lots of ugly things. It robs people of joy, peace, and sometimes of life itself. It incarcerates and limits. It destroys marriages, friendships and work environments.
The Bible is very clear about the destructive nature of fear. As Joshua was being prepared to lead God's people into the Promised Land, the Lord told him to avoid fear.
The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy that fear should not control his life and ministry: "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous ... Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:6-9 (NIV)
" ... I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you ... For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, butof power, love, and self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:6, 7 (NLT)
How do we put a STOP to fear's power and control? What practical steps can we take to break its grip?
S = See it. We must recognize fear's presence before we can break its power.Many people go through life never realizing how fear is affecting them. Do you recognize the symptoms of fear in your life? How does it affectyou? How do you know when it has started to rule you? Seeing fear isthe first step in stopping fear.
T = Talk to God about it. Once you have identified fear, bring it into the light of God'spresence through prayer. It is amazing how small our fears become whenplaced in the hands of our awesome and almighty God. The old hymn writer expressed it this way; "O what peace we often forfeit; O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything to Godin prayer." How true this is, especially when dealing with fear.
O = Own God's promises.God's promises are meant to be personally owned. If you are abeliever in Jesus Christ, you are a legitimate heir to all of God's promises. They are found in His Word, and waiting to be claimed. Take ownership of the promises of God that counteract your specific fears. Become familiar with them, and take hold of them for yourself. Put yourtrust in God and in the promises of His Word.
P = Press through your fear. Fear starts in the mind and then moves into our emotions. It is something we first think and then feel. To overcome fear, we often have to press past these thoughts and feelings. We simply refuse to let them stop our progress, hinder our actions, limit our potential, ruin our attitude or infiltrate our relationships. We authoritatively rise in the face of fear and press on in obedience to God and His Word.
There is a great story in the Old Testament that illustrates this.
When God's people left Babylonian captivity and returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, they faced a number of intimidating enemies. The aggressive opposition made them very afraid and threatened the success of the project; but these rebuilders decided to press through their fears!
"Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation ... " - Ezra 3:3 (NIV) These folks did not let fear control them. They did what we must learn to do - press through fear. How is fear affecting your life? What fears are tormenting, robbing,limiting or destroying you or your relationships?God gives us a way to put a STOP to fear's grip.
Let Him help you!
Pastor Dale
We all struggle with fear. It's an active force of darkness that creeps and seeps into the souls of us all at times. Its invasion impacts us in many different ways.
Some people are crippled, paralyzed and incapacitated by fear. Their fear brings them to an absolute standstill in their work, relationships or responsibilities. They freeze emotionally, and the result is inaction, hiding, running and resignation; attempting to avoid what they are afraid of.
Other people deal with their fear through frantic, and sometimes aggressive actions. When fear attacks, they go into a "command and control mode." Their approach is to try and manage the circumstances, situations and people connected to their fears. They may do this through anger or intimidation.
Fear is a horrible, tormenting monster. It's the mother of lots of ugly things. It robs people of joy, peace, and sometimes of life itself. It incarcerates and limits. It destroys marriages, friendships and work environments.
The Bible is very clear about the destructive nature of fear. As Joshua was being prepared to lead God's people into the Promised Land, the Lord told him to avoid fear.
The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy that fear should not control his life and ministry: "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous ... Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:6-9 (NIV)
" ... I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you ... For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, butof power, love, and self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:6, 7 (NLT)
How do we put a STOP to fear's power and control? What practical steps can we take to break its grip?
S = See it. We must recognize fear's presence before we can break its power.Many people go through life never realizing how fear is affecting them. Do you recognize the symptoms of fear in your life? How does it affectyou? How do you know when it has started to rule you? Seeing fear isthe first step in stopping fear.
T = Talk to God about it. Once you have identified fear, bring it into the light of God'spresence through prayer. It is amazing how small our fears become whenplaced in the hands of our awesome and almighty God. The old hymn writer expressed it this way; "O what peace we often forfeit; O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything to Godin prayer." How true this is, especially when dealing with fear.
O = Own God's promises.God's promises are meant to be personally owned. If you are abeliever in Jesus Christ, you are a legitimate heir to all of God's promises. They are found in His Word, and waiting to be claimed. Take ownership of the promises of God that counteract your specific fears. Become familiar with them, and take hold of them for yourself. Put yourtrust in God and in the promises of His Word.
P = Press through your fear. Fear starts in the mind and then moves into our emotions. It is something we first think and then feel. To overcome fear, we often have to press past these thoughts and feelings. We simply refuse to let them stop our progress, hinder our actions, limit our potential, ruin our attitude or infiltrate our relationships. We authoritatively rise in the face of fear and press on in obedience to God and His Word.
There is a great story in the Old Testament that illustrates this.
When God's people left Babylonian captivity and returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, they faced a number of intimidating enemies. The aggressive opposition made them very afraid and threatened the success of the project; but these rebuilders decided to press through their fears!
"Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation ... " - Ezra 3:3 (NIV) These folks did not let fear control them. They did what we must learn to do - press through fear. How is fear affecting your life? What fears are tormenting, robbing,limiting or destroying you or your relationships?God gives us a way to put a STOP to fear's grip.
Let Him help you!
Pastor Dale
September 8, 2010
God's Tattoo - Evidence of God's love is everywhere. But take a special look at hishands. Stephanie Voiland | posted 9/01/2007
I've always been in awe of people who have the guts to get a tattoo. It's not their physical bravery or social courage that impresses me so much as the permanence of their decision. Maybe at the time you really like Mickey Mouse, but what if you outgrow your Disney phase in a few years? Or what if things don't work out with Billy or Johnny?
I think it's this idea of permanence that makes Isaiah 49:16 so appealing: "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." Did you catch that? God has a tattoo. And it has your name on it. With full knowledge of what he was getting himself into, God made a decision to love us. That decision wasn't a temporary commitment-his love won't stop if someone better comes along. And it wasn't a conditional commitment-his love isn't based on what we can contribute to therelationship.
It's a forever promise, a "not even death can part us" promise.
In our human relationships, we long for tangible reminders that we're loved. We want people to remember our birthday, send us flowers for no particular reason, tell us what they appreciate about us, hug us.
Yesterday I ate dinner with some friends who have a four-year-old son, Zach. He seized the first lull in the conversation to tug on my sleeve and say, "I have a secret to tell you." Then he "whispered" into my ear, loud enough for the whole table to hear, "I love you!"
Five minutes later, another tug, another whisper. This time: "I love you very much!"
Throughout the evening, Zach's eyes lit up every time he thought of another way to express his love. I melted each time he delivered his secret. And I was reminded of how we're wired to be told we're loved. God knows we have this need. He understands our short memory and our desire for tangible proof. So not only does he tell us over and over in Scripture how crazy he is about us, he went so far as to engrave our names on the palms of his hands.
If there ever was a doubt of his love, God's tattoo settles it now and forever. We belong to him. Permanently. Uncon-ditionally.
"It is he who made us, and we are his" (Psalm 100:3). Apparently we aren't the first ones who needed reminders of God's love.
Thousands of years ago, God assured the Israelites of the coming Redeemer and of his plan to save them (Isaiah 49). But the Israelites weren't convinced. Though they'd seen God's faithfulness in the past, they were desperate for a little proof. They lamented, "The Lord has turned away and forgotten us" (Isaiah 49:14, cev).
I, too, have seen plenty of evidence of God's faithfulness. But like the Israelites, I've been parched for some proof of God's love recently.
Since third-grade Sunday school, I've known that God so loved the world, but in the past few months I've longed for some affirmation that he so loves me. Maybe I crave God-love so much because I've been reminded recently of how conditional and transitory human relationships tend to be.
Two of my close friends just had a baby, and another friend's due anyday. As a single woman who barely manages to keep my house plants alive, I'm trying to figure out how these friendships will work now that my friends' schedules and priorities have shifted. While these changes are inevitable and aren't personal, they remind me that relationships don't stay the same.
Two other friends and three family members have their sights set on cross-country moves within the next year-further proof ofhow fluid life can be. And in the midst of these changes, my relationship with two guys I thought might stick around fell apart-one rather abruptly, the other by gradual disintegration. None of these adjustments is so different from what everyone else goes through-it's just life.
And maybe that's part of why change is so difficult to swallow. At the core of who we are, we long for permanence, for someone who'll never leave us, move away, get too busy for us, grow tired of us. Someone who'll never stop loving us. "I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."
At the time the prophet Isaiah recorded these words (about 2,500 years ago), it was common for pagan worshipers to carve the name of their god into their hands. The throbbing pain reminded them of their devotion and hopefully earned them their god's attention. God spoke into this mixed-up religious climate-and turned things completely upside down.Instead of asking us to prove our love and worship, he took great pain on himself to show us his love.
And instead of demanding our sacrifice, he sent his Son to be the sacrifice in our place. "Christ ... loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2).
My friend Angela used to have a tattoo with Ryan's name on it. She was pretty proud of it ... until she broke up with Ryan. She faced adecision: Go through the painful, expensive, and not-guaranteed removal process? Or get another tattoo to cover it up?
Angela opted for the latter, and Ryan's name was covered by successively larger and darker tattoos until finally she was left with a fist-sized black flower across her abdomen. Angela confided to me that even worse than the physical pain was the tattoo's nagging reminder of the broken relationship.
Thankfully, God's tattoo isn't like that. There's no chance of a removal process, no possibility of a cross-out. He'll never get tired of us; he'll never break off the relationship. He'll never abandon us or leave us for someone else. And he'll never ever stop loving us.
I don't know if I'll ever have the guts to get a tattoo. But I know I'm looking forward to one day seeing the tattoo on my Savior's hands. The one with my name on it.
Stephanie Voiland lives in Illinois. Copyright (c) 2007 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian Woman magazine.
I've always been in awe of people who have the guts to get a tattoo. It's not their physical bravery or social courage that impresses me so much as the permanence of their decision. Maybe at the time you really like Mickey Mouse, but what if you outgrow your Disney phase in a few years? Or what if things don't work out with Billy or Johnny?
I think it's this idea of permanence that makes Isaiah 49:16 so appealing: "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." Did you catch that? God has a tattoo. And it has your name on it. With full knowledge of what he was getting himself into, God made a decision to love us. That decision wasn't a temporary commitment-his love won't stop if someone better comes along. And it wasn't a conditional commitment-his love isn't based on what we can contribute to therelationship.
It's a forever promise, a "not even death can part us" promise.
In our human relationships, we long for tangible reminders that we're loved. We want people to remember our birthday, send us flowers for no particular reason, tell us what they appreciate about us, hug us.
Yesterday I ate dinner with some friends who have a four-year-old son, Zach. He seized the first lull in the conversation to tug on my sleeve and say, "I have a secret to tell you." Then he "whispered" into my ear, loud enough for the whole table to hear, "I love you!"
Five minutes later, another tug, another whisper. This time: "I love you very much!"
Throughout the evening, Zach's eyes lit up every time he thought of another way to express his love. I melted each time he delivered his secret. And I was reminded of how we're wired to be told we're loved. God knows we have this need. He understands our short memory and our desire for tangible proof. So not only does he tell us over and over in Scripture how crazy he is about us, he went so far as to engrave our names on the palms of his hands.
If there ever was a doubt of his love, God's tattoo settles it now and forever. We belong to him. Permanently. Uncon-ditionally.
"It is he who made us, and we are his" (Psalm 100:3). Apparently we aren't the first ones who needed reminders of God's love.
Thousands of years ago, God assured the Israelites of the coming Redeemer and of his plan to save them (Isaiah 49). But the Israelites weren't convinced. Though they'd seen God's faithfulness in the past, they were desperate for a little proof. They lamented, "The Lord has turned away and forgotten us" (Isaiah 49:14, cev).
I, too, have seen plenty of evidence of God's faithfulness. But like the Israelites, I've been parched for some proof of God's love recently.
Since third-grade Sunday school, I've known that God so loved the world, but in the past few months I've longed for some affirmation that he so loves me. Maybe I crave God-love so much because I've been reminded recently of how conditional and transitory human relationships tend to be.
Two of my close friends just had a baby, and another friend's due anyday. As a single woman who barely manages to keep my house plants alive, I'm trying to figure out how these friendships will work now that my friends' schedules and priorities have shifted. While these changes are inevitable and aren't personal, they remind me that relationships don't stay the same.
Two other friends and three family members have their sights set on cross-country moves within the next year-further proof ofhow fluid life can be. And in the midst of these changes, my relationship with two guys I thought might stick around fell apart-one rather abruptly, the other by gradual disintegration. None of these adjustments is so different from what everyone else goes through-it's just life.
And maybe that's part of why change is so difficult to swallow. At the core of who we are, we long for permanence, for someone who'll never leave us, move away, get too busy for us, grow tired of us. Someone who'll never stop loving us. "I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."
At the time the prophet Isaiah recorded these words (about 2,500 years ago), it was common for pagan worshipers to carve the name of their god into their hands. The throbbing pain reminded them of their devotion and hopefully earned them their god's attention. God spoke into this mixed-up religious climate-and turned things completely upside down.Instead of asking us to prove our love and worship, he took great pain on himself to show us his love.
And instead of demanding our sacrifice, he sent his Son to be the sacrifice in our place. "Christ ... loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2).
My friend Angela used to have a tattoo with Ryan's name on it. She was pretty proud of it ... until she broke up with Ryan. She faced adecision: Go through the painful, expensive, and not-guaranteed removal process? Or get another tattoo to cover it up?
Angela opted for the latter, and Ryan's name was covered by successively larger and darker tattoos until finally she was left with a fist-sized black flower across her abdomen. Angela confided to me that even worse than the physical pain was the tattoo's nagging reminder of the broken relationship.
Thankfully, God's tattoo isn't like that. There's no chance of a removal process, no possibility of a cross-out. He'll never get tired of us; he'll never break off the relationship. He'll never abandon us or leave us for someone else. And he'll never ever stop loving us.
I don't know if I'll ever have the guts to get a tattoo. But I know I'm looking forward to one day seeing the tattoo on my Savior's hands. The one with my name on it.
Stephanie Voiland lives in Illinois. Copyright (c) 2007 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian Woman magazine.
September 7, 2010
Making A Good Impression What kind of impression do you make on others?
As a teenager, I learned something about impressions. For several yearsI had an interest in crafting leather goods. I bought a set of leathersculpting tools and stamps and expressed a bit of creativity making avariety of items like belts, guitar straps and wrist bands.
Using the tools and striking the stamps with the proper hammer, I would imprint and impress certain designs, names and phrases on the wet leather. I soon discovered that once struck, the leather is permanently marked.
There are no second chances or changes. The impression that is made isthe impression that lasts. Needless to say, I wasted lots of leather in the early stages of my craft. Over time I became much more careful withthe use of my tools. With greater care, the mistakes and waste significantly decreased and my efforts actually made me a little spending money during college!
What does this story have to do with your life now? Lots!
Every day, whether we realize it or not, we make impressions on others. The Apostle Paul reminded us of this: " ... Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way youlive, in your love, your faith, and your purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12(NLT) The Greek word Paul used for "example" is very instructive.
It is a word meaning "a mark, print or impression." Through our words and life patterns we make an impression on others - we leave marks or prints on their lives. We can imprint them for good or evil. And many times, whatever impression we make on someone lasts -there are no opportunities for re-do's. If we get it wrong, if westrike them the wrong way, we may not have an opportunity to correct the mistake.
I am sure that you, like me, have longed for a chance to change a comment made, an attitude exhibited, or a bad example set, but couldn't. Paul used three words to describe the way God wants us to impress others.
We are to mark them with our: Love. Faith. Purity.
When people interact with us, they should walk away impressed with the way we love God and people, the depth and sincerity of our faith, andthe moral purity and integrity of our character. These are the printswe want to leave behind - impressions that we never regret andopportunities that we never waste.
How about you? What marks are you making on others? When people encounter you are they impressed with your love, faith and purity? Let's decide to do everything possible, trusting in God's grace and power in us, to make a good impression on the people He places in our lives!
Pastor Dale
As a teenager, I learned something about impressions. For several yearsI had an interest in crafting leather goods. I bought a set of leathersculpting tools and stamps and expressed a bit of creativity making avariety of items like belts, guitar straps and wrist bands.
Using the tools and striking the stamps with the proper hammer, I would imprint and impress certain designs, names and phrases on the wet leather. I soon discovered that once struck, the leather is permanently marked.
There are no second chances or changes. The impression that is made isthe impression that lasts. Needless to say, I wasted lots of leather in the early stages of my craft. Over time I became much more careful withthe use of my tools. With greater care, the mistakes and waste significantly decreased and my efforts actually made me a little spending money during college!
What does this story have to do with your life now? Lots!
Every day, whether we realize it or not, we make impressions on others. The Apostle Paul reminded us of this: " ... Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way youlive, in your love, your faith, and your purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12(NLT) The Greek word Paul used for "example" is very instructive.
It is a word meaning "a mark, print or impression." Through our words and life patterns we make an impression on others - we leave marks or prints on their lives. We can imprint them for good or evil. And many times, whatever impression we make on someone lasts -there are no opportunities for re-do's. If we get it wrong, if westrike them the wrong way, we may not have an opportunity to correct the mistake.
I am sure that you, like me, have longed for a chance to change a comment made, an attitude exhibited, or a bad example set, but couldn't. Paul used three words to describe the way God wants us to impress others.
We are to mark them with our: Love. Faith. Purity.
When people interact with us, they should walk away impressed with the way we love God and people, the depth and sincerity of our faith, andthe moral purity and integrity of our character. These are the printswe want to leave behind - impressions that we never regret andopportunities that we never waste.
How about you? What marks are you making on others? When people encounter you are they impressed with your love, faith and purity? Let's decide to do everything possible, trusting in God's grace and power in us, to make a good impression on the people He places in our lives!
Pastor Dale
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
September 1, 2010
Troubled?
What’s troubling you?
Trouble is a part of life. It’s something everyone experiences. No matter how perfect someone’s life looks from the outside, everybody has their personal troubles — troubles that fame, fortune or friends can’t fix.
Trouble comes in many different forms. Our hearts and minds can become anxious, disturbed and agitated by lots of things. There are relationship troubles, financial troubles, health troubles — the list goes on and on.
Being a Christian believer doesn’t insulate us from these things. They’re a part of life. Take a look at what Jesus said about the inevitability of troubles:
” … In this world you will have trouble … ” – John 16:33 (NIV)
The difference between a Christian believer and an unbeliever is not found in the presence or absence of trouble in their lives, but in how they respond to it.
Jesus taught us that, while we will have trouble, we need not be troubled. Trouble doesn’t mean that you have to be troubled!
Jesus emphasized the difference between the troubles we face and the way we are called to handle them. He showed us that, although trouble is inevitable, being troubled isn’t. We can choose another path — the path of trust and peace:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” – John 14:1 (NIV)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27 (NIV)
So how do we go through troubles without being troubled? We must do the right thing with them!
The psalmist gave us the prescription for dealing with our troubles:
“I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.” – Psalm 120:1 (NLT)
When facing troubles our tendency is to take them upon ourselves by worrying and fretting over them. Or we take them to others, hoping to find a source of help. The psalmist provided us with another alternative. From personal life experience he learned that the best thing to do when trouble came his way was to first take them to God.
What’s troubling you today? Instead of using your energy in worry, fretting and fear, take your troubles to God. Cry out to Him. Put your trust in Him. There’s an answer waiting for you!
Pastor Dale
What’s troubling you?
Trouble is a part of life. It’s something everyone experiences. No matter how perfect someone’s life looks from the outside, everybody has their personal troubles — troubles that fame, fortune or friends can’t fix.
Trouble comes in many different forms. Our hearts and minds can become anxious, disturbed and agitated by lots of things. There are relationship troubles, financial troubles, health troubles — the list goes on and on.
Being a Christian believer doesn’t insulate us from these things. They’re a part of life. Take a look at what Jesus said about the inevitability of troubles:
” … In this world you will have trouble … ” – John 16:33 (NIV)
The difference between a Christian believer and an unbeliever is not found in the presence or absence of trouble in their lives, but in how they respond to it.
Jesus taught us that, while we will have trouble, we need not be troubled. Trouble doesn’t mean that you have to be troubled!
Jesus emphasized the difference between the troubles we face and the way we are called to handle them. He showed us that, although trouble is inevitable, being troubled isn’t. We can choose another path — the path of trust and peace:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” – John 14:1 (NIV)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27 (NIV)
So how do we go through troubles without being troubled? We must do the right thing with them!
The psalmist gave us the prescription for dealing with our troubles:
“I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.” – Psalm 120:1 (NLT)
When facing troubles our tendency is to take them upon ourselves by worrying and fretting over them. Or we take them to others, hoping to find a source of help. The psalmist provided us with another alternative. From personal life experience he learned that the best thing to do when trouble came his way was to first take them to God.
What’s troubling you today? Instead of using your energy in worry, fretting and fear, take your troubles to God. Cry out to Him. Put your trust in Him. There’s an answer waiting for you!
Pastor Dale
August 31, 2010
The Wake of Words
What kind of trail do you leave with your tongue? What size wake is left by your words?
The dictionary defines a “wake” as “a trail of disturbance left by the passage of something.” It is the potential turbulence we leave behind when we have passed through a place, situation or engaged in a particular interaction.
Nothing causes more unsettling and dangerous wakes in other people’s lives than our words. Angry words, insulting, demeaning words, insinuating words, unkind words, words of judgment, critical words, side and snide comments, sensuous, flirtatious words, gossipy words, profane, dirty words, chats that become unhealthy chatter, and the like — these have a horrible and destructive impact far beyond what we can imagine.
The Bible is very clear about the demonic, hellish nature of an untamed, undisciplined tongue:
” … the tongue is a small thing … But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole body on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” – James 3:6, 7 (NLT)
How much damage is done every day by words? How many hearts are broken, how much productivity is lost, how many relationships are scarred, how much conflict and dissension is ignited and fueled, how much potential is robbed, all because we fail to rein in an unruly tongue?
The Apostle Paul wanted to help us avoid such destructive wakes that come from our words. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he gave us a simple instruction to live by that will save us from a lot of pain and keep us from generating terrible turbulence with our tongues. Take a look at what he had to say:
“Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” – Colossians 4:6 (NLT)
“Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” – Colossians 4:6 (Msg)
Think about the wake left behind by your words. Make a decision that your comments and conversations with others will always be gracious. Determine that, instead of leaving a trail of turbulence, you will pave a pathway of blessing with your words!
Pastor Dale
What kind of trail do you leave with your tongue? What size wake is left by your words?
The dictionary defines a “wake” as “a trail of disturbance left by the passage of something.” It is the potential turbulence we leave behind when we have passed through a place, situation or engaged in a particular interaction.
Nothing causes more unsettling and dangerous wakes in other people’s lives than our words. Angry words, insulting, demeaning words, insinuating words, unkind words, words of judgment, critical words, side and snide comments, sensuous, flirtatious words, gossipy words, profane, dirty words, chats that become unhealthy chatter, and the like — these have a horrible and destructive impact far beyond what we can imagine.
The Bible is very clear about the demonic, hellish nature of an untamed, undisciplined tongue:
” … the tongue is a small thing … But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole body on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” – James 3:6, 7 (NLT)
How much damage is done every day by words? How many hearts are broken, how much productivity is lost, how many relationships are scarred, how much conflict and dissension is ignited and fueled, how much potential is robbed, all because we fail to rein in an unruly tongue?
The Apostle Paul wanted to help us avoid such destructive wakes that come from our words. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he gave us a simple instruction to live by that will save us from a lot of pain and keep us from generating terrible turbulence with our tongues. Take a look at what he had to say:
“Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” – Colossians 4:6 (NLT)
“Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” – Colossians 4:6 (Msg)
Think about the wake left behind by your words. Make a decision that your comments and conversations with others will always be gracious. Determine that, instead of leaving a trail of turbulence, you will pave a pathway of blessing with your words!
Pastor Dale
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