Rosh Hashanah
By Shirley Mitchell
“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.’ ’ ”
Leviticus 23:23-24
In Leviticus 23:1, God spoke to Moses, “…These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies .” The rest of the chapter describes the seven feasts. Tonight begins the fifth of the seven Jewish feasts - Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, the Jewish New Year! Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year.” It is the first day of the 10 Days of Awe, the days of repentance that conclude with the highest holy day of the year, Yom Kippur. It is celebrated on the first day of the Jewish month of Tishri.
In sessions 9 and 10 of the Bible study Jesus Lives, I teach in more detail about the seven feasts. God has told the story of Messiah and the story of the Jewish people through these feasts. For example, the Passover feast was a shadow of Jesus dying on the cross as the Passover Lamb, and the Feast of Weeks was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came to indwell in man. Colossians 2:16-17 says, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
Rosh Hashanah or the Feast of Trumpets is a day of sounding the trumpets throughout the land of Israel. It is the only feast that occurs on the first day of the month at the New Moon when the moon is dark and only a thin crescent. All of the other Jewish holidays occur later in their months when the moon is bright. The trumpets were blown in Israel for specific purposes. The shofar, a ram’s horn, was sounded for the gathering of the Israelites. The shofar sounded a battle alarm. The shofar was also sounded to proclaim the inauguration of a king. At this feast, the shofar was blown to call the people to attention.
These trumpets begin the Days of Awe which last 10 days. Between the Feast of Trumpets and the sixth feast were 10 days. The books recording the deeds of people were reviewed by God. Each person stood accountable to Him. The Day of Judgment, Yom Kippur, was at the end of the 10 days.
It was a time of internal evaluation. The Jewish people examined their hearts and outward acts. These 10 days allowed the Jewish people time to evaluate their lives and to return to God. The Days of Awe gave them time to return to a merciful God who was ready to forgive. They had to complete these repentant acts and make amends before the next feast. It was a time to awaken the people from their slumber and to alert them to the coming judgment. Today when they celebrate this feast, they will cast lint from their pockets or pebbles into water as a symbol of cleansing themselves from any sin.
When you study these feasts, you see how they are prophetic of the end times. The trumpet will sound to gather God’s people. The trumpet will sound to warn the evil one that God has sounded His battle alarm. The trumpet will announce the coming of Messiah and the coronation of Jesus the King. God will regather the Jewish people and bring Israel into repentance. God will deliver the Jewish people.
While no man knows the day or the hour that Jesus will rapture the church, knowing that Messiah has fulfilled the first four feasts makes me wonder how the last three feasts will be fulfilled. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 says the rapture will occur at the sound of the shofar, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” While we are aware that Jesus can return any day of the year, and the calendars could be very different, yes, my friends and I who know our Jewish roots start to pray more fervently for our Lord’s return every Feast of Trumpets.
For you, my friend, are you ready for the Lord’s return? Are you a believer who has accepted Jesus as her Savior? If you are a believer, it is a good time for introspection. Ask God to show you any sin or give you the power to break a lifestyle of sin that you need to eliminate in your life. Let’s celebrate this feast and 10 Days of Awe by repenting and drawing nearer to God.
Pray with me: Lord Jesus, come quickly! We long for Your return. On this Feast of Trumpets, we are reminded how we need to evaluate our lives. We are each accountable before You for every word and every deed. Pierce our hearts by Your Spirit, and may we be awakened from our slumber and sickened by our sin. In the Mighty Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
Friday, September 18, 2009
Shekinah Glory
Shekinah Glory
By Shirley Mitchell
"Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them… There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”
Exodus 25:8, 22
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
On Mt. Sinai, God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. In Exodus 25:8-9, 21-22, God tells Moses to make the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. God wanted to meet with them and give His instructions to His chosen people. He would dwell with them, and they could fellowship with Him. He would meet with His people over the Ark of the Covenant.
The Hebrew word for “dwell” in verse 8 is shekan. It means “the idea of lodging, to reside or permanently stay. Abide, continue, dwell, have habitation, inhabit, remain, lay, place, rest, set.” It includes the idea of abiding in a neighborhood or a community. From the verb shekan is derived the word “shekinah,” the noun form. It means “the dwelling presence of God.” Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia says it is “the visible divine presence.” God is omnipresent, but this presence indicates the fullness and the richness of His presence.
The Hebrew word for “glory” is kavodh. It means “to be heavy or weighty.” During that time period, the worth of an object was measured by its weight. In the figurative sense, it means importance or worth. God’s glory is the way that He shows His importance, His worth, or His might. God’s glory is the way that He makes Himself known. God wants to reveal Himself to us!
God desired to have a place where He could dwell among His people. God desired to be able to speak with them in that place. Hebrews 8:5a says, “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.” This passage tells us that God showed Moses the holy pattern on the mountain. It was a shadow of the real thing in heaven. We saw in yesterday’s devotion that God desired to be with man in the garden. He still desired to be with man even though sin had come between The Holy God and His beloved, prized creation - mankind. God planned a way for the fellowship to begin again.
The Israelites built the tabernacle according to the pattern God showed Moses. In Exodus 40:34-38 after the tabernacle was built, “the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Verse 35 says that “the cloud had settled (shekan) on it.” What a divine confirmation to Moses and the people who had followed His detailed instructions for setting up God’s dwelling place! The Shekinah glory signified God’s presence, protection, and guidance. The covenant people were fully conscious of their distinctiveness among all people on earth. God’s presence was what set the Israelites apart from other people. It marked them as His chosen people. The glory of God had protected them from the Egyptians when it stopped the Egyptian army in full pursuit. The Shekinah glory was their guide in the wilderness.
After wandering in the desert for 40 years, the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land. There, Solomon built a permanent tabernacle for the LORD. 2 Chronicles 5:14b tells us “the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.” However, the nation of Israel rebelled against God. The prophets of Israel and Judah preached messages of judgment or doom for the people’s rebellion against God and for turning to idols. The people did not listen to the prophets of God who warned of their destruction.
After hundreds of years of this cycle of rebellion, the prophet Ezekiel, while in captivity in Babylon, had a vision of God’s glory departing the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 10:1-19, 11:16-25). The glory moved from the Ark of the Covenant, to the temple threshold, to the East Gate, and to the mountain east of the city (the Mount of Olives) where it departed. When Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon in 586 B.C., Solomon’s temple was plundered of its wealth, and the building was burned to the ground. The Shekinah glory of God left as Ezekiel had prophesied.
In 536 B.C., God moved the heart of the King of Persia to command that the temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt (Ezra 1:1-2). The second temple lacked five items that had been in Solomon’s temple: The Ark of the Covenant, the Urim and Thummim, the sacred fire, the Holy Spirit, and the Shekinah glory. Ezra 3:12 tells us that the old men who were young boys before captivity remembered the Shekinah glory of Solomon’s temple, and they wailed because it was not present. In 19 B.C., Herod began to renovate the temple. It is Herod’s temple that existed in the time of Jesus. There was no Shekinah glory, though. There was still no evidence of the presence of God. But there was something else…
John 1:14 tells us, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The Greek word for “dwelling,” skenoo, means “to tent, or encamp, to occupy or to reside, to tabernacle.” Let’s compare this Greek word to the Hebrew word used in the Old Testament for tabernacle, shekan. In ancient Hebrew there were no vowels, only consonants. The letters “e” and “a” were added later as pronunciation aids. Notice the Greek word’s consonants (S-K---N of skenoo) were included in the Hebrew term. What does all this language study mean? A Hebrew would immediately recognize the significance of John’s choice in words. He would realize John was making a play on words and was referring to the Exodus tabernacle.
Do you see in this verse what we have been talking about today? Is John saying what you think he is saying? Oh my, yes, he is! John is drawing from their Jewish history from Exodus. He used these two terms to say the glory of God seen in the tabernacle and the temple had come back to dwell in Israel. God sent the fullness of His glory once again. Only this time instead of being wrapped in a cloud or a pillar of fire, the glory was wrapped in flesh and bone. God’s glory was covered by humanity. Do you remember Moses who could not see God’s glory and live? They had SEEN HIS GLORY!
I must tell you that explaining this story makes the hairs on my arms stand up. I am amazed at the cohesiveness of the Bible. The stories in the Bible span a time period of 4,000 years of life on earth. I am astounded at God’s perfect plan to dwell with people until we could dwell with Him in heaven. The Holy, All-powerful God of the universe reaches down from His throne to mankind. For me, above all, it proclaims in a loud voice for those who are willing to hear it – God’s loving heart.
Pray with me: Oh LORD, our God, You did not send only a prophet to proclaim Your words. You did not send a book so we could read Your words. You did not send a miraculous, physical representation on a mountainside so we could see Your word. You sent Your Word clothed in flesh so Your Word could be demonstrated. Your Word could be the teacher and the exhibitor of Your glory. Then, the Word unveiled and explained You to us so we might know You. This Word lived among people because You wanted to fellowship with us. Oh, how You love us! In the Name of the Word, our Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study,
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them… There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”
Exodus 25:8, 22
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
On Mt. Sinai, God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. In Exodus 25:8-9, 21-22, God tells Moses to make the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. God wanted to meet with them and give His instructions to His chosen people. He would dwell with them, and they could fellowship with Him. He would meet with His people over the Ark of the Covenant.
The Hebrew word for “dwell” in verse 8 is shekan. It means “the idea of lodging, to reside or permanently stay. Abide, continue, dwell, have habitation, inhabit, remain, lay, place, rest, set.” It includes the idea of abiding in a neighborhood or a community. From the verb shekan is derived the word “shekinah,” the noun form. It means “the dwelling presence of God.” Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia says it is “the visible divine presence.” God is omnipresent, but this presence indicates the fullness and the richness of His presence.
The Hebrew word for “glory” is kavodh. It means “to be heavy or weighty.” During that time period, the worth of an object was measured by its weight. In the figurative sense, it means importance or worth. God’s glory is the way that He shows His importance, His worth, or His might. God’s glory is the way that He makes Himself known. God wants to reveal Himself to us!
God desired to have a place where He could dwell among His people. God desired to be able to speak with them in that place. Hebrews 8:5a says, “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.” This passage tells us that God showed Moses the holy pattern on the mountain. It was a shadow of the real thing in heaven. We saw in yesterday’s devotion that God desired to be with man in the garden. He still desired to be with man even though sin had come between The Holy God and His beloved, prized creation - mankind. God planned a way for the fellowship to begin again.
The Israelites built the tabernacle according to the pattern God showed Moses. In Exodus 40:34-38 after the tabernacle was built, “the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Verse 35 says that “the cloud had settled (shekan) on it.” What a divine confirmation to Moses and the people who had followed His detailed instructions for setting up God’s dwelling place! The Shekinah glory signified God’s presence, protection, and guidance. The covenant people were fully conscious of their distinctiveness among all people on earth. God’s presence was what set the Israelites apart from other people. It marked them as His chosen people. The glory of God had protected them from the Egyptians when it stopped the Egyptian army in full pursuit. The Shekinah glory was their guide in the wilderness.
After wandering in the desert for 40 years, the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land. There, Solomon built a permanent tabernacle for the LORD. 2 Chronicles 5:14b tells us “the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.” However, the nation of Israel rebelled against God. The prophets of Israel and Judah preached messages of judgment or doom for the people’s rebellion against God and for turning to idols. The people did not listen to the prophets of God who warned of their destruction.
After hundreds of years of this cycle of rebellion, the prophet Ezekiel, while in captivity in Babylon, had a vision of God’s glory departing the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 10:1-19, 11:16-25). The glory moved from the Ark of the Covenant, to the temple threshold, to the East Gate, and to the mountain east of the city (the Mount of Olives) where it departed. When Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon in 586 B.C., Solomon’s temple was plundered of its wealth, and the building was burned to the ground. The Shekinah glory of God left as Ezekiel had prophesied.
In 536 B.C., God moved the heart of the King of Persia to command that the temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt (Ezra 1:1-2). The second temple lacked five items that had been in Solomon’s temple: The Ark of the Covenant, the Urim and Thummim, the sacred fire, the Holy Spirit, and the Shekinah glory. Ezra 3:12 tells us that the old men who were young boys before captivity remembered the Shekinah glory of Solomon’s temple, and they wailed because it was not present. In 19 B.C., Herod began to renovate the temple. It is Herod’s temple that existed in the time of Jesus. There was no Shekinah glory, though. There was still no evidence of the presence of God. But there was something else…
John 1:14 tells us, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The Greek word for “dwelling,” skenoo, means “to tent, or encamp, to occupy or to reside, to tabernacle.” Let’s compare this Greek word to the Hebrew word used in the Old Testament for tabernacle, shekan. In ancient Hebrew there were no vowels, only consonants. The letters “e” and “a” were added later as pronunciation aids. Notice the Greek word’s consonants (S-K---N of skenoo) were included in the Hebrew term. What does all this language study mean? A Hebrew would immediately recognize the significance of John’s choice in words. He would realize John was making a play on words and was referring to the Exodus tabernacle.
Do you see in this verse what we have been talking about today? Is John saying what you think he is saying? Oh my, yes, he is! John is drawing from their Jewish history from Exodus. He used these two terms to say the glory of God seen in the tabernacle and the temple had come back to dwell in Israel. God sent the fullness of His glory once again. Only this time instead of being wrapped in a cloud or a pillar of fire, the glory was wrapped in flesh and bone. God’s glory was covered by humanity. Do you remember Moses who could not see God’s glory and live? They had SEEN HIS GLORY!
I must tell you that explaining this story makes the hairs on my arms stand up. I am amazed at the cohesiveness of the Bible. The stories in the Bible span a time period of 4,000 years of life on earth. I am astounded at God’s perfect plan to dwell with people until we could dwell with Him in heaven. The Holy, All-powerful God of the universe reaches down from His throne to mankind. For me, above all, it proclaims in a loud voice for those who are willing to hear it – God’s loving heart.
Pray with me: Oh LORD, our God, You did not send only a prophet to proclaim Your words. You did not send a book so we could read Your words. You did not send a miraculous, physical representation on a mountainside so we could see Your word. You sent Your Word clothed in flesh so Your Word could be demonstrated. Your Word could be the teacher and the exhibitor of Your glory. Then, the Word unveiled and explained You to us so we might know You. This Word lived among people because You wanted to fellowship with us. Oh, how You love us! In the Name of the Word, our Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study,
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
In the Beginning
In the Beginning
By Shirley Mitchell
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
By Shirley Mitchell
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
John 1:1-5
When I first read John 1:1-5 as an adult, this passage was such a mystery to me. Now, through the teaching of the Holy Spirit and many godly teachers, this passage is now a treasure to me. When I read it now, I no longer stumble over the words and let their meaning fly by me. I have begun to understand the bountiful riches that they hold. God has written these Scriptures on my heart.
John knew that the beginning of the story started before Jesus’ Jewish lineage. So unlike the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew, he takes us back to the beginning, “In the beginning was the Word.” John 1:14a tells us this person, the “Word,” came and made His dwelling among us, thus revealing the identity of the Word as Jesus. Jesus is the Word. Jesus was in the beginning, Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. Then, Jesus left the glory of heaven and put on the cloak of flesh to dwell among us. He is the source of all life. This Life is the light of men. This Light shone into the darkness to destroy the darkness.
Before we go further, let’s understand what the name, the Word, means and why John used this name. The Greek word for the “Word” in these verses is Logos. A “word” means “a visible or audible expression of a thought. It embodies a conception or an idea.” The divine Word, Jesus, is the expression or the revelation of the thoughts in the mind of God. He is the bridge between God and us. Logos also had a special meaning for the Greeks. A man named Heraclitus of Ephesus decided there was an invisible force of reason that sustained everything. For the Greeks, the Logos was an impersonal force that steered the universe and kept its forces in balance. It gave meaning to all things. For the Jews, the Word was a way of referring to God. “The Word of God” occurs over 1,200 times in the Old Testament to refer to the message of God. John uses language understood by pagan, Jew, and Christian to say that by the incarnate life of Jesus a new revelation of God had been given to mankind. God made Himself fully known to us.
Jesus made it clear to His followers that He existed before He was born from His mother Mary’s womb. In John 8:58, He declared to the crowd, "Before Abraham was born, I am!" In John 10:30, He says, “I and the Father are one." John 6:46, He says, “No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.” The crowd reacted violently to His outlandish declarations. Twice they tried to stone Him. Twice He escaped their grasp. He had committed blasphemy in their eyes. Yet, in His Father’s eyes, He was telling the truth that would save them from their sins.
John begins his Gospel with the very same words that are in Genesis 1:1 which says, “In the beginning.” John is referring to Genesis concepts. The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language. The Hebrew word for “God” in this verse is Elohim. El would have been a sufficient name for the creator God, but adding the ending “im” makes it plural. When I first learned this fact, I felt like a person on a treasure hunt who had struck gold. There is another clue in Genesis 1:26. God says, “Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness...” (Emphasis mine) God left a testimony in Scripture written by Moses to show that Jesus participated in creation. Genesis 1 occurred 4,000 years before Jesus came to earth. Later in the New Testament, Paul proclaims in Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”
Many writers of the New Testament – Paul, Peter, John, Matthew, and the writer of Hebrews – state Jesus is God and that He existed before the foundation of the world. They also tell us an important decision had been made before God created the world. Revelation 13:8b says that Jesus is the “Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” 1 Peter 1:18-20 says He redeemed us through His blood as the unblemished Lamb who was chosen before the creation of the world.
Before the creation of the world, it was decided that Jesus would die on the cross as payment for man’s sins. Payment can only be rendered by innocent blood. In Genesis 3, after sinning, the first thing Adam and Eve did was to use fig leaves to cover their bodies. Now, they had knowledge of good and evil. God took off the fig leaves and clothed them in garments made of animal skin. If an animal’s skin is taken to cover a human, the animal had to die. Man attempted to cover his own sin with the works of his hands, but God said it was not enough: our works are not sufficient payment for sins. Only the blood of innocent life pays for sins (Hebrews 9:22). It will never be enough to be the best Christians we can be. Only through Jesus’ bloodshed can we approach God.
Before Elohim, Creator God, created the world, the plan was already in place for Jesus to be the Lamb slain to redeem humans from their sins. Before God ever breathed life into man, it was decided that Jesus would die on the cross. Before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God had made the eternal blood covenant. God was not surprised that they sinned. He expected it because He holds and knows the future. Because God foresees, God plans. Because of His great love for you and me, we are redeemed from sin’s penalty, power, and presence. We have eternal life. Hallelujah! Worthy is the Lamb!
Pray with me: Oh, Elohim! We praise You! Thank You, Jesus, that before the creation of the world that You chose to be the Lamb who shed Your blood to redeem us on the cross. All things were created by You and for You – things in heaven, on earth, visible and invisible. You are worthy, You perfect spotless Lamb of God! We long for the day when we see the fullness of this and behold You face-to-face, the Lamb exalted and seated high on Your throne! It’s in the Name of the Lamb we pray, in Your Name, Jesus, Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study,
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Born Again
Born Again
By Shirley Mitchell
“In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’
‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!’
Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.’ ”
John 3:3-5
When Jesus met with Nicodemus late one night, He told him that he must be “born again” in order to see the kingdom of God. Being “born again” made no sense to Nicodemus. Nicodemus thought his first birth as a Jew would be sufficient to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus did not say position, power, religious acts, knowledge of the Law, or adherence to traditions would save Nicodemus. If works could grant you access to heaven, this man had the credentials to be escorted in. Religion will not get you to heaven. Reforming our behavior does not save us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that we are saved by grace through faith, not from ourselves, but it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast. His Word tells us doing good works does not save us. It is by God’s grace through faith. The Holy Spirit reveals this grace and Jesus as Savior.
Jesus used the wind to explain spiritual rebirth. We know the wind exists even though we can’t see it. We see its effects like leaves of the trees shaking. We hear the wind hissing. We feel the wind on our faces. Wind can’t be tamed nor controlled by man; neither can the Spirit of God. We see the results of the Spirit of God. No one can come to Christ unless the Holy Spirit draws her to the cross, and she is born again.
Jesus showed Nicodemus the road to freedom… No longer bound in chains of the religious rules...No more emptiness...Only the compulsion to serve and obey the one you love for your safety and benefit…Born again people are transformed people. They are new creations. Their actions are changed from the moment they first believed. Don’t make the mistake of believing every sinful desire is removed. God will leave some of that old nature for Him to refine later and for us to learn to depend on Him.
To illustrate how to be born again, Jesus referred to a familiar story for any Jewish teacher. This event happened while the children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years and is recorded in Numbers 21:4-9. Venomous snakes were biting and killing the people and many Israelites died. God told Moses to place a snake on a pole. So Moses put a bronze snake on a pole. Anyone who was bitten by a snake looked at the bronze snake and lived.
God gave the Israelites a physical picture of a spiritual concept. He showed the salvation His Son would bring to the Jewish people and all mankind. All of mankind, including you and me, has been bitten by sin. Sometimes it is hard to see ourselves as sinful because we can seem like pretty good people. However, James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
Just one lie...Just one prideful desire to exalt oneself...It takes a perfect score. It is impossible for us. Every person has contracted the deadly disease and desperately needs the cure. The righteous and holy God, who judges sin, knew we could not be perfect. He sent His Son to be lifted up on the cross like the serpent on the pole as our symbol of sin. He bore all of our sins. Through the cross, Jesus cleansed away the sins of every person who believes in Him. God offers to us the choice to look to His Son who hung on a cross, a pole. If we accept Jesus and believe in Him, then we will not perish but have eternal life. You and I will be born again. He is the cure for death.
A few years ago, my very good friend Jennifer shocked me by calling me on the phone to tell me that she had been saved. “WHAT?” We had prayed earnestly together every week and conducted Bible studies for teen girls together. She appeared to do all of the right things, but inside she was missing something. She said she had head knowledge but not the heart knowledge. Her salvation shocked everyone who knew her. I learned not to assume someone is saved - even if I’m praying with her or serving Him with her. Only God knows the heart. I ask everyone so I must ask you. Are you saved? Do you have any doubt?
If you have doubts and you feel the tug drawing you to the cross, then today is the day. That tug is the Holy Spirit. Do not stop reading this now, and say you will come back to it later. Deal with it now. Ask God to give you the words to say, or pray the prayer below. Repeating these words without meaning them does not save you. These words are only expressing outwardly what is happening in your heart. If you have no doubts at all, then pray this prayer in remembrance of the time that you accepted Jesus as Savior. Remember your salvation and praise Him for your certainty of a life in heaven.
Pray with me: LORD, God of heaven and earth, I know Jesus was Your Son sent to earth. He lived a perfect life and died on the cross as payment for my sins. Then He rose again and ascended into heaven. I am so sorry for the things I have done. I do not want to live in sin anymore. I repent of my sins and ask You for forgiveness. I believe the Truth stated in Romans 10:9 – that if I “Confess with my mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe You, God, raised Him from the dead, I will be saved.” I do not ask merely to be a resident in heaven. I ask because I desire to be in Your presence and to be with You forever. In the Name of my Savior, my Redeemer and King, Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
By Shirley Mitchell
“In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’
‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!’
Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.’ ”
John 3:3-5
When Jesus met with Nicodemus late one night, He told him that he must be “born again” in order to see the kingdom of God. Being “born again” made no sense to Nicodemus. Nicodemus thought his first birth as a Jew would be sufficient to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus did not say position, power, religious acts, knowledge of the Law, or adherence to traditions would save Nicodemus. If works could grant you access to heaven, this man had the credentials to be escorted in. Religion will not get you to heaven. Reforming our behavior does not save us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that we are saved by grace through faith, not from ourselves, but it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast. His Word tells us doing good works does not save us. It is by God’s grace through faith. The Holy Spirit reveals this grace and Jesus as Savior.
Jesus used the wind to explain spiritual rebirth. We know the wind exists even though we can’t see it. We see its effects like leaves of the trees shaking. We hear the wind hissing. We feel the wind on our faces. Wind can’t be tamed nor controlled by man; neither can the Spirit of God. We see the results of the Spirit of God. No one can come to Christ unless the Holy Spirit draws her to the cross, and she is born again.
Jesus showed Nicodemus the road to freedom… No longer bound in chains of the religious rules...No more emptiness...Only the compulsion to serve and obey the one you love for your safety and benefit…Born again people are transformed people. They are new creations. Their actions are changed from the moment they first believed. Don’t make the mistake of believing every sinful desire is removed. God will leave some of that old nature for Him to refine later and for us to learn to depend on Him.
To illustrate how to be born again, Jesus referred to a familiar story for any Jewish teacher. This event happened while the children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years and is recorded in Numbers 21:4-9. Venomous snakes were biting and killing the people and many Israelites died. God told Moses to place a snake on a pole. So Moses put a bronze snake on a pole. Anyone who was bitten by a snake looked at the bronze snake and lived.
God gave the Israelites a physical picture of a spiritual concept. He showed the salvation His Son would bring to the Jewish people and all mankind. All of mankind, including you and me, has been bitten by sin. Sometimes it is hard to see ourselves as sinful because we can seem like pretty good people. However, James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
Just one lie...Just one prideful desire to exalt oneself...It takes a perfect score. It is impossible for us. Every person has contracted the deadly disease and desperately needs the cure. The righteous and holy God, who judges sin, knew we could not be perfect. He sent His Son to be lifted up on the cross like the serpent on the pole as our symbol of sin. He bore all of our sins. Through the cross, Jesus cleansed away the sins of every person who believes in Him. God offers to us the choice to look to His Son who hung on a cross, a pole. If we accept Jesus and believe in Him, then we will not perish but have eternal life. You and I will be born again. He is the cure for death.
A few years ago, my very good friend Jennifer shocked me by calling me on the phone to tell me that she had been saved. “WHAT?” We had prayed earnestly together every week and conducted Bible studies for teen girls together. She appeared to do all of the right things, but inside she was missing something. She said she had head knowledge but not the heart knowledge. Her salvation shocked everyone who knew her. I learned not to assume someone is saved - even if I’m praying with her or serving Him with her. Only God knows the heart. I ask everyone so I must ask you. Are you saved? Do you have any doubt?
If you have doubts and you feel the tug drawing you to the cross, then today is the day. That tug is the Holy Spirit. Do not stop reading this now, and say you will come back to it later. Deal with it now. Ask God to give you the words to say, or pray the prayer below. Repeating these words without meaning them does not save you. These words are only expressing outwardly what is happening in your heart. If you have no doubts at all, then pray this prayer in remembrance of the time that you accepted Jesus as Savior. Remember your salvation and praise Him for your certainty of a life in heaven.
Pray with me: LORD, God of heaven and earth, I know Jesus was Your Son sent to earth. He lived a perfect life and died on the cross as payment for my sins. Then He rose again and ascended into heaven. I am so sorry for the things I have done. I do not want to live in sin anymore. I repent of my sins and ask You for forgiveness. I believe the Truth stated in Romans 10:9 – that if I “Confess with my mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe You, God, raised Him from the dead, I will be saved.” I do not ask merely to be a resident in heaven. I ask because I desire to be in Your presence and to be with You forever. In the Name of my Savior, my Redeemer and King, Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Abiding Brings Resemblance
Abiding Brings Resemblance
By Shirley Mitchell
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."
John 15:4 (NKJV)
After my precious adopted daughter Victoria had lived with us for several months, my friend Catherine made the most interesting comment to me. She said, "Shirley, there is no question that Victoria is a Mitchell girl. She has taken on your family's mannerisms, speech, facial expressions, tone of voice, and actions. She acts just like you all." I had not realized it since the change was gradual, but Catherine was right. Victoria looked just like us. She pranced around prissy like Sophia, copied Mikayla's funny faces, and said her words with the same inflections in her tone of voice that I would.
This same thing happens to you and me. By abiding in Jesus, you and I become more and more like Him. We take on the Family characteristics. When you and I choose to live with Him on a continuous and regular basis, we change from our old carnal self to a new creation that is spirit-led and possesses great beauty.
"Abide" is the Greek word meno which means "to remain, abide, dwell, live.to remain in or with someone, to remain united with him, one with him in heart, mind and will.remaining steadfast, persevering in it." I love what dictionary.com said of the word "remain." It means to stay in the same condition or the same place. Now, isn't that interesting? You see, we are to go from glory to glory. We are to increase our faith. We are to grow from eating spiritual milk to being able to chew the tough parts of the Word of God. Yet, there is one place where we are to remain in the same state and to never leave that location. We are to remain united with our Savior. We are the branches that are to remain in the Vine.
Our heart should match His heart. God's Word tells us that the hearts are the wellspring of life, which means that our hearts are the source for everything that we do in life. Imagine a river flowing from your heart. This river will take you on down the rapids of the river of life. Your heart has the power to change the directions of the rapids. This is why you and I have to know what we really want. What are our motivations? What are our feelings? What makes us passionate?
Additionally, our minds should resemble His mind. The only one way to have the mind of Christ is to know God's Word. Through faithful study of the Bible and Scripture memorization, we will see an amazing transformation happen in us as we conform to the image of Christ.
Lastly, our will should be aligned with His will. We begin to want the things that He wants. We desire for harvest workers to be sent to the harvest. We long for unity in the bride of Christ. We cringe at sin and are convicted instantly if we sin. We cry out for the return of our King and justice on the earth.
By abiding in Him, you and I can do things that we couldn't otherwise do. We can feel things that we wouldn't ordinarily feel. We can understand things that we couldn't normally understand. We are not limited by our natural abilities. We are not restrained by any personality "quirk." We can overcome our past. We can have strength for today. We can have the mind of Christ to know how to handle things that are beyond us. We begin to act like Jesus!
My heart's desire is to have an intimate relationship with my Savior. The natural by-product will be that I resemble my Savior. Is that your heart's desire, precious one? The definition of abiding told us how to keep on abiding. We are to be steadfast and persevere through it. We are to be fixed in one direction and fixed in one purpose. We are not to binge on God's Word for a season and then starve from spiritual food while we wither away. Through daily consistency, we build intimacy and exude Christ-likeness. I'm willing to do what it takes to abide in Him, are you?
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, praise You, Father! You are the Vine, and we are the branches. Apart from You, we can do absolutely nothing. We can't bear fruit without You. Give us a passion to abide in You. Also give us the steadfastness to have the consistency that is required to have the intimate relationship with You so abiding brings the intimacy and resemblance that we desire. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."
John 15:4 (NKJV)
After my precious adopted daughter Victoria had lived with us for several months, my friend Catherine made the most interesting comment to me. She said, "Shirley, there is no question that Victoria is a Mitchell girl. She has taken on your family's mannerisms, speech, facial expressions, tone of voice, and actions. She acts just like you all." I had not realized it since the change was gradual, but Catherine was right. Victoria looked just like us. She pranced around prissy like Sophia, copied Mikayla's funny faces, and said her words with the same inflections in her tone of voice that I would.
This same thing happens to you and me. By abiding in Jesus, you and I become more and more like Him. We take on the Family characteristics. When you and I choose to live with Him on a continuous and regular basis, we change from our old carnal self to a new creation that is spirit-led and possesses great beauty.
"Abide" is the Greek word meno which means "to remain, abide, dwell, live.to remain in or with someone, to remain united with him, one with him in heart, mind and will.remaining steadfast, persevering in it." I love what dictionary.com said of the word "remain." It means to stay in the same condition or the same place. Now, isn't that interesting? You see, we are to go from glory to glory. We are to increase our faith. We are to grow from eating spiritual milk to being able to chew the tough parts of the Word of God. Yet, there is one place where we are to remain in the same state and to never leave that location. We are to remain united with our Savior. We are the branches that are to remain in the Vine.
Our heart should match His heart. God's Word tells us that the hearts are the wellspring of life, which means that our hearts are the source for everything that we do in life. Imagine a river flowing from your heart. This river will take you on down the rapids of the river of life. Your heart has the power to change the directions of the rapids. This is why you and I have to know what we really want. What are our motivations? What are our feelings? What makes us passionate?
Additionally, our minds should resemble His mind. The only one way to have the mind of Christ is to know God's Word. Through faithful study of the Bible and Scripture memorization, we will see an amazing transformation happen in us as we conform to the image of Christ.
Lastly, our will should be aligned with His will. We begin to want the things that He wants. We desire for harvest workers to be sent to the harvest. We long for unity in the bride of Christ. We cringe at sin and are convicted instantly if we sin. We cry out for the return of our King and justice on the earth.
By abiding in Him, you and I can do things that we couldn't otherwise do. We can feel things that we wouldn't ordinarily feel. We can understand things that we couldn't normally understand. We are not limited by our natural abilities. We are not restrained by any personality "quirk." We can overcome our past. We can have strength for today. We can have the mind of Christ to know how to handle things that are beyond us. We begin to act like Jesus!
My heart's desire is to have an intimate relationship with my Savior. The natural by-product will be that I resemble my Savior. Is that your heart's desire, precious one? The definition of abiding told us how to keep on abiding. We are to be steadfast and persevere through it. We are to be fixed in one direction and fixed in one purpose. We are not to binge on God's Word for a season and then starve from spiritual food while we wither away. Through daily consistency, we build intimacy and exude Christ-likeness. I'm willing to do what it takes to abide in Him, are you?
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, praise You, Father! You are the Vine, and we are the branches. Apart from You, we can do absolutely nothing. We can't bear fruit without You. Give us a passion to abide in You. Also give us the steadfastness to have the consistency that is required to have the intimate relationship with You so abiding brings the intimacy and resemblance that we desire. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Restored Dignity
Restored Dignity
By Shirley Mitchell
"When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?".Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water."I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
John 4:7,10,17
When Jesus met the women at the well, He offered her the gift of God first. Then, He confronted her sin which He knew His gift could heal. While the woman spoke a true statement that she had no husband, Jesus would not let her sidestep the issue. He also did not lecture her about her sin. He did not pull out His tract of the 10 commandments and point His finger at the Law. He only spoke the truth about the facts of her life. He told her He knew her life was a mess. He knew that she knew her life was a failure.
Does anyone set out to become a failure? Does any little girl say enthusiastically, "My dream is to be the town's floozy when I grow up?" Of course not! I see her as a little girl dreaming of the wonderful life she would have some day...Perhaps married to the perfect husband who would treat her right and love her dearly. Regardless of the specific dream to have a husband or remain single, she dreamed of a life of beauty and happiness. She never dreamed her life would become so hopeless, sad, and messed up.
Yet the road to failure began long before she moved in with the sixth man and even long before she married the second man. Somewhere from little girl to young married girl, she lost sight of her dream. Was it because she could not have close relationships and she was trying to kill the desire she had within her to have intimate relationships so she would be safe and in control? Or was it because she started to believe the negative words of her unloving parents or her teasing peers? Or was it because she never learned discipline, and she could not take everything she wanted?
God left out many details of how the Samaritan woman had come to have five husbands and to be living with a man who was not her husband. She was willing to forsake the morals of her society in order to have what she thought she needed most. We do not know if she lost her innocence at an early age by another's force. We do not know if she lost it because of her own decisions. I think God purposefully left out the details so women with all types of experiences can relate to her because the idea is the same for both stolen dignity and squandered dignity. She had lost the knowledge she was worth something. She was precious. In her case, with its loss, she began a life of sin. Her sin was a manifestation of her attempts to satisfy her deep need which was a crater size hole inside of her only the Living Water could touch and heal.
I see her like many women today. Deep inside, if we can admit it or not, we all want someone of importance to love us. Why? Then we will be proven as valuable and a treasure. I see her as a girl who wanted to be someone's pursuit, someone's top priority. She had no idea how to get it. She was unwilling to wait until she knew the right way to get it so she looked for love in all the wrong places.
She was the town scandal. "Good" and "proper" women would not associate with her. She knew loneliness. Then, Jesus, the Living Water, filled the dark recesses of her soul. When she was filled with His love and acceptance, she reached out to the other people in the village because a person full of love is led to give love. You can't give what you have not received. She immediately made the decision to tell the women who scorned her about Jesus. It also demonstrates the human desire to want to belong. They could no longer hurt her because she was satisfied and healed. There was no weighing of the costs to share/not share her news of the Messiah.
These are the actions and words of a woman who has been rescued. She was freed from the chains of bondage. She was no longer hiding. Her shame no longer haunted her. No longer did she think "I am not good enough", "I have too many issues", or "I am too needy". She felt beautiful again. She felt like she was someone of importance and a priority to someone of great importance - the long awaited Messiah. She felt alive again. She was no longer under the oppression of her sins. Jesus restored the deep, but lost, feeling in her heart that told her life was supposed to be more than what she was living. Jesus restored her worth. He lifted the burden. He removed the condemnation. He took away her shame. She now understood she was valuable.
Do you know what Jesus did for her that day at the well is exactly what He wants to give every woman? For you, beloved, do you ever think you are unimportant? Unnoticed? No, no, no, sweetheart. He knows right where you are. He knows right where you are going. Your God anticipates the time He will be revealed to you just as much as a secret admirer anticipates his revealing. He is arranging encounters between Him and you along the way. I pray you will someday be at a point where He will lead, and you will follow, and the paths will never need to cross again for the two paths have become one.
Pray with me: Oh, Holy God, fill me up with Your Living Water. Fill the dark empty places of my soul with You! Restore dignity to me. Restore dignity to my sisters in Christ- including those who squandered their dignity or had it stolen. May we realize that You are our Un-secret Admirer and Shame Remover. We have found the Well that supplies everything that we have ever needed and everything that we have ever wanted. We freely give You all that we have of us, entrust You with our lives, and commit to make Your path, our path. It's in the Name above of names and the Name that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?".Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water."I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
John 4:7,10,17
When Jesus met the women at the well, He offered her the gift of God first. Then, He confronted her sin which He knew His gift could heal. While the woman spoke a true statement that she had no husband, Jesus would not let her sidestep the issue. He also did not lecture her about her sin. He did not pull out His tract of the 10 commandments and point His finger at the Law. He only spoke the truth about the facts of her life. He told her He knew her life was a mess. He knew that she knew her life was a failure.
Does anyone set out to become a failure? Does any little girl say enthusiastically, "My dream is to be the town's floozy when I grow up?" Of course not! I see her as a little girl dreaming of the wonderful life she would have some day...Perhaps married to the perfect husband who would treat her right and love her dearly. Regardless of the specific dream to have a husband or remain single, she dreamed of a life of beauty and happiness. She never dreamed her life would become so hopeless, sad, and messed up.
Yet the road to failure began long before she moved in with the sixth man and even long before she married the second man. Somewhere from little girl to young married girl, she lost sight of her dream. Was it because she could not have close relationships and she was trying to kill the desire she had within her to have intimate relationships so she would be safe and in control? Or was it because she started to believe the negative words of her unloving parents or her teasing peers? Or was it because she never learned discipline, and she could not take everything she wanted?
God left out many details of how the Samaritan woman had come to have five husbands and to be living with a man who was not her husband. She was willing to forsake the morals of her society in order to have what she thought she needed most. We do not know if she lost her innocence at an early age by another's force. We do not know if she lost it because of her own decisions. I think God purposefully left out the details so women with all types of experiences can relate to her because the idea is the same for both stolen dignity and squandered dignity. She had lost the knowledge she was worth something. She was precious. In her case, with its loss, she began a life of sin. Her sin was a manifestation of her attempts to satisfy her deep need which was a crater size hole inside of her only the Living Water could touch and heal.
I see her like many women today. Deep inside, if we can admit it or not, we all want someone of importance to love us. Why? Then we will be proven as valuable and a treasure. I see her as a girl who wanted to be someone's pursuit, someone's top priority. She had no idea how to get it. She was unwilling to wait until she knew the right way to get it so she looked for love in all the wrong places.
She was the town scandal. "Good" and "proper" women would not associate with her. She knew loneliness. Then, Jesus, the Living Water, filled the dark recesses of her soul. When she was filled with His love and acceptance, she reached out to the other people in the village because a person full of love is led to give love. You can't give what you have not received. She immediately made the decision to tell the women who scorned her about Jesus. It also demonstrates the human desire to want to belong. They could no longer hurt her because she was satisfied and healed. There was no weighing of the costs to share/not share her news of the Messiah.
These are the actions and words of a woman who has been rescued. She was freed from the chains of bondage. She was no longer hiding. Her shame no longer haunted her. No longer did she think "I am not good enough", "I have too many issues", or "I am too needy". She felt beautiful again. She felt like she was someone of importance and a priority to someone of great importance - the long awaited Messiah. She felt alive again. She was no longer under the oppression of her sins. Jesus restored the deep, but lost, feeling in her heart that told her life was supposed to be more than what she was living. Jesus restored her worth. He lifted the burden. He removed the condemnation. He took away her shame. She now understood she was valuable.
Do you know what Jesus did for her that day at the well is exactly what He wants to give every woman? For you, beloved, do you ever think you are unimportant? Unnoticed? No, no, no, sweetheart. He knows right where you are. He knows right where you are going. Your God anticipates the time He will be revealed to you just as much as a secret admirer anticipates his revealing. He is arranging encounters between Him and you along the way. I pray you will someday be at a point where He will lead, and you will follow, and the paths will never need to cross again for the two paths have become one.
Pray with me: Oh, Holy God, fill me up with Your Living Water. Fill the dark empty places of my soul with You! Restore dignity to me. Restore dignity to my sisters in Christ- including those who squandered their dignity or had it stolen. May we realize that You are our Un-secret Admirer and Shame Remover. We have found the Well that supplies everything that we have ever needed and everything that we have ever wanted. We freely give You all that we have of us, entrust You with our lives, and commit to make Your path, our path. It's in the Name above of names and the Name that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy
By Shirley Mitchell
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.' "
Isaiah 6:1-5
Have you stopped to think lately as you hustle to and fro through this life that you and I as believers in Christ will spend eternity in heaven? The sights and sounds of this world will disappear and be replaced with a perfect place of no pollution, no defilement, no aging, no decay, no wilted flowers, and no imperfection. Nothing will need to ever be repaired or replaced. We will enter into a world of unparalled beauty. Most importantly, we will behold the Lord God Almighty. There are only a few places in the Bible where a man actually has a vision of this eternal glory.
Isaiah was a prophet when the Kingdom of David was divided into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Isaiah served God during the reign of the Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Mannasseh. Isaiah 6:1 says that Isaiah's vision occurred during the year that King Uzziah died. For the most part, King Uzziah was a faithful king although he offered incense in the temple and was struck down with leprosy. He ruled for 52 years until 739 B.C. His death was a turning point for the Kingdom of Judah which plummeted into idol worship and immorality until the exile to Babylon in 586 B.C. His death was also a turning point for Isaiah who saw the Lord like no else ever has seen Him.
After the king whom he had served died, Isaiah was somehow transported to the throne room of Almighty God. We don't know whether he dreamed it in his sleep or saw it in a vision while he was awake. We only know that Isaiah saw the Lord. He beheld the majestic sight of the throne room of God. Since John 1:18 says that "no one has ever seen God" and John 12:41 says that Isaiah, "saw Jesus' glory and spoke about Him," the person on the throne is interpreted to be the pre-incarnate Jesus. He is seated high and exalted on the throne.
The train of His robe fills the temple. On earth, a king's or queen's garments symbolized his or her power and majesty. So to say that the entire temple was filled by the garments trailing behind Him showed that His majesty surpassed every king or emperor in the history of the world.
These seraphs in this vision are only mentioned in Isaiah 6. They are attendants to God who continuously give Him praise. I did not expect when I looked up the Hebrew word that it also meant "fiery serpent." What a picture this paints of a burning creature in the presence of God! Two of the six wings covered the seraphs' faces signifying that they could not look at God's immeasurable holiness and brilliance. They are sinless, but they do not want the holy eyes of God looking at them. They serve God and do as He says. Although they have always been in His presence, they are in so much awe that they proclaim, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!" By the sound of their voices of praise, the doorposts and thresholds shook.
The Hebrew term for "holy" is qodesh. It means, "sacred, to be set apart." God is set apart that there is no one like Him. We cannot compare Him to anyone else. There is nothing common about our God.
The Hebrew language may lack punctuation used in our English language, but it had many other literary techniques. One technique was repetition which was used to show emphasis. For example, when Jacob's sons bring Joseph's bloody coat to him to prove to him that Joseph is dead, Jacob says in Genesis 37:33 (KJV), "It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." In the Hebrew, he is saying "Joseph taraph taraph" or "Joseph cutting to pieces cut to pieces." Jacob was saying that his son was ferociously and violently torn apart. When the seraphs declared, "Holy, holy, holy," they were saying God is not just holy. He is not only holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. It is the only attribute of God that is tripled. Isaiah's entire vision supported this three-fold reiteration of God's holiness. It has an intensifying effect like the crescendo in a grand symphony.
Some of us need to be humbled and reminded that our God is transcendent. He is not merely our buddy, but His holiness brings us to our knees. Some of us are so ashamed of the things that we have done that we have no problem admitting that we are unclean. Maybe you look around at the people at church and think they have pretty lives with a clean past. We have to remember there is not one person reading this who can stand before God without the grace of Jesus. It is grace that allows us to approach this Holy God in this majestic and brilliant throne room. Let's praise this Holy God who is so far above us but still is the One who comforts us and holds us in His arms. Let's ask God to help us grasp this vision of Him.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are illustrious, radiant, and will forevermore be dazzling in majesty. You are high and exalted. Your train fills the temple demonstrating Your majesty. The seraphs cover their faces and their feet in humbleness and declare Your holiness. The whole earth reflects the glory of its Creator. Help us to grasp this vision of You and use it to transform our daily lives as we live to serve You. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
!
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.' "
Isaiah 6:1-5
Have you stopped to think lately as you hustle to and fro through this life that you and I as believers in Christ will spend eternity in heaven? The sights and sounds of this world will disappear and be replaced with a perfect place of no pollution, no defilement, no aging, no decay, no wilted flowers, and no imperfection. Nothing will need to ever be repaired or replaced. We will enter into a world of unparalled beauty. Most importantly, we will behold the Lord God Almighty. There are only a few places in the Bible where a man actually has a vision of this eternal glory.
Isaiah was a prophet when the Kingdom of David was divided into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Isaiah served God during the reign of the Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Mannasseh. Isaiah 6:1 says that Isaiah's vision occurred during the year that King Uzziah died. For the most part, King Uzziah was a faithful king although he offered incense in the temple and was struck down with leprosy. He ruled for 52 years until 739 B.C. His death was a turning point for the Kingdom of Judah which plummeted into idol worship and immorality until the exile to Babylon in 586 B.C. His death was also a turning point for Isaiah who saw the Lord like no else ever has seen Him.
After the king whom he had served died, Isaiah was somehow transported to the throne room of Almighty God. We don't know whether he dreamed it in his sleep or saw it in a vision while he was awake. We only know that Isaiah saw the Lord. He beheld the majestic sight of the throne room of God. Since John 1:18 says that "no one has ever seen God" and John 12:41 says that Isaiah, "saw Jesus' glory and spoke about Him," the person on the throne is interpreted to be the pre-incarnate Jesus. He is seated high and exalted on the throne.
The train of His robe fills the temple. On earth, a king's or queen's garments symbolized his or her power and majesty. So to say that the entire temple was filled by the garments trailing behind Him showed that His majesty surpassed every king or emperor in the history of the world.
These seraphs in this vision are only mentioned in Isaiah 6. They are attendants to God who continuously give Him praise. I did not expect when I looked up the Hebrew word that it also meant "fiery serpent." What a picture this paints of a burning creature in the presence of God! Two of the six wings covered the seraphs' faces signifying that they could not look at God's immeasurable holiness and brilliance. They are sinless, but they do not want the holy eyes of God looking at them. They serve God and do as He says. Although they have always been in His presence, they are in so much awe that they proclaim, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!" By the sound of their voices of praise, the doorposts and thresholds shook.
The Hebrew term for "holy" is qodesh. It means, "sacred, to be set apart." God is set apart that there is no one like Him. We cannot compare Him to anyone else. There is nothing common about our God.
The Hebrew language may lack punctuation used in our English language, but it had many other literary techniques. One technique was repetition which was used to show emphasis. For example, when Jacob's sons bring Joseph's bloody coat to him to prove to him that Joseph is dead, Jacob says in Genesis 37:33 (KJV), "It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." In the Hebrew, he is saying "Joseph taraph taraph" or "Joseph cutting to pieces cut to pieces." Jacob was saying that his son was ferociously and violently torn apart. When the seraphs declared, "Holy, holy, holy," they were saying God is not just holy. He is not only holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. It is the only attribute of God that is tripled. Isaiah's entire vision supported this three-fold reiteration of God's holiness. It has an intensifying effect like the crescendo in a grand symphony.
Some of us need to be humbled and reminded that our God is transcendent. He is not merely our buddy, but His holiness brings us to our knees. Some of us are so ashamed of the things that we have done that we have no problem admitting that we are unclean. Maybe you look around at the people at church and think they have pretty lives with a clean past. We have to remember there is not one person reading this who can stand before God without the grace of Jesus. It is grace that allows us to approach this Holy God in this majestic and brilliant throne room. Let's praise this Holy God who is so far above us but still is the One who comforts us and holds us in His arms. Let's ask God to help us grasp this vision of Him.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are illustrious, radiant, and will forevermore be dazzling in majesty. You are high and exalted. Your train fills the temple demonstrating Your majesty. The seraphs cover their faces and their feet in humbleness and declare Your holiness. The whole earth reflects the glory of its Creator. Help us to grasp this vision of You and use it to transform our daily lives as we live to serve You. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
!
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Unrecognized
Unrecognized
By Shirley Mitchell
"Jesus replied, 'You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.' "
Matthew 22:29
I just finished reading this fiction trilogy about a world where the spiritual things that happen in our world are more visible. In our world, the forces of good and evil cannot be seen. We can only see their effects. In the world of the book, good and evil were obvious and marked by visible traits.
One of the books paralleled the time of the Old Testament. Sin was seen on those who had not accepted the book's analogy to the Law of Moses in the form of a disease. Their skin rotted, and their flesh stunk. The people of God, Elyon, daily washed themselves, cleansing themselves from sin just like the Israelites offered sacrifices in the temple. It was obvious the book was setting up for Jesus to come on the scene in a stunning way so I waited for Him to show Himself.
While I waited, there was this one character that I just didn't like. The first mention of him was when the second in command of the army asked Elyon if any should die in battle that day, let it be that traitor. He had turned down a promotion in the army just when he was needed the most. He lived as an outcast from the others.
He abandoned their pillars of the faith. Their religion consisted of rules and celebrations and traditions meant to keep the people from straying, but he turned his back on their religion and spoke of heresy. He possessed the audacity to defy the religious leaders that I had respected in the book. He spoke of peace with the enemy, instead of killing the enemy who hunted them down and would slaughter them all including women and children. His talk was treasonous.
His voice was confident and the voice of a leader. Some thought it was no wonder he'd bewitched so many. They knew the enemy bewitched their own with slippery tongues and black magic. He talked about waging a new kind of war. He spoke with arrogance.
His popularity was great. The crowds cheered and chanted his name. Never before had there been such a display of worship for one man. He claimed the authority of the Creator. I wanted to shout to the crowd, "Don't you know that he is a deceiver? He is a manipulator!"
When he encountered children, he sickened me how his eyes sparkled and face lit up. Some people said that he deceived the innocent with a few soft words. For one little girl, his voice was like magic, and she was a princess swept off her feet. For me that was it! The blood rose up the back of my neck. My jaw clenched, and my nostrils flared as a deep breath came out of my nose. How dare he deceive a sweet innocent girl!
Then the story turned when he brokered a deal with the enemy army and the chief religious leader for peace and appointed a time to fulfill it. Then, this man that I thought was a traitor found the leader of the army's wife wounded and dying alone. Compassionately, he kissed her on the forehead, and told her to trust in the plan no matter how terrible or what the cost. Then he said, "Remember me." When he said "remember me" both the woman's and my eyes were opened. This man was the book's analogy to Jesus!
I was horrified! I was a blind Pharisee. I had not seen the signs just like the Pharisees did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah and the Son of God. Just like they held too tightly to tradition, I held too tightly to the religious way of life that the book had indoctrinated me into. I thought he was sowing doubt into truth and leading people astray. Yet, he was speaking the truth. I didn't recognize him even though I was looking for Messiah to come! I didn't identify him out of the cast of characters even though I know the story well of the true Messiah.
Just like this so called "traitor" in the book challenged the traditions of the religious leaders, so did Jesus. Jesus silenced the Sadducees (Matthew 22:34) by telling them they were in error because they did not know the Scripture or the power of God. When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus in His words, He knew their evil intent and said to them, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?" (Matthew 22:15, 18) None of these teachers of the Law recognized who He was.
I thought how easy it is then for us to not be able to recognize God's activity in our world today. Beloved, you and I must be diligent to have eyes that see God's plan for our lives and not to resist Him when He is doing a new thing. We cannot be blinded to the stage that God is setting - both for His plans for us as individuals and for the world. How hard will it be with as many prophetic preachers that there are for God's people to see the truth about the last days as they are unfolding before our eyes. Let's ask God for His vision of people, our personal world, and the events of the world today.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, how easy it is for us to be deceived. We live in the days of deception. We see many unaware and unable to recognize what You want done on earth. We don't want to be duped, deluded, or tricked so, God, fill us with truth. Sanctify us with Your truth. Let us have spiritual eyes to not fall for the ploys of the enemy. May we not be taken captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8), but may we be liberated through the Word of God and power of the Spirit. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"Jesus replied, 'You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.' "
Matthew 22:29
I just finished reading this fiction trilogy about a world where the spiritual things that happen in our world are more visible. In our world, the forces of good and evil cannot be seen. We can only see their effects. In the world of the book, good and evil were obvious and marked by visible traits.
One of the books paralleled the time of the Old Testament. Sin was seen on those who had not accepted the book's analogy to the Law of Moses in the form of a disease. Their skin rotted, and their flesh stunk. The people of God, Elyon, daily washed themselves, cleansing themselves from sin just like the Israelites offered sacrifices in the temple. It was obvious the book was setting up for Jesus to come on the scene in a stunning way so I waited for Him to show Himself.
While I waited, there was this one character that I just didn't like. The first mention of him was when the second in command of the army asked Elyon if any should die in battle that day, let it be that traitor. He had turned down a promotion in the army just when he was needed the most. He lived as an outcast from the others.
He abandoned their pillars of the faith. Their religion consisted of rules and celebrations and traditions meant to keep the people from straying, but he turned his back on their religion and spoke of heresy. He possessed the audacity to defy the religious leaders that I had respected in the book. He spoke of peace with the enemy, instead of killing the enemy who hunted them down and would slaughter them all including women and children. His talk was treasonous.
His voice was confident and the voice of a leader. Some thought it was no wonder he'd bewitched so many. They knew the enemy bewitched their own with slippery tongues and black magic. He talked about waging a new kind of war. He spoke with arrogance.
His popularity was great. The crowds cheered and chanted his name. Never before had there been such a display of worship for one man. He claimed the authority of the Creator. I wanted to shout to the crowd, "Don't you know that he is a deceiver? He is a manipulator!"
When he encountered children, he sickened me how his eyes sparkled and face lit up. Some people said that he deceived the innocent with a few soft words. For one little girl, his voice was like magic, and she was a princess swept off her feet. For me that was it! The blood rose up the back of my neck. My jaw clenched, and my nostrils flared as a deep breath came out of my nose. How dare he deceive a sweet innocent girl!
Then the story turned when he brokered a deal with the enemy army and the chief religious leader for peace and appointed a time to fulfill it. Then, this man that I thought was a traitor found the leader of the army's wife wounded and dying alone. Compassionately, he kissed her on the forehead, and told her to trust in the plan no matter how terrible or what the cost. Then he said, "Remember me." When he said "remember me" both the woman's and my eyes were opened. This man was the book's analogy to Jesus!
I was horrified! I was a blind Pharisee. I had not seen the signs just like the Pharisees did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah and the Son of God. Just like they held too tightly to tradition, I held too tightly to the religious way of life that the book had indoctrinated me into. I thought he was sowing doubt into truth and leading people astray. Yet, he was speaking the truth. I didn't recognize him even though I was looking for Messiah to come! I didn't identify him out of the cast of characters even though I know the story well of the true Messiah.
Just like this so called "traitor" in the book challenged the traditions of the religious leaders, so did Jesus. Jesus silenced the Sadducees (Matthew 22:34) by telling them they were in error because they did not know the Scripture or the power of God. When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus in His words, He knew their evil intent and said to them, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?" (Matthew 22:15, 18) None of these teachers of the Law recognized who He was.
I thought how easy it is then for us to not be able to recognize God's activity in our world today. Beloved, you and I must be diligent to have eyes that see God's plan for our lives and not to resist Him when He is doing a new thing. We cannot be blinded to the stage that God is setting - both for His plans for us as individuals and for the world. How hard will it be with as many prophetic preachers that there are for God's people to see the truth about the last days as they are unfolding before our eyes. Let's ask God for His vision of people, our personal world, and the events of the world today.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, how easy it is for us to be deceived. We live in the days of deception. We see many unaware and unable to recognize what You want done on earth. We don't want to be duped, deluded, or tricked so, God, fill us with truth. Sanctify us with Your truth. Let us have spiritual eyes to not fall for the ploys of the enemy. May we not be taken captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8), but may we be liberated through the Word of God and power of the Spirit. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Persistent Prayer
Persistent Prayer
By Shirley Mitchell
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?' "
Luke 18:1-8
Through the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus taught His disciples the necessity of praying always and never giving up. He knew that we are prone to wander and prone to walk by sight, not by faith. Therefore, He exhorted His disciples to pray tenaciously.
The persistent widow prayed always and with determination. She kept coming to the uncaring judge and pleading with him to grant her justice. The Greek word for "give up" is ekkakeo. It means "to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted...to turn out to be a coward, to lose one's courage, to be fainthearted, to faint or despond in view of trial, difficulty...to be remiss or slothful in duty." Its antonyms are "to take courage, to speak boldly, to dare, to be very bold, to flourish again, to revive."
This widow was courageous and bold. She did not abandon her duty, nor did she choose to be spiritless. She dared to approach the only one who could avenge her adversary. She refused to lose heart. She refused to give in to the pain in her heart. The widow had the rawest emotion over this situation. She was deeply emotional over it. Even though Scripture does not record her anguish, we know that a person does not continue day after day to plead for justice unless she is deeply passionate about it. Don't minimize how hard this was for her. Still she did not give up. She may not have caused it, but she had to deal with it. Still she did not give up. Her situation may have gotten harder before it got better. Still she did not give up. When our hearts are in so much pain, we can either release it to emotional numbness, or we can release it to God. What God is saying is that even if we try to deaden the pain and say we do not care, He still cares. He still cares about our wound. He wants us to deal with it - with Him.
God and the judge are similar because both have the authority and the ability. However, God is different from the judge because He delights in granting justice to His chosen ones. He greatly cares about our requests. Jesus was saying that God was not unjust and would not treat believers in this manner. His point for comparison was that if an evil man can be forced to deal rightly by the persistence of the widow, how much more would our loving and caring Father deal rightly with our requests. The unjust judge did not care about people, nor did he care about God. He never saw his position as a champion to aid the people. He saw the widow as a nuisance and ignored her. However, the widow used her only power - persistent requests. It irritated the ungodly judge and wore him down. She never won his concern. He was only concerned with removing the annoyance.
Beloved, we need to know that how we live our lives is either sowing to the Spirit or sowing to the world or our flesh. If you and I are sowing in a manner that pleases the Spirit, then we will reap from the Spirit. When we sow to the Spirit, we will reap from the Spirit. A spiritual harvest will come. Our sowing may be pure-hearted, but it may not be fun. As Psalm 126:5 says, "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." We may sow in tears, but we will reap with songs of joy! For the times that we have cried so much and have no appetite, we will reap. For the times when the only thing we have eaten is the salt of our tears that left our faces chaffed, we will reap. If you and I will cling to Him and not dishonor His name, then He is bound by His name to reap the harvest.
Sometimes God has a yes to our request but it's in the future. In our instantaneous culture, we can't imagine waiting for something months, years, or even decades. We abuse our persistent prayer command. We stomp our feet and demand it now. Sometimes God gives us what we asked. He turns us over to our own desires. He says, "Child, you want this more than you want intimacy with Me and my presence. So have at it." Since we know that we could be asking for something that is not in God's will or not in His timing, causes some of us to shrink back and drop the request. We want to avoid the road of overindulgence that breeds sin so much that we don't take the path of greater intimacy. Actually, it should inspire us to pursue His will and to know His thoughts on the subject! God will speak over it - if we are diligent and patient to hear Him in his time.
At the beginning of my walk with God, I had this mentality, "I don't see how prayer works. It must work for others who are more godly than I am. It doesn't work for me. I am pouring my broken heart out to God, and I am not seeing any answers. He is not involved in my life." In reality, it was like I had called 911 and wondered why God wasn't responding with the promptness of an emergency ambulance. I had a "give-it-to-me-now" mentality. I also thought He would answer dramatically. I didn't know He would answer in tiny, gradual moves, nor did I realize the answer would involve changing me! Now, when I see how He has transformed my life and my mind in a short period of time relative to my lifespan, I say, "WOW! He sure does answer prayer - so quickly and foundationally strong!"
Many times He has not given me the answer I wanted (quick fix), but the answer that I needed. So when He does not give you and me what we wanted, then we have to know with every fiber of our being that it is because He sees the full picture of yesterday, today, tomorrow, and all eternity. If He doesn't answer us with a "yes," then we trust that His "later" or "no" is always the best plan. Remember, a greater yes has to come with an earlier no. God's "best" answer shines brighter in comparison to the "good" things that passed us by.
Pray with me: Oh, Father, I know that You are loving and good. I know that You care. I bring before You my deepest prayer request. (Tell Him now what it is). Don't be my magic genie and give me whatever I ask. Give me Your best. Give me something of kingdom priority and value. Give me the fortitude to keep asking and let me recognize Your voice when You answer. Don't let me choose the road of overindulgence. Teach me to choose intimacy and let me abide in Your presence. It's in the Name above of names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?' "
Luke 18:1-8
Through the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus taught His disciples the necessity of praying always and never giving up. He knew that we are prone to wander and prone to walk by sight, not by faith. Therefore, He exhorted His disciples to pray tenaciously.
The persistent widow prayed always and with determination. She kept coming to the uncaring judge and pleading with him to grant her justice. The Greek word for "give up" is ekkakeo. It means "to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted...to turn out to be a coward, to lose one's courage, to be fainthearted, to faint or despond in view of trial, difficulty...to be remiss or slothful in duty." Its antonyms are "to take courage, to speak boldly, to dare, to be very bold, to flourish again, to revive."
This widow was courageous and bold. She did not abandon her duty, nor did she choose to be spiritless. She dared to approach the only one who could avenge her adversary. She refused to lose heart. She refused to give in to the pain in her heart. The widow had the rawest emotion over this situation. She was deeply emotional over it. Even though Scripture does not record her anguish, we know that a person does not continue day after day to plead for justice unless she is deeply passionate about it. Don't minimize how hard this was for her. Still she did not give up. She may not have caused it, but she had to deal with it. Still she did not give up. Her situation may have gotten harder before it got better. Still she did not give up. When our hearts are in so much pain, we can either release it to emotional numbness, or we can release it to God. What God is saying is that even if we try to deaden the pain and say we do not care, He still cares. He still cares about our wound. He wants us to deal with it - with Him.
God and the judge are similar because both have the authority and the ability. However, God is different from the judge because He delights in granting justice to His chosen ones. He greatly cares about our requests. Jesus was saying that God was not unjust and would not treat believers in this manner. His point for comparison was that if an evil man can be forced to deal rightly by the persistence of the widow, how much more would our loving and caring Father deal rightly with our requests. The unjust judge did not care about people, nor did he care about God. He never saw his position as a champion to aid the people. He saw the widow as a nuisance and ignored her. However, the widow used her only power - persistent requests. It irritated the ungodly judge and wore him down. She never won his concern. He was only concerned with removing the annoyance.
Beloved, we need to know that how we live our lives is either sowing to the Spirit or sowing to the world or our flesh. If you and I are sowing in a manner that pleases the Spirit, then we will reap from the Spirit. When we sow to the Spirit, we will reap from the Spirit. A spiritual harvest will come. Our sowing may be pure-hearted, but it may not be fun. As Psalm 126:5 says, "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." We may sow in tears, but we will reap with songs of joy! For the times that we have cried so much and have no appetite, we will reap. For the times when the only thing we have eaten is the salt of our tears that left our faces chaffed, we will reap. If you and I will cling to Him and not dishonor His name, then He is bound by His name to reap the harvest.
Sometimes God has a yes to our request but it's in the future. In our instantaneous culture, we can't imagine waiting for something months, years, or even decades. We abuse our persistent prayer command. We stomp our feet and demand it now. Sometimes God gives us what we asked. He turns us over to our own desires. He says, "Child, you want this more than you want intimacy with Me and my presence. So have at it." Since we know that we could be asking for something that is not in God's will or not in His timing, causes some of us to shrink back and drop the request. We want to avoid the road of overindulgence that breeds sin so much that we don't take the path of greater intimacy. Actually, it should inspire us to pursue His will and to know His thoughts on the subject! God will speak over it - if we are diligent and patient to hear Him in his time.
At the beginning of my walk with God, I had this mentality, "I don't see how prayer works. It must work for others who are more godly than I am. It doesn't work for me. I am pouring my broken heart out to God, and I am not seeing any answers. He is not involved in my life." In reality, it was like I had called 911 and wondered why God wasn't responding with the promptness of an emergency ambulance. I had a "give-it-to-me-now" mentality. I also thought He would answer dramatically. I didn't know He would answer in tiny, gradual moves, nor did I realize the answer would involve changing me! Now, when I see how He has transformed my life and my mind in a short period of time relative to my lifespan, I say, "WOW! He sure does answer prayer - so quickly and foundationally strong!"
Many times He has not given me the answer I wanted (quick fix), but the answer that I needed. So when He does not give you and me what we wanted, then we have to know with every fiber of our being that it is because He sees the full picture of yesterday, today, tomorrow, and all eternity. If He doesn't answer us with a "yes," then we trust that His "later" or "no" is always the best plan. Remember, a greater yes has to come with an earlier no. God's "best" answer shines brighter in comparison to the "good" things that passed us by.
Pray with me: Oh, Father, I know that You are loving and good. I know that You care. I bring before You my deepest prayer request. (Tell Him now what it is). Don't be my magic genie and give me whatever I ask. Give me Your best. Give me something of kingdom priority and value. Give me the fortitude to keep asking and let me recognize Your voice when You answer. Don't let me choose the road of overindulgence. Teach me to choose intimacy and let me abide in Your presence. It's in the Name above of names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Hope of Glory
Hope of Glory
By Shirley Mitchell
"I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness- the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Colossians 1:25-27
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
Colossians 1:25-27 tells about a mystery that has been hidden for ages but is now disclosed to the saints. There are glorious riches in this mystery. This mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory.
This isn't the only Scripture that talks about what resides in you and me. Second Corinthians 12:9 is another amazing verse. We'll have to go through a language lesson and match it with other verses in the Bible to grasp the fullness of its meaning. The Greek word for "rest" in the phrase "the power of Christ may rest upon me" is episkenoo which means "to dwell, to abide in, to tabernacle." Part of this word is used in John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." The Greek word for "dwelling" is skenoo whichmeans "to tent, or encamp, to occupy or to reside, to tabernacle." John was using a play on words to say that the glory of God seen in the Exodus tabernacle and Solomon's temple had come back to dwell in Israel. God sent the fullness of His glory once again. Only this time instead of being enfolded in a cloud or a pillar of fire, the glory was draped by flesh and bone on Jesus.
Therefore, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul was saying that the power of Christ tabernacled in him. In fact, the power of Christ tabernacles in all believers. It is covered by your flesh and my flesh, but it's in there. The Greek word for "power" is dunamis which means "to be able, achieving power." This power is different from other words for power because this power is active, working, and achieving. It is not just possessing the ability. It is working power! The English word "dynamite" is derived from dunamis. Inside you and me is the very power of God! We have dynamite in us that is all accomplishing! Oh, my! Oh, yes! In you. And in me. Hallelujah!
Jesus was the Shekinah Glory of the Old Testament returned in the cloak of human flesh to dwell among us. The Shekinah Glory had come back to Israel. God's glory had walked on the shores of Galilee, had taught in Judea, and had entered the temple during the annual feasts. The glory that the old men longed for in their restored temple was back in Israel. The disciples, the women, the crowds, and even the religious leaders had seen this glory for which others had wished.
Because the nation rejected Jesus as its Messiah, Immanuel left the temple for the final time in the history of mankind. Just as the Shekinah Glory left the temple, ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, and has not returned, so did the Son of God.Two thousand years of history without the perfect presence of the glory of the LORD.
However, the glory of God still resides here on earth. When the Holy Spirit came, the glory of God came back in secret once again. Only those with eyes that discern the things of the Spirit understand it. In you and me is the Hope of Glory. Christ in us, the Hope of Glory! Jesus Christ lives in us! Jesus lives in you and me! Believers are covenant partners with Him, and we have ingested Him into our entire being. Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, now lives in us.
This is just another dimension of how I know that Jesus lives. I know that He lives because He lives in me. I am being made new every day and being conformed into the image of God's precious Son. The old sinful Shirley is dying, and the righteous Shirley with Jesus in her is blooming. It is the most alive, beautiful, and wonderful that I have ever felt. So I say, "Keep living in me, Jesus. Keep living in me."
Pray with me: Oh, God, how amazing is it that Christ dwells in us! This mystery that was hidden through the ages was revealed to those who accepted Jesus. The mystery is that the Hope of Glory is in us. Jesus lives in us! We have dunamis power, accomplishing power. Keep living in us, Jesus. It's in Your Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness- the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Colossians 1:25-27
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
Colossians 1:25-27 tells about a mystery that has been hidden for ages but is now disclosed to the saints. There are glorious riches in this mystery. This mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory.
This isn't the only Scripture that talks about what resides in you and me. Second Corinthians 12:9 is another amazing verse. We'll have to go through a language lesson and match it with other verses in the Bible to grasp the fullness of its meaning. The Greek word for "rest" in the phrase "the power of Christ may rest upon me" is episkenoo which means "to dwell, to abide in, to tabernacle." Part of this word is used in John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." The Greek word for "dwelling" is skenoo whichmeans "to tent, or encamp, to occupy or to reside, to tabernacle." John was using a play on words to say that the glory of God seen in the Exodus tabernacle and Solomon's temple had come back to dwell in Israel. God sent the fullness of His glory once again. Only this time instead of being enfolded in a cloud or a pillar of fire, the glory was draped by flesh and bone on Jesus.
Therefore, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul was saying that the power of Christ tabernacled in him. In fact, the power of Christ tabernacles in all believers. It is covered by your flesh and my flesh, but it's in there. The Greek word for "power" is dunamis which means "to be able, achieving power." This power is different from other words for power because this power is active, working, and achieving. It is not just possessing the ability. It is working power! The English word "dynamite" is derived from dunamis. Inside you and me is the very power of God! We have dynamite in us that is all accomplishing! Oh, my! Oh, yes! In you. And in me. Hallelujah!
Jesus was the Shekinah Glory of the Old Testament returned in the cloak of human flesh to dwell among us. The Shekinah Glory had come back to Israel. God's glory had walked on the shores of Galilee, had taught in Judea, and had entered the temple during the annual feasts. The glory that the old men longed for in their restored temple was back in Israel. The disciples, the women, the crowds, and even the religious leaders had seen this glory for which others had wished.
Because the nation rejected Jesus as its Messiah, Immanuel left the temple for the final time in the history of mankind. Just as the Shekinah Glory left the temple, ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, and has not returned, so did the Son of God.Two thousand years of history without the perfect presence of the glory of the LORD.
However, the glory of God still resides here on earth. When the Holy Spirit came, the glory of God came back in secret once again. Only those with eyes that discern the things of the Spirit understand it. In you and me is the Hope of Glory. Christ in us, the Hope of Glory! Jesus Christ lives in us! Jesus lives in you and me! Believers are covenant partners with Him, and we have ingested Him into our entire being. Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, now lives in us.
This is just another dimension of how I know that Jesus lives. I know that He lives because He lives in me. I am being made new every day and being conformed into the image of God's precious Son. The old sinful Shirley is dying, and the righteous Shirley with Jesus in her is blooming. It is the most alive, beautiful, and wonderful that I have ever felt. So I say, "Keep living in me, Jesus. Keep living in me."
Pray with me: Oh, God, how amazing is it that Christ dwells in us! This mystery that was hidden through the ages was revealed to those who accepted Jesus. The mystery is that the Hope of Glory is in us. Jesus lives in us! We have dunamis power, accomplishing power. Keep living in us, Jesus. It's in Your Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Jesus Lives Videotaping.
I'm finishing the editing for the Jesus Lives videos. I'm just so in awe of what God has done to bring this Bible study to life. I'm so grateful to everyone who played a role and participated in it. May God reach people with the truth of who His Son is and the Savior of the world. May He take it to the people that He wants to know Him!
In the World, not of It
In the World, not of It
By Shirley Mitchell
"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."
John 17:15-17
On Jesus' last night as a man on earth, He prayed fervently for His disciples and for all who would believe in Him through their message. He did not pray for us to be taken from the world to a safe place. Instead, He prayed for the Father's protection for us from the evil one. He prayed for us to not be of the world, just like He was not of it.
We are not to blend in with the world. Part of our identity in Christ is to be peculiar. We are not to participate in the gossip at our workplace. I remember when my friend Paige was a teenager. In regard to her stand against the peer pressure to watch certain movies, she said, "How can I possibly watch that movie and serve God?"
We must guard our minds against the world. We are to be in the world but not of the world. We can't silo ourselves from the world. Remember our God "so loved the WORLD that He gave His only Son" to it. He loves these people so we must love them, too. He hates the sin. He hates cultures where lawlessness abounds, violence invades, and immorality proliferates. If we don't guard ourselves, we will become just like them. The world will lure us and ensnare us.
I will never forget the first time I realized how many of the world's lies that I had bought. In my years of drifting far from God, I had bought everything that the world had to sell. My clothing, my lifestyle, my activities, and my attitudes toward relationships were all the world's opinions. When I learned I was pregnant with my first daughter, I returned to God realizing my desperate need for Him and longing to raise my child to know Him. I stopped watching all TV because I was barely surviving each day. My daughter kept me up all night with feedings, and I worked outside the home. However, I had been feeding on the Word of God, listening to every Christian preacher on the radio as I drove, participating in Bible study (not doing my homework completely but getting there!), and listening attentively to my preacher at church. After my daughter was about eight months old, I finally had settled into the mom role. Then I watched my favorite TV program, the number one show of that day. Within the first five minutes of the show, the Holy Spirit inside of me was grieved. I looked at the clothes the girls wore. I saw their callous attitudes toward sex. I was so saddened that I stood up, pointed my finger at the TV set, and said aloud, "That's a LIE!" I shook as I realized I had bought their entire way of life. I was very upset that I had been deceived to think they were so cute and so hip. I had bought into their beliefs that this was how a woman was to live.
This moment changed me. Now, I assess whatever I put in front of me. You and I must be alert to what we watch on television, listen to on the radio, read in magazines, and surf on the internet. We should ask ourselves, "Is this beneficial for me? Will this please God? Where will this lead me? Will this build me up and make me whom I desire to be in Christ? Can I share this with my Bible study friends?"
Beloved, can you describe a time when you blended in with the world or made a choice to be "peculiar?" Are you living like Jesus commanded us to live "in" the world and not "of" the world? I ask for both of us to allow the Holy Spirit access to even the most restricted places of our hearts and minds so He can reveal to us the areas of our lives where we need to make choices that clearly show we are not blended in but "peculiar" people who are set apart for God.
Pray with me: Oh, God, You are our God! We worship You and exalt Your Name. You are magnificent. You are the sweetest thing that we have ever known. Give us, Lord, the passion we need to be in the world but not of the world. Strengthen us. Make us courageous and unyielding to temptation. May we protect our eyes from the worldly things that we see. Make we cover our ears from ungodly things that we might hear. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."
John 17:15-17
On Jesus' last night as a man on earth, He prayed fervently for His disciples and for all who would believe in Him through their message. He did not pray for us to be taken from the world to a safe place. Instead, He prayed for the Father's protection for us from the evil one. He prayed for us to not be of the world, just like He was not of it.
We are not to blend in with the world. Part of our identity in Christ is to be peculiar. We are not to participate in the gossip at our workplace. I remember when my friend Paige was a teenager. In regard to her stand against the peer pressure to watch certain movies, she said, "How can I possibly watch that movie and serve God?"
We must guard our minds against the world. We are to be in the world but not of the world. We can't silo ourselves from the world. Remember our God "so loved the WORLD that He gave His only Son" to it. He loves these people so we must love them, too. He hates the sin. He hates cultures where lawlessness abounds, violence invades, and immorality proliferates. If we don't guard ourselves, we will become just like them. The world will lure us and ensnare us.
I will never forget the first time I realized how many of the world's lies that I had bought. In my years of drifting far from God, I had bought everything that the world had to sell. My clothing, my lifestyle, my activities, and my attitudes toward relationships were all the world's opinions. When I learned I was pregnant with my first daughter, I returned to God realizing my desperate need for Him and longing to raise my child to know Him. I stopped watching all TV because I was barely surviving each day. My daughter kept me up all night with feedings, and I worked outside the home. However, I had been feeding on the Word of God, listening to every Christian preacher on the radio as I drove, participating in Bible study (not doing my homework completely but getting there!), and listening attentively to my preacher at church. After my daughter was about eight months old, I finally had settled into the mom role. Then I watched my favorite TV program, the number one show of that day. Within the first five minutes of the show, the Holy Spirit inside of me was grieved. I looked at the clothes the girls wore. I saw their callous attitudes toward sex. I was so saddened that I stood up, pointed my finger at the TV set, and said aloud, "That's a LIE!" I shook as I realized I had bought their entire way of life. I was very upset that I had been deceived to think they were so cute and so hip. I had bought into their beliefs that this was how a woman was to live.
This moment changed me. Now, I assess whatever I put in front of me. You and I must be alert to what we watch on television, listen to on the radio, read in magazines, and surf on the internet. We should ask ourselves, "Is this beneficial for me? Will this please God? Where will this lead me? Will this build me up and make me whom I desire to be in Christ? Can I share this with my Bible study friends?"
Beloved, can you describe a time when you blended in with the world or made a choice to be "peculiar?" Are you living like Jesus commanded us to live "in" the world and not "of" the world? I ask for both of us to allow the Holy Spirit access to even the most restricted places of our hearts and minds so He can reveal to us the areas of our lives where we need to make choices that clearly show we are not blended in but "peculiar" people who are set apart for God.
Pray with me: Oh, God, You are our God! We worship You and exalt Your Name. You are magnificent. You are the sweetest thing that we have ever known. Give us, Lord, the passion we need to be in the world but not of the world. Strengthen us. Make us courageous and unyielding to temptation. May we protect our eyes from the worldly things that we see. Make we cover our ears from ungodly things that we might hear. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Late One Night
Late One Night
By Shirley Mitchell
"Late one night he visited Jesus and said, 'Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it.' "
John 3:2 (The Message)
Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees, a group of religious leaders in Israel. We met these leaders when we studied John the Baptist. They are easy to pick out of the crowd for they were the ones pointing their fingers and bearing the proud faces. They were the dry ones - physically and spiritually - too pious to accept the invitation of baptism by John. Nicodemus was a member of a group of 70 men who had given their lives to study and obey the Law of Moses and follow the traditions. He was a man of prominence, wealth, and power. He could have summoned Jesus to his home or addressed Him in the temple. However, he chose to come in the shadows of night.
Isn't it interesting that Nicodemus sought Jesus in the cover of night? Scholars conjecture many reasons why the visit was after darkness settled. Most Pharisees studied the Torah at night after a day's work in the temple. Or maybe he wanted a private conversation with Jesus' full attention and no interruptions. Or was it because he was too afraid of his peers and coworkers to be seen with Jesus? I think it was fear. I picture him looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching and pulling his prayer shawl over his head to conceal his face. I wonder if he sneaked past the Romans who guarded Jerusalem or if he had the influence to move freely.
I lived the first part of my life with a desire to keep my faith in Jesus to myself. In college, I was so embarrassed when my older sister placed a bumper sticker on my mother's convertible. The sticker said "Jesus Lives." She branded the most hip car that we ever owned in the family declaring to everyone that we were Christians. My, oh my, isn't it interesting how God can change a heart? Not only would I proudly have that bumper sticker on my car, I want it to be the neon sign of my life! How I long to use my frail mouth with His mighty Spirit to tell precious souls that Jesus really does live today.
Consider what Nicodemus was thinking that led him to visit Jesus. He watched the crowds as they listened to Jesus. He never held their attention like Jesus did. Jesus used simple words, but He taught with power. Nicodemus, Israel's teacher, had never performed one miracle. He had to visit Him and understand how this could be. It would be too bold, and possibly foolish, to talk to Him where the other guys could see.
He was drawn to Jesus because He knew that He was a teacher sent straight from God. No one could do the God-pointing, God-revealing acts Jesus was doing without God's involvement. Jesus was pointing the people to God! Jesus came to reveal God to man and to be His Messenger to us! Jesus replied to Nicodemus in verse 3 of the Message, "You're absolutely right."
Do you think he accepted Jesus as Savior as a result of this encounter? God's Word does not tell us directly. We can only guess by his actions. Nicodemus and Jesus met publicly soon after this private meeting. In John 7:45-52, Nicodemus stands up to the Pharisees who want to bring Jesus in because they think He has deceived the people about the Law. He plays it safe, sticks to the Law, and says, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"
The third encounter helps us to be more certain about Nicodemus' faith. After Jesus died on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple who feared the Jews, asked Pilate for His body. With Pilate's permission he took the body and prepared it for burial with Nicodemus. They brought myrrh and aloes and wrapped the body with strips of linen according to Jewish customs. Both men risked judgment by the religious leaders if it was revealed that they were followers of Jesus. Additionally, Jesus was crucified as a criminal and enemy of Rome. It was dangerous, but they were convinced of who He was and stood for the truth.
Aren't you proud of our shadow walker? His life was changed by the courage that it took one late night to come to Jesus. Later, he took a greater step of courage to risk his life to be involved with Jesus. He did it! Oh, precious one, may you and I be willing to risk something precious to us for the most precious thing in all life - Jesus! May no one be confused about our alliances. May it be evident to all who observe our lives that we believe in Jesus Messiah and live for Him!
Pray with me: Oh, God, we worship You! We exalt You. Give us the courage to seek You even though the crowd may not. Give us the desire to want to understand the deep things of You. May it be obvious whom we are in covenant relationship with. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"Late one night he visited Jesus and said, 'Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it.' "
John 3:2 (The Message)
Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees, a group of religious leaders in Israel. We met these leaders when we studied John the Baptist. They are easy to pick out of the crowd for they were the ones pointing their fingers and bearing the proud faces. They were the dry ones - physically and spiritually - too pious to accept the invitation of baptism by John. Nicodemus was a member of a group of 70 men who had given their lives to study and obey the Law of Moses and follow the traditions. He was a man of prominence, wealth, and power. He could have summoned Jesus to his home or addressed Him in the temple. However, he chose to come in the shadows of night.
Isn't it interesting that Nicodemus sought Jesus in the cover of night? Scholars conjecture many reasons why the visit was after darkness settled. Most Pharisees studied the Torah at night after a day's work in the temple. Or maybe he wanted a private conversation with Jesus' full attention and no interruptions. Or was it because he was too afraid of his peers and coworkers to be seen with Jesus? I think it was fear. I picture him looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching and pulling his prayer shawl over his head to conceal his face. I wonder if he sneaked past the Romans who guarded Jerusalem or if he had the influence to move freely.
I lived the first part of my life with a desire to keep my faith in Jesus to myself. In college, I was so embarrassed when my older sister placed a bumper sticker on my mother's convertible. The sticker said "Jesus Lives." She branded the most hip car that we ever owned in the family declaring to everyone that we were Christians. My, oh my, isn't it interesting how God can change a heart? Not only would I proudly have that bumper sticker on my car, I want it to be the neon sign of my life! How I long to use my frail mouth with His mighty Spirit to tell precious souls that Jesus really does live today.
Consider what Nicodemus was thinking that led him to visit Jesus. He watched the crowds as they listened to Jesus. He never held their attention like Jesus did. Jesus used simple words, but He taught with power. Nicodemus, Israel's teacher, had never performed one miracle. He had to visit Him and understand how this could be. It would be too bold, and possibly foolish, to talk to Him where the other guys could see.
He was drawn to Jesus because He knew that He was a teacher sent straight from God. No one could do the God-pointing, God-revealing acts Jesus was doing without God's involvement. Jesus was pointing the people to God! Jesus came to reveal God to man and to be His Messenger to us! Jesus replied to Nicodemus in verse 3 of the Message, "You're absolutely right."
Do you think he accepted Jesus as Savior as a result of this encounter? God's Word does not tell us directly. We can only guess by his actions. Nicodemus and Jesus met publicly soon after this private meeting. In John 7:45-52, Nicodemus stands up to the Pharisees who want to bring Jesus in because they think He has deceived the people about the Law. He plays it safe, sticks to the Law, and says, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"
The third encounter helps us to be more certain about Nicodemus' faith. After Jesus died on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple who feared the Jews, asked Pilate for His body. With Pilate's permission he took the body and prepared it for burial with Nicodemus. They brought myrrh and aloes and wrapped the body with strips of linen according to Jewish customs. Both men risked judgment by the religious leaders if it was revealed that they were followers of Jesus. Additionally, Jesus was crucified as a criminal and enemy of Rome. It was dangerous, but they were convinced of who He was and stood for the truth.
Aren't you proud of our shadow walker? His life was changed by the courage that it took one late night to come to Jesus. Later, he took a greater step of courage to risk his life to be involved with Jesus. He did it! Oh, precious one, may you and I be willing to risk something precious to us for the most precious thing in all life - Jesus! May no one be confused about our alliances. May it be evident to all who observe our lives that we believe in Jesus Messiah and live for Him!
Pray with me: Oh, God, we worship You! We exalt You. Give us the courage to seek You even though the crowd may not. Give us the desire to want to understand the deep things of You. May it be obvious whom we are in covenant relationship with. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Stairway to Heaven
Stairway to Heaven
By Shirley Mitchell
"When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.'
'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.'
Then Nathanael declared, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.'
Jesus said, 'You believebecause I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.' He then added, 'I tell you the truth, youshall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'
John 1:47-51
Jesus traveled from town to town preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. While He was in Galilee, He called Philip to follow Him. Philip found his friend Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael questioned how anything good could from Nazareth.
From human eyes, Galilee seemed like the least likely place for a Messiah. It was the farthest province from the holy city of Jerusalem. Culturally, it was the most backward. Galileans were known as the country bumpkins. Nazareth was a small village in the hill country of Galilee. Scholars say the lack of respect by Nathanael was most likely due to an unpolished dialect, a lack of culture, and perhaps a lack of religiousness and morality.
In verses 50-51, Jesus makes a startling promise to Nathanael. He will see greater things than Jesus being merely able to see him under the fig tree. He told him that he would "see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Jesus is making a direct reference to a story from the Old Testament. As a Jewish man, Nathanael would have known it very well. The story is from Genesis 28:12-15a when Jacob left his father's household after he deceived his father and stole his brother Esau's blessing. When he stopped for the night, he put his head on a stone and lay down to sleep. He had a dream "in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: 'I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.' "
In Jacob's dream, the angels were ascending and descending on the stairway to heaven. Through Jacob's ladder, we have yet another picture of Jesus in the Old Testament. God gave Jacob the dream of the stairway to heaven symbolizing that His Son would sacrifice Himself on the cross for mankind, including you and me, hundreds of years later. Jesus would be the Gate to heaven. Jesus connected man to God and gave us access to the throne room of heaven. God promised Jacob in verse 14 "All peoples of earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." Indeed, all people were blessed. Every person no matter her race, class, or education can be saved if she will believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for her sins, repent, and accept Him as her Savior. I am overwhelmed at God's desire to be accessible to mankind. He longs for us to use that ladder to approach Him, sister! Anytime, anywhere.Full access to the throne room.
Jesus promised Nathanael, one of His chosen, that he would see the fulfillment of Jacob's dream. Jacob never could have understood the full meaning of his dream. I understand why Scripture ends after the story Jesus told Nathanael. He must have been left with his mouth gaping open. The story his father had taught him since he was young was going to be fulfilled in front of him! He probably had visions of a royal coronation as Jesus overthrew the Roman rule over Israel with His throne set up and angels all around it. I am sure Nathanael never could have predicted the stairway to heaven would be a Roman cross. Neither would we. Oh, beloved, let's give God room to be unpredictable and to astonish us, too.
Pray with me: Thank You, Jesus, for being our stairway to heaven. You showed Nathanael so many great things. He was astonished that day, many days of the next three years, and the rest of the days of his life! We invite You to keep astonishing us, too. Show us greater things than You already have. Take us deeper with You. When will we ever stop thinking with our thoughts and begin to grasp Yours? Just as You saw Nathanael under the fig tree, You see each one of us. Nothing goes unnoticed. May we take comfort in this. Give us a hunger for Your coronation Day, King of Kings! It's in Your Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.'
'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.'
Then Nathanael declared, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.'
Jesus said, 'You believebecause I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.' He then added, 'I tell you the truth, youshall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'
John 1:47-51
Jesus traveled from town to town preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. While He was in Galilee, He called Philip to follow Him. Philip found his friend Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael questioned how anything good could from Nazareth.
From human eyes, Galilee seemed like the least likely place for a Messiah. It was the farthest province from the holy city of Jerusalem. Culturally, it was the most backward. Galileans were known as the country bumpkins. Nazareth was a small village in the hill country of Galilee. Scholars say the lack of respect by Nathanael was most likely due to an unpolished dialect, a lack of culture, and perhaps a lack of religiousness and morality.
In verses 50-51, Jesus makes a startling promise to Nathanael. He will see greater things than Jesus being merely able to see him under the fig tree. He told him that he would "see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Jesus is making a direct reference to a story from the Old Testament. As a Jewish man, Nathanael would have known it very well. The story is from Genesis 28:12-15a when Jacob left his father's household after he deceived his father and stole his brother Esau's blessing. When he stopped for the night, he put his head on a stone and lay down to sleep. He had a dream "in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: 'I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.' "
In Jacob's dream, the angels were ascending and descending on the stairway to heaven. Through Jacob's ladder, we have yet another picture of Jesus in the Old Testament. God gave Jacob the dream of the stairway to heaven symbolizing that His Son would sacrifice Himself on the cross for mankind, including you and me, hundreds of years later. Jesus would be the Gate to heaven. Jesus connected man to God and gave us access to the throne room of heaven. God promised Jacob in verse 14 "All peoples of earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." Indeed, all people were blessed. Every person no matter her race, class, or education can be saved if she will believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for her sins, repent, and accept Him as her Savior. I am overwhelmed at God's desire to be accessible to mankind. He longs for us to use that ladder to approach Him, sister! Anytime, anywhere.Full access to the throne room.
Jesus promised Nathanael, one of His chosen, that he would see the fulfillment of Jacob's dream. Jacob never could have understood the full meaning of his dream. I understand why Scripture ends after the story Jesus told Nathanael. He must have been left with his mouth gaping open. The story his father had taught him since he was young was going to be fulfilled in front of him! He probably had visions of a royal coronation as Jesus overthrew the Roman rule over Israel with His throne set up and angels all around it. I am sure Nathanael never could have predicted the stairway to heaven would be a Roman cross. Neither would we. Oh, beloved, let's give God room to be unpredictable and to astonish us, too.
Pray with me: Thank You, Jesus, for being our stairway to heaven. You showed Nathanael so many great things. He was astonished that day, many days of the next three years, and the rest of the days of his life! We invite You to keep astonishing us, too. Show us greater things than You already have. Take us deeper with You. When will we ever stop thinking with our thoughts and begin to grasp Yours? Just as You saw Nathanael under the fig tree, You see each one of us. Nothing goes unnoticed. May we take comfort in this. Give us a hunger for Your coronation Day, King of Kings! It's in Your Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Friday, July 31, 2009
Dull, but Loved
Dull, but Loved
By Shirley Mitchell
"And He said, 'Are you also even yet dull and ignorant (without understanding and unable to put things together)?' "
Matthew 15:16 (Amp)
"One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him."
John 13:23
In John Mac Arthur's book Twelve Ordinary Men, he says that Jesus "chose to work through the instrumentality of those few fallible individuals rather than advance His agenda through mob force, military might, personal popularity, or a public - relations campaign." Jesus was not about using strategies to enlarge His group of followers. He did not use marketing techniques. He preached the truth, confronted the religious establishment, and focused on transforming individual lives.
The most amazing part of His strategy is that not only did He use twelve disciples who were not perfect, at times, they were difficult to tolerate. InLuke 8, the disciples wake up Jesus who is sleeping through the storm because they think they are going to drown. Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and the storm subsides. Then He asked them disappointedly, "Where is your faith?" In Luke 9, when Jesus comes down from the Mountain of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, the other nine disciples cannot cast the demon out of the boy - even though they had cast out evil spirits previously. Jesus said, "O unbelieving and perverse generation. How long shall I stay with you and put up with you?" Also in Luke 9, the disciples argued about who would be the greatest. Jesus tells them that whoever is the least will be the greatest. In Matthew 15 when the disciples do not understand the parable, Jesus asked them, "Are you still so dull?" In John 14, on Jesus' last night with them, Philip asked Him to show them the Father and that would be enough. Jesus answered him, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
They were slow learners. They could be spiritually dense. They made mistakes. Their faith failed. They may have frustrated Him and abandoned Him when He needed them the most, but they were His disciples. And He loved them. They knew it. Above all other emotions, the prevailing one Jesus demonstrated to them was love.
The disciple John refers to himself by a title which underscores Jesus' prevailing attitude toward this group of frustrating men. He repeatedly calls himself, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23, John 20:2, John 21:7, John 21:20).
In a recently released movie, a man is recounting the love story of two young people to a lovely woman with Alzheimer's disease in a nursing home where they live. The man is her husband telling her the story of how they fell in love. Every day, he tells it to her in the hope that she will remember him for a few moments. The majority of the movie is scenes from their youth when they fell in love. However, by the end of the movie, the interesting part of the story is no longer the couple in their youth but the couple at the end of their days. The love of the elderly couple had built a life together, endured time, survived hardships, and the loss of physical and mental abilities. While the circumstances of their physical life had worsened, their love for each other had grown even deeper. The love between a man and a woman can be different from God's love in some ways. In other ways, it gives us a picture of God's heart for us and our response to His love. Usually, the love in movies is a dream. No person can love another like that! However, God can. He can love us better than our dreams.
John was taught much about love. He changed from one fighting to be the greatest to one who talked repeatedly about Jesus' love and loving each other. Decades after Jesus left, John still identified himself in his writings by the description meaning the most to him throughout his life - "the disciple whom Jesus loved." This love grew deep roots and invaded his entire being. This love endured time. This love deepened through the hardships. This love built a life together. This love defined who he had become.
Oh, precious one, do we really understand Jesus loves us this deeply, too? He wants His love and our love in return to grow deep roots. He wants this love between Him and you and between Him and me to invade our entire being. This love should sustain us through hardships. This love should build a life together. This love should define who I am and who you are. Does it? Has it invaded you? Is it shaping who you are becoming? Oh, how I pray that we let this love shape every part of our being.
Pray with me: Almighty God, thank You for loving us so much! We know that we can be frustrating at times. We know we can be slow, dull, and faithless. Thank You for being patient with us. Thank You for loving us more than we can imagine. May this love build a life together with You, define who we are, and last a lifetime. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"And He said, 'Are you also even yet dull and ignorant (without understanding and unable to put things together)?' "
Matthew 15:16 (Amp)
"One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him."
John 13:23
In John Mac Arthur's book Twelve Ordinary Men, he says that Jesus "chose to work through the instrumentality of those few fallible individuals rather than advance His agenda through mob force, military might, personal popularity, or a public - relations campaign." Jesus was not about using strategies to enlarge His group of followers. He did not use marketing techniques. He preached the truth, confronted the religious establishment, and focused on transforming individual lives.
The most amazing part of His strategy is that not only did He use twelve disciples who were not perfect, at times, they were difficult to tolerate. InLuke 8, the disciples wake up Jesus who is sleeping through the storm because they think they are going to drown. Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and the storm subsides. Then He asked them disappointedly, "Where is your faith?" In Luke 9, when Jesus comes down from the Mountain of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, the other nine disciples cannot cast the demon out of the boy - even though they had cast out evil spirits previously. Jesus said, "O unbelieving and perverse generation. How long shall I stay with you and put up with you?" Also in Luke 9, the disciples argued about who would be the greatest. Jesus tells them that whoever is the least will be the greatest. In Matthew 15 when the disciples do not understand the parable, Jesus asked them, "Are you still so dull?" In John 14, on Jesus' last night with them, Philip asked Him to show them the Father and that would be enough. Jesus answered him, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
They were slow learners. They could be spiritually dense. They made mistakes. Their faith failed. They may have frustrated Him and abandoned Him when He needed them the most, but they were His disciples. And He loved them. They knew it. Above all other emotions, the prevailing one Jesus demonstrated to them was love.
The disciple John refers to himself by a title which underscores Jesus' prevailing attitude toward this group of frustrating men. He repeatedly calls himself, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23, John 20:2, John 21:7, John 21:20).
In a recently released movie, a man is recounting the love story of two young people to a lovely woman with Alzheimer's disease in a nursing home where they live. The man is her husband telling her the story of how they fell in love. Every day, he tells it to her in the hope that she will remember him for a few moments. The majority of the movie is scenes from their youth when they fell in love. However, by the end of the movie, the interesting part of the story is no longer the couple in their youth but the couple at the end of their days. The love of the elderly couple had built a life together, endured time, survived hardships, and the loss of physical and mental abilities. While the circumstances of their physical life had worsened, their love for each other had grown even deeper. The love between a man and a woman can be different from God's love in some ways. In other ways, it gives us a picture of God's heart for us and our response to His love. Usually, the love in movies is a dream. No person can love another like that! However, God can. He can love us better than our dreams.
John was taught much about love. He changed from one fighting to be the greatest to one who talked repeatedly about Jesus' love and loving each other. Decades after Jesus left, John still identified himself in his writings by the description meaning the most to him throughout his life - "the disciple whom Jesus loved." This love grew deep roots and invaded his entire being. This love endured time. This love deepened through the hardships. This love built a life together. This love defined who he had become.
Oh, precious one, do we really understand Jesus loves us this deeply, too? He wants His love and our love in return to grow deep roots. He wants this love between Him and you and between Him and me to invade our entire being. This love should sustain us through hardships. This love should build a life together. This love should define who I am and who you are. Does it? Has it invaded you? Is it shaping who you are becoming? Oh, how I pray that we let this love shape every part of our being.
Pray with me: Almighty God, thank You for loving us so much! We know that we can be frustrating at times. We know we can be slow, dull, and faithless. Thank You for being patient with us. Thank You for loving us more than we can imagine. May this love build a life together with You, define who we are, and last a lifetime. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Light into the Darkness
Light into the Darkness
By Shirley Mitchell
Interview of Terri MacGregor
For more information go to: www.sonlightpower.org/tmacgreg
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12b
My very good friend Terri and I have studied the Bible together for years at work. We have laughed and cried together as God has revealed Himself to us through His Word. We also have been in the Lexington Passion Play which portrays Jesus' last days on earth. One year the director put us short girls on the front row, and we called it "praise row" because Terri and I truly love to worship Him and don't mind letting it show.
Through the process of getting her master's degree in engineering, God revealed to Terri her calling. She had been praying for years that God would use her engineering degree for His kingdom. God answered her by giving her the passion to bring electricity to some of the poorest people in the world through installing solar panels. God connected her to a non-profit ministry called SonLight Power that changes the lives of people in Central and South America as well as Africa. She went on her first solar mission trip to Honduras in June and is headed back in July. Terri said "This is the kind of thing I've always dreamed of doing. I really believe I am making a significant difference in someone else's life, and it feels great."
These people live in areas where there is not a supply of affordable electricity. I never realized how much having electricity impacts our lives in the USA and how much it hinders other people's lives in the quality of their medical care, in their education for their children, and in their everyday life. The people are not just poor in monetary terms, but they are poor in spirit. They have lost hope. Some of these places are the most spiritually dark places on earth. When Terri and the team arrived, they brought hope to them. They showed that they care about them by meeting their physical needs. It proved to the people that God loves them and opened the door for them to listen to the Gospel of Jesus Messiah.
With tears in his eyes, one father said of this ministry, "You have taken the machete out of my daughter's hand." His daughter has the opportunity to have a better life and to not toil in the fields. Terri went to one school where the children prayed every day for a year to have their school selected for a solar panel system. God answered their prayers by sending Terri's team. She went to a medical clinic that did not have a working refrigerator. Through her work, they are now able to keep life-saving medicines for the people.
When I think about many things that people are able to do in this physical world because of light, it makes the Scriptures come alive about what we have in the spiritual realm. Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." A man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going (John 12:35). We are a royal priesthood called out of the darkness into His wonderful light and are commanded to live as children of the light (1 Peter 2:9 & Ephesians 5:8). We are to put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12).
Just like the people whom Terri is serving no longer have to live in physical darkness, believers were not intended to live in spiritual darkness where there is sorrow, oppression, despair, and sin. We are to live in the light. We are commanded to live as people who have received the blessings of the light. These people in Honduras are examples to us of what God has done spiritually for every Christian and what He longs to do for every believer. Because Jesus is the Light, we never have to walk in spiritual poverty and blindness again.
Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, You are the great light to people living in darkness (Matthew 4:16). We lift up Terri and the mission team traveling to Honduras this weekend. We pray for their protection from the enemy and from all harm. We ask, LORD, that You give them the eyes of Elisha to see into the spiritual realm and the wisdom and discernment so they can take action for whatever they encounter. May the people they are serving have their eyes opened to the Gospel. Lord of the harvest, send more workers to the harvest because the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
Interview of Terri MacGregor
For more information go to: www.sonlightpower.org/tmacgreg
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12b
My very good friend Terri and I have studied the Bible together for years at work. We have laughed and cried together as God has revealed Himself to us through His Word. We also have been in the Lexington Passion Play which portrays Jesus' last days on earth. One year the director put us short girls on the front row, and we called it "praise row" because Terri and I truly love to worship Him and don't mind letting it show.
Through the process of getting her master's degree in engineering, God revealed to Terri her calling. She had been praying for years that God would use her engineering degree for His kingdom. God answered her by giving her the passion to bring electricity to some of the poorest people in the world through installing solar panels. God connected her to a non-profit ministry called SonLight Power that changes the lives of people in Central and South America as well as Africa. She went on her first solar mission trip to Honduras in June and is headed back in July. Terri said "This is the kind of thing I've always dreamed of doing. I really believe I am making a significant difference in someone else's life, and it feels great."
These people live in areas where there is not a supply of affordable electricity. I never realized how much having electricity impacts our lives in the USA and how much it hinders other people's lives in the quality of their medical care, in their education for their children, and in their everyday life. The people are not just poor in monetary terms, but they are poor in spirit. They have lost hope. Some of these places are the most spiritually dark places on earth. When Terri and the team arrived, they brought hope to them. They showed that they care about them by meeting their physical needs. It proved to the people that God loves them and opened the door for them to listen to the Gospel of Jesus Messiah.
With tears in his eyes, one father said of this ministry, "You have taken the machete out of my daughter's hand." His daughter has the opportunity to have a better life and to not toil in the fields. Terri went to one school where the children prayed every day for a year to have their school selected for a solar panel system. God answered their prayers by sending Terri's team. She went to a medical clinic that did not have a working refrigerator. Through her work, they are now able to keep life-saving medicines for the people.
When I think about many things that people are able to do in this physical world because of light, it makes the Scriptures come alive about what we have in the spiritual realm. Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." A man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going (John 12:35). We are a royal priesthood called out of the darkness into His wonderful light and are commanded to live as children of the light (1 Peter 2:9 & Ephesians 5:8). We are to put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12).
Just like the people whom Terri is serving no longer have to live in physical darkness, believers were not intended to live in spiritual darkness where there is sorrow, oppression, despair, and sin. We are to live in the light. We are commanded to live as people who have received the blessings of the light. These people in Honduras are examples to us of what God has done spiritually for every Christian and what He longs to do for every believer. Because Jesus is the Light, we never have to walk in spiritual poverty and blindness again.
Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, You are the great light to people living in darkness (Matthew 4:16). We lift up Terri and the mission team traveling to Honduras this weekend. We pray for their protection from the enemy and from all harm. We ask, LORD, that You give them the eyes of Elisha to see into the spiritual realm and the wisdom and discernment so they can take action for whatever they encounter. May the people they are serving have their eyes opened to the Gospel. Lord of the harvest, send more workers to the harvest because the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Monday, July 27, 2009
Who Am I?
Who Am I?
By Shirley Mitchell
“Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: ‘Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?...Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?...How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you...”
2 Samuel 7:18, 19b, 22a
King David was known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). He showed his passion for God in the many psalms of praise that he wrote. He showed his love for God when after all the years that he had to run from Saul, David is finally made king and lives in the palace. When David reflects on the fact that he is living in splendor, but the ark of God is in a tent, he decides to build a temple for the ark. The Word of the Lord came to Nathan that night changing their very good plan.
The Lord told Nathan that this bright idea was not His idea. Instead, God moved from place to place with a tent as His dwelling as long as His people were mobile. Then He said to David, “I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.” When David died, God would raise up his son to succeed him, and God would establish His kingdom. This son would build a house for God. Then He promises in verse 16, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”
Nathan told David this entire revelation. David went in and sat before the Lord. The Hebrew word gives the image of David on his knees, rolling back and forth. He prayed the prayer in today’s Scripture. I imagine he was quite shaken knowing that God had singled him out from the pasture, to be ruler, to know his son would be blessed to build the temple, and to be the head of a dynasty that would endure forever and ever. The first words out of his mouth were, “Who am I?” David was saying, “Why do I deserve this honor, Lord? I had no idea that God would ever relate to man like this. I am amazed.” I think David’s “Who am I?” moment was one of the greatest moments of his life.
One of the greatest experiences of my life was my “Who am I?” moment. The story begins when God orchestrated for my friend Pam and me to meet two women who became two of my best friends at a Cracker Barrel restaurant just south of Cincinnati after the popular Christian teacher Beth Moore’s speaking engagement called Living Proof Live (LPL). One of them, Carla, was going to be the event coordinator for the LPL event the following summer. These women combined with three other women to form the event planning committee. God glued these godly women together. Incredible friendships were formed that have endured the passing of time.
Carla asked me to write a 14-day devotional for the event. I had only written a few devotions for my church’s newsletter at the time. She trusted the Holy Spirit within me. I had to trust God to give me the words. God wrote every word on every page. It was a beautiful masterpiece because it showed how God can take the pen or control the keyboard to make sure His messages get communicated.
On the night of the actual event, the speaker Beth mentioned part of a devotion because she had done it herself. When Beth talked about it and she mentioned the story that I wrote about Sophia, I couldn’t believe she talked about my daughter and me in front of all those people! I just felt like David when he learned that God would bless his son with the honor to build his temple.
There were 18,000 women there who would have loved for Beth to read their devotions and mention them to such a large audience. Out of 18,000 women, He chose me. Nothing of what she said in the next minutes entered my mind. My thoughts were that I should run out of the arena to the preparation rooms in the back, fall on my knees, throw my hands up in the air, and exclaim, “Who am I?” like David did!
I felt like God pressed a soft hand to my head and told my spirit, “No child, you sit right there and listen to every word of this. You’ve prayed to hear my Word taught by Beth for over a year. You’ve led others in what to pray. It is time for you to let my Spirit fall on you. Take the honor I give to you and enjoy it.”
All I could think about was who am I? Who am I? What am I that God would bestow such an honor upon me and my family? God is so loving to deal with me this way! I deserved to be in broken pieces; yet, He put me back together and honored me. I am a sinner and the worst of sinners. My past is so ugly, and my reputation was so soiled.
Yet, in one moment, God showed me His pleasure with me. He bestowed upon me honor. He is incredible! He removes the shame of the repentant. He gives honor to those who have a heart for Him. Those who seek Him are blessed with riches that the world does not know. If you need this, also, Beloved, He can do it for you, too! Give Him everything you have, and He will give you 10-fold, 100-fold back and more. Fall passionately in love with Him and make Him everything in Your life. Then see how God showers you with His love.
Pray with me: Oh, Dear Heavenly Father, only You can bring us far from our destructive nature, remove our sins, and give us an honorable reputation. I ask that every person praying these words will have their “Who Am I” moment when You astound them and knock the breath out of them. May our faithfulness result in our loved ones being blessed by You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
“Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: ‘Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?...Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?...How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you...”
2 Samuel 7:18, 19b, 22a
King David was known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). He showed his passion for God in the many psalms of praise that he wrote. He showed his love for God when after all the years that he had to run from Saul, David is finally made king and lives in the palace. When David reflects on the fact that he is living in splendor, but the ark of God is in a tent, he decides to build a temple for the ark. The Word of the Lord came to Nathan that night changing their very good plan.
The Lord told Nathan that this bright idea was not His idea. Instead, God moved from place to place with a tent as His dwelling as long as His people were mobile. Then He said to David, “I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.” When David died, God would raise up his son to succeed him, and God would establish His kingdom. This son would build a house for God. Then He promises in verse 16, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”
Nathan told David this entire revelation. David went in and sat before the Lord. The Hebrew word gives the image of David on his knees, rolling back and forth. He prayed the prayer in today’s Scripture. I imagine he was quite shaken knowing that God had singled him out from the pasture, to be ruler, to know his son would be blessed to build the temple, and to be the head of a dynasty that would endure forever and ever. The first words out of his mouth were, “Who am I?” David was saying, “Why do I deserve this honor, Lord? I had no idea that God would ever relate to man like this. I am amazed.” I think David’s “Who am I?” moment was one of the greatest moments of his life.
One of the greatest experiences of my life was my “Who am I?” moment. The story begins when God orchestrated for my friend Pam and me to meet two women who became two of my best friends at a Cracker Barrel restaurant just south of Cincinnati after the popular Christian teacher Beth Moore’s speaking engagement called Living Proof Live (LPL). One of them, Carla, was going to be the event coordinator for the LPL event the following summer. These women combined with three other women to form the event planning committee. God glued these godly women together. Incredible friendships were formed that have endured the passing of time.
Carla asked me to write a 14-day devotional for the event. I had only written a few devotions for my church’s newsletter at the time. She trusted the Holy Spirit within me. I had to trust God to give me the words. God wrote every word on every page. It was a beautiful masterpiece because it showed how God can take the pen or control the keyboard to make sure His messages get communicated.
On the night of the actual event, the speaker Beth mentioned part of a devotion because she had done it herself. When Beth talked about it and she mentioned the story that I wrote about Sophia, I couldn’t believe she talked about my daughter and me in front of all those people! I just felt like David when he learned that God would bless his son with the honor to build his temple.
There were 18,000 women there who would have loved for Beth to read their devotions and mention them to such a large audience. Out of 18,000 women, He chose me. Nothing of what she said in the next minutes entered my mind. My thoughts were that I should run out of the arena to the preparation rooms in the back, fall on my knees, throw my hands up in the air, and exclaim, “Who am I?” like David did!
I felt like God pressed a soft hand to my head and told my spirit, “No child, you sit right there and listen to every word of this. You’ve prayed to hear my Word taught by Beth for over a year. You’ve led others in what to pray. It is time for you to let my Spirit fall on you. Take the honor I give to you and enjoy it.”
All I could think about was who am I? Who am I? What am I that God would bestow such an honor upon me and my family? God is so loving to deal with me this way! I deserved to be in broken pieces; yet, He put me back together and honored me. I am a sinner and the worst of sinners. My past is so ugly, and my reputation was so soiled.
Yet, in one moment, God showed me His pleasure with me. He bestowed upon me honor. He is incredible! He removes the shame of the repentant. He gives honor to those who have a heart for Him. Those who seek Him are blessed with riches that the world does not know. If you need this, also, Beloved, He can do it for you, too! Give Him everything you have, and He will give you 10-fold, 100-fold back and more. Fall passionately in love with Him and make Him everything in Your life. Then see how God showers you with His love.
Pray with me: Oh, Dear Heavenly Father, only You can bring us far from our destructive nature, remove our sins, and give us an honorable reputation. I ask that every person praying these words will have their “Who Am I” moment when You astound them and knock the breath out of them. May our faithfulness result in our loved ones being blessed by You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Thursday, July 23, 2009
He Knows
He Knows
By Shirley Mitchell
"All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom."
Isaiah 28:29
When my husband Doug needs some help finding things in the house, he doesn't go to me or our oldest two daughters. He asks our youngest daughter Victoria. When he doesn't know where he left his keys, she'll jump up, run to the exact location, and bound back to her father with the keys. When we forget what time a party starts, we ask Victoria (Tori). When we forget someone's name at school, Victoria remembers. Not only has this developed her confidence, it has brought out her personality. Almost every day an incident occurs. She will smile and put her pointer finger on the side of her head, tap her temple, and say, "Tori knooows, Tori knoooows."
Although she is only six-years-old, she doesn't miss much that is going on in our home. She observes, listens, and quickly jumps in to help. She usually has the right answer. On rare occasions she has not been right, and she says sadly, "Tori didn't know. Tori is only six and still learning."
Her quest for knowledge and wisdom is a picture of God for me. Our God is wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. He is omniscient which means, "having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things. One having total knowledge." It is an attribute that can only be described of God. No one's counsel can compare to the counsel of the Lord. He understands the human heart and mind, and He knows every detail of the past, present, and future. Psalm 44:21 tells us that He knows the secrets of our hearts. Psalm 94:11 says that God knows the thoughts of man. Psalm 139 says that He knows our every movement, when we sit, rise, go out, and lie down. He perceives our thoughts and knows every word before it is on our tongues. He has ordained all of our days.
When I think about all the digital information available out there now, I am amazed that God knew it already. He already knew everything contained in public records, financial information, and medical records. Every day the world transfers billions of dollars, God knew about them and the motivations behind them. Everything that makes a Facebook entry and the ones that don't, He knows it all. Grocery stores and credit card companies are just now tracking where you and I spend our money, but God has known all along. Every day millions of people seek counsel either from a professional counselor or a trusted friend. God knows everything they share, and He is the one who can give the right counsel and wisdom.
If all of the information from all the universities in the world was collected in every subject - science, history, engineering, art, music, sociology, social work, psychology, education, architecture, finance, accounting, dentistry, and on and on, then our God would know it all.
He spent only six days creating the universe, and yet it is filled with His glory. Proverbs 3:19 tells us, "By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew." We see God's wisdom by how systematically nature is arranged. From the path of the sun, to the changing of the seasons, to the intricate designs of each form of life to live in their particular habitat, God was methodical in His creation. We see God reflecting His glory in the beauty of the earth from majestic waterfalls, to the rugged snow-capped mountains, to the meadows filled with flowers of the richest colors.
Proverbs 3:13-18 also tells us that wisdom and understanding is precious to us, too. It is more profitable than silver, and yields better returns than gold. It is more precious than rubies, and nothing we desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
Can you think with me of the things that happen every day that we don't know? I don't know how I'm going to get everything done for the day. I don't know which activities to say "yes" to and which to decline. I forget important things like people's birthdays. While I counsel many women, sometimes I can't solve my own problems. My friend Anne said to me something so precious. She said, "I started thinking I just don't know what is going to happen this year - with my ministry, with Israel. I don't know what the Lord has in store. Then God brought Jeremiah 29:11 to me in a new way. He said to me, "You don't know, Anne, but I know. For I know the plans I have for you.plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Our God is aware of everything. Let's allow Him to be our Counselor and give us His wisdom. Let's seek Him first in every decision and issue in our lives.
Pray with me: Oh, God, You are wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. You laid the foundations of the world in perfect wisdom, order, and beauty. You know the secrets of our hearts and the thoughts of our mind that we never shared with another. We trust You in Your perfect wisdom and love to deal with us. So we lay before You the things where we need Your counsel. We ask You, Lord, to give us the wisdom we need to guide our days so that we may live the life of blessing, honor, and bring glory to You. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom."
Isaiah 28:29
When my husband Doug needs some help finding things in the house, he doesn't go to me or our oldest two daughters. He asks our youngest daughter Victoria. When he doesn't know where he left his keys, she'll jump up, run to the exact location, and bound back to her father with the keys. When we forget what time a party starts, we ask Victoria (Tori). When we forget someone's name at school, Victoria remembers. Not only has this developed her confidence, it has brought out her personality. Almost every day an incident occurs. She will smile and put her pointer finger on the side of her head, tap her temple, and say, "Tori knooows, Tori knoooows."
Although she is only six-years-old, she doesn't miss much that is going on in our home. She observes, listens, and quickly jumps in to help. She usually has the right answer. On rare occasions she has not been right, and she says sadly, "Tori didn't know. Tori is only six and still learning."
Her quest for knowledge and wisdom is a picture of God for me. Our God is wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. He is omniscient which means, "having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things. One having total knowledge." It is an attribute that can only be described of God. No one's counsel can compare to the counsel of the Lord. He understands the human heart and mind, and He knows every detail of the past, present, and future. Psalm 44:21 tells us that He knows the secrets of our hearts. Psalm 94:11 says that God knows the thoughts of man. Psalm 139 says that He knows our every movement, when we sit, rise, go out, and lie down. He perceives our thoughts and knows every word before it is on our tongues. He has ordained all of our days.
When I think about all the digital information available out there now, I am amazed that God knew it already. He already knew everything contained in public records, financial information, and medical records. Every day the world transfers billions of dollars, God knew about them and the motivations behind them. Everything that makes a Facebook entry and the ones that don't, He knows it all. Grocery stores and credit card companies are just now tracking where you and I spend our money, but God has known all along. Every day millions of people seek counsel either from a professional counselor or a trusted friend. God knows everything they share, and He is the one who can give the right counsel and wisdom.
If all of the information from all the universities in the world was collected in every subject - science, history, engineering, art, music, sociology, social work, psychology, education, architecture, finance, accounting, dentistry, and on and on, then our God would know it all.
He spent only six days creating the universe, and yet it is filled with His glory. Proverbs 3:19 tells us, "By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew." We see God's wisdom by how systematically nature is arranged. From the path of the sun, to the changing of the seasons, to the intricate designs of each form of life to live in their particular habitat, God was methodical in His creation. We see God reflecting His glory in the beauty of the earth from majestic waterfalls, to the rugged snow-capped mountains, to the meadows filled with flowers of the richest colors.
Proverbs 3:13-18 also tells us that wisdom and understanding is precious to us, too. It is more profitable than silver, and yields better returns than gold. It is more precious than rubies, and nothing we desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
Can you think with me of the things that happen every day that we don't know? I don't know how I'm going to get everything done for the day. I don't know which activities to say "yes" to and which to decline. I forget important things like people's birthdays. While I counsel many women, sometimes I can't solve my own problems. My friend Anne said to me something so precious. She said, "I started thinking I just don't know what is going to happen this year - with my ministry, with Israel. I don't know what the Lord has in store. Then God brought Jeremiah 29:11 to me in a new way. He said to me, "You don't know, Anne, but I know. For I know the plans I have for you.plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Our God is aware of everything. Let's allow Him to be our Counselor and give us His wisdom. Let's seek Him first in every decision and issue in our lives.
Pray with me: Oh, God, You are wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. You laid the foundations of the world in perfect wisdom, order, and beauty. You know the secrets of our hearts and the thoughts of our mind that we never shared with another. We trust You in Your perfect wisdom and love to deal with us. So we lay before You the things where we need Your counsel. We ask You, Lord, to give us the wisdom we need to guide our days so that we may live the life of blessing, honor, and bring glory to You. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Higher Call
The Higher Call
By Shirley Mitchell
"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.' He said to another man, 'Follow me.' But the man replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Still another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.' Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.' "
Luke 9:57-62
I find this passage so interesting because it tells us that Jesus encountered many people who had to make a decision to follow Him, not just the 12 disciples who were specifically appointed. Many others received the opportunity of a lifetime, and Scripture records just a few in this passage to serve as a reminder to us that not everyone chooses to accept the call of Jesus.
To the first man, Jesus warns that a follower must be prepared for some loss. He says there is a loss of ownership. Jesus makes it clear that He is homeless. A follower will not have a place to lay his head. "My" and "mine" are gone for the sake of the kingdom. These are some of the first words children learn because they have a tendency to hoard their things. A follower will no longer be able to hoard and depend on his own provision. There is a loss of independence and security. Additionally, there is a loss of physical comfort. A follower trusts in God's decision for provision for each day whether God provides a warm bed, or at other times He provides a rock for a pillow.
The next two men (who decided to not follow Him) said the same words, "First let me go." One man wanted to bury his father first. Burying the dead was a sacred duty. We do not know if the father was dying or if he was already dead. We only know that the man wanted to do something else first. He was not ready to commit himself to follow Jesus. His words show an unwillingness to forsake the earthly life for the kingdom life. It shows an unwillingness to relinquish control to God for the next move. "First I must do what I want to do, Lord."
The last man wanted to tell his family goodbye. Jesus says "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." He is referring to 1 Kings 19:19-21, when Elijah calls Elisha into the ministry. Elisha was plowing a field. He stopped and never looked back. Actually, he slaughtered the oxen as an offering to the Lord. This act removed any temptation to return to his former lifestyle. God wants us to be willing to abandon everything that gives us worldly security. We can't have one hand on the plow and one hand in His. Sooner or later we find that we are still anchored to that fixed point and can't continue until we sever the tie. We have stretched that rubber band to its breaking point.
Jesus talks another time to the crowd about the cost of discipleship. In Luke 14:25-27, He says that a person can't be His disciple without hating his or her family. Of course, Jesus was not saying that His followers must have a burning hate for their families. Family was highly important in the Jewish community. He is saying that compared to your love for God, your love for your family should pale in comparison. God should be your first love, and it should not be sparing. It should be extravagant. He should be your first loyalty.
I would never suggest irresponsibility, nor does this give us permission to neglect. We dare not misconstrue this to mean that we can be irresponsible. I know that my highest call is to be a godly wife and a mother. My family is my first ministry. God has allowed me more kingdom work in women's lives that requires many sacrifices but never neglect of my family. I have left my daughters in Doug's care as I had brief God assignments. The key is the discernment to know "when Jesus calls." If Jesus called, then a follower who left the plow or who did not bury his father was not irresponsible or neglectful of his responsibilities. He was following God's higher call.
These three men's opportunities to follow Jesus were open for a brief time and then shut. It was not open-ended. If they didn't seize it at that time, then they could not regain it later. God usually does not give second chances, only next opportunities. What I mean by "next opportunity" is that the situation may change, but He offers another opening to step out in faith and follow Him.
There are many ways God can pick up the details. Sometimes when the leader moves out of a responsibility, someone else will step up and fill the gap left behind. As we mature in Christ, it is our responsibility to ask God how we help grow others and if we need to get out of the way for someone else to have an opportunity to grow. Other times, no one may rise to take the vacant role. Why would God leave a hole? He is sending a strong message to all including family, friends, and coworkers that their friend left behind something so wonderful for something of greater worth: to serve in the kingdom and to reach hurting humanity. How hurting humanity needs a Savior! Oh, what a testimony a woman leaves! She shows that God is worth leaving her life of self-absorption. Her eyes are no longer blind to others' hurts. She prioritized their needs. There she finds greatest fulfillment for her life. The gap left behind can be a gaping hole to serve as a reminder to other friends, family, and the next generation. They will be encouraged to lay down their nets, their plows, their comforts, their security, and their "knowns" to exchange them for the unknown glorious life.
Lastly, if He calls us to leave something behind, it may be for a reason that we will never know until we get to heaven. We can seek confirmation of the calling. Then you and I must trust that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. If He has called us to leave a post, then He is responsible for the consequences and the outcome.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, give us the heart to trust You when You call. May we not say, "Lord, first let me go," but may we be like Isaiah and say, "Lord, here I am. Send me." Empower and encourage us to live the life of the highest calling in service to You. It's in the Name of above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
By Shirley Mitchell
"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.' He said to another man, 'Follow me.' But the man replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Still another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.' Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.' "
Luke 9:57-62
I find this passage so interesting because it tells us that Jesus encountered many people who had to make a decision to follow Him, not just the 12 disciples who were specifically appointed. Many others received the opportunity of a lifetime, and Scripture records just a few in this passage to serve as a reminder to us that not everyone chooses to accept the call of Jesus.
To the first man, Jesus warns that a follower must be prepared for some loss. He says there is a loss of ownership. Jesus makes it clear that He is homeless. A follower will not have a place to lay his head. "My" and "mine" are gone for the sake of the kingdom. These are some of the first words children learn because they have a tendency to hoard their things. A follower will no longer be able to hoard and depend on his own provision. There is a loss of independence and security. Additionally, there is a loss of physical comfort. A follower trusts in God's decision for provision for each day whether God provides a warm bed, or at other times He provides a rock for a pillow.
The next two men (who decided to not follow Him) said the same words, "First let me go." One man wanted to bury his father first. Burying the dead was a sacred duty. We do not know if the father was dying or if he was already dead. We only know that the man wanted to do something else first. He was not ready to commit himself to follow Jesus. His words show an unwillingness to forsake the earthly life for the kingdom life. It shows an unwillingness to relinquish control to God for the next move. "First I must do what I want to do, Lord."
The last man wanted to tell his family goodbye. Jesus says "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." He is referring to 1 Kings 19:19-21, when Elijah calls Elisha into the ministry. Elisha was plowing a field. He stopped and never looked back. Actually, he slaughtered the oxen as an offering to the Lord. This act removed any temptation to return to his former lifestyle. God wants us to be willing to abandon everything that gives us worldly security. We can't have one hand on the plow and one hand in His. Sooner or later we find that we are still anchored to that fixed point and can't continue until we sever the tie. We have stretched that rubber band to its breaking point.
Jesus talks another time to the crowd about the cost of discipleship. In Luke 14:25-27, He says that a person can't be His disciple without hating his or her family. Of course, Jesus was not saying that His followers must have a burning hate for their families. Family was highly important in the Jewish community. He is saying that compared to your love for God, your love for your family should pale in comparison. God should be your first love, and it should not be sparing. It should be extravagant. He should be your first loyalty.
I would never suggest irresponsibility, nor does this give us permission to neglect. We dare not misconstrue this to mean that we can be irresponsible. I know that my highest call is to be a godly wife and a mother. My family is my first ministry. God has allowed me more kingdom work in women's lives that requires many sacrifices but never neglect of my family. I have left my daughters in Doug's care as I had brief God assignments. The key is the discernment to know "when Jesus calls." If Jesus called, then a follower who left the plow or who did not bury his father was not irresponsible or neglectful of his responsibilities. He was following God's higher call.
These three men's opportunities to follow Jesus were open for a brief time and then shut. It was not open-ended. If they didn't seize it at that time, then they could not regain it later. God usually does not give second chances, only next opportunities. What I mean by "next opportunity" is that the situation may change, but He offers another opening to step out in faith and follow Him.
There are many ways God can pick up the details. Sometimes when the leader moves out of a responsibility, someone else will step up and fill the gap left behind. As we mature in Christ, it is our responsibility to ask God how we help grow others and if we need to get out of the way for someone else to have an opportunity to grow. Other times, no one may rise to take the vacant role. Why would God leave a hole? He is sending a strong message to all including family, friends, and coworkers that their friend left behind something so wonderful for something of greater worth: to serve in the kingdom and to reach hurting humanity. How hurting humanity needs a Savior! Oh, what a testimony a woman leaves! She shows that God is worth leaving her life of self-absorption. Her eyes are no longer blind to others' hurts. She prioritized their needs. There she finds greatest fulfillment for her life. The gap left behind can be a gaping hole to serve as a reminder to other friends, family, and the next generation. They will be encouraged to lay down their nets, their plows, their comforts, their security, and their "knowns" to exchange them for the unknown glorious life.
Lastly, if He calls us to leave something behind, it may be for a reason that we will never know until we get to heaven. We can seek confirmation of the calling. Then you and I must trust that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. If He has called us to leave a post, then He is responsible for the consequences and the outcome.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, give us the heart to trust You when You call. May we not say, "Lord, first let me go," but may we be like Isaiah and say, "Lord, here I am. Send me." Empower and encourage us to live the life of the highest calling in service to You. It's in the Name of above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
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