Filed under: Uncategorized
my best friend of almost 20 years
My name is Johnny Aho. I’m a 39 year old husband, father,runner, biker, musician, writer who has come to believe something with all his heart. What’s going on around you isn’t as important as what’s going on inside you and whether you choose to look above you.
Psalm 121 starts out saying, “I lift my eyes up to the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” It’s my hope you can keep your focus up, your eyes sharp, your heart set, your mind made up – that no matter what happens around you, you’ll keep focused on Who’s above you.
If you need to reach me, you can email me at johnnyaho@live.com.
Filed under: running free
“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” I was struck by this passage in the longest chapter of the Bible. Running and running after God have both become freeing to me. I’m no longer running because I have to but because I want to. I’m no longer running after God because I have to but because I want to.
This will be a short post, for I simply want to jot down some thoughts on “chapters” I should write for a book on running with God.
- Small Beginnings: went out not caring about how far I went or how long it took me.
- Being challenged: talking with Steve Rose at the track, challenging me to run further and faster.
- Being the challenger: helping others on the journey, like Michelle, new friends on the track…
- Ancient runners: was Paul a runner?
- Endurance running. Endurance living.
- Hindrances: there are things that hinder my running and my living. God asked me about the “weight” I needed to drop in order for me to run my race (Hebrews 12:1-2).
- New adventures: keeping it fresh by planning out new trails, sometimes long before I’m ready to run longer miles.
- Rest.
- Doing too much too soon: avoiding burnout.
- Interview runners and learn from their lives (like your personality profiles from Insider Business Journal or Runner’s World “I’m a runner”).
Filed under: verticallife > psalms
“Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?” Psalm 4:1-2
Just a little reminder: David was a husband, a father, a commander-king. As all kings did, they listened and gave their judgments when people came to them to act on their behalf. He was a pretty busy man. There were battles to be fought, and decisions to be made.
Sometimes those responsibilities caused much stress… and distress. When we read his words, he was facing the reality and pressures of every day life – as a family man and as a leader.
Distress. Great pain. Anxiety. Sorrow. Acute mental suffering. Affliction. Trouble.
As he faced his fears and piloted his way through pain, he knew he had a God who would hear him in his trouble. These were not just words of an ideological man. In the past when he called out to God, God did give him relief from the stresses of life. When he wrote, he penned these passages from his past experiences. He wasn’t simply hoping God would act. He knew He would. “The LORD will hear when I call to him.” He will. He does. Then David added something Paul would later quote: “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah” (Psalm 4:3-4)
PAUSEselah: David teaches us to “offer the right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.” While “many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?’, Pray this prayer, “Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:5-8)
Filed under: verticallife > psalms
O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.” Psalm 3:1-4O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.” Psalm 3:1-4
Wouldn’t it be great if we could get along with everyone everyday? There were times when David’s “enemies” were from neighboring countries. At other times his enemies were in his own home.
This was a song David wrote when he was running for his life – running from his son, Absalom. Absalom was a very handsome young man (2 Samuel 14:25). Outward looks were all he had going, though, for inwardly he was devious.
Chapter 15 of Samuel’s second book records his conspiracy. “He stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” (15:6) His conspiracy “gained strength” and his “following kept increasing.” (15:12) When David was told by a messenger that all the men of the city were now following Absalom, David, his family and officials fled.
“David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.” (15:30) It was at this time David wrote the words of this prayer. His hope, his expectation was that God would see his distress and would act on his behalf. (16:12)
No matter what was coming on the horizon, David went vertical. When he was exhausted from running, he “refreshed himself.” (16:14) How do you “refresh yourself” when you get exhausted, when you’re tired from all the running around?
“I cry aloud, and He answers me.” That was David’s response. He voiced his prayers, not under his breathe, but out loud. When was the last time you sat down and had a heart to heart conversation with your Father? You will see a word you may not recognize throughout the Psalms. That word is selah, and it is a musical pause. It occurs three times in this psalm alone. When was the last time you paused? David, out in the wilderness, was forced to pause from all that was going on around him and inside of him.
Though nothing had changed around him, something changed inside him. David was able to sleep. “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.” (Psalm 3:5-6)
Sleep can be the first thing that goes when we worry about what’s happening around us. But when we pause, and speak our concerns out loud to our Father, we find the comfort we need to wake refreshed. Sustained. En-couraged.
Selah. Stop what you are doing right now, and voice out loud what you’re thinking and what you’re feeling. “The Lord sustains me. I will not fear.”
Filed under: verticallife > psalms
“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.” Psalm 2:1-2
That’s a great question. Why do we rebel? Why do we like doing our own thing, going our own way? Why can’t we just follow instructions? “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” (v3) How many people think that believing in God is simply too restraining? They feel chained. Shackled. Held back. What is God’s response to our rebellion?
“The One enthroned in heaven laughs.” (v4) Did you know that? David wrote how our attempts at living our own way actually brings laughter. That laughter then turns to correction. That’s not necessarily what we want. But it is what we need.
Most children will tell you why parents need to discipline their kids. They will answer how wild kids can get if parents give little direction. The One who said, “You are my son. Today I have become your Father,” (v7) is the Father who wants to guide us and discipline us when He needs to. We must submit to His rulership, His leadership in our lives or our lives will fall to pieces (v9).
Being wise, we need to “serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.” (v11) That way we will be “blessed” when we “take refuge in him.” (v12)
Filed under: verticallife > psalms
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law 
of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3All of us have goals. Finish school. Get a job. Get married. Have kids. Stay married. I don’t know anyone who would say, “I want to live a life that’s cursed. I don’t care if I‘m fruitful in my work.” Yet, so many people are not living lives that are blessed and fruitful.
Blessed. Abraham was told his life would be blessed so that he would bless others. “You will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2) Jesus taught on certain attitudes that would be blessed (Matthew 5:3-12). You would be blessed if you were merciful to others. Be gentle. Hunger for something deeper than just physical food. Make peace.
Blessed. It means to be divinely or supremely favored. Fortunate. Happy. Content. Good of any kind has been bestowed on you. To bless means to exalt, glorify and magnify.
David wrote how a person who does not walk (conduct his life) in the counsel (the opinions, beliefs, thoughts) of the wicked or stand in the way (path, road) of sinners or sit with mockers will be blessed. Conduct your life in the words of those who desire to live righteous, upright, godly lives of integrity. Stand (place your feet firmly) along the road of those who want to do what’s right. Take a seat with those whose words are uplifting, instead of tearing others down. How much you are blessed depends on where you are walking, where you are standing and where you are sitting.
Fruitful. How fruitful is your life? Are you seeing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) growing in your life? Are you more or less loving? Are you more or less joyful? Are you more or less patient? David seems to believe your fruitfulness will grow as a result of your faithfulness to God’s words.
Kings were instructed to have a copy of God’s words for themselves (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). It kept them from conceit. Joshua was instructed to read God‘s words day and night (Joshua 1:8-9). It helped him face his fears.
If you want to be blessed and productive in life, meditate on (engage in thought or contemplation; reflect on) God’s words. Read them. Stop for a moment. Think about what you read. Reflect on them. Allow them to speak to you, saturate you. You will find how that one act will bless you and make you more fruitful.
Filed under: verticallife > psalms | Tags: heart; God; spiritual; Jesus; pray; prayer
I hope this doesn’t sound gruesome, but did you ever wonder what people would think of you when you’re gone? Paul gave a eulogy of sorts when he quoted David and used him as an example in Acts 13.
He noted how God testified, “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” (v22) Paul then noted how David “served God’s purpose in his generation.”
A “man after my own heart.” It’s not the kind of “after” where one object comes after another. It’s the “after” where one object chases after another. It’s the “after” where one object is fashioned “after” another.
In a conversation with Saul, Samuel said, “your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:14)
The heart.
When Samuel came to David’s hometown he came to anoint a new king. At first he looked at the pride of Jesse, his eldest son, and thought, “surely this is the Lord’s anointed.” But then God whispered in his ear, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
The heart.
David’s son Solomon wrote how the heart is the “wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Essentially the heart is the center of our being, the root of our emotions. After seeing his half-hearted obedience, Saul’s support was removed. God was looking for a man who chased after His heart, the center of His being.
The evidence of that inward chasing and seeking came through his obedience: A “man after my own heart” will “do everything I want him to do.” (Acts 13:22)
How hard are you chasing after God? How carefully are you living out God’s instructions? How deliberately are you fulfilling God’s purposes? “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout all the earth to strongly support those whose hearts are completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
We are beginning a new series based on the Psalms this weekend. The series is called: iPraise: Living the Vertical Life. This won’t be a “normal” series that only last a month or two. It may take us awhile! It will include a regular devotional that will work through each Psalm, but we’ll only focus on select Psalms (songs) on Sundays. Plus, there is a way for you to get involved. Please email me (johnnyaho@live.com) regarding your thoughts, impressions and applications as you read through the Psalms. “The Vertical Life – A Journal for the Journey,” is something I’d like others to participate in. You can be my research assistants!
Filed under: journal | Tags: anger, forgive, forgiven, forgiveness, God, Jesus, pain, past, resent, resentment
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:9-15)
If you remember last week I wrote about how Paul called himself the “worst of sinners.” I can think of more “serious” sins than not forgiving someone. The next story in our series was sparked by a question from Peter. Peter asked Jesus how many times he ought to forgive someone who sins against him. He thought it was pretty darn good if he forgave someone seven times. Nope.
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Hmm. I can do the math. That makes 490. Wow. I have to forgive someone almost 500 times? The point Jesus was making is you cannot keep score. You cannot and you should not.
Then in Jesus fashion he told a story.
The kingdom of heaven is like “a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.”
His servant did the same and begged him to be patient with him. Instead he threw the man into prison. When others witnessed this turn of events, “they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.”
The master wanted a word with his servant. “You wicked servant. I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.”
Then Jesus drove His point home. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35)
We pray it, but do we live it? We pray, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Do we just say it or do we really put it to practice? Has the Lord’s Prayer become something you simply say from rote memory or do you really want the strength to “forgive your brother from your heart?”
If there is something that needs to be forgiven, it means someone has done something to hurt us – sometimes deeply. It seems harsh, but Jesus is saying you will not be forgiven so long as you harbor anger in your heart.
The servant was thrown into prison. We create our own prisons when we don’t forgive someone for what they did. We think we are imprisoning them when really it places us behind bars.
The servant was tortured for his lack of forgiveness. Harboring hatred and bitterness has a way of torturing us. We think we’re “sticking it to ‘em” when we give someone a cold shoulder, a frigid stare, or a sharp word. When in fact, we’re simply sticking it to ourselves.
We want to torture them for the pain they caused and we realize we’re only torturing ourselves.
We want to hurt them for the hurt they put us through and we realize we’re only hurting ourselves.
The only way we can truly be free is through forgiveness. Forgiveness fuels freedom. Forgiveness is pardoning an offense. It’s canceling a debt. It’s ceasing resentment. I know you may feel you have an excuse for how you feel, but you are only doing yourself harm… and maybe even those around you. That man’s imprisonment also impacted his family.
Don’t let someone’s past actions (or maybe even your own) kill what happens in the present and taint what happens in the future.
Filed under: journal
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16)
I’m not in a habit of arguing with biblical writers, but I think Paul is wrong in his letter to Timothy. I can think of many people who were (and are) worse off than he was. You are currently reading the words from a man who really is the “worst of sinners.” I guess I couldn’t imagine arguing with my brothers (we used to, we don’t anymore!),
“I’m the worst of sinners.”
“No, I am.”
That’s not something we would have argued about. Yet this is the truth. Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I’m one of them, and so are you. (So let’s just praise the Lord. um, never mind).
“The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10) That brings us to our next story on the kingdom. Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.” (Matthew 20:1-2) He went back out in the afternoon to gather more workers and still more in the evening. When it came time to pay his workers, he paid them all the same wage. Not fair, right? Those who worked less didn’t deserve to get the same amount, right?
“When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ (20:12-15)
Do you know anyone who doesn’t deserve to be “paid” what you are paid? Will you be disappointed if the Landowner is as generous to “the worst of sinners” as He is to you?
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
If someone were to say to you, “I don’t deserve this,” what would you think? Someone might be saying it as a result of all that has happened to him. They lost their job. They found a new one, but it doesn’t make near enough to pay the bills. His son is sick, and he’s not sure where the money will come to cover medical expenses.
Or you might hear someone say, I don’t deserve this,” as a result of the good they have received.
Finally, after days of hearing his friends sound off, God responded. He asked, “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?” (Job 39:1) The answer was an obvious no. He alone is the One who watches over His creation. “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” (Job 40:2)
God’s questions humbled Job. “I am unworthy-how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.” (40:3) I am unworthy. Said another way, I don’t deserve this. Job continued.
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (42:2-6)
When we come face to face with our own sinfulness, and go from simply hearing about God to seeing and experiencing Him personally, our first response is the need to make things right. When we realize how the cross of Christ removed the penalty of sin, we too realize, “I don’t deserve this.” Repentance is doing a 180. It’s turning our lives around in such a way that we willingly give up our old way of life and turn to God’s way of living.
Today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy simply means mandate and it comes from the mandate Jesus gave on the last night with His disciples: “Love one another.” (see John 13) It was a night like this that Judas betrayed Jesus. It was a night like this that Peter realized how easy it was to deny ever knowing Jesus. It’s a night like this when we realize the ways we too have betrayed and denied Him. “I don’t deserve this.”
Tomorrow we remember Jesus’ crucifixion, how “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:5-7)
We don’t deserve it. We deserve the punishment. After all, our actions deserved discipline. Yet, that’s grace. Justice is getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. He offers us a brand new start, a brand new life. But the story doesn’t end there.
“After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.” (42:10) The end of the story isn’t simply that God blessed Job again. Job prayed for his friends. Job prayed for the same men who have him such a hard time during his hard times. They didn’t deserve it, but they too were forgiven. Are there people in your life who “don’t deserve this?”
“So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves,” God told his friends. “My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.” (42:8) A sacrifice has already been made. The price has already been paid. Like Job for his friends, we now have one who “is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
Keeping hope alive is a full time job. As you celebrate the betrayal, the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this weekend, know that “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)
From two undeserving men… Johnny & Ernie. It’s our hope and our prayer that you will anchor yourself to the only One who is firm and secure: Jesus Christ.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
For those local to Dearborn Covenant Church, we have some special gatherings we want to note. Thursday night at 7pm is our annual Maundy (Mandate) Thursday Concert of Prayer. We’ll reflect on the mandate Jesus gave (love one another) as He was in the process of giving Himself for us. We’ll sing, pray, and share in the Lord’s Table. On Friday morning there’s a special Men’s Prayer breakfast for “men” of all ages at 9am. Please contact me on whether you are coming and bringing your boys and what you may be bringing to share (juice, fruit, meat, carbs). Kelly Knezek is heading up pancake flipping! Friday at noon my family and I will be visiting another church for Good Friday service as we have done in the past. I have been trying to get in touch with Citadel of Faith to see if and when they are celebrating Good Friday. I’ll let you know by tomorrow. Sunday morning we’ll fellowship at 9:45 with a continental breakfast and then celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection at 10:30am.
With these devotional letters Ernie Berkas got me writing again, something I love doing. He has challenged me to keep communicating hope by going through the Psalms on a daily basis. Ernie and I will be collaborating again and possibly getting other writers involved. Would you do me a favor? Let us know (honestly) whether these have been helpful in giving you hope during these tough times and whether you would like to continue through the Psalms together.
Lenten Devo_Day 36 “God is Great”
“Behold, God is exalted by His power; who teaches like Him?…Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him…” (Job 36:22,26)
When I (Johnny) was growing up we would always pray a simple prayer before dinner. “God is great, God is good, and we thank Him for our food. Amen.” We have a new version with our girls. “…and we thank You for our food. By Your hands we shall be fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen. PRAISE GOD!” Michelle’s brother Rex added the PRAISE GOD.
Ernie wrote, “God is great and God is good but that may have little to do with us unless we as individuals have a relationship with that God. The devil recognized God was great. But the devil did not recognize Jesus Christ (James 2:19). Jesus said, ‘no one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6)
Though God may be great, do we recognize or trust in His greatness in everyday life? Are we practical atheists, believing in God with our mind but not knowing Him in daily experience?
Paul said, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things… I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-11)
“Knowing” throughout Scripture carries with it the sense of experiencing a person intimately. What will you do today, in the midst of “sharing in his sufferings,” to “know Christ” and intimately experience “the power of his resurrection?” In what area of your life today do you need to apply “the power of his resurrection” to?
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“For God does speak – now one way, now another – though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.” (Job 33:14-18)Though there were many times when Job’s friends simply didn’t get it, there were times they were right. Truth is, God does speak, whether we want to listen to Him or not. He does try to get our attention. Elihu was right. God does speak.
What was false at this point though was that Elihu was thinking God was trying to get Job’s attention because of the sin in his life. Elihu still believed that nothing bad would happen to good people. Job must have done something to deserve this.
Repeating his words Elihu said, “Job says, ‘I am innocent, but God denies me justice.’” (34:5) He then leveled an accusation. “He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with wicked men.” (34:9) You see, “He repays a man for what he has done; he brings upon him what his conduct deserves,” right? God is just. People get what they deserve, right? It’s not that easy. Just because your husband left you doesn’t mean God is punishing you for something you did. The reason you lost your job doesn’t mean God is putting you through some form of discipline. When a friend betrays your trust, it doesn’t mean God is trying to get your attention.
Jesus said, “in this world you will have trouble.” You will have trouble. That’s the problem with our world. It rains (or in our case, it snows) on the righteous and unrighteous alike. We will face fears. Problems will press in. “You will have trouble,” Jesus said. But our hope is in his next statement. “…but take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Maybe you’re going through tough times. Maybe you have “friends” like Job: “So Job opens His mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words.” (35:16) Maybe there are people around you giving you false information. Know this. Our hope is in the One who overcame the world. When you place your trust in Him, you will find hope in Him.
“My prayer is not that You would take them out of the world but that You would protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:15) That’s our prayer as well.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“But there is spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice.” (Job 32:8-9)
Eliju had a passion for authority. Questioning Job’s wisdom, understanding, and maybe even his sanity, Eliju essentially accused Job of being old and out of touch. Eliju had waited to speak to Job because his other three friends were older than he was. He finally couldn’t take it anymore. He had to speak up.
“I am young in years, and you are old.” I could just hear Job saying, “gee, thanks.” Eliju continued. “…that is why I was fearful, not wanting to tell you what I know. I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’” Maybe it should. Maybe great men (and women) should be wise. Yet simply because someone is old doesn’t make him wise, anymore than someone who is young has nothing to say.
However, you just have to laugh at Eliju’s comments.
“For I am full of words and the spirit within me compels me; inside I am like bottled up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst.” (Job 32:18-19)
You’ve got to be kidding me. Do you know anyone like this? When they come near you think, “I know he has something to say.” They have more a knack for speaking their mind than keeping it to themselves.
Let’s just be honest for a moment. Do you find yourself truly listening to someone or thinking about what to say next while they’re talking to you? Someone like Job really needs you to simply listen. What can you do today to lend someone a listening ear?
Our family has vacationed in Canada at a little place called Kettle Point on Ipperwash Beach in Canada. A good month before we go my girls are thinking up ways they can “get” their uncle Rod. They pull pranks on each other all throughout our two week break.
Today is April Fool’s Day 2009, and according to my girls, Uncle Rod Day. It’s a day to be tricked, and not get tricked. A day to be fooled, not to be fooled. Who’s kidding who? The girls like it when they get fooled just as much as fooling their uncle.
I’m going back in history for this illustration, I know, but Mr. T from the show the “A-Team” had a saying. “I pity the fool…” In most respects we do not want to be foolish.
Aaron asked forgiveness of Moses because he and their sister Miriam were acting arrogantly, speaking negatively to this one that God had called. Aaron said, “Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.” (Numbers 12:11) Arrogance is foolish. I pity the fool who thinks more highly of himself than he ought. You see, “whoever spreads slander is a fool.” (Proverbs 10:18) Whoever thinks so highly of themselves that they feel the need to put others down is a fool.
Samuel told King Saul, “You acted foolishly. You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.” (1 Samuel 13:13) Disobedience is foolish. I pity the fool who thinks she knows better than God of the way she should go.
Early in his leadership, when he led soldiers into battle, David was a very successful commander. He was so successful that they were writing songs about him, how Saul had victory over thousands, David tens of thousands. When he and his men stayed in different regions of the country, those around his troops felt very safe. One day David asked a favor of one neighbor by the name of Nabal. David asked if he had some food to spare that he could feed his men.
“Who is David?” Nabal asked. “Who is Jesse’s son? Many slaves these days are running away from their masters. Am I supposed to take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to men who are from I don’t know where?” (1 Samuel 25:9-11) Did you catch how many times Nabal referred to himself? He is all about taking care of number one.
David was infuriated. Ready to kill the man, Nabal’s wife ran out to meet him.
“May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal,” she said. “He is just like his name-his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent.” (1 Samuel 25:25) His name actually meant fool. I guess he lived up to it! Abigail’s actions persuaded David not to take revenge. “Today you kept me from participating in bloodshed and avenging myself by my own hand,” David said. (1 Samuel 25:33) Inhospitality and greed are foolish. I pity the fool who thinks he is better than anyone else.
Job had it rough. Not only had he lost everything, his wife was no help either.
“Do you still retain your integrity?” she asked. “Curse God and die!”
He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2:9-10) Thanklessness is foolish. I pity the fool who is not grateful for what she does have. I also pity the fool who tells others to curse God.
You see, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” (Psalm 14:1) Because of his rebelliousness the fool suffers “affliction because of their iniquities.” (Psalm 107:17) Though the “fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7) A fool is destroyed due to complacency and laziness. (Proverbs 1:32) Whereas “a wise son brings joy to his father…foolish son (brings) grief to his mother.” (Proverbs 10:1)
Playing the fool for Nabal meant thinking he was always right. You see, “the way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”
And David almost became a fool by letting his temper get the best of him. For “a fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” (Proverbs 12:15 16) Since David was “a wise man who fears the LORD and shuns evil” and knew that “a fool is hotheaded and reckless,” he took Abigail’s counsel to heart. For you see a “quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.” (Proverbs 14:16-17) I’m sure he taught his kids that “a fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” (Proverbs 29:11)
Playing the fool means you watch who you spend time with. “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20)
Jesus told many stories to illustrate spiritual truth. In one of those stories he said how “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)
What are you practicing? What you practice you perfect. If you are practicing foolishness, you are on your way of becoming the perfect fool.
I always found it interesting that doctors called what they do a “practice.” In one sense I can be scared to think that they are “practicing” on me. In another sense, if you think you have “arrived,” if you are enamored with your own greatness, you could stop from practicing and cease learning. Those who put into practice the words of Jesus must first read and understand what He said. Those who practice keep learning and growing.
Here’s where things get interesting. Most of Scripture speaks against the fool and living foolishly. However, some people thought the message (gospel) of Christ was foolish. Paul wrote how the “message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’”
He then asked, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.”
The Jews of Paul’s day wanted more than that. They demanded “miraculous signs” and Greeks looked for wisdom, “but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks,” Christ is the “power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
Not only did the message seem foolish to the “wise,” those who practiced what Jesus preached were thought to be fools.
Paul told the Corinthians to think of what they were when they were first called into a relationship with Christ. “Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
Those who do not have the Spirit of God living inside of them will have a hard time understanding what this is all about. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Discernment. Gaining understanding and insight. In order to gain understanding and insight into spiritual truth one has to have “the Truth” (John 14:6) This doesn’t mean we leave our minds at the door. When you take a portion of Scripture, praying before you read it, reading it over and over again, what you will find is the Spirit himself whispering truth to your mind. You will start to gain understanding, and find wisdom in words you may have once found foolish.
In most cases, to be a fool is, well, foolish. Arrogance is foolish. Disobedience is foolish. Ingratitude is foolish. Greed and ingratitude are foolish. Venting and avenging is foolish.
In one case, on this April Fool’s Day, I want to be a fool.
“We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!” (1 Corinthians 4:10) If by my foolishness for Christ I somehow bring Him glory by sharing the wisdom of Christ, then today, I will be a fool.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“Let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know my integrity.” (Job 31:6)
Job believed God was not punishing him for sin. His God certainly knew his troubles, and Job knew God could do something about it. Though his problems persisted, and though he still didn‘t quite understand what was happening, Job still trusted God. He trusted some day he would understand.
Waiting for “someday” is not easy for us North Americans. We want results now. We want understanding now. We want solutions now. To be honest, maybe we even wanted them yesterday. Though Job‘s problems persisted, so did he. Are you able to persist even if you don‘t see the end in sight?
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“But now they mock me… Now I am mocked by their songs; I have become an object of scorn to them… They contribute to my destruction… Now my life is poured out before my eyes, and days of suffering have seized me.” (pieces of Job 30)
So you think you’ve had a bad day? There are always others who have been through worse. But that’s not what we want to hear. It doesn’t matter what others have been through. At times we feel alone in what we’re going through.
As one set of circumstances leads to another… the car breaks down… the house needs more fixing up… we tend to get tunnel vision and start thinking, “this isn’t fair.” “Have I not wept for those who have fallen on hard times? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?” (30:25) “Look at all the good I’ve done,” we think. “I don’t deserve this.”
This week we will begin turning our attention on the suffering Savior. Jesus was mocked. He suffered not for His own sin nor to be perfected. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.” Since we have One who suffered for us, “let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
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“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness! Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house.” (Job 29:1-3)
Job longed for the past. He wanted to go back to a time when he not only enjoyed close relationships with his family members – He also longed for the close walk with God he once enjoyed. What is by far one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture, Job desperately wanted to go back to a time when his house was blessed by an intimate friendship with God. It’s what our Father wants to have with us.
Job’s thoughts sound a lot like one song writer. “These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng…” (Psalm 42:6)
“I used to…” Those can be some very difficult thoughts, but they don’t have to be. The past, no matter who you are or what you’ve done, does not have to be the best time of your life. After asking him, “why so downcast, o my soul?” that Psalm writer continued,
“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:7-8)
Was there a time when you enjoyed a closer friendship with God? Do you remember a time when you were deeper in your relationship with Him? If you feel like your friendship with Him is shallow, don’t stay there. Go deeper. “Deep calls to deep.” We’re wired for a deeper friendship with God. We’re wired for deeper friendships with one another.
Don’t stay in the shallows. Don’t remain in the past. Let your memories of the past drive you deeper in the present.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up the water in His thick clouds, yet the clouds are not broken.” (Job 26:7-8)
There are things in nature we don’t understand and can’t explain. If God created nature, how can we explain Him? Psalm 139:11-14 says “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ event the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your words, and that my sould knows very well.”
Do you know how precious you are to Him? You are handcrafted by God. You are His workmanship that He is extremely proud of. No matter what is happening around you or in you, never forget how special you are to Him. Bob Hoey, a close pastor friend of Johnny’s, has said, “You are so special to Him He has a picture of you in His wallet.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job | Tags: hope, Jesus, pain, sarcasm, suffering
“As God lives…my lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.” (Job 27:2-4)It’s easier to praise God and thank God when life is going well. We take so much for granted when work or school is rewarding and, dare I say, fun; when we’re able to put some money in the bank, when we’re enjoying the relationships around us. Job said, as sure as God is alive, I am sure I will not speak wickedness and speak with deceitfulness or lies. I will not speak wrongfully of those around me. Now, what if we were to add in what’s missing in the “…”?
“As God lives, who has taken away my justice, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter…” Now, how will we respond? When my justice is taken away…
Justice. Being treated fairly. Just. Fair. Impartial.
Bitterness. Agony. Anguish. Distress. Hostility. Sarcasm.
What happens when we’re not treated fairly? What happens when we’re in agony – physically or emotionally? What happens when our thoughts turn sarcastic and we so desperately want to lash out at someone (or SomeOne) with hostility and sarcasm?
Somehow, some way, Job found the strength to “not speak wickedness” or “utter deceit.” He asked, “Where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” He found his answer. “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.” (Job 28:12,27-28)
When you’re experiencing anguish of heart, when you feel like you’ve been mistreated, when you feel like lashing out at the one who hurt you, find what you need in the “fear of the Lord.” And remember. What is going on inside you is infinitely more important than what’s going on around you.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
Though Bildad is using this question as a statement of Job’s character, as an assessment of his life, it’s still a good question. How can a person get right with God? What do you have to do to make things right with him?The Apostle Paul answered that question when writing to believers in Rome. Paul wasn’t ashamed of the message of Jesus Christ because he saw in that message the power to transform people’s lives (Romans 1:16), his included. All of us are in the same boat, being without excuse. Though we know God exists, we do not glorify Him as God (Romans 1:20-21). When we exchange God’s truth for a lie (Romans 1:25) we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standards (Romans 3:23).
How can a person be justified? How can one get right before God? We have been “declared righteous by faith; we have peace with God thorugh our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) God provided a way for us to get right by proving “His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8) At some point we realize that the “wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Whether you are Job or Bildad, you are justified by faith in Christ. We are “unable to please God” (Romans 8:8) on our own. We have to fully rely on, trust in, believe in the sacrifice of the life of Christ. Use this 40 day period as a time of reflection on what needs to die in your life (Romans 8:5-11; 12:1-2) so you can experience real abundant life (John 10:10).
For those of you local to Dearborn Covenant Church, we will have some great ways to remember God’s love lavished on us. April 5 is Palm Sunday 10:30am, where we celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. We remember His celebration of Passover with His disciples and the night He gave His mandate to love one another on Maundy (mandate) Thursday 7pm. There’s a gentleman’s (all ages, boys to men) prayer breakfast on Good Friday morning at 9am. We’ll visit another church for Good Friday service that afternoon (TBA). Resurrection Sunday morning we’ll have a continental breakfast fellowship at 9:45 (no Sunday School) and worship celebration at 10:30am.
“Why does God allow suffering?” That one question can keep so many people from turning to Him. It can instead serve as a turn off. Job had a laundry list of problems he saw in the world. People steal from one another, kill each other, mistreat the poor, kidnap children. Job could not understand why there was so much violence on the earth, why there was so much suffering. And it appears he considered himself a victim of that violence.
Job admitted, “God draws the mighty away with His power; He rises up, but no man is sure of life. He gives them security, and they rely on it; yet His eyes are on their ways.” (Job 24:22-23) For those driving, there are seatbelts. For those rock climbing, there are harnesses. “The one who lives (stays, remains) under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.” Job understood that the security of his life came from God. God have him security, but he had to rely on it.
What are you trusting in these days? Who do you rely on? Are you placing your trust and belief in the wrong places?Johnny & Ernie
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“Look, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him…But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:8,10)
We’ll be honest. Sometimes when we’re struggling we do not feel like God is there. We’re tempted to not pray because we see it as a waste of time and energy.
Job was looking for God through prayer. He looked for help when he was at wits’ end. What he went through was stated later when it was written, “Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble.” (Psalm 107:5-6) One of Jesus’ closest disciples wrote, “now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14) We do not get insight by struggling, but by going to God in prayer.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job | Tags: God, hope, Jesus, pain, suffering
“Is not your wickedness great, and your iniquity without end?…Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.” (Job 22:5,21)
Eliphaz believed Job needed to confess and if he confessed to sins he didn’t commit, he would at least not be a hypocrite. Job believed such a confession would be dishonest. The God that he trusted did not want him to lie. Job believed if he lied, he would lose integrity. Eliphaz had characteristics of a Pharisee. He was a moralist. He was a man of principle, his church’s principles, his interpretation of God’s principles. He never imagined the “Job” type man could be right with God.Why do we assume that God is punishing us if things go bad? I am sure there may be times when He disciplines us (see Hebrews 12:5-11). Personally, I would hope so. That proves I’m His child. This was not the case with Job. There is a teaching swirling around that says if you are faithful God will bless you financially. Eliphaz had a hard time believing that Job was innocent. He must be in sin, right? It’s the same kind of question Jesus’ disciples asked Him. “Was he born blind because of his sin or because of something his parents did?” (John 9:2) Neither.
Somehow, some way, God gets glory as we have victory over those things that blind us and blindside us.
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These thoughts are from A History of Israel by John Bright © 1972, 1981 The Westminster Press. Bright uses two words that need some clarification – cult and league. By cult he means “a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.” He does not mean “a religion or sect considered to be false.” Since I’m a sports junkie the only definition for league I knew of to this point was “a group of athletic teams organized to promote mutual interests and to compete chiefly among themselves.” The definition can also include “a covenant or compact made between persons, parties, states, etc., for the promotion or maintenance of common interests or for mutual assistance or service.” Also, “an association of individuals having a common goal.”Here are Bright’s quotes regarding Israel’s tribes. Reflect on whether there are connections with building the kingdom of God.
It was “within her tribal structure that Israel’s sacred traditions, beliefs, and institutions developed and achieved normative form.” (144)
What held them together was a covenant relationship with God. “According to the Bible, Israel responded to Yahweh’s favor by entering into covenant with him to be his people and to live in accordance with his commandments. It other words, it was through covenant that Israel was constituted as Yahweh’s people.” (149)
“The existence of Israel as a people thus rested in the memory of a common experience as handed down ultimately by those who participated in it, who were the nucleus of Israel.” (150)
“From the beginning of her life in Palestine down to the rise of the monarchy, a period of some two hundred years, Israel existed as a loosely organized system of (traditionally twelve) tribes. Through all this period she had no central government or machinery of state.” Israel’s “tribal system persisted” and “provided the framework within which her sacred traditions and characteristic institutions achieved normative form.” (162)
“Early Israel seems in fact to have existed as a sacral league of tribes founded in covenant with Yahweh… the Bible traces the descent of all the tribes to the ancestor Jacob (Israel).” (163)
“Individual tribes were again and again forced to take concerted action in times of common emergency. Such emergencies were frequent enough; and the memory of help given and received may have lingered for generations, and must have done much to strengthen feelings of closeness among the tribes immediately affected.” (164)
“The constant threat of common danger no doubt intensified Israel’s feeling of unity, but it cannot of itself have created it. Indeed, the twelfth-century Song of Deborah (Judg. Ch.5) tells us of one occasion when tribes that already had bonds of unity with those most immediately threatened, and were for this reason felt to be under obligation to send help, nevertheless failed to do so.” (164)
“Tribal society was patriarchal, and it lacked the stratification characteristic of the feudal society of Canaan. Though elders of the clans, by virtue of their position, adjudicated disputes in accordance with traditional procedure and were looked up to for the wisdom of their counsel, anything resembling organized government was lacking. The league had its focal point at the shrine shich housed the Ark of the Covenant, at least by the end of the period located at Shiloh. There the tribesmen would gather on stated occasions to seek the presence of Yahweh and renew their allegiance to him, and also to adjust matters of controversy and mutual interest among the tribes. Each tribe was presumably represented by its head, very probably the nasi, who by virtue of this position,, stood under especial divine protection (Ex. 22:28)
“The tribal system was probably not altogether unique. Though analogies with the Greek amphictyonies should not be pressed to far, tribal confederations of one sort or another were common in the world of the day, and had been for centuries.” (166)
“How the Israelite league operated may best be learned from the book of Judges. Here we see the tribes maintaining a precarious existence surrounded by foes, but without organized government of any sort. In times of danger there would arise a judge, a man empowered by ‘the Spirit of Yahweh’, who would call out the clans and repel the foe. Though Israel must have had some customary military organization, there was no standing army; battle strength rested solely on the rally of the clans. The clans could not be compelled to respond, but they were obligated to do so and were roundly cursed if they did not (Judg. 5:15-17; 23), for the call to arms was the call to fight the divine Overlord’s wars. Though his victories won him prestige, the judge was in no sense a king. His authority was neither absolute, nor permanent, nor in any case hereditary; it rested solely in those personal qualities of leadership (the charisma) that gave evidence to all that Yahweh’s Spirit was upon him. Indeed as Gideon’s brusque refusal of a crown (Judg. 8:22f) and Jotham’s biting fable (ch.9:7-21) show, the whole notion of monarchy was rejected as improper. The authority of the judge was of a type perfectly expressive of the faith and constitution of early Israel: the God-Kings direct rule over his people through his Spirit-designated representative.” (167)
“It is clear from the Song of Deborah (Judg. Ch.5) that the tribal league was in full operation, with at least ten members, in the twelfth century.” (167)
The focal point of the life of Israel “throughout its history was the shrine housing the Ark of the Covenant, the throne of the invisible Yahweh… The Pentateuchal sources refer to the desert shrine as ‘the Tent of Meeting’…where Yahweh met with his pepole and made known his will – or simply as ‘the Tent, the Tabernacle’… with stress upon the presence of Yahweh ‘tenting among his people.” (168-9)
But “the central shrine was not, to be sure, an exclusive one, for other shrines existed and were freely tolerated. Because of this fact, and because the Tabernacle is scarcely mentioned through the period of the Judges, it was once commonly assumed that Israel had no central cult at the time. This is scarcely correct. Not only were great pilgrim shrines the rule in most ancient Oriental countries, but Israel’s tribal organization – as was true of similar organizations elsewhere – required a focal point at a central sanctuary. Though worship at other places was not excluded, the shrine of the Ark was the official shrine of the tribal league and the heart of its corporate life.” (169)
“Early Israel’s cult, however, did not center in a sacrificial system, but in certain great annual feasts.” (171)
“Regarding actual judicial procedure, we may assume that justice was normally dispensed by the village elders in accordance with tradition. The priests were called on to settle hard cases by oracle or by ordeal (cf. Num. 5:11-31; Deut. 17:8-11)…Many have believed that the so-called Minor Judges (Judg. 10:1-5; 12:7-15) were officials of the league whose function it was to administer the law for all Israel and to adjucate cases of controversy between the tribes.” (173)
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Here is the audio version of the book, Tribal Leadership. The authors are getting this version out for free through www.zappos.com. It really is free and you do not have to buy anything or sign up for something they’ll charge you for one month from now. Listen to the book or buy it and tell me how you think it might apply to the Jesus Tribe.
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2008 Award of Merit from Religion Communicators Council
Christian Century’s Top Ten Practical Theology Books of 2008
Many churches are seeking ways to reach out to younger generations. Unfortunately this often manifests as either a “come be just like us!” attitude-suggesting an unwillingness to change in order to be inclusive of young people-or as a slick marketing campaign that targets young adults in much the same way secular advertising does. Both of these approaches often leave young adults feeling that their particular spiritual gifts and needs are unwanted by the church. “We only want you for your demographic” is the message given.
Carol Howard Merritt, a pastor in her mid-thirties, suggests a different way for churches to be able to approach young adults on their own terms. Outlining the financial, social, and familial situations that affect many young adults today, she describes how churches can provide a safe, supportive place for young adults to nurture relationships and foster spiritual growth. There are few places left in society that allow for real intergenerational connections to be made, yet these connections are vital for any church that seeks to reflect the fullness of the body of Christ.
Using the metaphor of a tribe to describe the close bonds that form when people of all ages decide to walk together on their spiritual journeys, Merritt casts a vision of the church that embraces the gifts of all members while reaching out to those who might otherwise feel unwelcome or unneeded. Mainline churches have much to offer young adults, as well as much to learn from them. By breaking down artificial age barriers and building up intentional relationships, congregations can provide a space for all people to connect with God, each other, and the world.
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Since the dawn of civilization people have formed tribes, and research demonstrates that humans are genetically programmed to form into groups. Within every company there are tribes, often several, consisting of 20 to 150 people who know each other and work together. But while everyone tribes, the culture of each tribe is different, as is its effectiveness. Improving a tribe’s culture-and its chances for greater success-requires a tribal leader who not only understands the tribe but can leverage its collective assets to build a greater team.
In TRIBAL LEADERSHIP: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization, management consultants Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright show leaders how to use the tribes within their organization to maximize productivity and profit. Based on a ten-year study of nearly 24,000 people in more than two dozen corporations, and with insights from such leading and diverse figures as Brian France, CEO of NASCAR, Reed Hoffman, Chairman of LinkedIn, Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, and Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, TRIBAL LEADERSHIP is not only a fascinating look into the nature of organizations and human behavior, but an invaluable guide to understanding how today’s top companies perform, how to develop both personal and team excellence, and why the success of any company comes from the strength of the tribes within.
As the authors explain, top tribal leaders excel at getting their groups “unstuck” and moving forward by putting the tribe members (rather than themselves) first. Using the strategies outlined in TRIBAL LEADERSHIP, leaders can build on the tribe’s culture by enabling people to harness their individual strengths, talents, and interests for the good of the group. The result is increased loyalty, hard work, innovation, and collaboration. “The goal is to give you the perspective and tools of a Tribal Leader,” the authors write. “The result is more effective workplaces, greater strategic success, less stress, and more fun. In short, the point of this book is for you to build a better organization in which the best people want to work and make an impact.”
The authors explain exactly what Tribal Leadership is, and offer a wealth of “technical notes” which explain how to implement the leadership system in any culture. They also offer coaching tips and a “cheat sheet” that provides the key action steps to building great tribes-including how to identify a tribe’s language and customs, how to move yourself forward while moving your people, and how to build a support network.
TRIBAL LEADERSHIP details each of the five tribal stages and helps readers identify which actions affect it and which strategies will enable the tribe to upgrade to the next level. The authors discuss how each stage has a unique set of leverage points and why it is critical to understand them-more than three quarters of the organizations they studied have tribal cultures that are adequate at best. The five stages include:
- Stage One: The stage most professionals skip, these are tribes whose members are despairingly hostile-they may create scandals, steal from the company, or even threaten violence.
- Stage Two: The dominant culture for 25 percent of workplace tribes, this stage includes members who are passively antagonistic, sarcastic, and resistant to new management initiatives.
- Stage Three: 49 percent of workplace tribes are in this stage, marked by knowledge hoarders who want to outwork and outthink their competitors on an individual basis. They are lone warriors who not only want to win, but need to be the best and brightest.
- Stage Four: The transition from “I’m great” to “we’re great” comes in this stage where the tribe members are excited to work together for the benefit of the entire company.
- Stage Five: Less than 2 percent of workplace tribal culture is in this stage when members who have made substantial innovations seek to use their potential to make a global impact.
The authors also offer an in-depth look at Tribal Leadership strategies, and discuss how leaders can identify the tribe’s core values and the noble causes to which they aspire. They then explain how to use those principles along with the tribe’s inherent assets and behaviors to foster success based on the tribe’s goals and objectives. As the authors explain, once the tribe sets its strategy based on these factors, a palpable sense of excitement begins to emerge. “Every member of the tribe knows exactly how to succeed and what each person must do to make the tribe effective,” they write. “That’s the promise of tribal strategy.”
A groundbreaking and important guide to understanding the true source of exceptional leadership, TRIBAL LEADERSHIP can help leaders maximize productivity and growth while bringing their tribes to unprecedented levels of success and achievement.
Filed under: Uncategorized
There are some guys in my life I have been compelled to build into. Some may call this group their “12″ – picturing Jesus pouring Himself into His 12 disciples. Lately I’ve been thinking about it in terms of my “tribe.”
A tribe is “any aggregate of people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc.” (Dictionary.com) Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies says the word literally means a branch; a rod, a staff. The tribes of Israel were explained in this way because a branch comes from the same stem. The expression is metaphorical. It’s derived from a plant from whose root spring up several sprouts, shoots, stems; thus the founder of a whole race is compared to a root (Isaiah 11:1), while the ancestors of the several subdivisions or tribes are called stems.
Tribes are found throughout Scriptures:
- Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed. (Psalm 74.2)
- That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD. (Psalm 122.4)
- It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 49.6)
- He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of his inheritance-the LORD Almighty is his name. (Jeremiah 51.19)
- With your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5.9)
- After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. (Revelation 7.9)
- He had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth-to every nation, tribe, language and people. (Revelation 14.6)
People from every nation, tribe and language will be gathered around the throne to worship the Lamb. God purchased us for Himself. We are His inheritance. As a tribe, I’m calling us as men to a life of radical obedience to Jesus Christ, to be God’s men. We’re united by a common Ancestor. We have all been born again into the family of God through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
As a pastor I’m shifting the way I lead. Instead of simply teaching and preaching, I want to build into guys as a father would a son (1 Timothy 1.2; 2 Timothy 1.2; Titus 1.4). Paul said once, “”But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” (Philippians 2.22) If Timothy was like a son to Paul, Paul was like a father to Timothy.
At this stage in her life, Christina doesn’t need my help quizzing her in how to spell vocabulary words. That’s where Rebecca is. The ways I am involved in Sierra’s life is different from how I’m involved with either Christy or Rebecca. Why is that? My girls are all at different stages of their lives. There is no cookie cutter approach to how I build into them. There will never be a day I won’t be developing them as people. Some day I will be there when they need counsel on raising their own kids – my grandchildren.
The same is true of how we develop people as spiritual children. The men I’m close to are at different stages in life. There is no cookie cutter approach. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to developing disciples, much less a one-size-fits-all approach to raising children. I cannot think that simply putting them in a class and teaching them some head knowledge that they will develop into men who will raise their own ”kids.” Plus, at no point do we cease being discipled. We have to continue growing. John Maxwell said it this way. We need to develop the leader within us as we develop the leaders around us.
What does this mean? I want to pray for them daily. I want to call them and write them weekly. I want to get with them face-to-face monthly. It’s life on life.
Are you willing to take the journey with me?
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job | Tags: devotional, devotions, God, hope, Jesus, lent, lenten, pain, suffering
“Can anyone teach God knowledge, since He judges those on high?… How can you comfort me with empty words, since falsehood remains in your answers?” (Job 21:22,34)
I (Johnny) was sitting in Panera with a friend of mine today when he made an interesting observation between two movies. He had just watched “Fireproof” with his wife. He contrasted that movie with a movie produced by the same church called “Facing the Giants.” He said in “Giants” that all coach Grant Taylor had to do was pray one simple prayer and things turned around for him. In “Fireproof” it was much more a process.
That can illustrate how people help us through the process of pain. Job’s complaint smacks in the face of the easy answer. As a doctor, Ernie has heard many stories of pain throughout his life – emotional and physical. Sometimes people got sick physically because their hearts (emotionally) were sick. I have a psychology degree and received a masters in divinity. For both of us, there are times when we’re left speechless. To comfort someone with “empty words” is senseless. I’m sure you’ve been in Job’s shoes. I’m sure you’ve been in the shoes of his friends.
There are no easy answers. Most of the time all we can do is rest on God’s “knowledge” – not just knowledge about God, but knowledge of God. Do you KNOW Him? You may know ABOUT Him, but do you really know Him?
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job | Tags: devotional, devotions, hope, lent, lenten, pain, suffering
“Do you know this of old, since man was place on earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment?” (Job 20:4-5)
Have you ever had someone ask you a question and you have this hunch they’re talking about you? Zophar, another one of Job’s “friends,” is essentially calling Job evil and a hypocrite. As far as we can go back, Zophar is saying, those who live against God’s laws have victory in their lives for a short time. Those who say one thing but do another experience joy only for a moment.
Put yourself in Job’s sandals. Your friend goes off on some philosophical rambling as your memories are fresh of losing family members to sickness, losing your life savings, losing your job, and losing your own health. At this point in my friendship with him I would be tempted to deck him. That’s just me. I think Ernie has more patience than I do. It’s in these moments you find out who your real friends are… and maybe what kind of friend you need to be.
At this point, Job could feel like he has not only lost his family, his savings, his job and his health, but his friends as well. You may feel like decking some people and ditching others when you face problems of this magnitude, especially when their words hurt instead of heal. Job already settled in his mind what he would do. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15) That’s extremely difficult to do at times, but trust us – it’s the only thing you can truly hang on to.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job | Tags: devotion, devotional, hope, lent, lenten, pain, suffering
“My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth…For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth.” (Job 19:20,25)
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “God is dead.” When asked about that statement, evangelist Billy Graham replied, “That can’t be. I just spoke with Him this morning.”
Nietzshe said, “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us?”
“God is dead” was his was of expressing that the idea of “God” (religion and other such spirituality) was no longer capable of acting as a source of any moral code. One author suggested, “The death of God is a way of saying that humans are no longer able to believe in any such cosmic order since they themselves no longer recognize it. The death of God will lead, Nietzsche says, not only to the rejection of a belief of cosmic or physical order but also to a rejection of absolute values themselves.”
There can be so much around us that makes us call into question whether God exists. Maybe we don’t question His existence, but we question whether He cares for us.
Shannon Caldwell of Christian radio WMUZ was asking people in line to get tickets to Jay Leno’s show in Detroit (um, sorry, Auburn Hills) whether they wanted prayer. Leno’s show, based on the honor system, is to be a performance for those who do not have a job. Some simply replied, “No. I’m good.”
Is God dead?
Job didn’t think so. Though his mental and emotional pain created even greater physical anxiety and sickness, Job still admitted, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Don’t think for one second that because you are going through trouble that your Redeemer is dead. He is very much alive, and cares for you very much. He is alive, and wants to bring you life.
Paul wrote, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:7-8) Friends, that’s the definition of a Redeemer. He redeemed us, purchased us at a high cost.
Is God dead? “Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name among the renowned… Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him who does not know God.” (Job 18:17,21)
Have you ever been abandoned? Have you ever felt abandoned? That’s the way Job must have felt as his friends abandoned him. Bildad at this point was withdrawing his friendship. Bildad was certain he was right and that he knew why Job was suffering. It was logical, right? If Job sinned he should be punished. But sometimes logic does not give the facts. In this case the “facts” are tragic, not logical. Job believed in God but could not articulate God’s virtue at the present time. Bildad can’t point to a gross sin in Job, so he must be a hypocrite. There must be some sin in Job to explain the facts.
When you feel alone or have been abandoned, though the “facts” don’t line up and life seems illogical, rest in the one who has said through the ages, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“But I should speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God…. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.” (Job 13:3,15)
This was the core of Job’s belief. He was willing to die for it. He believed in a God he couldn’t define. God would be there when he died. In the very end, Job knew God would demonstrate that He was just. Sin and war are absolutely unjustifiable. Greed and world economic meltdown are not part of God’s plan. This has to be our outlook in 2009, “If He takes my job, my house, my retirement savings, yet will I trust Him” We cannot explain our sufferings by saying, “We are being punished because we have done wrong,” or “We are suffering because we need to be perfected.” – Ernie
Filed under: Uncategorized
One of the blessings of going to the pastors’ midwinter conference through the Covenant is that I get scads of books free. (You like that word, scads?) One book I received is called “Stories With Intent” by Klyne Snodgrass, professor of New Testament Studies at North Park. He had some great thoughts on the next two pictures of the kingdom.
My plan last week was to lump all of the parables on planting and farming into one. We looked at how we need to ready our hearts for the seed Christ wants to plant in us. Are we hard and rocky so no seed can take root? Are our lives full of weeds – the worries of this life or the deceitfulness of wealth – choking whatever He wants to do in our lives? Or is the soil of our lives nutrient rich so that we receive what He wants to plant in us, and we see the fruit in the character produced and the lives we touch? We were meant to be fruitful. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) He said we glorify the Father when we “bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8)
We looked at how the kingdom is like a man who sowed seed in his field and how an enemy sowed weeds. We see that even though the kingdom exists in this world, that the “sons of the kingdom” and the “sons of the evil one” exist together. Though the kingdom exists in the field of this world, at times it will not be obvious.
The third farming story is the parable of the mustard seed, which was the smallest of seeds yet grew to become the largest plant in their gardens. I wanted to tell that story with the rest, but God had a different plan.
According to our professor friend from North Park and other writers, the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast (or leaven) are to be read together.
The Mustard Seed story urges us and even warns us that “no one should be put off by what appears unimpressive. Like the tiny mustard seed which grows to a large plant, so the kingdom is present, even if hidden, unnoticed or ignored.” (p.225 Stories With Intent)
It may be wrong to think this parable is about the spiritual growth of the individual. Yet, “it is not wrong to understand the dynamic of God’s working and apply it to the individual or to other circumstances. It is not only with Jesus’ ministry that things may look small and insignificant and yet yield huge results. We see it later with the crucifixion, and this dynamic seems to be a regular practice of God (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Like the cross, the mustard seed parable is a challenge to human perception and judgment about smallness and significance.” Please don’t miss this next part. We “too often fail to recognize a seed planted by God. We should expect and implement ‘mustard seed’ thinking, neither disparaging insignificance nor doubting what God can do and does do with small beginnings.” (227-8)
These two stories put together teach us about those transitions from “the small beginning to the large result.” (226)
In what ways has your thinking become small? Are you implementing “mustard seed” thinking, praying and believing? Jesus said, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) What mountains aren’t moving because you stopped placing your faith in Christ?
Jesus said “seek first the kingdom” and then all these things you are worrying about will fall into place. Over the next two months we’ll be looking at these “stories with intent,” giving us a clearer picture of this kingdom we should seek.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
Zophar felt like he had to speak up. “Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be vindicated? Should your empty talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?” (Job 11:2,3)Zophar believed he was an expert in spiritual matters. Do you find it difficult to be around people who think they are experts in a certain area of life but are not? Some people have something to say about everything. They haven’t learned the truth behind the fact that we have two ears and one mouth, that we ought to listen twice as much as we talk.
Jesus said the spiritual expert is “whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4) There are no experts in spiritual things. Zophar implied he knew the kind of integrity that would stand before God and before man. What he said was impertinent advice to a man who was broken hearted. Zophar showed religious indignation that he was attributing to God. Zophar thought he needed to speak up for God.
Those who befriend and counsel others need to remember they are not God, nor do their words necessarily come from God. It’s a good idea to surround ourselves with wise counsel (Proverbs 15:22). But we still need to test what has been told us (1 John 4:1). Examine what you are told or how you counsel others after you examine the Scriptures (Acts 17:11).
Ernie & Johnny
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“Remember, I pray, that you have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again?… You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.” (Job 10:9,12)
Job now faces rejection by God and he doesn’t know the reason why. He refuses to lie so that his friends will be right in their assessment. He refuses to say that he must have committed some sin that brought this on. He is honest when he says he doesn’t understand. He continues to pray. He is continuing his relationship with God. He gives God the credit for the life and the spirit he still has. Job is looking for a refuge and that refuge is God.
No matter how much has been taken from us, can we still thank God for what we DO have?
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
You’ve heard the term, “with friends like these who needs enemies.” I think Job’s friends did their best work when they simply sat with him and said nothing. But, Bildad couldn’t keep his mouth shut for long.
“How long will you speak these things, and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?” (Job 8:2-3) Bildad uses questions to try to get answers from Job that agree with Bildad’s concept of how God acts. Job is saying his problem cannot be repaired by being more perfect. We, like Job, cannot have our problems solved by being more righteous. We need redemption. We need Jesus Christ. Job could not do it be himself, and neither can we.
Bildad has a creed; he worships that creed; he has not met the real God; he never prays to God for Job. Think about that. In all the words of the book of Job, his friends offer no prayers for him. Just counsel. How can you offer counsel when you have no relationship with the Counselor (John 14:15-16)? When all you have is an outward creed of beliefs and it does nothing to affect (and infect) the heart, all you have is religion, not relationship. We need relationship.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope. Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good.” (Job 6:6-7)
Have you ever had days where it seemed like the situation you were in was completely hopeless? You just don’t seem to have anything left. Nothing left to give. Nothing left to fight for. How appropriate are Oswald Chambers’ words today: “Job suffered in this way, and many people are doing so today on account of the war. We all experience these things in a passing mood, but with Job it is no mood, he is facing the real basis of life.”
When we are in the center of a storm is usually not the time we hold out the most hope. All we see is the trouble before us, the obstacle in front of us, the problems that are ahead of us. Though right now you may be feeling like Job, “I will never again see good,” do as he did. “I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” (6:11) Take your complaints to God. He won’t be surprised by your feelings. If you “complain in the bitterness of” your soul to God, you might find that you won’t have any more complaints when it comes to those around you (whether you’re complaining to them or about them).
You may not always find comfort when you complain to others or about others. You will find comfort when you take your cares to Him. (Nahum 1:7; 1 Peter 5:7)
Filed under: Uncategorized
Job was caught complaining in chapter 6:2-3. “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, and my calamity laid with it on the scales! For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea – Therefore my words have been rash.”
Hey, who doesn’t complain? Don’t you think he would have something to complain about? Who could be optimistic in his circumstances?
It’s extremely difficult to be optimistic without Christ. Some would say, impossible. Job saw things as they were. He could see no good but still believed in God. We have a different perspective. We live in a time after Christ was revealed. We have seen Christ and know God is love. We know God is good because Jesus demonstrated goodness. When people sneer at God because He allows the godly to suffer, the sufferer suffers further. The author of Psalm 42 saw that when the people around him asked, “So where is your God?” Have you ever talked to yourself? That’s what he had to do. “Why so downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God.”
Instead of complaining today (to God or to someone else), talk to yourself. Talk to yourself based on God’s promises. Job realized he had been rash with his complaining. Find your optimism in the One who promised He would never leave you nor forsake you. Though it may feel like it (Psalm 22:1), in the end we’ll remember what He has done (Psalm 22:31).
Ernie & Johnny
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
In Job chapter 5 we read “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.” (5:17-18) Is this what God was doing to Job. Job’s friends tended to believe that if Job was struggling, if he was sick, if he had come to financial ruin, he must have done something to deserve it. And if he did, God was correcting him.
Granted, it’s great to have a Father who looks out for us and disciplines us when we need it. Children always test the waters and bump the boundaries with their parents. But when they know there are lines they shouldn’t cross, it gives them a sense of security. Yet, is this what was happening with Job?
Sometimes we suffer. Paul said the godly will suffer persecution. God is at work when people have given up on self and unable to see a future. The Son of Man is ocming at an hour we least expect. If our suffering is great and we can’t see God, He is there anyway. God is greater than what I know about Him, greater than a man’s creed, greater than theology, even greater than our relationship with Him. This was the God that Job worshipped despite his troubles.
It could be what you are going through has to do with God’s discipline. He loves His children too much not to correct them. Take some time with your heavenly Father today. Though you might not know what the future holds, you do know who holds the future.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?” (Job 4:17)
Eliphaz believed that the punishment Job was experiencing was the teaching that sin would result in punishment. In his mind, Job’s present punishment was related to some sin he must have committed. This is what Job himself had taught. Eliphaz was judging; he was presupposing what God would do. He believed God would bless a good man and not bless a bad man.
Jesus was proof that even the righteous suffer. We say in our minds or even out loud, “that’s not fair.” How parents have told their children, “life’s not fair.” Fifty-five year old men who lived a pretty clean life do die of cancer. People who have smoked all their lives live well into their eighties. There are consequences of sin, but just because someone is suffering does not mean God has it in for them. That’s what Job’s friends thought.
Whether things are going good or bad, keep looking up. Stay in relationship with God. We’ll remind you again, Jesus said that in this world we will have troubles, “but take heart. I have overcome the world.” Don’t lose heart.
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
“After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.” (Job 3:1) Job knew nothing of Jesus Christ. There was nothing but despair. There was no silver lining. There was no road back to yesterday. WE know, the Bible reveals, that the only way out is through redemption. Redemption comes with a personal relationship to God; it is not a faith in a creed or belief statement or concept of God. Job did not reason his way to a solution. It was after he realized there was no other way than the one God would supply.
The method that has been supplied to us is the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ – called redemption. Despite all that happens, we, like Job have a hope and like Job can face the future.
Job was depressed. To be depressed was not considered sin. Who is Job talking to when he wishes he had never been born? Why could Job not see the bright side of grief?
I have known people who have been so depressed that they speak of tunnel vision – you only see one thing. Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so down that you wished you had never been born? Do what Job did. We believe he was telling God. God will not be surprised by our feelings.
Do as David did once. He spoke to himself. “Why so downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God.” (Psalm 42:11) No matter how down you are about how things are going in your life, tell God about it.
The man I still consider to be my pastor told me that the one I marry would become 90% of my happiness or 90% of my unhappiness. Choose well! That was good advice. I’d have to say that we both married up!
After Job began loosing his life savings, employees, and even family members, his wife asked him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:9,10) In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Satan at this point had possession of Job’s intimate possessions, his sense of integrity and his health. There are times when this happens to us. This is not God’s order. God’s order is no sin, no Satan, no sickness, no limitation. We live under the permissive will of God: sin, Satan, wrong, evil. The sneer of Satan had been accepted by Job’s wife. Job found the sneer coming from his wife even worse than the one from Satan. Job believed God was honorable, a God of integrity and in the end it would be absolutely clear that God was a God of love and justice and truth.
There are times when we have no idea why a problem plagues us. We have that age old question in the back of our minds, “why does God allow suffering?” The causes are sometimes obvious. A husband leaves a wife. A father doesn’t talk to his girls. A tornado rips through a small town in Georgia. But then, there are times when the causes are unknown.
Where is hope to be found? Not in our circumstances. Hope must be found in Jesus. He is our hope. We see in Him how one man’s suffering can be turned into such glory.
A good friend of ours, Denny Kasprowicz, is a soccer coach. He has always said you learn more through defeat than you do in victory. Could there be something about suffering that is in God’s redemptive plan? Could there be room for defeat in His plan for our lives that will bring such incredible victory in the end?
What are you learning about yourself as you go through these trying times?
Filed under: HOPE: A Full Time Job
(Dr. Ernie Berkas is an inspiration to me. He was chief of staff at Oakwood Hospital here in Dearborn, but I believe his greatest “job” is the one he is doing now. He is a minister. No, he’s not ordained. But I believe that if the Holy Spirit is in you, you have a ministry (1 Corinthians 12-14). Ernie has been reading a book by Oswald Chambers called “Our Ultimate Refuge.” Chambers writings would also be published as the widely read “My Utmost For His Highest.” It is our hope that you will find your hope in Christ Jesus. He has changed both of our lives forever.
Much of what you’ll read in these thoughts will be his, but I’ll add my thoughts here and there. He didn’t want me to mention him at all. Sorry Ernie. Though you might never use these terms to describe yourself, you have become an example of Jesus to your lovely bride Mary, your family, your friends and your faith family here at Dearborn Covenant. As pastor, thank you for your prayers, your support, your ideas, and that energy that doesn’t seem to quit. To put it simply, I want to be like you when I grow up).
Oswald Chambers was a British army chaplain during WW1. In early 1917, he gave a series of lectures in Egypt to people serving there. His wife took notes with no plan of publication. The book of Job was the text of his lectures. In November of 1917, Chambers died. His wife and friends took those lectures and published them as a book called “Our Ultimate Refuge.”
Chambers had the advantage of knowing that Jesus Christ had lived and died after the book of Job was written. Therefore in 1917 and in 2009, when there is suffering that is hard to explain, there needs to be a search for the same hope that Job possessed. It is that same hope that Jesus gave to those who were suffering.
It is the plan of these writings (whether you see them in print, in email, or on Johnny’s blog at www.ispeaklife.net) to point out where hope can be found by people suffering when the cause is not apparent. We aim to present the importance of hope in the face of increasing pain. We believe that hope is necessary to cope. We believe that not every cloud has a silvery lining; some clouds are all black. We are not blind when we cannot see the bright side of everything.
Paul encouraged “those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17) Where are you placing your hope? Where do you find hope? “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) In his first letter to his protégé, Paul noted that “Christ Jesus (is) our hope.” (1 Timothy 1:1) My hope is built on nothing less!
WHERE SHALL WE FIND HOPE_Day One: God and Satan Talk About Job
Job lived during the patriarchal period and was probably a contemporary of Isaac, Jacob or Joseph. Job is the first of five poetic books and is the first of the three classified as Wisdom Literature. Within its 42 chapters, God and Satan talk about Job in the heavenly realms. Satan was given permission to subject Job to suffering in ways that Job could not understand. He had four friends who visited, attempting to console him.
Job, from Uz, was the greatest man in the East. He had 7 sons and 3 daughters. He was upright, feared God and shunned evil. He trusted God and because of that trust, God would prosper him His creed was that he believed God would prosper an upright man. It is important to note that his trust was in God, not his creed.
Satan thought differently. He thought Job was God fearing because God blessed him. Take away God’s blessing and you’ll take away Job’s desire be with God, follow Him and fear Him. That’s what the enemy thought. “Take away God’s blessing and Job will be thorugh with God.”
Is that what you need? Do we need God’s blessing to continue to trust Him? We have had a revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Do we see God’s love by reading, meditating and following the words of Jesus Christ? The control of all that Job owned was in the control of Satan (1:12). God gave that control to Satan.
Jesus tells us “life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) Because Job didn’t know of Christ, there was despair. He knew nothing after a lifetime on earth. The patience of Job (James 5:11), mentioned by the brother of Jesus tells us Job was patient with God. He didn’t like what was happening but he didn’t blame God.
Where is your hope?
Filed under: journal
While my wife Michelle is was away this weekend with our eldest daughter, Christina, at a retreat at Portage Lake, I took Sierra and Rebecca to the dollar theater in Allen Park to see Marley & Me. The movie hit home because I’m such a sucker for furry felines and crazy canines. Our home is actually full of them right now… kids and animals. What was funny was Marley (and our own one year old) had a problem with chewing everything in sight. She’s doing much better now!
The characters in the story are John & Jen. John is a writer, and he surprises himself by each new promotion. After movies like this where the main character is a writer (Runaway Bride, etc.), it always takes me back to when I used to write for a living.
There was a startup newspaper in the Pinckney-Lakeland-Hamburg area just north of Ann Arbor and south of Brighton. I wrote “Leadership Lessons,” as well as general news articles. From there, like John, I surprised myself. I landed a full time gig with the Insider Business Journal. Now that was a blast. I had a runners high most weeks working there, because I was either out meeting some pretty amazing people, writing from home, or writing in our office. Our office was a complete blast as well. (I need to look up Cal Stone, my former editor.)
When we were in Napa I got to write for the Napa Valley Business Times, the NV Register, and also freelanced for Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine.
I love writing. I just haven’t done it in a while. It’s time to start using what’s been given to me.
Are you using what’s been given to you? Are you spending time with the most important people (and felines, and canines) in your life? Don’t forget to walk the dog, or go on a walk with the family.
Filed under: Uncategorized
This weekend we’ll continue our walk through the book of James at my church, but let me first draw your attention to something Paul said in Romans 12. Paul had laid out the message of Jesus by writing how we could not be made right with God by being good people (Romans 3:20) but that righteousness comes through faith in Christ (3:22). It was “while we were still sinners that Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 ) Looking back on all God did for us, Paul wrote, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” (12:1) I love what someone told me as I was growing up in the faith. Since He died for me, I’ll live for Him.
That’s James’ message in a nutshell. James asked, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it…” (James 3:13) If you have gained from the wisdom of the Scriptures and gained some level of understanding about a relationship with Jesus, show it. If there is something you have learned today in your quiet time, show it. If God is teaching you something on Sundays, show it. It’s all about being conspicuous with your faith.
Being conspicuous is simply being easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable; clear; distinct; evident. There’s evidence you follow Jesus. It’s opposite is concealing your faith, keeping it hidden, obscure. Keeping it a secret. Being unnoticeable; unremarkable. How conspicuous are you about your faith? James says, “Let him show it by his good life.” What are you showing to others about your faith in Christ? If your faith is a real faith, if it’s an active faith, it’ll show.
I don’t know if you knew this, but we have some young moms who are expecting children. If they’re not showing now, they will be! Are you pregnant in your faith? Are you showing? Is it evident that there is something growing inside of you? Write me and tell me who in your life has made the most difference, and did it have something to do with living conspicuously?
Filed under: prayer:spiritual warfare | Tags: devil, God, intercession, Jesus, prayer, satan, spiritual warfare
We’re in a battle. It’s a struggle against nothing we’ve seen with the naked eye. Once called the “shining morning star” who said in arrogance, “I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High,” the “destroyer of nations” was thrown out of the heavens (Isaiah 14:12-15), falling due to pride (1 Timothy 3:6-7). Pride does come before a fall. War broke out in heaven, and when Satan and his angels could not prevail, there was no place for them. The devil and his angels were thrown out. They have now come down to us with great fury, because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12:7-12). From his throne here on earth (Revelation 2:13), he leads the whole world astray (Revelation 12:9). Called “the prince of this world” three times by Jesus, Satan will be driven out of this world and now stands condemned (John 12:31; 14:30: 16:11). As the god of this age, Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and is the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2). As our enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). He was a murderer from the beginning and…is a liar and the father of liars (John 8:44). He is a thief come to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Trapped by the devil, many are being held captive to do his will, (2 Timothy 2:26) for the whole world lies in his power (1 John 5:19). Some have abandoned the faith, following deceiving spirits and teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1) and allowing the devil to gain a foothold in their lives (Ephesians 4:27).
Plain and simple, Jesus’ purpose was to destroy the Devil’s works (1 John 3:8-10). Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15). He shared in our humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil-and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power to heal all who were under the power of the devil (Acts 10:38). Jesus Christ is in heaven and sits at God’s right hand-with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him (1 Peter 3:22).
As rebels, we take our stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11), submitting ourselves to God. We resist the devil, knowing he will flee from us. We draw near to God, knowing He will draw near to us (James 4:7-8). As rebels, we are self controlled and alert. Resisting him, we stand firm in the faith, because we know that our brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of battles (1 Peter 5:8-9). As we become aware of his schemes, we do not allow Satan to take advantage of us (2 Corinthians 2:11). Though we are walking in the flesh, we do not wage war in a fleshly way, since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Knowing that no weapon formed against us will prosper (Isaiah 54:17) and that the gates of Hell will not overpower us (Matthew 16:18), we’re strengthened by the Lord by His vast strength. We put on the full armor of God, so that we can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why we take up the full armor of God, so that we may be able to resist in the evil day. Through diligent preparation we take our stand. We stand with truth like a belt around our waist, righteousness like armor on our chest, and our feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation we take the shield of faith, and with it we extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. We take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With every prayer and request, we pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in prayer, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-18). We overcome all the forces of evil because the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). We fight knowing the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20). Knowing the strong man is bound, we can enter his house to rob him and carry off his possessions (Matthew 12:29). We have power and authority over all demons, and power to heal diseases (Luke 9:1-2). Since the day Jesus watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash, we have been given authority to overcome all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:18-19).
We enter into this militant uprising against the spiritual forces of evil for this express purpose: We’ve been sent to open people’s eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those of us who have been sanctified by faith in Christ (Acts 26:18).
Why We Pray.
I wonder, since God knows the end, why does He want us to pray? If He is all-powerful, why is it necessary to pray? Our answer can be found right in the beginning. Not usually thought of as a passage on prayer, there is a principle regarding God’s desire to have us involved in the process of praying, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
”Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over…every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Adam was told to rule over and subdue every living thing. Though God is God, God gave authority for the rulership of earth to Adam. He was to rule over every living thing. Every living thing would have included “the serpent,” which “was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made.” (Genesis 3:1)
Just so there is no mistaking his identity, “the great dragon…the ancient serpent…is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world.” (Revelation 12:9) The serpent we find in the beginning was the serpent we find at the end.
In speaking of his dominion and rulership Psalm 8:5-6 says, “You made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him lord over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” Everything was to be under his feet, under his authority.
Satan’s Pride Problem
There’s no telling what could have led a being like Satan into rebellion, taking a third of heaven with him. I think Satan had a problem with this. In his pride he wanted to be worshiped and served instead of worshiping God and serving God’s creation. There’s a clue about his pride as Timothy was taught on leadership: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” (1 Timothy 3:6-7) Satan was judged for his conceit and fell because of his pride. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
Angels were supposed to serve. Angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who are going to inherit salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14) Angels serve us. We don’t serve angels. I don’t believe he wanted to serve beings that were made a little lower than the angels. So he rebelled.
Angels were supposed to worship. “All the angels stood around the throne…and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.” (Revelation 7:11) Angels were not supposed to be worshiped. The Apostle John was about to worship an angel when that angel said, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” (Revelation 22:9) Angels were not to be worshiped. So he rebelled.
Angels were not to be worshiped. Yet Lucifer said in his heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. (Isaiah 14:13) Yet God’s response was this. “How you have fallen from heaven O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth.” (14:12) Angels were not to be glorified. They were to give glory. So he rebelled.
Angels were not to be served or worshiped, yet that’s what Adam did when he abdicated his responsibilities to rule the earth. Don’t miss this point from our Savior’s temptation. Satan said, “I will give you this entire domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You worship me, it shall all be Yours.” (Luke 4:6-7) All that authority had been handed over to Satan. Who gave it to him? God gave it to Adam, and Adam gave it to the serpent. Instead of placing the enemy underneath his feet, Adam allowed Satan to have all authority on earth as the prince of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) and the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), the one who masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
That was Satan’s desire from the beginning, and it will be his desire in the end. “They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast…” (Revelation 13:4)
What the Devil Does
When Adam sinned, he subjected the world to Satan’s power (Acts 10:38) and allowed the whole world to be under Satan’s control (1 John 5:19). Satan was free then to hold the power of death (Hebrews 2:13-15). In fact “he was a murderer from the beginning…and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) He was free to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He was free to devour whomever he wanted (1 Peter 5:8). He was free to lead the whole world astray (Revelation 12:9). He was free to gain traction in people’s lives (Ephesians 4:27). He was free to afflict people (Job 2:7). He was free to accuse people (Zechariah 3:1). He was free to tempt (1 Corinthians 7:5), free to plan and scheme (2 Corinthians 2:11). He was free to torment (2 Corinthians 12:7) and free to obstruct (1 Thessalonians 2:18). He was free to work in the lives of the disobedient (Ephesians 2:2)He was free to sow weeds in people’s lives (Matthew 13:39) and steal the seed of the Word from their lives (Matthew 13:19). Knowing his time is short, he has been and is filled with fury (Revelation 12:12), waging war “against those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony about Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17)
Yet Jesus came “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8) and to “rescue us from the dominion of darkness and transfer us into his kingdom. (Colossians 1:13)
The Reversal
The serpent was warned, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Paul said “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:20) “Your feet” is our feet! God will soon crush Satan underneath our feet. How will he do this? He did it through the second Adam.
Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15). He shared in our humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holes the power of death and free those held in slavery by their fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Remember, everything was to be under Adam’s feet and under his authority. The end will come “when (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he ‘has put everything under his feet.’ Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) Remember, the enemies are not flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).
Where Adam was to be over all, now Christ is over all. “That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:19-23)
Everything was supposed to be subjected under Adam. Now everything is subjected under Jesus. “It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.’ In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at preset we do no see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:5-9)
Every knee will bow whether they like it or not as we see in this familiar early confession found in Philippians 2:6-11. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
”Jesus Christ…has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand-with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” (1 Peter 3:22) Everything. Everyone. Every being. Every angel, good and evil. Every authority. Every power. Which is why we now have authority: “I have given you authority…to overcome all the power of the enemy.” (Luke 10:19)
The disciples experienced this first hand. After a period of ministry going out two by two, the “seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’” Jesus then told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:17-18)
As Christ’s body, we are now co-laboring with Him to bring His message to the world and the world to Him (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). And one of our primary weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-18) is prayer.
Prayer is…
Prayer is a partnership of the redeemed child of God working hand in hand with God to realize the redemptive purposes of God. What I thought was true of the Spirit of God was actually something Paul was called to: “To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:18) As we do this more and in more places of the world, we are literally pushing Satan our of our world. Satan was thrown out of his (Revelation 12:8-9) world. It’s time we toss him out of ours.
Dutch Sheets in his book Intercessory Prayer says, “Let’s rise to the occasion and embrace the incredible invitation to be co-laborers with God…to be carriers of His awesome Holy Spirit and ambassadors for His great kingdom.” (p.33) We not only function in Christ’s authority. We function as Christ’s authority.
”Intercessory prayer is an extension of the ministry of Jesus through His body, the Church, whereby we mediate between God and humanity for the purpose of reconciling the world to Him, or between Satan and humanity for the purpose of enforcing the victory of Calvary.” (p.42)
Jesus is the Victor – We’re the enforcers of His victory. Jesus is the Redeemer – We’re releasers of His redemption. Jesus is the Head – We’re His body.
Why We Pray This link will take you to one of the most important truths I have learned on prayer. Why do we pray? If you have an extra half hour, please take some time to let these truths sink in. In September of 2008 I spoke a mini-series called This Means War, highlighting some of the battles we face when we engage the enemy of our souls in the war detailed in Ephesians 6. Listen to these to be armed for battle.
Filed under: INVASION series
As I’ve been reflecting on Revelation 12 and its tie to the most pivotal event in history, something caught my attention. Why was Jesus’ birth the cause for Satan’s forced departure from heaven? After his assassination attempt to devour the Child, “war broke out in heaven,” yet Satan could not prevail. “There was no place for them in heaven any longer.” Why?
He was “thrown out” of heaven (v8) and was “thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him. (12:8-9)
Then John heard a loud a voice in heaven say, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah have now come, because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown out: the one who accuses them before our God day and night.” (v10)
The accuser. The accuser of our brothers. The one who accuses them before our God. Day and night. He was non-stop.
“Give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us.” (1 Timothy 5:14)
“Satan (stood) at his right side to accuse him.” (Zechariah 3:1)
That event marked the end of his accusations, as least to God’s face. There was “no place for” accusations, “no place for” pride and arrogance.
Part of me wonders whether Satan had a problem serving beings that were made a little lower than him. You see, angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who are going to inherit salvation.” (Hebrews 1:14) The opperative word there is “serve.” Did Satan have a problem serving those “made…a little lower than the angels”? (Psalm 8:5)
“You made him lord over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” (Psalm 8:6) That’s what God wanted from the very beginning. Adam and Eve and their children were to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) They were to rule over all creation. All authority had been given to them.
I think this is what Lucifer had a problem with. When you consider that worship and service are much the same word in the Bible, it was Lucifer’s desire to be served and worshiped, not to serve.
“I will give you their splendor and all this authority,” Satan told Jesus in his temptation, “because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours.” (Luke 4:6-7)
Angels were not to be worshiped. John was about to worship the angel when the angel said, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” (Revelation 22:9)
Angels were not meant to be worshiped. “All the angels stood around the throne…and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.” (Revelation 7:11) They were meant to worship. They were meant to serve. They were meant to support God’s plans, not thwart them. When Satan led his attack to kill the Christ-child, God the Father had had enough. The Devil could no longer level accusations against God’s creation. The accuser in heaven was replaced by the Advocate. And now…
“There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) If you are hidden in Christ Jesus, if you have given your life to Him, if you have asked forgiveness and expressed your desire to follow Him and trust in His death on the cross that paid the penalty for your sins, Satan can no longer level accusations against you. He was cast out of heaven and cast down to earth, where we will one day crush his head. (Genesis 3:15)
When Satan reminds you, accuses you of your past, simply remind him of his future: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet.” (Romans 16:20)
Filed under: INVASION series
Click this link… I2:The Invader …to listen to the second message in this series.
The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States’ naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the morning of Sunday December 7, 1941, later resulting in the United States becoming militarily involved in World War II. It was intended as a preventive action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from influencing the war Japan was planning to wage in Southeast Asia against Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States. The attack consisted of two aerial attack waves totaling 353 aircraft, launched from six Japanese aircraft carriers.
The attack sank four U.S. Navy battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service late in the war) and damaged four more. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, and one minelayer, destroyed 188 aircraft, and caused personnel losses of 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded. The power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not hit. Japanese losses were minimal, at 29 aircraft and five midget submarines, with 65 servicemen killed or wounded.
The strike was intended to neutralize the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and hence protect Japan’s advance into Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, where Japan sought access to natural resources such as oil and rubber. Both the U.S. and Japan held long-standing contingency plans for war in the Pacific which were continuously updated as tensions between the two countries steadily increased during the 1930s, with the Japanese expansion into Manchuria and French Indochina greeted by steadily increased levels of embargoes and sanctions from the United States and other nations.
In 1940, under the authority granted by the Export Control Act, the U.S. halted shipments of airplanes, parts, machine tools, and aviation gasoline, which was perceived by Japan as an unfriendly act. The U.S. did not stop oil exports to Japan at that time in part because prevailing sentiment in Washington was that such an action would be an extreme step, given Japanese dependence on U.S. oil, and likely to be considered a provocation by Japan.
Following Japanese expansion into French Indochina after the fall of France, the U.S. ceased oil exports to Japan in the Summer of 1941, in part because of new American restrictions on domestic oil consumption. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had earlier moved the Pacific Fleet to Hawaii and ordered a military buildup in the Philippines in the hope of discouraging Japanese aggression in the Far East. As the Japanese high command was (mistakenly) certain any attack on the United Kingdom’s Southeast Asian colonies would bring the U.S. into the war, a preventive strike appeared to be the only way for Japan to avoid U.S. naval interference. An invasion of the Philippines was also considered to be necessary by Japanese war plans, while for the U.S., reconquest of the islands had been a given of War Plan Orange in the interwar years.
While the attack accomplished its intended objective, it was completely unnecessary. Unbeknownst to Isoroku Yamamoto, who conceived the original plan, the U.S. Navy had decided as far back as 1935 to abandon ‘charging’ across the Pacific towards the Philippines in response to an outbreak of war (in keeping with the evolution of Plan Orange). The U.S. instead adopted “Plan Dog” in 1940, which emphasized keeping the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) out of the eastern Pacific and away from the shipping lanes to Australia while the U.S. concentrated on defeating Nazi Germany.
The attack was an important engagement of World War II. Unintentionally occurring before a formal declaration of war (which had been scheduled to be delivered shortly prior to the attack beginning),it pushed U.S. public opinion from isolationism to the acceptance of participation in the war being unavoidable. The lack of warning led Roosevelt to call it “a date which will live in infamy.” (wikipedia)
Infamy. It means extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal or outrageous acts. The invasion of the Japanese on Pearl Harbor marked a turning point in the minds of most Americans. It was a date we’ll always remember. There were no warnings signs of an impending attack. Though the US knew we had an enemy, we didn’t know they would attack like that.
Satan knew the warning signs. After his rebellion, that “ancient serpent” as John calls him in Revelation 12 was told his head would be crushed in Genesis 3. It was revealed through the Prophet Isaiah how “the Lord himself will give you a sign.” A sign. (a mark; an indication; a sign of warning or admonition; an indication of God’s power) That sign? “The virgin shall be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” There’s no way Satan could have understood how or why God was going to invade his kingdom. He knew what the name meant: God with us. Another warning sign of an impending invasion.
Once again from the words of Isaiah, “there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress….The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” What was going to take place on the day of that invasion? “On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned,” Isaiah warned. There would be an enlargement of God’s kingdom. There would be increased joy. People were going to throw parties like the kind they did when harvest time came or when victory secured over an enemy. The things that bound and burdened people would be shattered. The weight that they were carrying would be lifted. The rod that struck them would be taken away, their enemies boots and clothes would be fuel for fire. And then these word that I’m sure struck fear in mind of Satan and those he led in his rebellion:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7
There were even more warning signs of this invasion. An angel appearing secretly to a young virgin girl. She received the warning that God was going to invade her life. An angel appearing to her fiancé in a dream that God was about to invade his life. Angels appearing to shepherds. So far, these warnings were not very public. All these words, echoing in the enemy’s head, an enemy that Jesus said three times was the prince of this world, and once called the god of this age by Paul, all these words, but no real time frame. There was still an element of surprise.
But then, the element of surprise was wasted. Or was it. Was it an act of stupidity that led the three astrologers right into the hands of the enemy? Or was it an act of blatant disregard, an act of boldness, an act that communicated “he is here! He is here to destroy the works of the devil. He is here to seek and to save that which was lost. He is here to free people from fear, and specifically, the fear of death.” Bomb blasts going off. Warning whistles blasting through the night sky.
Matthew 2 1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[b] and have come to worship him.”
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ[c] was to be born. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet (Micah 5:2) has written:
6” ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’[d]”
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east[e] went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The In-Vader Had Come. Not the Darth Vader, or even the dark vader but the Invader who brought light, who was called the Light of this world. He came to invade Mary’s life. He came to invade Joseph’s life. He came to invade the shepherds’ lives. He came to invade the lives of the three wise men. He came to invade Herod’s life and all of Jerusalem. He came to invade the darkness that Satan shrouded this world with. Herod was disturbed. Satan was disturbed. Why? Ancient prophecy become present reality:
“There will be no more gloom for those who were in distress….The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” In his account of His Savior’s life, John wrote “life was in Him, and htat life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.” (1:4-5)
Wonderful Counselor: For those who need someone to listen to them, the Invader has come as the Wonderful Counselor.
Almighty God: For those who feel powerless to overcome the battles in their own lives, the Invader has come as Almighty God.
Everlasting Father: For those who don’t know their father or mother; whose dad walked out on them; whose mom called them no good; whose father said they would not amount to anything; For those called out to a daddy who wasn’t there, the Invader has come as the Everlasting Father.
Prince of Peace: For those whose lives seem to be crazy; who have no peace of mind; whose hearts feel heavy within them; who feel separated from the One who loves them and created them, the Invader has come as the Prince who brings Peace. The Invader has come. Are you disturbed or delighted? Will you submit yourself to this Prince, crawl up on the lap of this Father, let this Powerful God fight your battles and let this Wonderful Counselor hear your pain? When He comes, will you let Him in?
Filed under: INVASION series
By clicking on this link… I1:Phantom Menace …you can listen to the first in this series on The Invasion – The Battle Behind the Birth. This series is based on Revelation 12.
O come O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel. Joy to the world, the Lord is come; let earth receive her king. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold. “Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven’s gracious King.” The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing. O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by: yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light: the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace.
Hope, joy. A midnight clear. Peace. Good will. Solemn stillness lay. Deep and dreamless sleep. Silent stars. Silent nights.
If Christmas is all about hope, why are so many in despair? If Christmas is all about joy, why are so many depressed? If Christmas reminds us of clarity, why is everything so foggy? If Christmas is about peace, why is there so much war? War among countries. War among nationalities. War among neighbors. War among families. If Christmas is all about good will, why is there so much bad will and ill will? Tell me if I’m wrong, but it seems like there is something out there trying to cloud our clarity, steal our stillness, and push away our peace. It seems like there’s a being, a menace who wants to keep people captive to the past. Where Emmanuel is sent to ransom those in captivity, there’s a menacing presence keeping people in prison. Where the Lord is come to bring joy to the world, a nuisance and trouble maker is right around the corner to steal that joy. When all ye faithful come together, joyful and triumphant, a troublemaker is their plaguing people with defeat.
Borrowing a character from the Star Wars trilogy, this menace is not a phantom. He is not an apparition. He is not a mirage. He is very real and really wants to steal, kill and destroy.
In his book Cosmic Christmas, Max Lucado writes, Christmas is full of cozy thoughts: a sleeping Jesus, wide-eyed shepherds, a soft- faced Mary. The nativity sentiment is warm, the emotion is joy, and the feeling is peace. Such is the picture in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. In John’s book of Revelation, however, he offers another perspective. From his perspective, the birth of Jesus stirs more than excitement; it stirs evil. Pulling back the curtain of the skies, he reveals a bloody war in the heavens. John sees a woman, ready to give birth. He sees a dragon, ready to bring death. The woman is beautiful and the dragon ugly. The dragon lunges at the newborn child, but he is too late. The child and the mother are granted safety and then “there was a war in heaven. A war in the stars, if you will. “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.”
Max admits, “parts of Cosmic Christmas are fiction – fruits of my imagination. Other parts of the story, however, are true. Whether or not you like the fiction is insignifant. But whether or not you see the truth is essential. Scripture for example says nothing of a vial containing the essence of Christ, an arch demon named Phlumar, an angel named Sophio… Scripture is, however, very clear that ‘our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Go to the back of the bible in the book of revelation chapter 12. We’re going to look at the Christmas story through the eyes of the revelation John received – John, the same apostle who wrote the Gospel of John and the three letters. John’s testimony shows us that there is a very real menacing presence out to steal, kill and destroy everything Christmas represents. And it’s my honor this morning to tell you that you do not have to live in fear and frustration, in depression and defeat.
Revelation 12 1A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
Two signs: a woman and a dragon. A sign is a mark; an indication; a sign of warning or admonition; an indication of God’s power
A woman.
Ø Clothed with the sun: it suggests supreme authority. How is the woman clothed with supreme authority? Think back to the Christmas story. In Luke 1, starting in verse 28, the angel Gabriel went to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” She was a little troubled and wondered what this was all about. But Gabriel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Could it be that the one she was to hold and protect was actually holding and protecting her? So here’s this woman, covered by, overshadowed, blanketed by, clothed with the power of the Most High God, with…
Ø Moon under her feet: suggests derived authority. To derive literally means to draw off, like drawing water from a stream. It’s to receive or obtain from a specified source. The moon does not have light in itself. We only see the moon because of its reflection of the source of light, the sun. This derived authority is under her feet. Could this have something to do with the curse placed on that ancient serpent that Eve’s offspring would crush his head. (Genesis 3:15) Does it have to do with what Paul said at the end of Romans, The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. (Romans 16:20) We’ll look at this deeper in the coming weeks as we look at the Invader who “must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. … For he “has put everything under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:25-27)
Ø A crown of twelve stars on her head: Does this crown refer to the 12 tribes of Israel or the 12 apostles of the church? This description has some translators thinking that the woman is the nation of Israel that gave birth to the church. “Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.” Psalm 148:3
A dragon.
Enormous red dragon: Who is the dragon? Verse 9 answers that question: “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” How many angels? Verse 4 says a third of the stars. His tail swept of third of what was trailing him, flinging them to earth. Somehow, someway, he was able to convince a third of heaven in his rebellion. His purpose? To devour her child. Do you remember what Peter once wrote? “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) That ancient serpent. This serpent found at the end of the book is the same serpent in the beginning. Genesis 3:1 says that “the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made.”
Who is this dragon?
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Cor.4:4 Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light, 2 Cor.11:14 and is the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. Eph.2:2 Be on the alert! Our enemy the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith. 1 Peter 5:8 Some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 Tim.4:1 The Devil…was a murderer from the beginning and…is a liar and the father of liars. John 8:44 Our gospel is veiled…to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Cor. 4:3-4 It’s our prayer that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will, 2Tim.2:26 for the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19 He’s the accuser in Job 1. He’s the tempter in Luke 4. He is seen in 2 Cor.2:11
In September we saw that we are in a very real war and that battle is not against flesh and blood. In October and November we looked at the personal battles we face every day. This month I want to encourage you to commit James 4:7-8 to memory and put it to practice every day.
Submit to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. James 4:7-8
Submit to God actively.
Resist the devil verbally.
Draw near to God intentionally.
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay, Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day; To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.
Filed under: about
A prophet by the name of Ezekiel received this message from heaven: “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord….’ So I prophesied as He commanded me; the breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.” (Ezekiel 37:4-6, 10) In this world where so many people are down, dead, depressed, disillusioned… I want to speak life. Speak into your life. Pray into your life. It’s my hope that you’ll find hope in these pages. You can reach me at johnnyaho@live.com.
The picture of the cross was taken at Ipperwash Beach in Ontario, Canada. We enjoy taking a two week vacation there with my wife’s family. I found the cross in Grand Bend. It’s a cross once used by the Coptic Christians in Egypt. The Coptic Church is the Christian church of Egypt, established by Mark in the 1st century (around 60 A.D.). The church now also has dioceses elsewhere in Africa and the Near East. The old Coptic crosses often incorporate a circle; sometimes large, sometimes small. For the Coptic Church, the circle represents the eternal and everlasting love of God, as shown through Christ’s crucifixion. It also symbolizes Christ’s halo and resurrection. Wearing it fits what is happening in our church. We’re currently reaching out to Lebanese, Iraqis, Mexicans, and Japanese through friends who serve with me who used to live in Egypt. It’s truly our desire to be a “house of prayer for the nations” (Isaiah 56.7).
A result of the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost was that sons and daughters would prophesy, those in the older generations would continue to dream and the coming generations would see visions. Instead of ending a period of prophecy, dreams and visions, Pentecost was only the beginning. This passage from Joel is what Peter used to tell the thousands of onlookers on the streets of Jerusalem what was happening.
What are you dreaming? How do you know a vision or dream is from God or it’s simply an idea you might have?
Sometimes dreams at night are given so God can warn us in order to turn us from our “actions and suppress (our) pride.” (Job 33:14-17)
A person may also be led by a vision.
God led Joseph in his dreams as a young man. The retelling of his dreams led to his being sold into slavery. (Genesis 37:20) Ananias was led to find and pray for Paul through a vision (Acts 9:10). Cornelius was told to look for Peter in a vision (Acts 10) and Peter was prepped for that meeting through a vision of his own (Acts 10:10). Peter called it a “visionary state.”
At night Paul had a vision of “a Macedonian man…standing and pleading with him, ‘cross over to Macedonia and help us!’” After seeing the vision they immediately made plans to set sail (Acts 16:9-10). In another “night vision” Paul was told not to fear but to keep right on preaching (Acts 18:9)
In Paul’s case, his visions had immediate implications. He was to act promptly.
Habakkuk’s case was a little different. Once he laid out his complaints to the Lord, he went up to his guard post on the lookout tower. He not kept watch over his city, he said, “I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.”
Then the Lord answered, “write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.” (Habakkuk 2:2) Sometimes “it delays.” So, “wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.” (2:3)
Sometimes it’s hard to know whether “the vision” has immediate results and we are to act on them or we are to wait. Knowing the timing may have something to do with what a vision is for.
God may use a vision for information. I woke from a dream in November 1996 where God told me, “you owe it to your church to pray for them everyday.” The timing on that one was immediate. I needed to pray for our little church in Napa and pray for people by name. Peter’s vision about food was not only informational but also transformational. It led him to believe differently about his non Jewish neighbors and drove him to minister to them.
God may use a vision for transformation. Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus was pretty transformational. It changed his life for good. God used it to get his attention, much like he is doing to get the attention of many people in a variety of cultures where they have been fighting against Him. It’s a case described in Job 33:14-17.
God may use a vision for inspiration. I’m living this one out right now. Sometimes God inspires you to keep on keeping on. Though Pentecostal power filled them in Acts 2, the disciples, after a time of prayer, were re-filled in Acts 4 with the presence of God’s Holy Spirit. They were compelled then back to the streets to “speak God’s message with boldness.” (4:31)
All the Spirit had to do with me lately is tell me one word: intercessor. An intercessor stands in the gap between God and those he/she is praying for and doesn’t let up until an answer is given. I’ll share more about that two Sundays from now. But that one word, the re-defining of who God wants me to be, what He wants me to do, and where He wants me to go (Joshua 1:16), has inspired me to read as much as I can from those who have gone before me: Rees Howells-Intercessor, by Norman Grubb; Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle and his book Breakthrough Prayer (in our library); and now I’m reading Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA and his book, The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind. That one word has also inspired me to pray as much as I can. This is more of a confession than a brag, but I have been praying for each of you, adults, kids, teens, babies, by name every day since July 1. I should have been doing this since I started with you. I feel as Samuel did: “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23) I’ve been in sin. I have not been praying for you as I have been told.
Dreams and Desires
The catch when it comes to gaining new vision from God for your life is knowing whether that dream is coming from your mind or His. One of the problems Israel faced was that some prophets spoke “visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth.” (Jeremiah 23:16)
The way we know we’re dreaming God’s dreams has a lot to do with what we focus us.
Bill Johnson says that “most of the misunderstanding comes because we don’t know which of our desires come from God and which are carnal. The very word desire is made up of the prefix de meaning “of,” and sire meaning “the Father.” Desire is, by nature, of the Father. But before we come to Christ our desires are corrupted because desire springs from what we commune with.” Don’t miss that. Desire springs from what we commune with. “If we commune with greed, our desires will be greedy. If we commune with pornography, our desires will be for perversity. If we commune with anger over a past hurt, our desire will be for revenge. But when we commune with the Father, our desires are pure.” (p144-145)
Bill asks, “what do you desire when you are praying?” Remember Jesus said, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24) In other words, “what do you desire in that place of communion with the Lord?” You see, “we don’t think or dream independent of God, but because of Him.” (p145)
Sometimes we hear someone’s dream and we think they’re crazy. This one wasn’t my dream, but some people among us were dreaming about taking the Gospel through sports to Spain at the price tag of $20,000 during a down economic year. God has brought more than enough, bringing $22,000+. There are currently 20-30 students already signed up for each sport. EACH sport!!!
When “the God whose thoughts are as high as the heavens” is speaking into your thoughts, you’re going to have some dreams that seem…out there. Out where? As high as the heavens.
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways…. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) What if we were to commune with the One whose thoughts and ways are higher than ours? What “high as the heavens” dreams would we be dreaming?
What are you dreaming? What good purposes is He giving you? Are you inspired? I’ve been praying that God would, by His power, fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted (inspired) by your faith. (2 Thessalonians 1:11) What inspires you? What/who are you communing with? Where is your attention being drawn? What are you doing to be inspired? What are you doing to inspire others by the actions prompted by your faith?
Filed under: prayer | Tags: intercession, intercessor, intercessors, pray, prayer, prayers
Intercessory Prayer – What is it?
I have been re-learning what it means to be an intercessor. Here are some resources I have found so far.
Intercessory prayer is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes the place of another or pleads another’s case. One study Bible defines intercession as “holy, believing, persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of another or others who desperately need God’s intervention.”
Intercessory Prayer – The Biblical Foundation
The Biblical basis for the New Testament believer’s ministry of intercessory prayer is our calling as priests unto God. The Word of God declares that we are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), and a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:5).
The background for understanding this calling to priestly intercession is found in the Old Testament example of the Levitical priesthood. The priest’s responsibility was to stand before and between. He stood before God to minister to Him with sacrifices and offerings. The priests also stood between a righteous God and sinful man bringing them together at the place of the blood sacrifice.
Hebrews 7:11-19 explains the difference between the Old and New Testament ministries of the priest. The Old Testament Levitical priesthood was passed on from generation to generation through the descendants of the tribe of Levi. “The Melchizedek priesthood” spoken of in this passage, is the “new order” of spiritual priests of whom the Lord Jesus is the High Priest. It is passed on to us through His blood and our spiritual birth as new creatures in Christ.
Intercessory Prayer – Our Model Intercessor
Jesus Christ is our model for intercessory prayer. Jesus stands before God and between Him and sinful man, just as the Old Testament priests did: For there is one God, and one mediator (intercessor) between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34). Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).
Jesus brings sinful man and a righteous God together at the place of the blood sacrifice for sin. No longer is the blood of animals necessary as it was in the Old Testament. We can now approach God on the basis of the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary for the remission of sins. Because of the blood of Jesus, we can approach God boldly without timidity (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Jesus was an intercessor while He was here on earth. He prayed for those who were sick and possessed by demons. He prayed for His disciples. He even prayed for you and me when He interceded for all those who would believe on Him. Jesus continued His ministry of intercession after His death and resurrection when He returned to Heaven. He now serves as our intercessor in Heaven.
Intercessory Prayer – Effective Intercession
In intercessory prayer, we follow the Old Testament priestly function and the New Testament pattern of Jesus – standing before God and between a righteous God and sinful man. In order to be effective standing “between” we must first stand “before” God to develop the intimacy necessary to fulfill this role. Numbers 14 is one of the greatest accounts of intercessory prayer recorded in the Bible. Moses was able to stand between God and sinful man because he had stood “before” Him and had developed intimacy of communication. Numbers 12:8 records that God spoke with Moses as friend to friend and not through visions and dreams as He did with other prophets.
As New Testament believers, we no longer sacrifice animals as in Old Testament times. We stand before the Lord to offer up spiritual sacrifices of praise (Hebrews 13:15) and the sacrifice of our own lives (Romans 12:1). It is on the basis of this intimate relationship with God that we can then stand “between” Him and others, serving as an advocate and intercessor in their behalf.
Peter uses two words to describe this priestly ministry: “Holy” and “royal.” Holiness is required to stand before the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We are able to do this only on the basis of the righteousness of Christ, not our own righteousness. Royalty is descriptive of the kingly authority that is delegated to us as members of the “royal family,” so to speak, with legitimate access to the throne room of God.
Keys to Powerful Living: Intercession
By CBN.com — A family member faces a deadly disease. Your neighbor desperately needs Jesus, but turns away every time you try to share Christ. A nation begins to crumble because its people follow their own evil ways. But what can you do?
Often, the problems we face seem too big for us. No matter how much we try, we cannot solve them on our own. It’s times like these when we need to turn to the Lord in intercessory prayer.
WHAT IS INTERCESSION?
Intercession is prayer that pleads with God for your needs and the needs of others. But it is also much more than that. Intercession involves taking hold of God’s will and refusing to let go until His will comes to pass.
Intercession is warfare — the key to God’s battle plan for our lives. But the battleground is not of this earth. The Bible says, “We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and spiritual powers in the heavens above” (Eph. 6:12).
Intercessory prayer takes place in this spiritual world where the battles for our own lives, our families, our friends and our nation are won or lost.
A PLAN FOR BATTLE
If you are born again, you are God’s son or daughter (John 1:12). As His child, you have a direct “hotline” to God. At any time, you can boldly come into His presence (Heb. 4:16; see also
This incredible access to God is the basis for intercession. Once you are in God’s presence, you can now discover His battle plan for the situation you are facing. Because prayer alone is not enough — you need a target for your prayers!
To discover God’s plan, all you have to do is ask. The Bible says that “if any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). When we ask God for wisdom, His desires will become the focus of our prayers. “Let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him” (Romans 12:2).
ARMED FOR BATTLE
Intercessory prayer is a serious matter. And just like soldiers who are preparing for battle, we cannot take on the enemy if we leave our weapons behind. That’s why we must go into “battle” armed for spiritual conflict (see 2 Cor. 10:3,4).
First, recognize that Jesus is in control of the situation. Jesus “rules over forces, authorities, powers, and rulers … over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well” (Eph. 1:21). He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then, put on “all the armor God gives” (see Eph. 6) so that you will be ready to fight with God’s weapons. These are the “weapons of our warfare” that can pull down strongholds in the spirit world (see 2 Cor. 10:3,4). They will also protect you from the attacks that are sure to come once you begin the spiritual battle.
Next, bind the work of Satan, knowing that Jesus has given you authority “to defeat the power of your enemy” (Luke 10:19). If God shows you the identity of specific spiritual strongholds that are at work, take authority over these strongholds in the name of Jesus. And always remember that “God’s Spirit is in you and is more powerful that the one that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Finally, as you begin the spiritual battle, take comfort knowing that you are not alone: Jesus also is interceding on your behalf! The Bible says that Jesus “is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25, NASB; see also Romans 8:26,27,34).
PERSISTING IN BATTLE
Intercessory prayer is also prayer that doesn’t give up. It’s the kind of prayer that endures all setbacks and overcomes every obstacle. It’s prayer that “presses on” until we “apprehend” God’s will in whatever situation we are facing (see Phil. 3:12, KJV).
This kind of prayer is the key to seeing breakthroughs in your life and in the lives of those around you. Jesus gave a great model for intercession in the story of the persistent friend. Here we see a friend who knocks on his neighbor’s door at midnight to ask for three loaves of bread. The neighbor does not want to get up, but Jesus said, “because of his friend’s persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs” (Luke 11:8, NASB).
Then Jesus said, “Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks” (Luke 11:10). Those words mean keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. In God’s time, your persistence in intercessory prayer will reap a spiritual harvest in your life and the lives of those around you!
BATTLING FOR YOUR NATION
Throughout the Bible, God searched for those willing to fight the spiritual battle for their land. In Ezekiel, God says, “And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found no one” (Ezek. 22:30, NASB).
Through intercession, you can take the offensive in the spiritual battle, building up your community, your nation and your world. As you follow God’s call to rise up and take your place in the spiritual battle, God promises to “heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14, NASB).
JOINING THE BATTLE
God is calling Christians to join His battle plan for this world — to join in intercessory prayer. He is not looking for perfect prayer warriors, just willing hearts who want to see His will come to pass on the earth. All you have to do is turn to the Lord in prayer:
“Father, I come into Your presence and ask You to give me the heart of the intercessor. Help me to be persistent in prayer until the breakthrough comes. Thank You for this powerful weapon of spiritual warfare — and for Your faithfulness in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
GOD’S WORD ON INTERCESSION
“We live in this world, but we don’t act like its people or fight our battles with the weapons of this world. Instead, we use God’s power that can destroy fortresses. We destroy arguments and every bit of pride that keeps anyone from knowing God. We capture people’s thoughts and make them obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
SCRIPTURES FOR STUDY
Isaiah 59:16; Galatians 6:2; 1 Timothy 2:1 — Our responsibility to intercede
Genesis 18 — The importance of righteous believers
Isaiah 58:6-7 — The need for intercession
Romans 8:26-34 — Help to intercede
Ephesians 6 — The “armor” for spiritual battle
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible.
The Mystery of Intercession
CBN.com — At some point in our lives, we all face situations where we don’t know how to pray. Recently, Gordon Robertson sat down and had a chance to interview Pastor Jack Hayford, founder of The King’s College and Seminary, about the mystery of intercession. And he offers helpful insights that will empower your prayer life.
GORDON ROBERTSON: I want to relate a brief personal story. I was reading the New Testament one day, and the Holy Spirit just sort of whispered to me, `If you were with Jesus, if you were one of his disciples when he was on Earth, what would you ask him?’ And, you know, I started to think, how do you do miracles and how did you walk on water and all those things. And then I was very gently reminded that his disciples, the one question they wanted was, `Teach us to pray. How do we pray?’ I think that needs to be a question that every disciple of Christ asks. From your point of view, what is the best way to pray? What should we do?
JACK HAYFORD: I think there’s two parts to it, Gordon. First, I think the Bible says that he that comes to God, believe that he is and that he’s a rewarder of those that seek him. To believe the Lord wants to answer prayer. There is so much of a mind-set everywhere you go — and amazingly, among hosts of believers — that prayer is kind of like, `Well, God’s going to do it anyway, but I’ll kind of ask him to either hurry it up or maybe, you know, what difference do my prayers make?’ I think a starting place is to recognize that if we don’t pray, it’s not going to happen. And it has nothing to do with God’s heart or desire to act in our world. It’s that he has made the terms. He said, `I’ll act when you ask.’ And it’s not that he couldn’t get along without us, but he’s chosen to say, `You don’t have the power. I’ve got the power, but you have the right to ask, so I’m telling you, ask.’
So the starting place is ask. And then in doing that, to draw on the energy and power of the Holy Spirit to do that asking because we need help to go beyond anything we can pray on our own.
GORDON ROBERTSON: It seems a great mystery to me that God seems to almost hold back until his children come to him and ask. It’s sort of, you know, ask and you shall receive…
JACK HAYFORD: Right.
GORDON ROBERTSON: …seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened. And it’s not until we initiate the relationship that he comes through and responds.
JACK HAYFORD: Well, you know, he has taken the boldest and most grand initiative in sending Jesus, in providing salvation and saying, `Now that’s there for you.’ And once we enter a new life, he says, `I’d like to grow you up now. I want you to learn this is the way this works. You’re the kid, I’m the dad, and you ask and we’ll start to grow into partnership.’ God and sons and daughters is the name of the company — and he’s wanting to grow us up in him.
GORDON ROBERTSON: You’ve gotten a revelation about Romans 8:28. I know that’s been oft quoted and oft repeated. Tell us about that.
JACK HAYFORD: Well, it’s one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible. The Scripture saying, `All things work together for good for them that love the Lord are called according to his purpose.’ (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28, NIV)
The tragedy with Romans 8:28 is the number of people that take it as a philosophical statement and say, `Well, you know, all things work together for good.’ And it was never meant as a stand-alone verse. I’ve said — and people look at you like you denied the virgin birth or something — that Romans 8:28 isn’t true, unless you link it with the preceding two verses. And it’s true of other portions of the Bible if you isolate it from its context.
Romans 8:26 and 27 says, `We don’t know how to pray in circumstances that transcend us. But the Holy Spirit will help us with prayers, with groanings that transcend our capacity.’ (In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26, NIV)
He’ll come alongside. He will take hold together with, literally, the Greek verb says that full partnership where he bears the burden and energizes the prayer. (And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for these saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:27, NIV)
Oftentimes He gives direction and discernment as to how we ought to pray. And then, when we let the Holy Spirit help us in prayer, sometimes with the understanding, sometimes praying in the Spirit, that then, the Bible says, all things will work together for good. But they do not automatically just work out. That’s another part of that thing. We want to escape responsibility. Say, `Well, you know, God will take care of it. I’ll do my best and, you know, just cross my heart and hope to live.’
But the Lord says, `I want to you pray, and when it’s beyond you, my Holy Spirit will help you.’
GORDON ROBERTSON: When I preach in front of audiences occasionally on intercessory prayer, I ask, `How many of you are intercessors?’ And generally, I get a smattering of people to raise their hand. And then I say, `Well, Jesus was an intercessor — is an intercessor, is our intercessor, and we’re supposed to be like him.’ So now how many of you want to be an intercessors? And then everybody says, `OK, now that I’m theologically educated, I can now properly respond.’ But I don’t think many people really understand those verses in Romans Chapter 8 from an experiential point of view, the groanings that cannot be uttered. How does one enter into that realm, where the Spirit comes alongside to help our inability to pray?
JACK HAYFORD: Gordon, it’s just really a matter of passion. There is not some magic from heaven that you have to know how to do this and thereby, you become this awesome intercessor. In fact, the Bible using the word `groans that cannot be uttered.’ Many of us believe, and I think it’s true from passages in the Scripture, `I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding.’ The Apostle Paul is inferring prayer in the Spirit there, but I believe it includes also just plain times that you are groaning out, and there’s a cry from the inner person. And even when people just say, `Oh, my God,’ and they’re not just saying, `Oh, my God,’ they’re crying out that the heart of God reaches directly there, and the spirit of man, activated by the spirit of faith, the holy spirit of faith, touches the heart of God.
Now again, God is touched anyway, but he’s confined himself to his own rules. And that’s his right. He’s said, `It’s when you ask there will come answers.’ And it is that responsibility to accept our place and to move in partnership. The Lord says, `Without me, you cannot. But without without you, I will not.’ So he invites us and summons us to partnership in prayer, and then gives us the power to fulfill that by the help of the Spirit.
GORDON ROBERTSON: Is there another part of that “all things working together for good” where you can actually look at the hard times in your life as times where God is calling you into that kind of deep intercessory prayer to teach you the lesson that when the pressure comes and you groan in response to it — that that is part of the working together for good?
JACK HAYFORD: It is. In fact, the ensuing verse, Romans 8:29, says, `It’s by this means that we become conformed to the image of Jesus, that there is a process in the trial.’ (For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29, NIV)
God didn’t make the problem to say, `I’m going to beat up on you, so you have to pray and then I’ll do a good thing.’
GORDON ROBERTSON: Right.
JACK HAYFORD: The problems come in the world. `Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward,’ Job says. Jesus said, `In the world, you’ll have tribulation.’ Trouble comes. The Holy Spirit shows us how to pray. God calls us to pray. As we pray, the power of God enters the situation and begins to transform the situation. And in the middle of that, we are being transformed. So there’s no question. That’s why sometimes people say, `Well, God must have made the problem because I grew out of it.’ But God didn’t say, `I’ll make problems to make you grow.’ He says, `I’ll show you the way you grow through learning the passion and the power and pathway of prayer.’
GORDON ROBERTSON: Amen. He’s not the author of temptation, but he does see us through it and there’s nothing that he’s given us that we can’t escape. Well, in addition to being an intercessor, you’re also a tremendous worship leader. You write songs that really get you right into the presence of God. And you’ve come up with a new book, “Worship His Majesty.” And I think in addition to the intercessory prayer movement, we’re now going to see it linked up with a new movement in worship. Tell us about that. What do you see happening in that realm?
JACK HAYFORD: Gordon, the two are so immediately approximate, and as you mentioned at the onset of our talk, they said, `Lord, teach us to pray.’ And he said, `You pray this way.’ And what he says, `First, you worship God, our Father who art in heaven, holy be your name.’ Worship lays the foundation to then, `thy kingdom come, thy will be done.’ There’s the introduction and the welcome of the kingdom power and working of God in our world situation. So worship is intended by Jesus’ own directive to be linked to prayer. And my book “Worship His Majesty” is intended to focus on the tremendous joy of worship — it is so clearly apparent where worship renewal is taking place. I would like people to not just get excited about worship, but to see how pivotally fundamental and foundational it is to the staging of the Lord’s impacting every area of our life — our congregation’s life, our community life — because we see the relationship between invoking the kingdom power through welcoming the presence of the king.
Filed under: journal
I enjoy special treats with my family. $147 gave us a family membership at a local indoor recreation center complete with two large pools and water slides. This weekend I decided I would take my family out for breakfast. Of all meals out, usually breakfast is the most economical. Oops. Not this one. We went to an IHOP (international house of pancakes) that just opened near us and was handed a bill (+tip) for $40. Forty. Hmmmm. When I got home, I picked up a book given to me, oh, two years ago, called Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey. I started to realize how my life has been a series of overspending $40 and up. I decided the best thing to do was follow the steps necessary to become debt free. We can actually do it. We could have zero car payments within this next year, begin saving for retirement and my girls’ education, and become more free financially.
Now I finally have a reason to speak on Sundays about financial freedom. I have a hard time speaking on something I’m not already doing. “I’ve heard this is a great thing to do. You should go do it.” Or, “do as I say, not as I do.”
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: goals, God, Jesus, mission, purpose, religion
“I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)
This time of year it’s natural for us to look back at what happened and look ahead to what’s coming. As you look to the year ahead of you, what are you aiming at?
Paul was a man of great ambition, and yet, when you see men and women of faith aiming their lives, they do so having a sense that God is pointing them in a certain direction. What direction are you pointing in?
We’re all pointing in a direction. Some of us are more prone to set goals and take the steps necessary to see them fulfilled. Whether you make goals or not, you’re still aiming your life in a certain direction.
It was pretty clear to Paul the direction God had pointed his life in.
“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.” (Romans 15:20)
Ambition is an earnest desire for some type of achievement … and the willingness to strive for its successful completion. It can be an aspiration, a longing or yearning. Having ambition means you’re goal-oriented. You aim your life in a certain direction. You’re driven.
I find it interesting “my ambition” was God’s ambition. I think we fear sometimes that what we want for our lives won’t line up with what God wants. Granted, we all have our Jonah experiences, where God tells us to go in a certain direction and we run the opposite way. I think, though, that we’re wired in a certain way in life – to be wired that same way in ministry.
There are men who like to work on cars that have a mechanics ministry. There are women in our church who like to knit, and they create prayer shawls for people in need. Don’t be so quick to think that since you have an ambition for something that God hasn’t planted that desire in your life. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart,” David said in Psalm 37:4. Find your satisfaction in a relationship with Jesus Christ and he will give you what to desire.
What desires has God given you? That might be a great place to start to find out the direction He is aiming your life in. Ask Him. Seek Him out. (Luke 11:9-13) Get direction from His word. Those words will light where you place your feet and guide you in the path you should take. (Psalm 119:105)
Take AIM. If you haven’t done so already, set aside some quiet time to allow God to give you direction for this next year. Ask Him what goals He wants you to set. Where will He drive you this next year? Then, initiate. Take the initiative. If it’s an individual goal, tell someone to hold you accountable. Or even find others who want to excel in that area as well. If it’s a goal that will take more people to accomplish, find others who are like minded. Then measure your life and your goals against God’s direction.
Filed under: DISCIPLES series | Tags: Bible, church, churches, Dearborn, disciple, God, Jesus, sacrifice
I know it doesn’t take much creativity on the part of the giver, but I don’t mind getting money for my birthday. I love money. That can be a problem since Paul told his young protégé that money is the root of all evil. That’s not right, is it? The love of money is the root of all evil. I love to spend money on myself. I do enjoy spending on myself, but that joy is short lived. When I expend my life on others and spend my resources (time, talents, treasure) on others, I find that life is much more enjoyable.
What are the objects of your affection? What do you treasure? Any chance you would give it up because you have set your sites on something else? You can tell what a person’s priorities are by looking in their checkbook. You can also tell by looking in their calendar.
Time and money are extremely valuable assets. Don’t you find it interesting that with all this technology, we don’t have enough time with the ones we need to make time for? All of what we have is supposed to help us save time and money, but it doesn’t. We start to realize that there may be better ways to spend our lives than on ourselves.
A friend of mine went to help pack and hand out turkey dinners this past weekend. Another friend takes his Saturdays to reach out to Arab Americans in east Dearborn. Another friend calls women to find out how she can pray for them. Some kids in our church save a portion of their allowance to give to God. Some guys I know spent many of their evenings making sure a young family had a working bathroom.
All of these examples are what Paul would call a living sacrifice. He wrote, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Wait a minute, I thought worship was gathering together on Sundays, singing praises and listening to the Word of God. It is. But worship is much more. It’s how you live your life and what you live your life for.
What do you have your sites set on? What are you looking at? What are you spending your life doing? Whenever you give whatever you give, keep in view what He gave up for you.
Filed under: DISCIPLES series | Tags: Bible, disciple, dog, dogs, God, Jesus, obedience, Scripture
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted a dog. I loved Snoopy growing up. Alright. I guess I still do. I still have pictures of Snoopy that I drew in grade school (budding artist that I was!). We’ve had cats for as long as Michelle and I have been married. Cats don’t really obey. They’re in their own little world. You can usually train a dog to obey. Usually.
When I was ready for our family to get a dog, I went onto a website where I could answer questions about myself and my family. That way we could pick the best dog for our family. The top two choices were a Jack Russell Terrier and a Beagle. When we told friends we were interested in a dog, they knew of a family that could not care for their’s. He was a Beagle. His name is Dakota.
When I took Dakota on those first walks, I knew I was in trouble. That Beagle nose likes to hunt. He wouldn’t slow down for anything. At one point he broke his collar as he pulled away from me to chase something. Obey? Not on your life. Not right then anyhow. Down the road my dear Dakota would learn. Maybe age slowed him down a bit.
Are you a dog or a cat? Can you be trained to obey your Master or are you in your own little world, like a cat?
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:3-6)
We know someone is a follower of Jesus because we see them following Jesus. They make time to listen to what He has to say. They follow Him to see His words in action. Then, if they are truly disciples, they obey. They put His words to action. They put feet on their faith.
Is that you? Are you trainable? Maybe you’re not obeying your Master all the time, but, like Dakota, you’re getting better. We show we love God by obeying God.
I love reading in a variety of translations. It can give a broader perspective of the passages we’re reading. The NIV reads that Ezekiel was in the 30th year. 30th year of what? I thought it was the 30th year of their exile. Sometimes they’ll say they received a revelation during a certain year of a king’s reign. I read this chapter through 3 times yesterday. I have the NLT (New Living Translation) in the car. I read in the NLT, “on July 31 of my 30th year.” Biblical scholars are able to cross reference dates with events mentioned in these books. One thing I learned is that Ezekiel has more dates than any other prophecy. Was Ezekiel 30 years old when he started his ministry? It’s the age Jesus was when he began his public ministry.
From my notes on Ezekiel: “Nebuchadnezzar soon responded by sending a force against Jerusalem, subduing it in 597 b.c. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin and about 10,000 Jews (see 2Ki 24:14), including Ezekiel, were exiled to Babylon, where they joined those who had been exiled in Jehoiakim’s “third year” (see Da 1:1 and note). Nebuchadnezzar placed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, on the throne in Jerusalem, but within five or six years he too rebelled. The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem in 588, and in July, 586, the walls were breached and the city plundered. On Aug. 14, 586, the city and temple were burned.”
Jeremiah prophecied that Jerusalem would be overthrown for 70 years. It’s what Daniel read from Jeremiah as well.
“The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon…Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: ‘Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.’” (Jeremiah 1:1, 8-11)
After reading this Daniel recorded, “In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom- in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” (Daniel 9:1-3)
Ezekiel recorded, “In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth of the month-it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin- the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him.” (1:1-3)
So on July 31, 593 b.c., Ezekiel received his call to ministry in dramatic form. He “was active for 22 years, his last dated oracle being received in April, 571 (see 29:17). If the “thirtieth year” of 1:1 refers to Ezekiel’s age at the time of his call, his prophetic career exceeded a normal priestly term of service by two years (see Nu 4:3). His period of activity coincides with Jerusalem’s darkest hour, preceding the 586 destruction by 7 years and following it by 15.” (www.ibs.org)
The full description of the four creatures he saw take up most of the first chapter. Verse 20 says, “wherever the Spirit would go, they would go.” That’s how I want to live my life. Wherever I see the Spirit going is where I want to go. You can’t stand still and follow Jesus! He’s always on the move. He might move us to a lakeside so we don’t move for awhile, or to catch a vision on the mountain top, but then he’ll take us back down into the valley to touch the lives of others.
I’m not going to get into the description on these creatures, because I think the main point of chapter one is the “voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings.” (v25) When he saw the Figure on the throne, he wrote how “this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” (v28) We can get so caught up in the experience that we forget the One we’re experiencing. God had a message to give Ezekiel. What message is God giving you today? Are you taking the time to listen to Him? He might not come to you preceded by four-faced creatures, but He still wants to communicate with you today.
Filed under: scriptures | Tags: ezekiel, God, Jesus, reading, scriptures
After hearing Brennan Manning in February of 2006, I decided to read through the Bible as many times as I could. I saw in him a man who was in love with God. I didn’t want Brennan’s writing ability or his speaking ability. I didn’t want his notoriety. I wanted his relationship with God. I was envious of the closeness he experienced with God. So, part of my pursuit of God was splitting my Bible up into 6 sections and reading a certain number of chapters out of those sections each day (Pentateuch:4 History: 4 Poetry: 5 Prophecy: 5 Gospels+Acts: 4 Letters: 3). I read through the Bible twice in 2006 and three times this year.
But I was missing something. Depth. I missed digging deeper. After five times through, I had my most difficult times reading through Job and Ezekiel. So, I thought I would spend this next year with Ezekiel. I want to get to know him. I’ve collected some notes and will probably collect more over this next year’s journey. I’ll write my own thoughts out through each chapter as I get to know Ezekiel better in 2008.
Filed under: scriptures | Tags: Bible, ezekiel, Jesus, prophecy, scriptures
Here are some notes on Ezekiel’s prophecy that I have collected from different sources. All the sources are named.
Background on Ezekiel (from the NIV Study Bible Introduction on Ezekiel)
Ezekiel lived during a time of international upheaval. The Assyrian empire that had once conquered the Syro-Palestinian area and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel (which fell to the Assyrians in 722-721 b.c.) began to crumble under the blows of a resurgent Babylon. In 612 the great Assyrian city of Nineveh fell to a combined force of Babylonians and Medes. Three years later, Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt marched north to assist the Assyrians and to try to reassert Egypt’s age-old influence over Canaan and Aram (Syria). At Megiddo, King Josiah of Judah, who may have been an ally of Babylon as King Hezekiah had been, attempted to intercept the Egyptian forces but was crushed, losing his life in the battle (see 2Ki 23:29-30; 2Ch 35:20-24).
Jehoahaz, a son of Josiah, ruled Judah for only three months, after which Neco installed Jehoiakim, another son of Josiah, as his royal vassal in Jerusalem (609 b.c.). In 605 the Babylonians overwhelmed the Egyptian army at Carchemish (see Jer 46:2), then pressed south as far as the Philistine plain. In the same year, Nebuchadnezzar was elevated to the Babylonian throne and Jehoiakim shifted allegiance to him. When a few years later the Egyptian and Babylonian forces met in a standoff battle, Jehoiakim rebelled against his new overlord.
Nebuchadnezzar soon responded by sending a force against Jerusalem, subduing it in 597 b.c. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin and about 10,000 Jews (see 2Ki 24:14), including Ezekiel, were exiled to Babylon, where they joined those who had been exiled in Jehoiakim’s “third year” (see Da 1:1 and note). Nebuchadnezzar placed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, on the throne in Jerusalem, but within five or six years he too rebelled. The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem in 588, and in July, 586, the walls were breached and the city plundered. On Aug. 14, 586, the city and temple were burned.
Under Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, Babylon dominated the international scene until it was crushed by Cyrus the Persian in 539 b.c. The reign of the house of David came to an end; the kingdom of Judah ceased to be an independent nation; Jerusalem and the Lord’s temple lay in ruins.
WIKI The Book of Ezekiel was written for the Israelites living in exile in Babylon. Up until that exile their custom had been to worship their God in the temple in Jerusalem. Exile raised important theological questions. How, the Israelites asked, could they worship their God when they were now in a distant land? Was their God still available to them? Ezekiel speaks to this problem. He first explains that the Israelite exile is a punishment for disobedience and he then offers hope to the exiles, suggesting that the exile will be reversed once the Israelites return to God.
Generally speaking, life was good in captivity. Unlike their ancestors, who were enslaved and socially marginalized while in exile in Egypt, the Jews of Ezekiel’s time were able to become part of the society they found themselves in. The Israelite Exiles were told by Jeremiah not to worship the foreign gods, but Jeremiah did tell them that they could become part of the Babylonian culture. They did this well, often being called upon by the Babylonians to complete projects using their skills as artisans. Unlike other enemies, the Babylonians allowed the Jewish people to settle in small groups. While keeping their religious and national identities, many Jewish people did start to settle into their new environment. From building homes to opening businesses, the Jews seemed to settle into their exile land for the long haul.
This growing comfort in Babylon helps to explain why so many Jewish people decided not to return to their land. Many people would have been born in exile and would know nothing of their old land, so when the opportunity came for them to reclaim the land that was taken from them, many decided not to leave the Babylonian land they knew. This large group of people who decided to stay are known to be the oldest of the Diaspora communities along with the Jews of Persia.
Author
What is known of Ezekiel is derived solely from the book that bears his name. He was among the Jews exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 b.c., and there among the exiles he received his call to become a prophet (see 1:1-3). He was married (see 24:15-18), lived in a house of his own (see 3:24; 8:1) and along with his fellow exiles, though confined to Babylonia, had a relatively free existence there.
He was of a priestly family (see NIV text note on 1:3) and therefore was eligible to serve as a priest. As a priest-prophet called to minister to the exiles (separated from the temple of the Lord with its symbolism, sacrifices, priestly ministrations and worship rituals), his message had much to do with the temple (see especially chs. 8-11; 40-48) and its ceremonies.
Ezekiel was obviously a man of broad knowledge, not only of his own national traditions but also of international affairs and history. His acquaintance with general matters of culture, from shipbuilding to literature, is equally amazing. He was gifted with a powerful intellect and was capable of grasping large issues and of dealing with them in grand and compelling images. His style is often detached, but in places it is passionate and earthy (see chs. 16; 23).
More than any other prophet (more even than Hosea and Jeremiah) he was directed to involve himself personally in the divine word by acting it out in prophetic symbolism.
Occasion, Purpose and Summary of Contents
Though Ezekiel lived with his fellow exiles in Babylon, his divine call forced him to suppress any natural expectations he may have had of an early return to an undamaged Jerusalem. For the first seven years of his ministry (593-586 b.c.) he faithfully relayed to his fellow Jews the stern, heart-rending, hope-crushing word of divine judgment: Because of all her sins, Jerusalem would fall (see chs. 1-24). The fact that Israel was God’s covenant people and that Jerusalem was the city of his temple would not bring their early release from exile or prevent Jerusalem from being destroyed (see Jer 29-30). The only hope the prophet was authorized to extend to his hearers was that of living at peace with themselves and with God during their exile.
After being informed by the Lord that Jerusalem was under siege and would surely fall (24:1-14), Ezekiel was told that his beloved wife would soon die. The delight of his eyes would be taken from him just as the temple, the delight of Israel’s eyes, would be taken from her. He was not to mourn openly for his wife, as a sign to his people not to mourn openly for Jerusalem (24:15-27). He was then directed to pronounce a series of judgments on the seven nations of Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon and Egypt (chs. 25-32). The day of God’s wrath was soon to come, but not on Israel alone.
Once news was received that Jerusalem had fallen, Ezekiel’s message turned to the Lord’s consoling word of hope for his people-they would experience revival, restoration and a glorious future as the redeemed and perfected kingdom of God in the world (chs. 33-48).
Connections with other books in the Bible (From Wikipedia)
It is generally agreed that the closing visions of the Book of Ezekiel are referred to in the book of Revelation.
(Ezek. 38 = Rev. 20:8; Ezek. 47:1-8 = Rev. 22:1,2). Other references to this book are also found in the New Testament. (Compare Epistle to the Romans 2:24 with Ezek. 36:22; Rom. 10:5, Galatians 3:12 with Ezek. 20:11; 2 Peter 3:4 with Ezek. 12:22.)
It is also generally agreed that the Book of Ezekiel refers to the Pentateuch (e.g., Ezek. 27; 28:13; 31:8; 36:11, 34; 47:13, etc.) quite often, and shows on a number of occasions that its author is familiar with the writings of Hosea (Ezek. 37:22), Isaiah (Ezek. 8:12; 29:6), and especially with those of Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 24:7, 9; 48:37).
According to traditionalists, Ezekiel 14:14 refers to the Daniel described in the Biblical Book of Daniel, fourteen years after Daniel’s deportation from Jerusalem, and Ezekiel 28:3 mentions this Daniel again as being ‘pre-eminent in wisdom’. In support of this interpretation, traditionalists note that the name Daniel appears in the Book of Ezekiel immediately after the names of Noah and Job, two other major Biblical characters.
Some non-traditionalist commentators disagree, noting that a “Daniel” also appears in ancient Ugaritic texts, that Daniel isn’t specifically described as a contemporary (indeed, the phrase “Noah, Daniel and Job” implies otherwise), and that the Book of Daniel is widely regarded by modern scholars as having been written centuries later.
Since the book of Ezekiel contains more dates (see chart, p. 1661) than any other OT prophetic book, its prophecies can be dated with considerable precision. In addition, modern scholarship, using archaeology (Babylonian annals on cuneiform tablets) and astronomy (accurate dating of eclipses referred to in ancient archives), provides precise modern calendar equivalents.
Twelve of the 13 dates specify times when Ezekiel received a divine message. The other is the date of the arrival of the messenger who reported the fall of Jerusalem (33:21).
Having received his call in July, 593 b.c., Ezekiel was active for 22 years, his last dated oracle being received in April, 571 (see 29:17). If the “thirtieth year” of 1:1 refers to Ezekiel’s age at the time of his call, his prophetic career exceeded a normal priestly term of service by two years (see Nu 4:3). His period of activity coincides with Jerusalem’s darkest hour, preceding the 586 destruction by 7 years and following it by 15.
Important dates (from Wikipedia)
The Book of Ezekiel can be dated based on the links it records between the rule of King Jehoiachin (King of Jerusalem) and the other events that the book describes.
According to this system, Ezekiel was originally written in the 22 year period between 593 to 571 BC. The following table lists events in Ezekiel with their dates.
|
Dates of Book of Ezekiel |
||
|
Event |
Verse Reference |
Date |
| Chariot Vision (Merkabah) | 1:1-3 | June 6, 593 BC. |
| Call to be a Watchman | 3:16 | June 13, 593 |
| Temple Vision | 8:1 | August 23, 592 |
| Discourse with Elders | 20:1 | July 19, 591 |
| Second Siege of Jerusalem | 24:1 | December 22, 589 |
| Judgment on Tyre | 26:1 | March 30, 587 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 29:1 | December 13, 588 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 29:17 | March 3, 571 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 30:20 | April 5, 587 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 31:1 | May 28, 587 |
| Lament over Pharaoh | 32:1 | February 18, 586 |
| Lament over Egypt | 32:17 | April 2, 586 |
| Fall of Jerusalem | 33:21 | December 13, 586 |
| New Temple Vision | 40:1 | September 26, 573 |
On the fifth day of the fourth month in the fifth year of his exile (5 Tammuz, 593 BC), he said he beheld on the banks of the Chebar the glory of God, who consecrated him as a prophet. The latest date in his book is the first day of the first month in the twenty-seventh year of his exile (1 Nisan, 571 BC); consequently, his prophecies extended over twenty-two years.
The elders of the exiles repeatedly visited him to obtain a divine oracle (chapters 8, 14, 20). He exerted no permanent influence upon his contemporaries, however, whom he repeatedly calls the “rebellious house” (2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26, 27; and elsewhere), complaining that although they flock in great numbers to hear him they regard his discourse as a sort of aesthetic amusement, and fail to act in accordance with his words (33:30-33). If the enigmatical date, “the thirtieth year” (1:1), be understood to apply to the age of the prophet, Ezekiel was born exactly at the time of the reform in the ritual introduced by Josiah. Concerning his death nothing is known.
He had a house in the place of his exile, Tel-Abib, where he lost his wife, in the ninth year of his exile, by some sudden and unforeseen stroke (Ezek. 8:1; 24:18).
His ministry extended over twenty-six years 597 – 571 BC (29:17), during part of which he was contemporary with Jeremiah, and probably also with Obadiah. According to tradition, he would also have been contemporary with Daniel (however, Daniel is regarded by some as being written much later, with Ezekiel’s references to “Daniel” being seen as references to an ancient Ugaritic hero of that name, not a contemporary). The time and manner of his death are unknown. His reputed tomb is pointed out in the neighbourhood of Hilla or ancient Babylon, at a place called Al Kifl. http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=7827
After being led away by the Babylonians on May 29, 597, Ezekiel, along with the other Israelites, was resettled in Babylon. Ezekiel himself lived in his own home in exile at Tel-abib near Chebar canal, which was near Nippur in Babylonia.
The OT in general and the prophets in particular presuppose and teach God’s sovereignty over all creation, over people and nations and the course of history. And nowhere in the Bible are God’s initiative and control expressed more clearly and pervasively than in the book of Ezekiel. From the first chapter, which graphically describes the overwhelming invasion of the divine presence into Ezekiel’s world, to the last phrase of Ezekiel’s vision (“the Lord is there”) the book sounds and echoes God’s sovereignty.
This sovereign God resolved that he would be known and acknowledged. Approximately 65 occurrences of the clause (or variations) “Then they will know that I am the Lord” testify to that divine desire and intention (see note on 6:7). Overall, chs. 1-24 teach that God will be revealed in the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple; chs. 25-32 teach that the nations likewise will know God through his judgments; and chs. 33-48 promise that God will be known through the restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel.
God’s total sovereignty is also evident in his mobility. He is not limited to the temple in Jerusalem. He can respond to his people’s sin by leaving his sanctuary in Israel, and he can graciously condescend to visit his exiled children in Babylon.
God is free to judge, and he is equally free to be gracious. His stern judgments on Israel ultimately reflect his grace. He allows the total dismemberment of Israel’s political and religious life so that her renewed life and his presence with her will be clearly seen as a gift from the Lord of the universe.
Furthermore, as God’s spokesman, Ezekiel’s “son of man” status (see note on 2:1) testifies to the sovereign God he was commissioned to serve.
The three major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) and Zephaniah all have the same basic sequence of messages: (1) oracles against Israel, (2) oracles against the nations, (3) consolation for Israel. In no other book is this pattern clearer than in Ezekiel (see Outline).
Besides clarity of structure, the book of Ezekiel reveals symmetry. The vision of the desecrated temple fit for destruction (chs. 8-11) is balanced by the vision of the restored and purified temple (chs. 40-48). The God presented in agitated wrath (ch. 1) is also shown to be a God of comfort (“the Lord is there,” 48:35). Ezekiel’s call to be a watchman announcing divine judgment (ch. 3) is balanced by his call to be a watchman announcing the new age to follow (ch. 33). In one place (ch. 6) the mountains of Israel receive a prophetic rebuke, but in another (ch. 36) they are consoled.
Prophetic books are usually largely poetic, the prophets apparently having spoken in imaginative and rhythmic styles. Most of Ezekiel, however, is prose, perhaps due to his priestly background. His repetitions have an unforgettable hammering effect, and his priestly orientation is also reflected in a case-law type of sentence (compare 3:19, “If you do warn the wicked . . .,” with Ex 21:2, “If you buy a Hebrew servant . . .”).
The book contains four major visions (chs. 1-3; 8-11; 37:1-14; 40-48) and 12 symbolic acts (3:22-26; 4:1-3; 4:4-8; 4:9-11; 4:12-14; 5:1-3; 12:1-16; 12:17-20; 21:6-7; 21:18-24; 24:15-24; 37:15-28). Five messages are in the form of parables (chs. 15-17; 19; 23).
Other prophets deal largely with Israel’s idolatry, with her moral corruption in public and private affairs, and with her international intrigues and alliances on which she relied instead of the Lord. They announce God’s impending judgment on his rebellious nation but speak also of a future redemption: a new exodus, a new covenant, a restored Jerusalem, a revived Davidic dynasty, a worldwide recognition of the Lord and his Messiah and a paradise-like peace.
The contours and sweep of Ezekiel’s message are similar, but he focuses uniquely on Israel as the holy people of the holy temple, the holy city and the holy land. By defiling her worship, Israel had rendered herself unclean and had defiled temple, city and land. From such defilement God could only withdraw and judge his people with national destruction.
But God’s faithfulness to his covenant and his desire to save were so great that he would revive his people once more, shepherd them with compassion, cleanse them of all their defilement, reconstitute them as a perfect expression of his kingdom under the hand of “David” (34:23-24), overwhelm all the forces and powers arrayed against them, display his glory among the nations and restore the glory of his presence to the holy city.
Ezekiel powerfully depicts the grandeur and glory of God’s sovereign rule (see Themes) and his holiness, which he jealously safeguards. The book’s theological center is the unfolding of God’s saving purposes in the history of the world-from the time in which he must withdraw from the defilement of his covenant people to the culmination of his grand design of redemption. The message of Ezekiel, which is ultimately eschatological, anticipates-even demands-God’s future works in history proclaimed by the NT.
- I. Oracles of Judgment against Israel (chs. 1-24)
- A. Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision (chs. 1-3)
- 1. Overwhelming display of the glory of the Lord (ch. 1)
- 2. Ezekiel’s call to be a prophet (2:1-3:15)
- 3. Ezekiel’s task as watchman (3:16-21)
- 4. Restraints on Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry (3:22-27)
- B. Symbolic Acts Portraying the Siege of Jerusalem (chs. 4-5)
- 1. Ezekiel’s symbolic siege of Jerusalem (ch. 4)
- 2. God’s razor of judgment at work (ch. 5)
- C. Oracles of Divine Judgment (chs. 6-7)
- 1. Doom for the mountains of Israel (ch. 6)
- 2. The end has come on the land (ch. 7)
- D. Corruption of the Temple and Its Consequences (chs. 8-11)
- 1. Idolatry in the temple (ch.
- 2. Judgment on the idolaters (ch. 9)
- 3. God’s glory departs from the temple (ch. 10)
- 4. God’s sure judgment on Jerusalem (11:1-14)
- 5. Those in exile to be restored (11:15-21)
- 6. Conclusion of the vision (11:22-25)
- E. Ezekiel Symbolizes the Exile of Jerusalem (ch. 12)
- 1. An exile’s baggage (12:1-16)
- 2. Anxious eating (12:17-20)
- 3. The nearness of judgment (12:21-28)
- F. Oracles concerning God’s Judgment on Judah (13:1-24:14)
- 1. Condemnation of the false prophets (ch. 13)
- 2. Condemnation of the idolaters (14:1-11)
- 3. No mediators can turn back God’s judgment (14:12-23)
- 4. Jerusalem likened to a piece of burnt vine (ch. 15)
- 5. Jerusalem allegorized as an adulterous wife (ch. 16)
- 6. Allegory of two eagles and a vine (ch. 17)
- 7. The soul who sins will die (ch. 18)
- 8. A lament over the fall of Jerusalem’s kings (ch. 19)
- 9. Apostate Israel purged and renewed through judgment (20:1-44)
- 10. Babylon, God’s sword of judgment (20:45-21:32)
- 11. The sins for which Jerusalem is judged (ch. 22)
- 12. Jerusalem and Samaria allegorized as adulterous sisters (ch. 23)
- 13. Jerusalem cooked over the fire (24:1-14)
- G. The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife Symbolizes Jerusalem’s Fall (24:15-27)
- II. Oracles of Judgment against the Nations (chs. 25-32)
- . A Prophecy against Ammon (25:1-7)
- A. A Prophecy against Moab (25:8-11)
- B. A Prophecy against Edom (25:12-14)
- C. A Prophecy against Philistia (25:15-17)
- D. A Prophecy against Tyre (26:1-28:19)
- 1. Tyre’s destruction announced (ch. 26)
- 2. A lament over Tyre (ch. 27)
- 3. A prophecy against the king of Tyre (28:1-19)
- E. A Prophecy against Sidon (28:20-24)
(For Israel, a restoration, 28:25-26) - F. A Prophecy against Egypt (chs. 29-32)
- 1. Egypt a doomed monster (29:1-16)
- 2. Egypt a payment to Nebuchadnezzar (29:17-21)
- 3. Laments over Egypt (30:1-19)
- 4. The pharaoh’s arms are broken (30:20-26)
- 5. The pharaoh a felled Lebanon cedar (ch. 31)
- 6. Lament over the pharaoh (32:1-16)
- 7. The pharaoh consigned to the realm of the dead (32:17-32)
- III. Oracles of Consolation for Israel (chs. 33-48)
- . Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman (33:1-20)
- A. Jerusalem’s Fall Reported and Its Remnant Condemned (33:21-33)
- B. The Lord to Be Israel’s Shepherd (ch. 34)
- C. A Prophecy against Edom (ch. 35)
- D. Israel’s Complete Restoration Announced (ch. 36)
- E. Israel’s Dry Bones Revived and Unity Restored (ch. 37)
- 1. Israel’s dry bones restored to life (37:1-14)
- 2. Again one nation under one King (37:15-28)
- F. The Great Battle of the Ages (chs. 38-39)
- G. The New Order for Purified Israel (chs. 40-48)
- 1. The temple area restored (40:1-47)
- 2. The new temple (40:48-42:20)
- 3. God’s glory returns to the temple (43:1-12)
- 4. Restoration of the great altar (43:13-27)
- 5. Restoration of the priesthood (ch. 44)
- 6. Restoration of the theocratic order (chs. 45-46)
- 7. The river of life from the temple (47:1-12)
- 8. The boundaries of the land (47:13-23)
- 9. The distribution of the land (48:1-29)
- 10. The twelve gates of the new city (48:30-35)
AboutBibleProphecy.com
Ezekiel lived about 2600 years ago, during the time that the Babylonian Empire had subdued the nation of Judah and had destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. He was the son of Buzi, a Zadokite priest. Ezekiel was among the Jews in Judah who were taken as captives by the Babylonians to Babylon. He received his call as a prophet during the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin. Ezekiel’s ministry lasted about 22 years.
Ezekiel’s prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem caused friction among the Jews who were with him in Babylon. But, when his prophecies came true, people began to listen to him more intently. Ezekiel’s wife died during the day that the Babylonians began their siege of Jerusalem. This siege began in about 586 BC, after Ezekiel and others had been taken as captives to Babylon. The siege ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Temple in Jerusalem.
After the destruction, Ezekiel’s prophecies more or less changed from the theme of unbending judgment to the theme of hope and comfort in the future. Ezekiel was very much a shepherd and a watchman for the nation of Israel. As a shepherd, he protected the people. And as a watchman, he warned of dangers ahead.
Ezekiel’s name means “God strengthens.” The Bible’s book of Ezekiel is the third of the four Major Prophets.
Ezekiel’s prophecies
Below is a partial listing of Ezekiel’s prophecies.
Ezekiel 4:3-6
Ezekiel predicted when Israel would be re-established
Ezekiel 11:17
The Jews would have Israel as their country, again
Ezekiel 20:34
Ezekiel said the Jews would return to Israel
Ezekiel 22:14-15
The Jews would be scattered to other countries
Ezekiel 25:14
The Jews would avenge the Edomites
Ezekiel 26:3
Tyre would be attacked by many nations
Ezekiel 26:4
Tyre would be scraped and made bare
Ezekiel 26:7-9
Tyre’s mainland would be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar
Ezekiel 26:12
Tyre’s stones, timber and soil would be cast into the sea
Ezekiel 26:21
Tyre would never again be found
Ezekiel 29:15
Egypt would never again rule over nations
Ezekiel 34:13
The people of Israel would return to “their own land”
Ezekiel 36:8-10
Israel would be restored and repopulated
Ezekiel 36:11
Ezekiel prophesied prosperity for a restored Israel
Ezekiel 36:24
Israel would be re-gathered
Ezekiel 36:33-35
Israel would be rebuilt and resettled
Ezekiel 37:10-14
Israel would be brought back to life
Ezekiel 37:15-19
The people of Israel again would be a united people
Ezekiel 37:21-22
Israel would be re-established as a united nation
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Ezekiel Bread
Combine the following whole grains:
- 2-1/2 cups hard red wheat
- 1-1/2 cups spelt or rye (Biblically spelt was used, Ezekiel 4:9)
- 1/2 cup barley (hulled barley)
- 1/4 cup millet
- 1/4 cup lentils (green preferred)
- 2 Tbs. great northern beans
- 2 Tbs. red kidney beans
- 2 Tbs. pinto beans
Stir the above ingredients very well. Grind in flour mill.
(NOTE: all of these grains and beans can be ground in the GrainMaster Whisper Mill with no problems).
Measure into large bowl or DLX:
- 4 cups lukewarm water
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 cup oil
Add to liquids:
freshly milled flour from the above mixture of grains
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbs. yeast
Stir or knead until well kneaded about 10 minutes. This is a batter type bread and will not form a smooth ball.
Pour dough into greased pans. You may use 2 large loaf pans (10×5x3) or 3 med. loaf pans or 2-9×13 brownie pans. Let rise in a warm place for one hour or until the dough is almost to the top of the pan. If it rises too much it will over flow the pan while baking. Bake at 350o for 45-50 minutes for loaf pans and 35-40 minutes for brownie pans.
*For fasting divide bread into 8 equal parts weighing 1/2 pound each. Eat a 1/2 pound cake and drink a quart of water every day. For fasting I do not alter the recipe.
This is a very sweet, moist, cake-like bread. For a more traditional bread texture I have used this combination of grains in The Beckers Bread and Roll recipe. Replacing the 7 cups of flour with the 9 cups of flour from the milled grains in this recipe. You may also add fruits and nuts or use the flour made from this mixture in other favorite recipes. This healthy combination of grains and beans is worth experimenting with. Combining grains and beans makes a complete protein.
Filed under: DISCIPLES series
Did you ever notice how many books on leadership there are? I have a personal collection of over 70 books on leadership. Let’s see. My books on leadership: The Leadership Challenge. Seven Habits of Highly Effective Leaders. Leadership Jazz. Built to Last. Developing the Leader Within You.Interesting. As I gaze at the volume of books on my shelves, I have none on followership. “What’s followership?” you might ask. If leadership is the ability to lead, followership is the ability to follow someone’s leadership. I don’t have a copy of Seven Habits of Highly Effective Followers. I don’t have Developing the Follower Within You. Why?
We’re enamored with leaders, not followers. I have a biography section on my shelves. There’s Bo. Go blue! I also have one on Bo Jackson. Billy Graham. John Gruden. Charles Spurgeon. Nixon. Lincoln. Iacocca. Reagan. Clinton. Falwell. Wesley. And I’ll be honest. I’m more interested in leaders than I am with followers.
Yet Jesus said something quite the opposite. “My sheep hear My voice; I know them and they follow Me.” (John 10:27) I pray that He will make me an effective leader, and then He says crazy things like, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:27)
Then I argue, “I’m not looking to be first. I just want to lead. You know, lead my life. Lead my family. Lead my church.”
Then He replies, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.” (Mark 10:43 NLT) In essence Jesus is saying, disciples:follow.
We’re taking four weeks to look at what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus. Disciples:listen. Disciples:follow. “Hear My voice…follow Me.”
Hudson Taylor, a well known missionary to China, was scheduled to speak at a large church in Melbourne, Australia. One man introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as “our illustrious guest.” Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.”
Do you have a Master or are you master of your own life? Do you have a Leader or are you attempting to keep the reigns? If disciples:listen, what have you been hearing this week? What have you been listening to? As you make time to listen to God, how is He asking you to follow His lead? If disciples:follow, what areas in your life do you find it difficult to follow Him in?
Where is your life going? Who are you following? Who’s following you? No one? Look again.
We had friends in Charlotte NC invite us over for a late lunch one day. We were greated at the door by Bill and Betty – handshakes and hugs. If I have people over to my house and tell them “dinner’s at 6,” that’s when we would have dinner on the table. Not with Bill and Betty. We got there, had some hor’s douvres (however you spell it!) and then we made dinner together. We went from feeling like honored guests to feeling like family as we shared in the preparation together.
It’s not quite the reception Jesus received when he was invited into the home of one religious leader. He walked in and didn’t receive the usual greetings (Luke 7). When they sat down to eat, a woman walked in. Jesus knelt down behind Jesus, started weeping and wetting Jesus’ feet with her tears. You would have thought Jesus would be very embarrassed.
“If he were really a prophet he would know what kind of woman she is, that she’s a sinner,” this proud religious leader thought in his mind.
“Simon.” Jesus’ words startled him out of his thoughts.
“Yes, Jesus.”
“I have a story to tell you.” He went on to tell him the story of a man who owed, let’s say around $1,000. Another man owed $100,000. When the creditor forgave each his debt, both were extremely grateful.
“Simon, which one of these would be more grateful?” Jesus asked.
“I suppose the one who owed more.”
You see, those who have been forgiven much love much, whereas those who have been forgiven little love little. Jesus looked at the woman as he continued talking to Simon. Jesus said that her sins were forgiven. He reminded her that her sins were forgiven and told her to go in peace.
Jesus said her sins were forgiven, that she loved much because she had been forgiven of much. The first line in this story talked about the fact that she had lived a sinful life – past tense - but the religious leaders said she was a sinner – present tense.
Do you have people in your life who continually remind you of what you did in the past? If you have made your peace with your past, don’t let the comments of other people get you down.
Are you someone who is always reminded of the reputation someone has? Are you currently looking down on someone, thinking they will never change. Fact is – if you keep looking down on someone you keep them down. Instead of looking down on them, look up to God and ask what He sees. Maybe you’ll begin to see what He sees.
Filed under: journal
I can tell someone really didn’t want this message getting out, but he didn’t prevail. We’ve been in a series on the supernatural and I could have guessed that on a day we focus on Satan’s plans for our lives – we would have technical difficulties. The fact is – we don’t need technology to worship anyway! What we use with our images (worship slides; power point) only enhance our experience. After an hour of fighting with our technical demons, we simply shut it down and worshiped low tech! (Anyone know what a hymnal looks like?)
Numbers aren’t everything, but when you realize that numbers represent a person, then they mean everything. 119 came out for worship yesterday. We’ve been breaking that 100 barrier more often this Fall. 100 is great. 1 is even better. The 1 out of 100 represents a friend of Miranda’s who came for the first time, who loved it so much she said she’ll definately come back. The 1 out of 100 represents a new couple that got to connect with another young couple. The 1 out of 100 represents the people who told me throughout the day how much they got out of the message. All praise to God!
Do you realize how many cases we have had of students being impacted by our ministry together who then drag their parents to church? That was the method to my madness from the start. When I came here preaching Psalm 71:18, I knew that as we proclaimed His power to this new generation, that this new generation would bring their parents and grandparents along with them. Sometimes it was assumed I didn’t care about the older generations when nothing is further from the truth. The truth is, that if someone is going to come to Christ, typically they will do so before the age of 18. As we invest in those with the highest return, we find that the way to the parents’ hearts and grandparents’ hearts is through their children and grandchildren.
Speaking of the next generation, we had our 3rd annual Nuclear Football. We had a great crowd of high schoolers out for this annual event, along with a number of spectators. It was an easy invite event, one where students could invite their friends for some fun in the (hmmm, not the sun!)… anyway, some glow in the dark football! Parents also had their friends out to watch as well. I do love the community in Christ that we are building together.
Filed under: scriptures | Tags: devil, prayer, satan, sermon, spiritual warfare
Adam and Eve gave birth to two sons – Cain and Abel. Abel lived in such a way that he enjoyed a close relationship with God. Cain didn’t. In fact, when he came to place something in the offering plate, God didn’t accept it because he wasn’t really doing it from the heart. God accepted Abel’s offering, making Cain jealous of his brother. When you’re jealous, disappointed, angry, or confused, it can open the door to a wrong decision.Cain was furious and depressed. Somehow God warned him of what was happening in his mind and in his life.
“If you do right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7)
Is it a sin to be angry? No. But centuries later a man would write a letter to some friends, saying, “Hey, it’s OK to be angry. Just don’t lash out and sin in your anger. Maybe you don’t necessarily feel like killing them. But your words can be just as sharp. Cutting remarks can kill someone’s self esteem. Don’t let the sun go down while you are ticked off. You won’t be able to sleep anyway, so you might as well talk it out. If you don’t, you’ll give the Devil a foothold in your life.” You give him a place to stand. You give him something to hold on to.
You know what a foothold is, right? If you have ever been on a climbing wall, when you can put your foot on a foothold, it allows you to reach for something more. The Devil always wants more. When he can take hold of something in your life, it allows him to reach for more. If you’re angry and you’re lashing out at someone, the Devil then begins to reach for your kids, your parents, or your friends. If not dealt with properly, your anger will allow him to walk right in through the front door of your life and take hold of everything in your home.
My camouflage Bible says, “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger and don’t give the Devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:26-27) Opportunity knocks. Don’t answer the door!
Out of his anger, Cain attacked and killed his brother. The devil came knockin, and Cain opened the door.
During the springtime when kings were marching out to war, David decided he would hang back at the palace, sending his General Joab to fight his battles for him. Did you catch that? David should have been taking care of his responsibilities. He was lazy, complacent, and now, maybe a little bored.
One night, David couldn’t sleep. From his roof top patio in his palatial palace, he saw a woman bathing – a very beautiful woman. She was drop dead gorgeous. She was hot. So David sent someone to find out more about her.
You don’t think he sent a note asking whether she liked him, do you? I guess that is a little junior highish! He gets the 411 on her, and tells his employees to go get her.
I wonder if God whispered the same thing in David’s ear. “If you do right, David, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do what’s right, sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you, but you must master it.” David didn’t master his passion. In fact, he gave in to it. It mastered him. It conquered him.
Why was David walking around that night? Couldn’t he sleep? Were visions of other women, other escapades, in his mind? Could it be that he was frustrated with his wife Michal?
Things were obviously not going well. They weren’t on the same page spiritually. They probably weren’t on the same page in a number of ways. The day David brought the Ark of the Covenant into the city of Jerusalem for the first time, he “was dancing with all his might before the Lord.” And check this out. David’s wife “Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.” (2 Samuel 6:14-16) To DESPISE means to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe; to dislike intensely.
Things were not going well for this couple. Call in Dr. Phil. Call in Dr. Ruth. Call in Oprah, because this couple needed help. Cold shoulder. A rift in their relationship. Brick wall. They have fallen out of love and they have fallen hard.
And that night, when David’s men were out taking care of his responsibilities, David’s mind started to wander. He and Michal were in a world of hurt and were worlds apart. Their marriage was on the rocks. He took a walk, but his mind was wandering as well. Instead of taking his thoughts captive, his thoughts held him captive.
As he looked down, he saw an opportunity. Maybe David ignored a line he wrote in one song: “I will pay attention to the way of integrity….I will live with integrity of heart in my house. I will not set anything godless before my eyes. I hate the doing of transgression; it will not cling to me.” (Psalm 101:2-4) At that point in his life, he was not going to let anything into his house.
This night was different. She came upstairs to his private quarters. Did she know what he wanted? Scripture doesn’t say, but that night David stole a wife, destroyed a relationship, and killed a man to attempt to conceal the evidence.
Guys, is it a sin to want a woman? No way. Check out the Song of Solomon. It’s a beautiful poetic picture of a married couple in love. It talks about the fact that it is incredible within the bounds of marriage.
The same man who wrote some friends about anger wrote to some other friends about their marriage. He said, “Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (1 Corinthians 7:5)
What’s he saying? Sex is not the most important aspect about your relationship. You have to pray. You have to worship together. You have to be on the same page spiritually. David and Michal were not. She should have been down on the streets with him dancing with him. She should have been celebrating with him. David. Michal. Give some attention to spiritual aspect of your relationship, but, do this by mutual consent. Mutually agree together how much time to take for prayer. Why? Because your desire for each other will grow to the point that you might start looking at someone else. Don’t give the devil an open door to your relationship.
The devil came knockin, and David opened the door.
Where am I going with this? We are in a four week series on the supernatural. The first week we learned that what we see is not necessarily what we get. There’s more to this life than what meets the eye. Last week we learned that we’re not alone. God has an army and He’s not afraid to use it to protect His people. This week we’re focusing on the demonic: Satan and his angels.
You’ve heard the phrase: opportunity knocks. Well, Satan and those who work with him look for opportunities to gain entrance into our lives. When the devil comes knockin, don’t open the door.
In a letter to his friends in Ephesus, Paul wrote about the spiritual forces of evil that are at work waging war against us. I want to show you where these spiritual forces came from first, and then we’ll look at ways we can keep the doors of opportunity shut so he can’t have his way with us and in us.
Isaiah 14:12-15 tells the story of “the shining morning star,” “day star,” or “son of the dawn.” The word for day star is where the name Lucifer comes from. The “Day Star” said to himself: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God….I will make myself like the Most High.” That act of rebellion set things in motion for a war in heaven.
Revelation 12:7-11 gives the details of that battle. Within the heavenly realms, the Archangel Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. The Bible calls that ancient serpent, the devil. When Satan could not win, “there was no place for them in heaven.” He was thrown to the earth along with his angels.
Since Satan knows his time is short, knowing that God will crush his head under our feet (Romans 16:20), all hell is breaking loose to make war with God’s children (Revelation 12:17). If he’s going down, he is going to take down as many people as possible. So he and his angels deceive the nations (Romans 20:10), incite people to sin (1 Chronicles 21:1), sow weeds into people’s lives to choke the word that God is trying to plant in them (Matt. 13:39). They take possession of peoples’ lives. They bind people. They steal, kill and destroy. Satan’s name means accuser (Zechariah 3:2). He captivates people. He plans his moves in each of our lives. (Ephesians 6:11). He is a roaring lion looking for lives to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He tests, tempts and torments people. He disguises himself as an angel of light (1 Corinthians 11:14). For a time he hinders God’s work from happening (1 Thes. 2:18 and Daniel’s story).
All of this in an attempt to bring us down, tear us down, tear us up, chew us up and spit us out.
The only time we have to fear spiritual forces of evil is when we let them into the doors of our lives. When the devil comes knocking, don’t open the door. When the devil came knocking in Cain’s life, Cain opened the door. When the devil came knocking in David’s life, David opened the door.
When the devil came knocking during Jesus’ 40 days of fasting, Jesus didn’t open any doors. In fact, he slammed them shut. You can find this account in Luke 4. The Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness, and after the 40 days, Scripture says he was hungry. Really? I know it’s hard to believe. But he was hungry. And that hunger created an opportunity for Satan to tempt him.
“If You really are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread,” the devil said. When the devil comes knockin, don’t open the door.
Jesus closed the opportunity by quoting Scripture. “Man must not live on bread alone.”
As Jesus was looking at all the kingdoms of the world, all that authority created an opportunity for Satan to tempt him. He whispered in His ear, “I’ll give You all this. If you worship me, all this will be Yours.” When the devil comes knockin, don’t open the door.
Jesus closed the opportunity by quoting Scripture. “Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”
Jesus then walked into the center of Jerusalem, to the pinnacle of the temple. That situation created an opportunity for Satan to tempt him.
“If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.” Satan then quoted Scripture himself. You do realize that the devil knows the Word of God? In fact, James says that all in the demonic realm believe in God – but shudder with fear. When the devil comes knockin, don’t open the door.
Jesus closed the opportunity by quoting more Scripture. “Do not test the Lord your God.” Then there is this key line in this whole spiritual battle.
“After the Devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.” He is always looking for the opportunity to walk right into your life to steal, kill and destroy. Think about it. He got you to fall last night and that’s all you’re thinking about this morning. You’re thinking you shouldn’t even be here because of what you did last night or last week. When you start hearing those voices, realize that Satan’s name means accuser. He is bringing accusations against you in order to take you in, chew you up, tear you down and spit you out.
What opportunities do we give the devil to enter in and influence our lives?
• Anger. When we’re angry. If we don’t deal with those feelings of anger and resentment, we will give a devil a place to hold onto in our lives. (Ephesians 4:27)
• Fatigue. When we’re tired. “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Jesus found his disciples sleeping, exhausted from their grief. “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation.” When you’re tired you start to let down your guard.
• Desire. Our own desire for sin can give him an opportunity. (James 1:14) We’re tempted when we are drawn away and enticed by our own evil desires. Sometimes we want it. Sin is fun, right? It’s fun for a very short time.
• Singleness or marital problems, where you’re married but you feel like you’re single. That can give the devil an opportunity to steal your love, kill your marriage and destroy your family. (1 Cor. 7:5)
• Doubts. Jesus’ story about the farmer showed how the devil comes in to sow doubt in your life so you won’t believe the words of God. (Mark 4:15)
• Getting drunk or high. “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life.” (Luke 21:34) You are more prone to do something worse when you have had something to drink or taken something in order to take the edge off.
When the devil comes knockin, don’t open the door. How do you keep the door shut when opportunity comes knockin? I’ll get into more next week
- Get an alarm system. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11) “Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone to devour. Resist him, firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:8)
- Lock the door. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
- Stand up for your right to bear arms. “Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with the readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word.” (Ephesians 6:14-17)
When the devil comes knockin, are you opening the door? In fact, are there ways you have turned the light on, opened the door, shaken the dust off the welcome mat, and have asked him to come in?
Think about the last time you let him come in and influence your life? What were the circumstances leading up to that? If you can get a handle on the plans he has for your life, on what he used to influence you to not follow Jesus Christ, you can then take a stand against him, resist him firm in the faith.
You can, as James says, “draw near to God, and God will draw near to you. Resist the devil, and he will flee.” When the devil comes knockin, don’t open the door.
Filed under: scriptures
When God Speaks, How Do We Hear Him Today? Here are a list of Scriptures that are helpful. If you find any more, let me know.
“For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber on their beds, He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings, in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress his pride.” (Job 33:14-17)
“After I came back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple complex, I went in to a visionary state (fell into a trance-KJV, NIV) and saw Him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly…” (Acts 22:17)
Yes, He speaks. But we must remember…
“Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets and different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe. He is the radiance of His glory, the exact expression of His nature.” (Hebrews 1:1-3)
“I testify to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19)
“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed, and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life…what we have seen and heard we also declare to you…” (1 John 1:1-3)
“First of all, you should know this: no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, moved by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)
Does “the gift” of prophecy still exist? What does it mean and what is its purpose?
“If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge…but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2)
“Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may prophesy…. The person who prophesies speaks to people for edification, encouragement and consolation…. He who prophecies builds up the church.” (see 1 Corinthians 14) (Hosea 6:5 – for tearing down?)
“If they had really stood in My council, they would have enabled My people to hear My words and would have turned them back from their evil ways and their evil deeds.” (Jeremiah 23:22)
“Are you jealous on my account? If only all the Lord’s people were prophets, and the Lord would place His Spirit on them.” (Moses to Joshua in Numbers 11:29) “If there is a prophet among you from the Lord, I make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.” (Numbers 12:6-8)
“In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world….So each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea.” (Acts 11:27-29 see also 21:10-11)
“Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and strengthened them with a long message.” (Acts 15:32)
“And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of the ministry, to build up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11)
“Timothy, my child, I am giving you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies previously made about you, so that by them you may strongly engage in battle.” (1 Timothy 1:18)
“Do not neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.” (1 Timothy 4:14)
If I am going to pass along a message from one person to another, what do I first have to do?
“The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli’s presence. In those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread….Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” When God called his name again, Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:1, 7-10)
“I will say whatever my God says.” (Micaiah to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 18:13)
“The Lord God does nothing without revealing His counsel to His servants the prophets.” (Amos 2:7)
Test them…
- 1 Thes. 5:19 Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things.
- 1 Jn. 4:1 Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Dt. 13:1-5 If that prophet says to follow some other god, put him to death.
- Dt. 18:15:22 If that prophet speaks something that doesn’t come true, don’t listen to him.
- Isaiah 9:15 They could be lying.
- 2 Chr. 18:21 They could be hearing from a lying spirit.
- Isaiah 28:7 They could be confused because of their drunkenness.
- Jer. 23:16 They could be speaking from their own minds, not the Lord’s mouth.
- Jer. 28:9 Only when the word of the prophet comes true will the prophet be recognized as one whom the Lord has truly sent.
For further study: Genesis 20:7; Numbers 11:24-30, 12:6-8, 24:3-4, 24:15-16; Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:15-22; 1 Samuel 3:1,7,20, 9:19, 19:20-23; 1 Chronicles 25:1-2; 2 Chronicles 18:6-27, 20:14-21, 29:25, 33:18, 34:22, 36:15-16; Ezra 5:1-2, 6:14; Nehemiah 6:14, 9:30; Isaiah 9:15, 28:7-13; Jeremiah 5:13, 23:16-32, 28:9, 33:3; Lamentations 2:9,14; Ezekiel 33:33; Daniel 7:1; Hosea 6:5, 9:7; Amos 3:7-8; Zechariah 13:3-4; Matthew 5:12, 10:41, 23:34; Luke 2:36, 11:49; Acts 11:27, 13:1, 15:32, 19:5-7, 21:4, 9-18, 22:17; Romans 1:2, 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:28-29, 14:1-40; Ephesians 3:5, 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21; 1 Timothy 1:18, 4:14; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 1:1-2; 1 John 4:1; Revelation 22:6
Name: John Erik Aho
Nickname: Johnny
Lifeverse: “Let me proclaim Your power to this new generation, Your mighty miracles to all who come after me.” Psalm 71:18
Schooling: Salem High (1987), Plymouth MI; Taylor University (1992), Upland, IN; Golden Gate Seminary (1997), Mill Valley, CA
Major: BA Psychology; Masters of Divinity
Residence: Dearborn, MI
Hometown: Plymouth, MI
Birthday: November 24, 1969
Brothers: Jay, Drew and Mike (step)
Parents: John and Jane
Family: Wife: Michelle; Children: Christina, Sierra, Rebecca & Sarah (heart adoption!)
Interests: Biking (road & mountain), prayer running, hanging out with friends, listening to loud music, driving my 944, watching Lions football (God help me)…
Favorite books: Scriptures, especially: Ezra, Nehemiah, Luke, Acts, 1&2 Timothy, Ephesians… ; Calvary Road; The Hobbit; Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; This Present Darkness; Inside Out (Larry Crabb); Practicing the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence)…
Books I’ve written: William Taylor: Portrait of a Pioneer Prophet; Look At It This Way: Focusing on the Feeling of Family & Friends, Clients and Coworkers
Favorite movies: Stargate; Prince of Egypt; Pure Country (just because it reminds me of Michelle); all the Star Wars movies, especially the first (or was that the 4th) since my dad took me to see it when I was 7; Princess Bride; Fletch; Monty Python’s Holy Grail (it’s just a flesh wound);
Favorite musicians now: Skillet; Kutless; Chris Tomlin; Charlie Crowder; Evanescence; Hillsong United…
Favorite musicians in my former life: Van Halen (classic Halen but I loved 5150); Dokken; Judas Priest; Ozzy (when he wasn’t an actor); Stryper (it’s pronounced stripe - er, not stripper: “By His stripes we are healed.”); Scorpions; Winger; Motley Cru…
Favorite TV shows: Sunday Night Football; Kings; anything on the HG Channel;
Favorite animal: It’s a tossup between our current animals: Ty (cat) and Dakota (no Tom, his name’s not Scooter) our beagle and Chianti (our Jack Black)
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite sport: Football
Favorite quote: “Never give up.” – Winston Churchill
MyDreams: What I want to be when I grow up.
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To raise up quality spiritual entrepreneurs who will lead the next generation of ministries and missions. Once I re-fire, I want to travel to be with, pray with and pray for those leaders. I’ll re-fire as an intercessor.
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To visit my girls and their families as much as possible, be with them, play with them, pray with them, cook for them and clean their houses!
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To encourage as many people as possible to follow my Jesus through my writing and speaking.
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To have a teepee on the beach and a loft in downtown Detroit, so that when I’m not selling peanuts at Comerica Park, I can be on the beach reading God’s Word and writing in my journals.
Filed under: Uncategorized
As I made my way through other blogs, I saw a great idea in interacting with others, especially my leaders: reading together. I’ll post more on this soon. One of the first books I’d like to read is the Calvary Road, by Roy Hession (look in my GoodReads in my blogroll).
Bible Search Engines
Search the Bible in a variety of different translations and languages: www.biblegateway.com.
These Biblical commentaries, written by some of the brightest theologians in the church, provide a systematic series of explanations and interpretations of Scripture. They are intended to provide additional insight into the Bible, not to replace it, and can be valuable tools to assist both casual reading and serious study. One site is www.bibletools.org.
Other Places to Experience Jesus
www.whoisjesus-really.com (from Campus Crusade for Christ)
www.jesusfilm.org (choose a language and watch online)
www.jesusfactorfiction.com (life stories; DVD)
www.younglife.org (clubs for middle and high school students)
www.purposedrivenlife.com (want purpose?)
Jesus Rocks?
Movies on the Life of Jesus
One of the best movies on the life of Jesus is simply called The Gospel of John (www.visualbible.com). You can view the trailer of that movie from there. Based on the life story written by one of His closest friends, this movie was produced in 2003. If you would like to purchase a copy, Best Buy has the best price we have seen so far.
The Nativity Story was released around Christmas 2006. It is a great portrayal of the birth of Jesus, detailing the lives of Mary and his earthly father Joseph and all that took place up to His birth. This moving portrayal of the events surrounding the birth of Christ is destined to become a Christmas classic. Follow the journey of Joseph and Mary from the angel Gabriel’s miraculous announcement to the visit of the Magi. Stars Keisha Castle-Hughes and Ciaran Hinds. You’ll be moved when the Christ child is given the three gifts, especially when you notice the look that is given by the last magii as he gives the gift of frankencense – a spice used in ritual burials.
From birth to death, Jesus was born to die. If you have ever read the life story of Jesus told by John, you’ll notice times when He says, “My time has not yet come.” (John 2:4 & 7:8) The time of his glorification was the time of his ultimate humiliation. He said in John 12:23, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop.” He said, “That is why I came…” (12:27).
The Passion of The Christ focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life. The film begins in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus has gone to pray after sitting the Last Supper. Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.
Filed under: journal
I had a great time of prayer with the girls last night as well as with Michelle this morning. Not only are we praying, we’re praying Scripture. Since the Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), it is bringing life to dead places and activating God’s presence where there was once emptiness. It will be interesting to see what happens in the lives of my little women (all 4) and the lives of my friends (inside and outside my faith fellowship) as I continue to pray. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
I will more than likely finish up my third reading of God’s Word for the year this week. I am challenging myself to reading it four times this year. It has given me a great overview of Scripture, but I am missing going deep. My (written) journal is showing that fact. It usually takes me 6 months to fill the pages of a journal. I might finish one this year. I have taken most of my time with Jesus reading about 25 chapters a day. I have the Bible divided into parts. I read the Pentateuch (4 chapters), the History (5 chapters), the Poetry (5 chapters), the Prophets (5 chapters), the Gospels/Acts (3 chapters) and the Letters (3 chapters). It’s been great, and I’m missing going deeper, but I’m going to challenge myself to read it once more before the end of the year. Then, I’m going to go deep in 2008. I want to take my Inductive Study Bible and dive deeper, only reading a chapter a day a couple times through, and writing my notes in the margins.
God is reviving me!
Filed under: prayer
The Power of Praying Scripture
I hear it all the time. “I want to pray, but I don’t know what to pray.” Pray Scripture. I have done it in the past. I have revived the practice recently and my times of prayer with my friends and the women of my home have gone through the roof in terms of fervency.
Think about this.
Whenever Aaron entered the Holy Place, he would bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD. (Exodus 28:29) I have a great friend in Bob Hoey, pastor of Messiah Church in Detroit, who has a former pastor of that church as a mentor in Dick Beiber. Dick had a practice of speaking all the names of Messiah in the presence of God. Sometimes I would simply say their name. Other times he would camp out on their names when he knew they had specific requests. I have started to do that for my people. Take a look at what Samuel thought about prayer:
“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.” (1 Samuel 12:23) Samuel considered it a sin to NOT pray for his people. He was committed to it and it blessed their lives.
I use Paul’s prayers a lot as I pray for friends.
He wrote, “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better…” (Ephesians 1:15-20)
It was his practice to ”kneel before the Father” so that ”he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” He prayed that they would be ”rooted and established in love” and that they would be able to comprehend how wide and long and high and deep God’s love was for them. He prayed knowing that God was ”able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Paul thanked God every time he remembered the people who were in partnership with him in bringing the gospel to others. He was confident of this, “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Paul’s prayer for his partners was that their ”love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:3-9)
Paul would hear reports of how his disciples were doing, and, “for this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” He prayed this ”in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:3-14)
What a prayer! So instead of simply praying for someone’s health, you could be praying like this:
Jesus, I always thank you as I remember Rob, because I hear about his faith in You and his love for all the saints. I pray that he may be active in sharing his faith, so that he will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in You. Lord, his love and friendship have given me great joy and encouragement, because he has refreshed the hearts of the saints. (Philemon 1:4-7)
Use the following articles as you pray for yourself, your friends and your family. Test this out, and see whether you prayer life increases in effectiveness. When you find other Scriptures to pray, please put them in the comment box or email me at driven313@hotmail.com. If you are beginning to see evidence of the effectiveness of praying Scripture, I would encourage you to do the same: comment here or email me.
Filed under: prayer
God’s Word-My Life
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:7-8
Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you-they are your life. By them you will live long. Deuteronomy 32:46-47
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:9-11,18
Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Psalm119:130-133
Throughout the time Jehoida the priest instructed him, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight. 2 Ki. 12:2
Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel. Ezra 7:10
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. Acts 20:20
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:4
When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 1 Corinthians 9:16
Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 1 Timothy 4:13
My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love. Acts 20:24
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Romans15:20
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. Romans 1:8-10
“Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:29-31
Filed under: prayer
Portraits of Who I Want to be. Make me like…
David. O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. Psalm 71:17-18
Elisha: I know that the one who often passes by here is a holy man of God, so let’s make a small room upstairs and put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp there for him. Whenever he comes, he can stay there. 2 Kings 4:9-10
Joshua. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Exodus 33:11
Moses. Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him.
Deuteronomy 34:7
Haggai. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah. Ezra 6:14
Paul. Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Acts 15:36 We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8
Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 Everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with Him. Philippians 3:8-9
Timothy. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2
Daniel. He went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10
Anna. There was also a prophetess, Anna…. She was very old…she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Luke 1:36-37
Jesus. Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 1:49
Samuel. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 1 Samuel 3:3
Amos. I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, “Go, prophesy to My people Israel.” Amos 7:14-15
Abraham. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. Romans 4:17
David. David cared for them with a true heart and led them skillful hands. Psalm 78:72
Jeremiah. Stand up and tell them everything I command you. Do not be intimidated by them or I will cause you to cower before them. Today, I am the One who has made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls… Jeremiah 1:17-18
The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. ”How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him…. Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. Acts 8:29-35
Filed under: prayer
Character
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will You come to me? I will live with integrity of heart in my house. I will not set anything godless before my eyes. I hate the doing of transgression; it will not cling to me. A devious heart will be far from me and I will not be involved with evil. Psalm 101:2-4
My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left. Proverbs 4:20-27
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:11-14
The Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Galatians 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28
The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body… Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
I have made a covenant with my eyes that I would not lust after a woman. Job 31:1
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Tim. 2:22
How to clothe yourself spiritually (what to take off and what to put on) Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. Proverbs 6:25
How can I know all the sins in my heart? Cleanse me from hidden faults. Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free from guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:12-14
For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you. Deuteronomy 23:14
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. Genesis 4:7
Filed under: prayer
Making some little woman unspeakably happy
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:25-27
Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:5
He commanded our ancestors to teach (God’s Laws) to their children, so the next generation might know them-even the children not yet born-that they in turn might teach their children, so each generation can set its hope anew on God. Psalm 78:5-7
Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife? For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. Proverbs 5:15-23
Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as co-heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7
You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride. You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How delightful your love is, my sister, my bride. Your love is much better than wine. Song of Songs 4:9-10
My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him….If you find my love, tell him that I am lovesick. Song of Songs 5:4,8
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:22-33
Filed under: prayer
My Little Women. Let them be like…
Deborah, a prophetess, was leading Israel at that time…. Villages in Israel were deserted until Deborah…arose, a mother in Israel. Judges 4:4, 5:7
Tabitha. There was a disciple named Tabitha who was always doing good and helping the poor. Acts 9:36
Philip the evangelist…had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. Acts 21:9
Ruth. Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” …Naomi realized that Ruth was determined… Ruth 1:16-18
Mary. “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me.” Luke 1:44-49
Filed under: prayer
Standing in the Gap
Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD. Exodus 28:29
As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 1 Samuel 12:23
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1:15-20
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus… And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:3-9
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:3-14
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. Philemon 1:4-7
My bride turned 38 today. It’s really hard to believe, since she doesn’t look a day over 24. It’s almost like God turned back the hands of time in her aging process. Maybe my purpose for her life is coming true. There’s a great book about an even greater man by the name of Samuel Logan Brengle. He once said, “I want to make some little woman unspeakably happy.” It’s my hope and prayer that I’m doing that for her. Her smile is radiant. In fact, I’m watching her crack one now as she plays card with her mom. Bonnie has her birthday a week before Michelle’s.
They’re really close, and I think that’s great. Family has been very important to both of us. She found that out by things going right. Not that the Martins didn’t go through any problems, but she saw her mom and dad love each other to this day. I learned through my own mistakes, some missteps my dad took, and his death in 1999 at the age of 55. Anyway, I couldn’t do life without her. I guess I could. I did life when it was just me and Jesus. It’s possible, I just don’t want to find out. We’re a really good match, and I can say that after 16 years of friendship (celebrated on October 31) and 13 years of marriage.
Filed under: scriptures
Everyone has a story. There is a great one in John 4 about a woman who really wanted to hide from people because of her knack of jumping into bed with guys and breaking it off. She had been divorced multiple times, and the relationship she 
was in at the time… well, let’s just say she had no intention of making a long term commitment. That’s when Jesus walked into her life. Read about her story below.
Here’s her story.
After tiring from his journey, Jesus sat down next to a well. That’s when he saw her. Asking her for a drink, the woman was surprised since Jews usually didn’t associate with Samaritans.
She knew something about thirst. She had been married five times. Not all that excited to tie the knot again; she decided to simply live with the next guy. God refuses to have a story without us, and He chooses not to be the only character in the story. God refused to have a story that didn’t include this woman and chose to have her be a part of that story. Repeat after me: “I have a story. God has a story. He wants me to be in His-story.”
At this point, let me say something about our stories. Our stories mark our identity. Stories identify who we are. The events of our lives shape us. What I have done and what has been done to me leaves a mark. Have you ever seen someone trip and fall? What do you say? “Ohhh, that’ll leave a mark.” The mistakes I have made and the things I have suffered in life leave marks. My story shapes me like her story shaped her. But her story is not an autobiography. It’s a biography. God is writing the story, and God chose to have her be a part of this story just like He chooses to have you be a part of His-story.
You know, when Jesus’ disciples rejoined him, they “were surprised to find him talking with a woman.” I think we’re all surprised who God includes in His story. Fact is, we can’t prejudge who we think God wants in His story. He wants everyone. You know what this woman did – this Samaritan woman, this woman with a history, a past, her own story to tell?
John 4:28-30 says, “leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?’ They came out of the town and made their way toward him.”
They knew her story. This little town knew what she was about. Put yourself in this little city. There’s a woman you know who has been married and divorced five times. You don’t see her all that much because she keeps to herself. She goes out to the well while no one else is there. She then comes back into town, announces to everyone, “You have to meet this man I just met at the well. He told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
What would have been your response? “So what? He tells you everything you ever did. I could have told you that. I mean, everybody knows it. It’s front page news.” It wasn’t that He revealed all her sins. It was that she was no longer looked down on because of her past. Jesus, in the way He spoke to her, made her realize her story was now being written by God. Her story was included in History, His-story.
John recorded that “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.” What did John record as her story? Did she write it out? What was her grand story? “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony: ‘He told me everything I ever did.’” That was her story. That’s it. No more. No less.
What’s your story?
Filed under: stories
In his book The Experience of Ultimate Truth, 
Michael Graham describes rubbing shoulders with the leading gurus and teachers of our time. He was among the first three western followers of Muktananda’s Siddha Yoga. Michael’s spiritual induction became a legendary illustration to others in the movement. He helped to organize one leg on Muktananda’s first world tour in 1970. He would spend 16 years in the movement, working in or managing the ashrams in Ganeshpuri India, Miami, Los Angeles, New York and Melbourne.
Michael’s story is a remarkable one. Born and raised in Melbourne, his father was a doctor and psycho-analyst. He spent three years studying and practicing yoga while still in his late teens, then took his motorcycle by ship to Colombo, and rode around Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and India. After a trip to England he returned to India in early 1969 and spent six months in Muktananda’s ashram. And it was during this period of intense spiritual discipline that he experienced a dramatic spiritual “awakening”.
Michael said in a radio interview in Australia, “The theory is that within everyone there is an unawakened divine potential,” says Michael. “By the intent or touch of a guru like Muktananda it can be awakened. I experienced this in a very powerful form.
“I was just sitting there, meditating, and all of a sudden my body started to gyrate in a circular motion. And then each day it began to sway more and more vigorously, even violently. I’d stop it, saying: ‘What’s this? How extraordinary. What an extraordinary phenomenon.’
It was a tantalizing experience for the young Australian. “I was totally seduced by this awakening,” he said. “It is so engaging and seductive. It was real, with no suggestion or hypnosis involved. And it had a huge promise attached to it. It promised a final merging with the divine.”
In 1977 he rejoined Muktananda in America, and, as one of his renowned disciples, spent some years working and touring with him and his successors. Muktananda was attracting huge numbers of followers, including famous names like John Denver-whom Michael remembers coming daily to the Santa Monica ashram (a secluded building, often the residence of a guru, used for religious retreat or instruction in Hinduism; the persons instructed there) and often singing for all the students-along with Diana Ross, actors Raul Julia and Olivia Hussey, and former California Governor Jerry Brown.
Los Angeles Times journalist Russell Chandler said Muktananda made yoga meditation accessible and fun to Westerners-particularly the Hollywood set.
But despite the exhilarating phenomena of Indian religious practice, Michael found that it was not bringing forth the life changes he desired. He wrote,
“I remained the same at heart. It was always the same old me. There was no change of heart and mind. I was a young man, a modern man, with a philosophical bent. I had no affinity for major elements of the teaching. It was all the amazing experiences that kept me there, and what they were supposed to lead to. So I looked for something to supplement it, in the New Age movement. I became involved in various New Age mind dynamic techniques.”
From around 1993 he started developing his own training courses. But increasingly, over several years, he felt frustration. His work was not developing to expectations. More significantly, he felt his spiritual life somehow in stagnation.
He resolved to intensify his spiritual practices, such as starting each day with 2½ hours of spiritual disciplines. Then he decided to embark on a series of 10-day meditations, in isolation, and it was during one of these that he had his encounter with Christ.
“At the time it happened I was in isolation,” he recalls. “But I wasn’t meditating; I was in a completely plain state of mind. All at once an image of Christ formed up in my chest cavity. Along with this image came a recognition of who He was. What followed was beyond conception. But to indicate using mere words…there was an openness to me from Christ of cosmic proportions, and an invitation and welcome, as if to say, ‘Give me your life and breath and I will take care of you.’ It was a personal invitation. It was equal to the deepest spiritual experience I’d ever had.”
But despite the marvel and intensity of the encounter, there was a problem. He was so entrenched in his existing spiritual ways, that Michael simply did not know how to respond. He carried that memory of meeting Jesus with him for one year, when he happened to be in Berkeley, California. And there, in 1997, he had what for him was another profound experience.
“I was overcome by the conviction that my lifelong spiritual quest added up to a big fat zero. It was a powerful sense. I was reduced to nothing.”
A prominent young Indian swami was visiting California at the time, and he was looking for 20-30 experienced people to be trained as gurus and healers in their own right. Michael was not in the least interested, but when three friends, separately, urged him to attend, he took that as some sort of sign that he should be there.
He went, and was not impressed by what he saw and heard. But one thing he noted deeply. The instructor reminded him that to achieve anything it was necessary to have faith. At that point Michael clearly recognized that it was only in Jesus Christ and His promise that he could ever have faith.
But there was for him one more step in becoming a Christian. “I knew about the importance, power and place of decision. I’d created a course on it called ‘The Decision Principle Training’. I knew that becoming a Christian would be the biggest decision of my life. I wanted to make a marker of it-an event. It so happened that Billy Graham was coming to San Francisco. So I went to that meeting for the express purpose alone of making this decision clearly, cleanly, surely, with no turning back, in front of 22,000 witnesses.
“And since that day I’ve never been the same. I knew absolutely what it was to be renewed, to be reborn. I was a new creation. It was a silent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I started to be led in my Christian walk.”
Returning to Melbourne, he sought out a strong biblically-based church and found it in South Yarra Presbyterian Church, a short walk from his home, and a building he had strolled past numerous times previously with barely a glance.
Now after two years of dedicated Bible study he is eager to reach out to others with the story of his transformation. Exceedingly articulate, he has already addressed audiences at Christian colleges in Sydney and was a guest of Gordon Moyes on an Easter television special, and spoke to 25,000 Christians in India. He has also been working with the Community of Hope Christian mission in its outreach to the New Age movement.
In addition, he talks to friends and acquaintances who have been on a similar journey to his own, some of whom have also become disillusioned with the Eastern promise. “People I’m getting through to would normally never listen to a Christian,” he notes.
What would he tell today’s young spiritual seekers who are leaning towards Eastern religions?
“I’d tell them my story,” he says.
“Fulfilment is found in Christ. He is the embodiment of Truth, in whom is contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The point is that the salvation He offers doesn’t come through signs and wonders, though they may be appended to it, but from a turning to Him in acknowledgment of His pre-eminence and His lordship, and as the medium through which total release can be known.
“In my experience the best the higher other ways can offer is amelioration of the human condition, coupled with large promises and tantalising effects. But they cannot penetrate to the very core, which is the call to utter renewal and the discovery of our sufficiency in Christ.
“Jesus doesn’t simply show us the way, or the truth. He is the way, the truth. He’s not another guru, or preceptor, or avatar, or holy man, or prophet. He’s God Himself stepped down into human flesh to die, identified with the consequences of our decision to turn from God, and thus eternally to reconcile us. The Christian revelation is the end of the end game, not the marvellous scenery on the way.”
And now that he is reconciled with Christ, how does Michael sum up his past? He smiles as he answers: “I was a dead man walking. I can’t believe I’m saying that. Because I thought I was so alive.”
Filed under: Uncategorized
John E. Aho: The sun wasn’t up yet, but I was. We were on our way up to the redwoods in California when we stopped for the night in Redding. We had an RV at the time. With my family sleeping safely inside, I made my way to the 24 hour prayer chapel on the campus of Bethel Church. I was reading a book called Wild At Heart that encouraged the reader not to ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, because what the world needs are more people who are alive.
So with my copy of the Scriptures and my journal in hand, and that question firmly fixed in my mind, I walked the dimly lit path to the chapel.
“What makes me come alive? What makes me come alive?” No sooner did I open the door that the Spirit opened my heart. I heard a song I had heard before. “Light of the world you stepped down into darkness. Opened my eyes let me see, beauty that made this heart adore You. Hope of a life spent with You.”
I didn’t see Him standing there when I opened the first set of doors. He jumped out at me. Not physically. Spiritually. The presence of God was in that place and I felt it as soon as I walked into the door. No sooner did I sense God’s Spirit and I knew in an instant what made me come alive.
He did. He made me come alive. Nehemiah 8:10 says “your strength comes from rejoicing in the Lord.” I don’t quite understand how it happens, but when I worship Him, I feel more alive than ever. What made me come alive was twofold. Knowing Him and making Him known. That’s really why I created this safe place for you to read our experiences. I want you to know God even better than I know Him.
Jesus first came into my life when I was a sophomore in high school. Romeo, Michigan. KidRock’s hometown. Simpson Park Camp. Hmmm. Another chapel. I don’t remember all that David Olshine said that night, I just know that I realized how crazy God was for me. A writer by the name of John (great name by the way) once said, “We know and rely on the love God has for us.” (1 John 4:16) That warm August night in 1984 was the first time I realized it… and relied on it. That was the first time I experienced Him. That wouldn’t be the last.
If you have never experienced Him, stop what you are doing and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Jesus said that if we know how to give good gifts to our children, “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:14) Call out to Him right now. Ask Him. Search for Him. Knock on the door. If you keep asking, it will be given to you. If you keep searching, you will find Him. If you keep knocking, the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9)
If there was a time you experienced Him but haven’t in awhile, you can again. Worship Him. Read His word. God promised a king, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Seek His face today. Tomorrow. The next day. You will find you will begin to experience more of His presence in your life as you give Him more of your life, your time and your energy.
Filed under: scriptures
I had an experience that changed my life. I was sitting in an outdoor chapel in Romeo, Michigan listening to a man tell me how crazy God was for me. How crazy is love when love sacrifices His one and only Son so that I can experience life? You see, God loved the world – you, me – so much that He gave up His only Child to death so that we could experience life. Real life. Fulfilling life. Eternal life. In fact, He wants to breathe new life into you.
John, one of Jesus’ closest friends, experienced Him this way. In his Gospel John wrote, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever would believe in Him would not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) John wrote in a letter to his friends, “This is how we know what love is – Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.” (1 John 3:16)
I want you to experience Him for the first time. Stop what you are doing and call out to Him. Tell Him about your desire to know Him. Read about Him. Read one of the life stories written about Him (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) on http://www.biblegateway.com/.
At this point, if all you are doing is questioning and seeking, keep searching. This is a safe place for you if you have ever had any questions about Jesus – a man who changed people’s lives when He walked this earth; a man who is still impacting lives today. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at jesus.xp@hotmail.com.
Experience is everything
His Story is About Humble Beginnings
Who is Jesus Christ? He is God’s only begotten son, yet He came from the throne of His Father to the womb of a woman. He became Son of Man that we might become sons of God.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. He lived in poverty, and was unknown outside of Nazareth. He had neither wealth nor influence.
He laid aside His purple robe for a peasant’s gown. He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor. He slept in another’s stable; He rode another’s donkey; He was buried in another’s grave.
His Story is About a Miraculous Ministry
Who is Jesus Christ? History has never known such as He. In infancy, He startled a king. As a boy, He stunned the theologians with His knowledge and wisdom, for His knowledge was directly from God.
In manhood, He ruled the elements and quieted the raging sea. He healed without medicine, and fed thousands from a boy’s lunch. Even demons obeyed Him and He gave back life to those who were dead.
Yet He suffered and sustained in body and soul the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race. He was despised and rejected of men. Though He was innocent, He was condemned by a civil judge and sentenced to death on a cross.
His Story is About Life-changing Impact
Who is Jesus Christ? By His suffering and death, He paid completely for the sins of all who believe in Him. He set us free 
from the certain judgment and eternal condemnation of God that was to fall on all of us.
Some have given their lives for others, and great men have come and gone, yet Jesus Christ lives on. Herod could not kill Him. Satan could not stop him. Death could not destroy Him. The grave could not hold Him. Having fully satisfied God’s perfect justice, He conquered death and rose on the third day as He said He would.
His Story is About Personal Experience
Who is Jesus Christ? For the last 2,000 years, every man, woman and child has been confronted with this same question. In Mathew 16:15, Jesus put it this way, “But who do you say that I am?” One of His disciples, Simon Peter, replied: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Now it’s your turn. Who do you say that He is?
Filed under: scriptures
As I read through 1st and 2nd Kings, I was struck by a group of people simply called sons of the prophets. Some have commented that communities of prophets came together for the purpose of building each other up and cultivating their relationships with God. It’s quite possible that these communities of prophets were gathered together, almost forced to live with each other, when Jezebel was out to destroy them all.”Obadiah, who was in charge of (Ahab’s) palace…was a man who greatly feared the Lord and took 100 prophets and hid them, 50 men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord’s prophets.” (1 Kings 18:3-4)
It was after this event, if memory serves me correctly, that I began to notice these sons of the prophets. The NIV Study Bible notes that “the relationship of the Lord’s great prophets to these communities was understandably a close one, the Lord’s prophets probably being their spiritual mentors.” It seems likely that Elijah and Elisha had been mentors of these sons of the prophets.
There was a close relationship between Elijah, Elisha and these prophets. God told Elijah, “You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha…as prophet in your place.” (1 Kings 19:16) Did Elijah do it? No. Elijah’s protégé told one of the sons of the prophets, “When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his colleagues, and take him to an inner room.” So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead, and when Jehu got and went into the house, “the young prophet poured the oil on his head and said, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I anoint you king over the Lord’s people, Israel.” (2 Kings 9:1-7)
God told Elijah to do it, but he instead passed the message on to Elisha. Elisha enlisted one of his “sons,” and had him complete this important task. There are jobs we think only the professionals should do. At times we don’t think we have the education to do certain things. Yet, in God’s kingdom, we’re all “professionals.” As my pastor told me, “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.”
God isn’t calling us to teach students. He’s calling us to raise children. Who are you parenting? Who would say they are a “son of a prophet” because of your influence on their life?
Filed under: scriptures
In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul told his young leader that “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
It seems my spirit of self-gratification is usually stronger than my spirit of self-discipline, and a strong marker is how I eat. Back in college I was fairly disciplined about the way I was taking care of myself. In the beginning of our marriage I told myself I wouldn’t do what a number of other men do – get comfortable and not take good care of themselves.
Paul told another young leader, Titus, that the leaders he raises up “must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.” I admire leaders who lead themselves well. Solomon said that his teachings should be used for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life (Proverbs 1:3). He said, “it is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor. Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.” (Proverbs 25:27).
Don’t let that one slip by without giving it some thought. You are like a city without the fortification and protection of tall, thick brick walls that keeps your enemies out if you do not control yourself. You let in a dangerous element if you lack self-control. He also said in Proverbs 29:11, “a fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Paul said what should mark every believer’s life is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Unlike those who go about living the way they want to, “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22-24)
He told Timothy that “people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:3-4)
He told the Thessalonians to be alert and self-controlled. (5:6) He told his young leaders to “teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.” (Titus 2:2)
He told Titus to have the older women in the church train the younger women to “love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled” (v5) and to encourage the young men to be self-controlled (v6). He also told Titus that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. God’s grace teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope; the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13)
The reason we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives has nothing to do with how we look. To discipline my body, making it the slave of my spirit, has everything to do with worship. It is my spiritual act of worship. Everything I do has to do with my great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Peter said to “prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled” (1 Peter 1:13) for two reasons.
You need to be “clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray” (1 Peter 4:7). He also said to be self-controlled and alert because “your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” We are to “resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (1Peter 5:8-9)
We can’t hope to lead others if we are not leading ourselves well.
Filed under: scriptures
I’ve heard it said, “I love the ministry. I just can’t stand the people.” I absolutely love the kids I’m working with. I’m just having a hard time with some of the adults. Sometimes I feel like writing for a living just to get away from leading.
Sticking your neck out, you might get your head cut off. Putting your foot forward, you might get your legs kicked out from under you. Putting your hand up, you might get it shot down. Voicing your opinion, you might get shut up. Even though these may all happen, leaders lead. They lead.
They’re out front. They may get shot at first. They may also lead their troops to victory. Leaders lead. They lead. They don’t follow. They put their foot forward. They put their hand up. They voice their opinion. They’re out front. They give direction. Yes, it would be easier to follow. But that’s not leadership. I’m going to take some shots along the way, but I guess I would rather take my shots on the front lines instead of being a coward in the trenches. When Moses led, there were times when he got shot at.
“Then Moses led…” He didn’t follow. “Moses led the people…” You could lead animals. You could be somewhere where no one talks back. “Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea…” When you are leading, you are always leaving something behind.
From the Red Sea “they moved out into the Shur Desert.” Was that their destination? Of course not. But sometimes when you are leaving your Red Sea in search of the Promised Land you may, and I say may, go through a desert or two. When you go through the dry times in life, what will your response be? “They traveled in this desert for three days without water. When they came to Marah, they finally found water. But the people couldn’t drink it because it was bitter.” As we are leaving the Red Sea in search for the Promised Land, when we move into those dry times, we have to make sure we don’t turn bitter. When the people turned bitter inside, “the people turned against Moses.”
When you allow bitterness to eat you up inside, the next step is to bring it outside. “We were supposed to be going to ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ so why are we in the desert? Who brought us here anyway? Things are not going as promised. Moses said nothing about walking through the desert three days straight. I’m thirsty! I bet if I were in his shoes I would have led us in a different way. If I were leading, I sure as heck would have made sure we had enough water. Moses sure didn’t plan this out. He should have thought more about those details. Maybe somebody else could do a better job.”
“The people turned against Moses.” Yes the people were thirsty. Walking anywhere is tough. Think about the fact that moms were walking their children. They may have been carrying things on their way. They had a right to be tired and thirsty, yet they turned from their legitimate needs to illegitimate bitterness.
What could Moses’ reaction have been? “It amazes me how fast these people can go from excitement and exuberance to exhaustion and complaining. We just went through the ‘middle of the sea on dry land, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides.’ We were only days from our deliverance when ‘the Lord rescued Israel from the Egyptians.’ We all sang together a couple days ago on the shores on the sea. Now they turn against me? Maybe I’ll just take my family and leave. We’ll just see how they manage.” Did doubts creep into his mind? Did he start second guessing his decision about leading them? “I should have stayed in Egypt. I had it made there.” Was he reminded of his failures? Did his past come back to haunt him? Did he have trouble sleeping? All we know is that when “the people turned against Moses…Moses cried out to the Lord for help.”
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“When leaders lead, they have to remember that they are spiritual leaders who are led.” |
Leaders do lead, but sometimes, well… all the time, leaders need to be led. Leaders need to be led by the Leader of leaders. When “the people turned against Moses…Moses cried out to the Lord for help.” When “Moses cried out to the Lord for help…the Lord showed him a branch.”
“A branch!”
“A branch?”
“What the heck! What good is a branch going to do? I’m ready to quit. I’m ready to ditch this whole thing. I’m so sick of people. I’d rather go back and lead my sheep. I call out to You and You show me a branch?”
That would have been my reaction. Once Moses was shown the branch, he instinctively knew what to do with it.
“Moses took the branch and threw it into the water. This made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the Lord laid before them the following conditions to test their faithfulness to Him: ‘If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and laws, then I will not make you suffer the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.’”
When leaders lead, they have to remember that they are spiritual leaders who are led. Let that sink in. When we lead from where we have been, especially if the Leader of leaders is leading us as leaders, we will be led to do things according to the purposes of God. God called the people out of Egypt and chose Moses to lead them. Moses was given a vision of where they would be going without seeing it in the physical. When they set out, leaving behind what they were comfortable with, they went through some difficulties on the way.
Instead of the people taking their concerns to God, they turned on the leader. Instead of asking God for a solution, the people pointed out the problems. Oh, it’s easy to point out the problems. It’s so easy to talk behind the leader’s back to other followers, but it’s healthier to become a part of the solution. It’s easy to point the finger at someone else. It’s more difficult to be a part of the solution.
Since Moses got his vision from God, since he knew the destination was in the mind of God, Moses was in the habit of crying “out to the Lord for help” every step of the way.
“The Lord showed him….” He was not only in the habit of listening “carefully to the voice of the Lord,” he was also in the habit of seeing the possibilities. What was it about the branch that took away the bitterness in the water, making “the water good to drink?” Was there something about its properties that it scientifically reacted with the bitter properties of the water? Did it sweeten the bitterness somehow, or did God intervene miraculously? Whatever the case, God showed Moses the solution. Could God have revealed the solution to one of the people? Instead of turning against their leader, could the people have turned to God?
Could the Lord have shown someone else the branch? It’s possible. But the bitterness in their hearts was worse than the bitterness in the water. The branch took away the bitterness of the water. What the people needed was something deeper.
“For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will place a Righteous Branch on King David’s throne.” (Jeremiah 23:5) “Soon I am coming to bring My Servant, the Branch.” (Zechariah 3:8) Jesus, the Branch, died on a tree to take away the bitterness. Just as the branch was thrown into the water, the Righteous Branch must come into the water of our lives. We are of no use until the Branch takes away the bitterness in our hearts. Both leaders and followers need to see the Branch, seize the Branch, and place that Branch into the waters of our own lives to turn the bitterness into sweetness.
We will quench the thirst of no one, whether we are a leader or a follower, if the Branch has not taken away our bitterness. Follow Moses’ example. Turn to the Lord for help. Look for the possibilities and then be a part of the solution.
Filed under: scriptures
Why are there times we experience blocks in communication and connection with our Creator? When we’re thirsty for more of God, where do we go? How can we experience Him more?
Draw near: “Since He had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward Him to touch Him.” (Mark 3:11) I have heard of His healing power and know what it means to be close to Him. I’ve been there, and I want to go back. I believe I am on my way, but there may be some things in the way as I press toward Him to be touched by Him. “The crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word.” (Luke 5:1)
The crowd. That’s my problem. Too much is crowding my life right now. In fact, I attemped to get away from my office so my administrative tasks wouldn’t crowd out the time I wanted “to touch Him” and “to hear God’s word.” The crowd. They are always in the way. They’re loud, always clamoring for our attention. They keep you from where you’re heading. They bump into you, demanding your attention. All you want to do is have someone simply remove the crowd so nothing hinders His touch and His word. What’s crowding your life? What do you need to remove in order to “draw near to God?” (Psalm 73:28). James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Hosea wrote in his prophecy, “So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.” (Hosea 6:3) My camouflage Bible (Holman Christian Standard) reads, “Let us strive to know the Lord.” As you draw near, what do you draw with?
What to draw with: Do you remember the Samaritan woman drawing water at the well in John 4? When Jesus told her about the living water, she told Him, “but sir, you have nothing to draw with.” My camouflage Bible reads, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep.” Yes, ma’am. The well is deep, and you had better know what to draw water with.
What are you drawing (living) water with? Do you have a bucket? This well is deep. Too many people don’t realize the living water is there to draw. She didn’t know until Jesus told her. Others had heard about it but were mistaken what it was. Her first response continued on the line of her physical thirst: “Sir, give me this water so I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.” Since Jesus had the right bucket, He knew where to drop it. “Go call your husband and come back here.”
He dropped the bucket into the deepest recesses of her heart, but only found her hurt. Her heart was full of hurt. Five weddings. Five divorces, and now she’s living with a guy because she is afraid of taking the plunge into a long-term commitment. The plunge she needed and received was into the living water. “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.” So what do you draw with? “You will worship,” Jesus said. Worship is what you draw with.
Sometimes the well is deep. Real deep. It might take longer to get to the water. Why?
Draw deep: One reason is that God is not shallow. Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) At times you will have to go deep to draw near. You may have to fight the crowds to get there. You might have to eliminate what crowds your mind and your heart. Don’t you think the woman at the well had a lot of hurt crowding her heart? Go deep. Draw near. Press in. Press on.
Reopen to draw out: Another reason it might take awhile to draw living water out is that the well might be stopped up. “The Philistines stopped up all the wells that his father’s slaves had dug in the days of his father Abraham, filling them with dirt…. Isaac reopened the water well that had been dug.” (Genesis 26:15, 18) Do you realize that soon after he reopened the wells “he went up to Beer-sheba (and) the Lord appeared to him that night.”
When you reopen wells that had quenched your thirst in earlier days, it’s as if those waters of living water start to flow again and God reveals Himself to you all over again. God doesn’t dangle food in front of my face saying, “Here, boy. Go fetch.” He is always there ready and willing to pour His Spirit into our lives. If I am in the practice of protecting my heart so no dirt enters, and if I am cultivating a life that draws the living water out, then it won’t take so long to experience His outpouring during worship or prayer, whether those times are corporate or personal.
Isaiah said, “On that day you will say: ‘I will praise You, Lord, although You were angry with me. Your anger has turned away, and You have had compassion on me. Indeed, God is my salvation. I will trust Him and not be afraid. Because Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.’” Isaiah then told them what the result of their worship would be: “You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation, and on that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim His name! Celebrate His deeds among the peoples. Declare that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things. Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is among you in His greatness.’” (Isaiah 12:1-6)
Just like the woman at the well, our attention is turned to worship if we want to “draw water from the springs of salvation” and experience the presence of the Holy One: “The Holy One of Israel is among you in His greatness.”
Protecting the source: In order to experience God, more of Him (quality) and more frequently (quantity), we need to protect the mouth of the well. After Jacob had his worship experience in the House of God (Bethel), after he had his experience of God (Genesis 28:10-22), “Jacob resumed his journey and went to the eastern country. He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the opening of the well and water the sheep. The stone was then placed back on the well’s opening.” (Genesis 29:1-3)
A flat stone was placed on the well’s opening to protect what was inside. When you get to a well, if you only have to slide the stone from the opening, you can water the gathered flock of sheep right away. Could you imagine the painstaking labor if you had to first clear the well of impurities every time you gathered at the well? The sheep would go away thirsty.
Too many people think they don’t experience God because God isn’t in the practice of showing Himself. They get so used to going through the motions that they don’t expect God to show up. The real problem may be that they haven’t protected their heart, so when they go to draw living water from the well there is so much filth and dirt they can’t get to the water.
Solomon wrote, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Guard the very opening of your life. Keep a stone over your heart to guard it from being tainted and stopped up from impurities and sediment. Otherwise, every time you gather together, you will be trying to clear dirt away instead of drawing water.
You know, of course, that the purpose for going to a well is to draw water, right? Just checking.
I am thirsty. I want to drink often. I want to drink deep. The well is deep, and that is where I want to go. “Deep calls to deep,” David wrote (Psalm 42:7). It’s no mistake that this is the same song where David sang, “As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?” (42:1-2) The depths are calling to me. That’s where I want to be. That’s where I want to go.
Drink Up: How do I bring people to a place of fresh revelation? Asked more simply, how do I help people encounter God? “His delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that bears fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Psalm 1:2-3) If I really want people to be fruitful and not wither away, I must uncover wells of revelation and living water so they can go and drink on their own. I also have to be a man who meditates on God’s instructions day and night. I need to lead where I want others to go. Both sheep and shepherd drink from the same well.
Prayer: Jesus, I want to experience you on a deeper level more frequently. Protect the opening of my heart so that when I go to that place I can drink deep and drink often. You said, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” (John 7:37-38) You said this “about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive.” (7:39) I can experience You from deep within my soul. Isaiah experienced Your Spirit while in worship. The woman at the well was encouraged to tap the well of her heart by worshiping in spirit and in truth.
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What in the world would Jesus and blue jeans have in common? What would one of the greatest figures in human history and a pair of regular, everyday pieces of clothing share together? Well, those which clothe the outside and fill the inside are for the common, the regular, the normal, the ordinary, and the everyday.
Like a great pair of jeans, there’s a prophet that fits my style. Amos. Amos was a simple sheep herder and fig tree farmer. Called out of the field by God, Amos was directed to speak to a nation that had gone astray.
A highly educated, highly decorated professional priest had problems with this shepherd turned prophet. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, told Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living and give your prophecies there, but don’t ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
Whose sanctuary? The king’s. The audience was important, well known, well to do. What kind of temple? A royal one. Special. Extraordinary. Ornate. You shouldn’t be here, Amos. You’re a farmer. Your normal. Regular. Ordinary. Uneducated. Amaziah liked his status. He liked the fact that he was priest in an important place. It’s what everyone climbs the corporate ladder to get to, right? He believed Amos needed a proper theological education in order to understand God’s Word. People need “an education” before they can really make a difference in other people’s lives.
Yet, the Scriptures were written for the common, the ordinary, the normal. Case in point. The New Testament books were written in Koine Greek. It was the everyday language spoken by everyday people. Koine means common. It was so common archeologists have found ancient shopping lists written in Koine Greek.
So Amos answered Amaziah, “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” (Amos 7:12-15) There were prophets who were paid preachers. There were prophets who were discipled and developed by older prophets. That’s what a “son of a prophet” was – a protégé of a senior prophet. Amos was neither. He wasn’t discipled by another prophet. He wasn’t educated. He wasn’t a professional. He was normal. Common. Simple. Ordinary.
Simply put, a prophet in blue jeans.
Isn’t that what people noticed about two of the most important Apostles? “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these man had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13) Don’t let anyone fool you. God’s message is for very normal, everyday, ordinary people. In fact, the ones He chooses to use are very normal, everyday, ordinary people… if they care to admit it. That’s really the point behind these writings. I hope in some way I can encourage ordinary people to experience an extraordinary God.
