Drawn to Jesus
“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.”
Matthew 4:23-25
While my friend Wilma and I were talking the other day, she told me that she was preparing her heart for Resurrection Sunday through a devotion book. She said she had been thinking a lot about what drew people to Jesus. Before we could go any further, the church service started, and our conversation had to end. However, God would not let that go in me. He asked me to start preparing for the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and to meditate on the people’s attraction to Jesus.
Jesus traveled from town to town preaching the good news. I imagine His arrival caused quite a racket. A crowd followed Him as He traveled throughout the region. He had captivated their attention. People stayed for days on a hillside to hear Him teach – forsaking their work and neglecting their need for food. Of course, they need not worry about a thing in the presence of Jesus. He provided a meal for thousands of them on two recorded occasions.
When He entered a new town, most people were probably going about their daily chores. Then someone may have shouted something like, “Jesus is coming. The Healer is on His way.” “Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, everyone,” or “The Prophet Jesus is here! He is here!” The people laid down their tools and set aside their cleaning to rush to hear His words and see Him.
He was a friend to any sinner; the nature of the sin, social position, race, or ethnicity didn’t matter. He demonstrated this best when He met the Samaritan woman at the well and asked her for a drink of water. A Jewish man would never speak to a Samarian woman and make Himself unclean – especially if he knew what kind of woman she was. Jesus didn’t point His finger at the town’s scandalous woman. The Living Water filled the dark recesses of her soul and rescued her from bondage. She said to the people that she brought back to meet Him, “Come meet a man who told me everything that I have ever done.” She was not just amazed that Jesus knew her before she met Him, but she was also amazed that He still treated her like she was valuable and worthy of meeting the Messiah.
People were also attracted to Jesus because He genuinely cared about them. Jesus showed compassion on the paralytic (Mark 1:40-45). The Greek word for compassion means that He was moved from deep inside of Him. He forgave him of his sins and made his crippled legs walk. In the funeral procession for a widow’s son, Jesus saw him being carried out of the city gate. When He saw her, His heart went out to her, and He comforted her by saying, “Don’t cry” (Luke 7:13). Then He raised her son from the dead.
Jesus also attracted some religious leaders who understood that He must be from God. When Nicodemus, a religious leader, came to Jesus by night, he said to Him in John 3:2-3 (The Message), “ ‘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.’ Jesus said, ‘You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to--to God's kingdom.’ ”
People were also magnetized to Jesus because of His teaching. Many times Scripture tells us that when Jesus finished teaching the crowds were amazed “because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matthew 7:29).
Above all His kindness, compassion, authority, knowledge, teaching, and power, the overwhelming reason why people were attracted to Jesus was that He was the answer to all of their needs. Whatever problems they brought Him, He could solve. Whatever issues that lay deep in their hearts that they may not be able to identify, He could see through the complexity of the layers and bring healing to their souls.
My friend, Jesus is still the answer today for whatever it is that is bothering you. For whatever miracle you need. For whatever stronghold you need torn down. For whatever sin you need forgiveness. For whatever fresh revelation of the Father you need, Jesus is the Answer! Hallelujah! Let’s seek Him like those people sought Him and followed Him wherever He went as He traveled throughout the land. He is the ANSWER!
Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, You are compassionate and caring. It was not Your will to turn anyone away who had a physical ailment or who was already dead! You reached out to all, and You demonstrated Your authority to heal the sick, to forgive sins, and to teach with power. You removed shame, sorrow, and grief. The entire time You pointed the way to God and revealed the Father to us. You showed us the kingdom of God. We praise You for that!
You are still the answer today for any problem that any of us have. We bring You our troubles, our worries, and our ailments. We stand in awe of You like the crowds did and worship You. It’s in Your Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
"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
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Poured Out
Poured Out
"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."
John 12:3
In the first story about Mary in the Bible, she is found sitting at Jesus' feet while He is teaching. Her sister Martha is distracted by the preparations and complains to Jesus that she is not helping her. Luke 10:41-42 says, " 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.' "
In the last story - which includes today's Scripture - about these two sisters, Martha was giving a dinner to honor Jesus six days before the Passover. The week before, Jesus had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. Since Martha had just witnessed the greatest miracle of her life up to that moment, she was celebrating by serving dinner while the men reclined at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took an expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. She poured out the most expensive thing that she had. It may have been the treasure that she was saving for her marriage dowry. Nothing else would have held more value than that. She broke the ornamental jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head (Mark 14:3) and His feet (John 12:3). It was costly to her, but she had decided that she must pour it out to her Teacher, Messiah, and King.
People's attitudes toward Mary and Martha have always bothered me. We have compartmentalized Martha to be the type A personality. If you want something done, then you go to a Martha. We think if we had more Martha's in the church that we would get things done. In our fast-paced world filled with a list of to-do's that could never be accomplished in our lifetimes, many of us relate to the "Martha" stereotype. Bible study gets put on the side while we get done our "have to" responsibilities. We collapse into our beds in exhaustion only to wake up in the morning to the alarm clock and be right back in the race.
Mary is known for lying around at Jesus' feet and taking in a good Bible story and being uncaring and inconsiderate to her sister's hard work. We think the Mary personality just attends Bible study and never serves in the church. She just brings her kids to the nursery for care and lets the Martha's tend to the kids. She shows up for the fellowship dinner and socializes while the Martha's work in the kitchen.
But I believe these two ladies were much more complex than the "get it done" girl and the "lazy, social" girl. I don't think Mary's choice was easy to sit at His feet or else Jesus would not have praised her.
A true Mary who has sat at the feet of Jesus, who has seen Him demonstrate His love and power in her life, will not just go to Bible study and suck in all the Word that she can and leave the service to the Martha's. An authentic Mary is like a mighty rushing river that cannot be held back from ministry for the kingdom. You can't stop her if your life depended upon it.
She will worship with no concern for how others may react to her. In fact her worship is unbridled! When you and I serve God out of the "Mary" in us who has chosen the better part, we will never find ourselves more alive. Our ministry may not be stress-free, but less stressful, because we are acting out of the Holy Spirit flowing out of us. We find fulfillment and significance. We uncover what we were created to do.
I can't help but wonder if Martha had prepared enough beforehand that she, too, found the release of her soul as she served the dinner that night. As she waited on them at the table, did she find the joy that she had been lacking on the prior occasion? Did she find that her natural compulsion, when under the rule of the authority of Jesus, was also her passion?
I'll be the first to say that writing is not my natural compulsion. However, when I write for you, I feel like the real "me" is being released. I feel like I'm getting a glimpse of the Shirley I will be in heaven. I feel closest to God when I pour out my heart for you through what He has shown me in His Word. If I am robbed of the time to do it, I almost feel like a part of me is dying like someone moaning in agony on her death bed dying a slow death. When I do it, my spirit is alive. I believe it is because I am in unison with the Holy Spirit playing a divine symphony in the heavenly realms. Just as the aroma in that room that night pleased Jesus, so I believe that when you and I serve out of the Mary within us that we please our Father. When we cannot stop ourselves from pouring it all for our God, we have won the ovation of our God and Father. Beloved, there is nothing sweeter in all of life than that!
Pray with me: Oh, God, You are life! You are our strength and our shield! You fulfill Your promise to never leave us! You are worth all sacrifice! Release Your Spirit through us. We want to serve You with the unbridled passion that Mary had. Show us the ministry thing that makes us feel like if we don't do it, then we will die! We will just die! Disobedience is not an option because we cannot be stopped from doing it. When we serve You, either in the kitchen like Martha that night or on center stage like Mary doing the wild and the crazy, may we always do it for Your exaltation and never self-exaltation. May we become physically ill at the thought of ever receiving glory that is due Your Name. We serve for the applause of One, just for You, Lord. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."
John 12:3
In the first story about Mary in the Bible, she is found sitting at Jesus' feet while He is teaching. Her sister Martha is distracted by the preparations and complains to Jesus that she is not helping her. Luke 10:41-42 says, " 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.' "
In the last story - which includes today's Scripture - about these two sisters, Martha was giving a dinner to honor Jesus six days before the Passover. The week before, Jesus had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. Since Martha had just witnessed the greatest miracle of her life up to that moment, she was celebrating by serving dinner while the men reclined at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took an expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. She poured out the most expensive thing that she had. It may have been the treasure that she was saving for her marriage dowry. Nothing else would have held more value than that. She broke the ornamental jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head (Mark 14:3) and His feet (John 12:3). It was costly to her, but she had decided that she must pour it out to her Teacher, Messiah, and King.
People's attitudes toward Mary and Martha have always bothered me. We have compartmentalized Martha to be the type A personality. If you want something done, then you go to a Martha. We think if we had more Martha's in the church that we would get things done. In our fast-paced world filled with a list of to-do's that could never be accomplished in our lifetimes, many of us relate to the "Martha" stereotype. Bible study gets put on the side while we get done our "have to" responsibilities. We collapse into our beds in exhaustion only to wake up in the morning to the alarm clock and be right back in the race.
Mary is known for lying around at Jesus' feet and taking in a good Bible story and being uncaring and inconsiderate to her sister's hard work. We think the Mary personality just attends Bible study and never serves in the church. She just brings her kids to the nursery for care and lets the Martha's tend to the kids. She shows up for the fellowship dinner and socializes while the Martha's work in the kitchen.
But I believe these two ladies were much more complex than the "get it done" girl and the "lazy, social" girl. I don't think Mary's choice was easy to sit at His feet or else Jesus would not have praised her.
A true Mary who has sat at the feet of Jesus, who has seen Him demonstrate His love and power in her life, will not just go to Bible study and suck in all the Word that she can and leave the service to the Martha's. An authentic Mary is like a mighty rushing river that cannot be held back from ministry for the kingdom. You can't stop her if your life depended upon it.
She will worship with no concern for how others may react to her. In fact her worship is unbridled! When you and I serve God out of the "Mary" in us who has chosen the better part, we will never find ourselves more alive. Our ministry may not be stress-free, but less stressful, because we are acting out of the Holy Spirit flowing out of us. We find fulfillment and significance. We uncover what we were created to do.
I can't help but wonder if Martha had prepared enough beforehand that she, too, found the release of her soul as she served the dinner that night. As she waited on them at the table, did she find the joy that she had been lacking on the prior occasion? Did she find that her natural compulsion, when under the rule of the authority of Jesus, was also her passion?
I'll be the first to say that writing is not my natural compulsion. However, when I write for you, I feel like the real "me" is being released. I feel like I'm getting a glimpse of the Shirley I will be in heaven. I feel closest to God when I pour out my heart for you through what He has shown me in His Word. If I am robbed of the time to do it, I almost feel like a part of me is dying like someone moaning in agony on her death bed dying a slow death. When I do it, my spirit is alive. I believe it is because I am in unison with the Holy Spirit playing a divine symphony in the heavenly realms. Just as the aroma in that room that night pleased Jesus, so I believe that when you and I serve out of the Mary within us that we please our Father. When we cannot stop ourselves from pouring it all for our God, we have won the ovation of our God and Father. Beloved, there is nothing sweeter in all of life than that!
Pray with me: Oh, God, You are life! You are our strength and our shield! You fulfill Your promise to never leave us! You are worth all sacrifice! Release Your Spirit through us. We want to serve You with the unbridled passion that Mary had. Show us the ministry thing that makes us feel like if we don't do it, then we will die! We will just die! Disobedience is not an option because we cannot be stopped from doing it. When we serve You, either in the kitchen like Martha that night or on center stage like Mary doing the wild and the crazy, may we always do it for Your exaltation and never self-exaltation. May we become physically ill at the thought of ever receiving glory that is due Your Name. We serve for the applause of One, just for You, Lord. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Watchmen for Jerusalem
Watchmen for Jerusalem
“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”
Isaiah 62:6-7
As I have told you so many times previously in this watchmen series, I passionately desire for you and me to be women who know how to look at current events from God’s viewpoint. Prophecy after prophecy is being fulfilled in our lifetime. We must understand what is going on in our world from God’s viewpoint on His throne. Today we focus again on Jerusalem in our series because God keeps focusing me on His city.
One of the main signs that Jesus’ return is very near is Jerusalem. When Jesus was telling of the signs of the end and His return, He said of Jerusalem in Luke 21:24, “They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Jesus told us of both the fall of Jerusalem and that one day the Jews would take back Jerusalem.
In the first century, Rome ruled the known world. The Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem. They closed all exits from Jerusalem including the tunnels under the wall. The siege continued for months. All hope for escape withered and vanished away. Tens of thousands of Jews were trapped behind the walls. The people in the city starved. In this military slaughter, Titus killed over one million people in Jerusalem, and 97,000 were taken as prisoners to Rome. Some were fed to the lions as entertainment for the Roman citizens in their coliseum. The strong became gladiators who fought to the death. Some were burned alive…Men and women…Young and old…Many of the Jews did not heed Jesus’ warning in His prophecy in Matthew 24:17-18 to flee so quickly that they didn’t go from the roof into the house to take anything or the one in the field to not return to get his cloak. The majority of the other Jews fled or were driven out of the land. This time is known in Israel as the Diaspora. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were scattered to the ends of the earth. They did not return to their homeland as a nation until 1948.
Jerusalem means “dwelling of peace.” No other city on earth holds God’s heart like Jerusalem does. On the day of the triumphal entry, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because He knew what was going to happen to the people. The Greek word for wept is the strongest word to express one’s grief. Jesus lamented, wailed, shed tears, and had every external expression of grief. He cried because they did not know what would bring them peace. Our God loves Jerusalem, and He did not reject the Jewish people. The city of peace rejected the Prince of Peace.
In the Six Day war in 1967, the Jewish people took control of Jerusalem for the first time since 70 A.D. The sign that Jerusalem is no longer under Gentile control has been fulfilled. The reoccupation of Jerusalem has come true in our time. However, the kingdom of the air longs to strip away pieces of land to thwart God’s plan and stop the countdown to His Son’s return.
In every generation, God has posted a watchman to pray for Jerusalem. They are to call on the Lord until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. We are not to be silent. When you and I pray and call out to God for Jerusalem, we are fulfilling God’s Word. If God is so passionate about Jerusalem, then we should be relentless in our prayers to our Father about Jerusalem. May the Lord Almighty give us His heart for Jerusalem!
Pray with me: Lord of Hosts, Jehovah Sabaoth, You are all powerful and worthy of all praise. Praise You that the Gentiles no longer control Jerusalem. You have fulfilled Your Word and continue to prove that You are God alone. May all plans to take away any part of Jerusalem from the Jewish people be thwarted. Raise up leaders who understand Your heart and will not relinquish the land.
Someday the King of Glory will come to Jerusalem. We long for that day. When Jerusalem is secure (Zechariah 14:11), then there will be peace on earth. Lord, You put Your Name on Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 6:6) and said You would dwell there forever (Psalm 68:16). You love this city and its people. Give us a heart for Jerusalem. Strip the veils so we can see how much it means to You. Establish Jerusalem and make her the praise of the earth. We long for the day when there are no more moms crying because of what has happened to their children. We cry out for peace – true peace, everlasting peace. It is in the Name of the Prince of Peace that we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”
Isaiah 62:6-7
As I have told you so many times previously in this watchmen series, I passionately desire for you and me to be women who know how to look at current events from God’s viewpoint. Prophecy after prophecy is being fulfilled in our lifetime. We must understand what is going on in our world from God’s viewpoint on His throne. Today we focus again on Jerusalem in our series because God keeps focusing me on His city.
One of the main signs that Jesus’ return is very near is Jerusalem. When Jesus was telling of the signs of the end and His return, He said of Jerusalem in Luke 21:24, “They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Jesus told us of both the fall of Jerusalem and that one day the Jews would take back Jerusalem.
In the first century, Rome ruled the known world. The Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem. They closed all exits from Jerusalem including the tunnels under the wall. The siege continued for months. All hope for escape withered and vanished away. Tens of thousands of Jews were trapped behind the walls. The people in the city starved. In this military slaughter, Titus killed over one million people in Jerusalem, and 97,000 were taken as prisoners to Rome. Some were fed to the lions as entertainment for the Roman citizens in their coliseum. The strong became gladiators who fought to the death. Some were burned alive…Men and women…Young and old…Many of the Jews did not heed Jesus’ warning in His prophecy in Matthew 24:17-18 to flee so quickly that they didn’t go from the roof into the house to take anything or the one in the field to not return to get his cloak. The majority of the other Jews fled or were driven out of the land. This time is known in Israel as the Diaspora. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were scattered to the ends of the earth. They did not return to their homeland as a nation until 1948.
Jerusalem means “dwelling of peace.” No other city on earth holds God’s heart like Jerusalem does. On the day of the triumphal entry, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because He knew what was going to happen to the people. The Greek word for wept is the strongest word to express one’s grief. Jesus lamented, wailed, shed tears, and had every external expression of grief. He cried because they did not know what would bring them peace. Our God loves Jerusalem, and He did not reject the Jewish people. The city of peace rejected the Prince of Peace.
In the Six Day war in 1967, the Jewish people took control of Jerusalem for the first time since 70 A.D. The sign that Jerusalem is no longer under Gentile control has been fulfilled. The reoccupation of Jerusalem has come true in our time. However, the kingdom of the air longs to strip away pieces of land to thwart God’s plan and stop the countdown to His Son’s return.
In every generation, God has posted a watchman to pray for Jerusalem. They are to call on the Lord until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. We are not to be silent. When you and I pray and call out to God for Jerusalem, we are fulfilling God’s Word. If God is so passionate about Jerusalem, then we should be relentless in our prayers to our Father about Jerusalem. May the Lord Almighty give us His heart for Jerusalem!
Pray with me: Lord of Hosts, Jehovah Sabaoth, You are all powerful and worthy of all praise. Praise You that the Gentiles no longer control Jerusalem. You have fulfilled Your Word and continue to prove that You are God alone. May all plans to take away any part of Jerusalem from the Jewish people be thwarted. Raise up leaders who understand Your heart and will not relinquish the land.
Someday the King of Glory will come to Jerusalem. We long for that day. When Jerusalem is secure (Zechariah 14:11), then there will be peace on earth. Lord, You put Your Name on Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 6:6) and said You would dwell there forever (Psalm 68:16). You love this city and its people. Give us a heart for Jerusalem. Strip the veils so we can see how much it means to You. Establish Jerusalem and make her the praise of the earth. We long for the day when there are no more moms crying because of what has happened to their children. We cry out for peace – true peace, everlasting peace. It is in the Name of the Prince of Peace that we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Under Whose Wings
Under Whose Wings
"May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."
Ruth 2:12
Because of the famine in Israel, Naomi and her husband decided to move to Moab. Moab was a polytheistic nation, which means that the people there worshiped many gods. Their two sons married Moabite women. Maybe Naomi grieved at first that her sons had chosen foreign wives and not Hebrew wives. Their wives were named Ruth and Orpah. If you know the ending to the story of Ruth, then you know that she chose the God of Israel. She must have learned about Him through Naomi and her family. Perhaps they told her the stories about how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt because they were His chosen people.
Sadly, all three men died, and the three women survived. When Ruth's husband died, she gave up dreams of living a long life with her man and bearing his children. Through her sorrow and her loss, the God of Naomi and her deceased husband was more attractive and believable than the gods of Moab. The unseen God of Israel had won her affection over the idols she had worshiped and the god Ashtoreh to whom she had burned incense.
The three women had probably wept on each other's shoulders. At times, each woman probably had the pain of losing her husband rise up unexpectedly. Naomi's pain must have been the greatest, though. She had lost all three men in her life, and all hope for any grandchildren in her bloodline would end with her.
Naomi left for Bethlehem, and her two daughters-in-law joined her. Orpah started on the road to Israel, but after Naomi urged her to go back, she returned home. She did not choose to take the road to Judah. However, Ruth clung tightly to her and proclaimed, "Your people are my people. Your God is my God." She pledged herself to Naomi and that she would stay by her side no matter what came their way.
All her life, most likely, she lived in the land east of the Dead Sea. She had no idea what lay on the road before her. She only knew the God she loved awaited her on that road, and the one who introduced her to Him was taking it. So she journeyed with her mother-in-law west to Bethlehem. Maybe they joined a caravan when they could, but they still journeyed through potential dangers of traveling without protection like being snatched up, or sold into slavery, or worse.
Ruth chose to live with Naomi in poverty in the Promised Land instead of returning to her people in Moab where she could have provision. They were destitute, and Naomi was the object of pity by her old friends.
The LORD had commanded the Jewish people to leave behind some harvest for the poor to glean. It is God's way that no one goes hungry. So Ruth picked up the grain left behind.
Then an honorable man took notice of her. He provided for her what he could by allowing her to work in his fields and by ordering no one to hurt her. Additionally, he gave her a blessing in Ruth 2:12 by saying, "May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Boaz grasped what Ruth had done. He understood that she had physically taken shelter in Israel, signifying that she was entrusting her entire life to the care of the God of Israel.
I heard this story about Ruth twice over a period of three days. This verse 12 leapt out at me both times. Ruth offered God one thing - herself. She understood that she could have had the sure thing by returning to her people, been provided for, remarried, had children, and lived the life of ease. Maybe she could have kept worshiping the God Jehovah there in her land, but that was not enough for her. She didn't want the life of mediocrity. Ruth not only left her land and her blood-family, but she also left her gods behind for the God of Israel. She chose the LORD over all things in life. When she chose the LORD, she placed herself under His care. All she had was herself, and that was all that she needed to give!
The Hebrew word for repay in verse 12 does not just mean that Boaz was asking for God to pay her for taking care of Naomi like you or I might pay hourly wages to someone who has taken care of our parent, child, or other loved one. It was more than mere money. This word "repay" also means to be safe and to be completed. Isn't that beautiful? Only God had the power to do all three. He could provide for her needs and keep her safe as well as complete her life by bringing fullness and meaning to it!
Ruth's trust is such an example to you and me. She chose a life of hardship in poverty and being a stranger in a foreign land as long as she had God. Could we trust Him like Ruth did? Have we forsaken our gods that we had before we walked with the God Most High? Have we made one brave decision to be loyal to our God and followed through with a daily commitment no matter the cost, the fear, or the trouble that we have encountered? Oh, beloved, let's have the trust, loyalty, and courage of Ruth!
Pray with me: Oh, God, we praise Your Holy Name! May we come under Your wings and take refuge there. Only under the protection of Your arms and in the folds of Your garments will we find true safety and the security that we need. In a world that can fall apart on us, in a world that does not share the same economy that You have to take care of the poor, You are still with us. You remain. Therefore, may we be willing to follow Your path wherever it may lead and forsake any other god. Empower us to make the turning point brave decisions that set our direction for the rest of our lives. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
"May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."
Ruth 2:12
Because of the famine in Israel, Naomi and her husband decided to move to Moab. Moab was a polytheistic nation, which means that the people there worshiped many gods. Their two sons married Moabite women. Maybe Naomi grieved at first that her sons had chosen foreign wives and not Hebrew wives. Their wives were named Ruth and Orpah. If you know the ending to the story of Ruth, then you know that she chose the God of Israel. She must have learned about Him through Naomi and her family. Perhaps they told her the stories about how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt because they were His chosen people.
Sadly, all three men died, and the three women survived. When Ruth's husband died, she gave up dreams of living a long life with her man and bearing his children. Through her sorrow and her loss, the God of Naomi and her deceased husband was more attractive and believable than the gods of Moab. The unseen God of Israel had won her affection over the idols she had worshiped and the god Ashtoreh to whom she had burned incense.
The three women had probably wept on each other's shoulders. At times, each woman probably had the pain of losing her husband rise up unexpectedly. Naomi's pain must have been the greatest, though. She had lost all three men in her life, and all hope for any grandchildren in her bloodline would end with her.
Naomi left for Bethlehem, and her two daughters-in-law joined her. Orpah started on the road to Israel, but after Naomi urged her to go back, she returned home. She did not choose to take the road to Judah. However, Ruth clung tightly to her and proclaimed, "Your people are my people. Your God is my God." She pledged herself to Naomi and that she would stay by her side no matter what came their way.
All her life, most likely, she lived in the land east of the Dead Sea. She had no idea what lay on the road before her. She only knew the God she loved awaited her on that road, and the one who introduced her to Him was taking it. So she journeyed with her mother-in-law west to Bethlehem. Maybe they joined a caravan when they could, but they still journeyed through potential dangers of traveling without protection like being snatched up, or sold into slavery, or worse.
Ruth chose to live with Naomi in poverty in the Promised Land instead of returning to her people in Moab where she could have provision. They were destitute, and Naomi was the object of pity by her old friends.
The LORD had commanded the Jewish people to leave behind some harvest for the poor to glean. It is God's way that no one goes hungry. So Ruth picked up the grain left behind.
Then an honorable man took notice of her. He provided for her what he could by allowing her to work in his fields and by ordering no one to hurt her. Additionally, he gave her a blessing in Ruth 2:12 by saying, "May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Boaz grasped what Ruth had done. He understood that she had physically taken shelter in Israel, signifying that she was entrusting her entire life to the care of the God of Israel.
I heard this story about Ruth twice over a period of three days. This verse 12 leapt out at me both times. Ruth offered God one thing - herself. She understood that she could have had the sure thing by returning to her people, been provided for, remarried, had children, and lived the life of ease. Maybe she could have kept worshiping the God Jehovah there in her land, but that was not enough for her. She didn't want the life of mediocrity. Ruth not only left her land and her blood-family, but she also left her gods behind for the God of Israel. She chose the LORD over all things in life. When she chose the LORD, she placed herself under His care. All she had was herself, and that was all that she needed to give!
The Hebrew word for repay in verse 12 does not just mean that Boaz was asking for God to pay her for taking care of Naomi like you or I might pay hourly wages to someone who has taken care of our parent, child, or other loved one. It was more than mere money. This word "repay" also means to be safe and to be completed. Isn't that beautiful? Only God had the power to do all three. He could provide for her needs and keep her safe as well as complete her life by bringing fullness and meaning to it!
Ruth's trust is such an example to you and me. She chose a life of hardship in poverty and being a stranger in a foreign land as long as she had God. Could we trust Him like Ruth did? Have we forsaken our gods that we had before we walked with the God Most High? Have we made one brave decision to be loyal to our God and followed through with a daily commitment no matter the cost, the fear, or the trouble that we have encountered? Oh, beloved, let's have the trust, loyalty, and courage of Ruth!
Pray with me: Oh, God, we praise Your Holy Name! May we come under Your wings and take refuge there. Only under the protection of Your arms and in the folds of Your garments will we find true safety and the security that we need. In a world that can fall apart on us, in a world that does not share the same economy that You have to take care of the poor, You are still with us. You remain. Therefore, may we be willing to follow Your path wherever it may lead and forsake any other god. Empower us to make the turning point brave decisions that set our direction for the rest of our lives. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Daniel’s Courage
Daniel’s Courage
“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”
Daniel 6:10
My work has been stressful for many months now. My team is responsible for a new technology that is going into most of the new products (printers) in my division of a Fortune 500 company. We have a deadline approaching that if we miss will be catastrophic to my company. We don’t know the answer to our technical problems. It is not a matter of working hard enough to eventually complete all the work but a matter of the brain power to find the solution to make it function properly.
I asked God what He wants me to learn from this pressure that happens year after year. Why do my programs have crisis right before start of production? God unveiled to me one of the most pivotal things of my life.
I attended a meeting where an executive was retiring from the company to work in full time ministry. He talked about how in one difficult meeting that he just stopped engaging in the conversation and prayed. The entire meeting was completely different from that point forward.
I told God, “You know, God, that I am praying. I’m praying before work with my face to the floor. I’m praying during meetings. I’m praying in my office with Christian co-workers for this team. I’m praying for You, the Great Designer, All Knowing Engineer, to download the technical solution to my team’s mind because I know You can do so at anytime that You choose.” The Lord burned in me that those prayers were good, but He didn’t call me to be indistinguishable in the workplace.
After the meeting, I told my friend Nicole that God really was speaking to me about this prayer thing. I couldn’t figure out what He wanted me to do. I was doing what that executive had done. As I worked it out with her, I told her that I knew that my prayer warrior friend and mentor would be on her knees in the meetings praying with her hands in the air, but I have more on the line than that woman. I am the sole provider for my family. But if I don’t do more prayer openly, then I am denying who I am. I cannot forsake my identity any more.
Then God reminded me of Daniel. You see, Daniel was one of three administrators to King Darius. In other words, King Darius was the CEO, and Daniel was the president of the division. Daniel was stuck in Babylon and had no other place to get a job. The jealous satraps sought to lay a plan to bring charges against him. They knew there was no corruption in him. Daniel was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. So they had to find a charge that had to do with the law of his God (Daniel 6:5).
So the satraps connived and tricked King Darius into issuing an edict that could not be revoked by the law of the Persians. For 30 days people could only pray to the King. Anyone who prayed to another god or man would be thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel didn’t pray in secret. Daniel didn’t cower in his room, shut the door, and pull down the blinds. Daniel went to his room, opened his windows, and prayed three times a day like he always did.
So I said, “Okay, I get it, Lord. It is not good enough for me to pray silently in a meeting. It is not good enough for me to pray in my prayer time at home and behind closed doors with other Christian coworkers about this problem.” I played out the worst case scenario like I always do until I decided that if I lose my job, I lose my job. If my lifestyle structure has to change because I was true to who I am in Christ, then it is time for a change.
So I prayer walked seven times around the lab. I laid hands on every printer. When people asked what I was looking at in the machine, I courageously said, “I’m not looking at anything. I’m praying.” You see, I am not an electrical engineer. I’m a mechanical engineer and a project manager. I don’t have the technical skills to solve this electrical problem. It’s not my strength, but my strength is that I AM A Mighty Prayer Warrior! When I get on my knees, the kingdom of darkness trembles because the Holy Spirit resides in me. Not on my own abilities, but because of who I am in Christ, I can make petitions to the God of the universe with pure motives and in great faith, and He moves the mountains!
Of course, you know what happened. My team lead said that he had divine inspiration as to what the problem was. My prayers are more effective than any other engineering or managerial skill that I could use.
My culture will not crush my identity anymore. I will be me! In Jerusalem, the Muslims are called to pray to Allah three times a day. The call goes out where you can hear it throughout the city. They have more freedom than we do in the United States to pray. Well, I’m tired of believing that I do not have religious freedom. I’m tired of the oppression of the enemy, and I’m not going to take it anymore. Just like Daniel was not confrontational but merely himself, I will be me in the workplace. I hope God irritates you with this one until you are willing to join me in the adventure of Daniel’s courage to pray!
Pray with me: Oh, God, give me the courage to open my windows and pray in the places where I have believed the lies and have been oppressed. Let my courage be shown. Don’t let me fall into the trap of being confrontational in an ungodly way. Just let me be the mighty prayer warrior that I am in the workplace.
Maybe through my courage, unbelievers will stop thinking that there is nothing appealing about being a Christian and that they would rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. You are attractive! You are the great adventure! Give me more boldness! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”
Daniel 6:10
My work has been stressful for many months now. My team is responsible for a new technology that is going into most of the new products (printers) in my division of a Fortune 500 company. We have a deadline approaching that if we miss will be catastrophic to my company. We don’t know the answer to our technical problems. It is not a matter of working hard enough to eventually complete all the work but a matter of the brain power to find the solution to make it function properly.
I asked God what He wants me to learn from this pressure that happens year after year. Why do my programs have crisis right before start of production? God unveiled to me one of the most pivotal things of my life.
I attended a meeting where an executive was retiring from the company to work in full time ministry. He talked about how in one difficult meeting that he just stopped engaging in the conversation and prayed. The entire meeting was completely different from that point forward.
I told God, “You know, God, that I am praying. I’m praying before work with my face to the floor. I’m praying during meetings. I’m praying in my office with Christian co-workers for this team. I’m praying for You, the Great Designer, All Knowing Engineer, to download the technical solution to my team’s mind because I know You can do so at anytime that You choose.” The Lord burned in me that those prayers were good, but He didn’t call me to be indistinguishable in the workplace.
After the meeting, I told my friend Nicole that God really was speaking to me about this prayer thing. I couldn’t figure out what He wanted me to do. I was doing what that executive had done. As I worked it out with her, I told her that I knew that my prayer warrior friend and mentor would be on her knees in the meetings praying with her hands in the air, but I have more on the line than that woman. I am the sole provider for my family. But if I don’t do more prayer openly, then I am denying who I am. I cannot forsake my identity any more.
Then God reminded me of Daniel. You see, Daniel was one of three administrators to King Darius. In other words, King Darius was the CEO, and Daniel was the president of the division. Daniel was stuck in Babylon and had no other place to get a job. The jealous satraps sought to lay a plan to bring charges against him. They knew there was no corruption in him. Daniel was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. So they had to find a charge that had to do with the law of his God (Daniel 6:5).
So the satraps connived and tricked King Darius into issuing an edict that could not be revoked by the law of the Persians. For 30 days people could only pray to the King. Anyone who prayed to another god or man would be thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel didn’t pray in secret. Daniel didn’t cower in his room, shut the door, and pull down the blinds. Daniel went to his room, opened his windows, and prayed three times a day like he always did.
So I said, “Okay, I get it, Lord. It is not good enough for me to pray silently in a meeting. It is not good enough for me to pray in my prayer time at home and behind closed doors with other Christian coworkers about this problem.” I played out the worst case scenario like I always do until I decided that if I lose my job, I lose my job. If my lifestyle structure has to change because I was true to who I am in Christ, then it is time for a change.
So I prayer walked seven times around the lab. I laid hands on every printer. When people asked what I was looking at in the machine, I courageously said, “I’m not looking at anything. I’m praying.” You see, I am not an electrical engineer. I’m a mechanical engineer and a project manager. I don’t have the technical skills to solve this electrical problem. It’s not my strength, but my strength is that I AM A Mighty Prayer Warrior! When I get on my knees, the kingdom of darkness trembles because the Holy Spirit resides in me. Not on my own abilities, but because of who I am in Christ, I can make petitions to the God of the universe with pure motives and in great faith, and He moves the mountains!
Of course, you know what happened. My team lead said that he had divine inspiration as to what the problem was. My prayers are more effective than any other engineering or managerial skill that I could use.
My culture will not crush my identity anymore. I will be me! In Jerusalem, the Muslims are called to pray to Allah three times a day. The call goes out where you can hear it throughout the city. They have more freedom than we do in the United States to pray. Well, I’m tired of believing that I do not have religious freedom. I’m tired of the oppression of the enemy, and I’m not going to take it anymore. Just like Daniel was not confrontational but merely himself, I will be me in the workplace. I hope God irritates you with this one until you are willing to join me in the adventure of Daniel’s courage to pray!
Pray with me: Oh, God, give me the courage to open my windows and pray in the places where I have believed the lies and have been oppressed. Let my courage be shown. Don’t let me fall into the trap of being confrontational in an ungodly way. Just let me be the mighty prayer warrior that I am in the workplace.
Maybe through my courage, unbelievers will stop thinking that there is nothing appealing about being a Christian and that they would rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. You are attractive! You are the great adventure! Give me more boldness! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Redemption Point
Redemption Point
"They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations."
Isaiah 61:4
"The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
Isaiah 58:11
Previously, I shared with you that God gave me a one day trip to Guam for my 40th birthday present. He told me at the beginning of the year that I would be returning soon to the island where I lived for two years. I did not know how or when. I just knew His voice. The first time that I went to Guam, I unknowingly went there to fulfill the plan of satan. When I went to the tarot card reader, it was the same as asking satan himself what he wanted to do with my life. I had been trapped by the enemy, fulfilling satan's plan for my life (2 Timothy 2:26), but I came to my senses and God helped me to escape. This time I was going to Guam to fulfill the plan of God. In this physical act, God completed the full redemption process of taking back the land that I gave to the enemy. He is rebuilding the ancient ruins. I am no longer miserable inside but overflow with joy and the love of Christ.
Let me share with you one of the things that God revealed in my short visit. When I arrived on the island, the recesses of my mind released memories of my time on Guam. I remembered the loneliness, the sadness, the grief, and the reckless living. It was equally important that I also remembered how to navigate around the island! I found my way to the place where I lived my first few months on the island and my last year - the bachelor's officers Quarters (BOQ). The building should have been condemned due to typhoon damage when I lived there, but they renovated it on the inside. One of the first things that I did when I came to the island was to walk a trail that led to a World War II plane that had crashed. I attempted to find the trail, but it was gone. The island vegetation had grown over the trail in the past 12 years. This was so typical of Guam. The island was known for its booney trails and hash runs. Both allowed one to explore just as Daniel Boone explored the United States Frontier taking a machete to slash one's way through the island which was overgrown, untended, and untouched by man. From the corners of my mind, I remembered how I always thought Guam was untamed and so wild.
I didn't have the same success finding my other homes on the island. The main road was easy to find, but the horseshoe road that joined the main road twice was hidden from me. Even though I turned down every road to the right and was determined to find it, the vegetation had grown so much that I was concerned that it would scrape my rental car. (It was a convertible, of course. It is the only way to tour an island!) I thought this is typical of Guam to not have the roads cleared. Once again, the theme in my mind was Guam was untamed.
I turned down one last road thinking this must be the road. I stopped the car and looked down into the valley below. This valley was the beauty of Guam - pacific blue and bath water temperature water on the outside of the island and lush green mountains and valleys on the inner parts of the island.
As I was delighting in the beauty of the island, I realized that I was not alone. A man was tending to his yard, the property to the right of me. His yard was nothing like the other places that I had encountered that day. He had meticulously trimmed every tree, bush, and the grass to the perfect dimensions. He told me that he worked in his yard every day.
Then God-bumps covered my arms, and I knew this was the moment for which I came. God said to me, "Shirley, you were just like Guam. You were an untamed child in need of a daily gardener." He took my breath away. Just like that man tended to his garden every day, so had God tended to me. God had sown His Word into the soil of my heart. Through daily intake of His Word, abiding in His presence, seeking Him and not merely knowledge, I was transformed! He has given me the sun, the light of the world, and Living Water. He has tilled and fertilized the soil of my heart. He has pruned me and clipped away the unnecessary things from my life.
God told me to call this place "Redemption Point." I don't shudder any more when I think of Guam and the sad, "untamed" girl that I used to be. Haunting memories were left behind at that point on the hill by the gardener's home. I had released other hauntings, but this one required more. I needed a physical place and that one memorable day when my mind could release things to God if the pain and guilt tried to drag me down. I replaced my shameful moments with this beautiful God moment. When satan brings it up to me, I now have a physical place where I can say those memories can't hurt me anymore but will only keep me from returning to my old ways.
Precious one, what about you? Do you have any memories that haunt you? Were you ever "untamed," wild, lacking self-control, living foolishly, sad, or just really stupid? Has there been a point in your life where you have released those memories to God once and for all and never said "hello" to those hauntings again? Take it from someone who knows. There must be a time when you not only release the times that you repent, but replace it with the God moments and His joy that you have found by abiding in Him. Just like that man tended to his garden every day, so must our Father tend to us - His well-watered garden - everyday.
Pray with me: Oh Father, God, praise You for making us well-watered gardens! Thank You for tending to us every day and watering us with the water of life! Thank You for pruning and discipling us. Thank You for shaping us into creations that are beautiful and stunning in Your sight! You give us breathtaking beauty! You can rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated! There is nothing in our lives that is too devastating and too beyond repair for You!
You can redeem and restore any life that has been ruined by the enemy, by man, or by her own hand. We cry out to You on her behalf that she will find her redemption in You. May she find healing. May she find a place where she can leave her life of sin and replace it with the life she has found in You. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
"They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations."
Isaiah 61:4
"The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
Isaiah 58:11
Previously, I shared with you that God gave me a one day trip to Guam for my 40th birthday present. He told me at the beginning of the year that I would be returning soon to the island where I lived for two years. I did not know how or when. I just knew His voice. The first time that I went to Guam, I unknowingly went there to fulfill the plan of satan. When I went to the tarot card reader, it was the same as asking satan himself what he wanted to do with my life. I had been trapped by the enemy, fulfilling satan's plan for my life (2 Timothy 2:26), but I came to my senses and God helped me to escape. This time I was going to Guam to fulfill the plan of God. In this physical act, God completed the full redemption process of taking back the land that I gave to the enemy. He is rebuilding the ancient ruins. I am no longer miserable inside but overflow with joy and the love of Christ.
Let me share with you one of the things that God revealed in my short visit. When I arrived on the island, the recesses of my mind released memories of my time on Guam. I remembered the loneliness, the sadness, the grief, and the reckless living. It was equally important that I also remembered how to navigate around the island! I found my way to the place where I lived my first few months on the island and my last year - the bachelor's officers Quarters (BOQ). The building should have been condemned due to typhoon damage when I lived there, but they renovated it on the inside. One of the first things that I did when I came to the island was to walk a trail that led to a World War II plane that had crashed. I attempted to find the trail, but it was gone. The island vegetation had grown over the trail in the past 12 years. This was so typical of Guam. The island was known for its booney trails and hash runs. Both allowed one to explore just as Daniel Boone explored the United States Frontier taking a machete to slash one's way through the island which was overgrown, untended, and untouched by man. From the corners of my mind, I remembered how I always thought Guam was untamed and so wild.
I didn't have the same success finding my other homes on the island. The main road was easy to find, but the horseshoe road that joined the main road twice was hidden from me. Even though I turned down every road to the right and was determined to find it, the vegetation had grown so much that I was concerned that it would scrape my rental car. (It was a convertible, of course. It is the only way to tour an island!) I thought this is typical of Guam to not have the roads cleared. Once again, the theme in my mind was Guam was untamed.
I turned down one last road thinking this must be the road. I stopped the car and looked down into the valley below. This valley was the beauty of Guam - pacific blue and bath water temperature water on the outside of the island and lush green mountains and valleys on the inner parts of the island.
As I was delighting in the beauty of the island, I realized that I was not alone. A man was tending to his yard, the property to the right of me. His yard was nothing like the other places that I had encountered that day. He had meticulously trimmed every tree, bush, and the grass to the perfect dimensions. He told me that he worked in his yard every day.
Then God-bumps covered my arms, and I knew this was the moment for which I came. God said to me, "Shirley, you were just like Guam. You were an untamed child in need of a daily gardener." He took my breath away. Just like that man tended to his garden every day, so had God tended to me. God had sown His Word into the soil of my heart. Through daily intake of His Word, abiding in His presence, seeking Him and not merely knowledge, I was transformed! He has given me the sun, the light of the world, and Living Water. He has tilled and fertilized the soil of my heart. He has pruned me and clipped away the unnecessary things from my life.
God told me to call this place "Redemption Point." I don't shudder any more when I think of Guam and the sad, "untamed" girl that I used to be. Haunting memories were left behind at that point on the hill by the gardener's home. I had released other hauntings, but this one required more. I needed a physical place and that one memorable day when my mind could release things to God if the pain and guilt tried to drag me down. I replaced my shameful moments with this beautiful God moment. When satan brings it up to me, I now have a physical place where I can say those memories can't hurt me anymore but will only keep me from returning to my old ways.
Precious one, what about you? Do you have any memories that haunt you? Were you ever "untamed," wild, lacking self-control, living foolishly, sad, or just really stupid? Has there been a point in your life where you have released those memories to God once and for all and never said "hello" to those hauntings again? Take it from someone who knows. There must be a time when you not only release the times that you repent, but replace it with the God moments and His joy that you have found by abiding in Him. Just like that man tended to his garden every day, so must our Father tend to us - His well-watered garden - everyday.
Pray with me: Oh Father, God, praise You for making us well-watered gardens! Thank You for tending to us every day and watering us with the water of life! Thank You for pruning and discipling us. Thank You for shaping us into creations that are beautiful and stunning in Your sight! You give us breathtaking beauty! You can rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated! There is nothing in our lives that is too devastating and too beyond repair for You!
You can redeem and restore any life that has been ruined by the enemy, by man, or by her own hand. We cry out to You on her behalf that she will find her redemption in You. May she find healing. May she find a place where she can leave her life of sin and replace it with the life she has found in You. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Daring
Daring
"Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."
Acts 28:31
It is what attracts me most to my husband. Yet, it is also what makes me feel stunned, uncomfortable, and even embarrassed at times. Many times, I have wanted to be more like him in this way. I have wanted him to tone down this gift at times, too. What is this gift that entices yet whacks me out? It is his boldness. He can talk to any stranger, get them to talk about their deepest issues and hurts, and sometimes pray over them. He has taught me the fine art of getting people, even strangers, to open up, like tonight when I met the college student working at Blockbusters. He was reluctant to talk at first, but I found out his hopes and dreams in less than five minutes.
At the same time, he says it like it is. No society rules hold him back. There are no elephants in the room that he sees but doesn't mention. Everyone knows exactly what he thinks and where he stands. He is constantly holding up God's Word as the plum line for everything in life.
So Doug was just being Doug that day. We were at some friends' house for a nice family gathering. Our children were playing in the basement. Someone called my attention to the other room to show me a collection of souvenirs from other countries, cultures, and religions. So he had to ask our hosts the question. There was no restraining him. Since he was in the other room, he was too far for me to kick, and there was no table to hide it. He said, "So you all have a false god in your house? You all haven't gone the way of (prominent political leader)? You all don't believe that we Christians worship the same God as Allah, the Muslims' god? You don't believe that all religions are the same, and we just worship God under a different name, do you?"
My face may have been displaying great interest in the story that someone else was telling me. However inside, my jaw was dropped, my voice was screaming, and panic flowed through my blood. My face so wanted to show horror! I thought we were going to be asked to leave their home. I couldn't believe that he was so daring. Even though we don't see this family very often, I love them so much. We could talk about Christ with them, and they attend a Christian denomination church. However, I had wondered if they had embraced other religions and forsaken John 14:6 that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Him, but I didn't have the guts to ask them!
Then, God started to work on my heart. We only had that day with that family. We probably only see them once a year. These were some important questions to ask them. Their eternal destinations were at stake! I was so proud of my husband for chain sawing a doorway where there was no opening and start asking them the most important questions in all of life!
God asked me who really showed love to them that day? Was it me who just wanted to have a sweet, fun time getting caught up on family stories for the past year? Or was it my husband who found a polite way to ask them if they knew the truth about the One and Only God? Only God can know what is really going on in these people's hearts. But what if they are not really saved? I couldn't bear it. I tell you nothing rips me up more than thinking of anyone, I mean anyone, not spending eternity with God. I stand with God in the desire to not see anyone perish (2 Peter 3:9). I can't imagine on judgment day if any of my friends turn to me and ask me why didn't I try harder to tell her? Why did I come to her home, break bread with her, laugh as we sat around the living room, and tell stories with her but not continue to share with her the truth about Jesus?
Beloved, our time is short on planet earth. We can't love peace so much in relationships that we forsake true love. If we know the truth and we don't speak about it, then shame on us - just like shame on me that day. We are called to uphold the Gospel in all situations. It takes boldness, but it also requires love. We can't beat people over the head. We must share the greatest love that mankind can ever know. We cannot sit quietly by when someone falls for the deception that all religions are the same. We must speak the truth in love. Gosh, I want to be stronger at this. Whether you are bold or know you are lacking, let's ask the God of daring to teach us to be risk takers for Him and for the sake of the Gospel and for the sake of the only thing we can take to heaven with us - people.
Pray with me: Oh, God, You are our God, and we will always praise You. You are the ONLY God. There is none like You. No other god compares to You. No other god knows the end from the beginning. No other god cares for us like You do. No other god can save us. No other god offers us abundant life on earth as well as paradise with him.
Father, give us the courage to speak. May we not wait for the "perfect" time, but may we make the most of every opportunity. May we have Your heart for all people so much that we don't want anyone to perish that we will speak the truth in love. Teach us to be more daring for the sake of the Gospel. Help us to be like Paul and share the Gospel more boldly and without hindrance. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
"Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."
Acts 28:31
It is what attracts me most to my husband. Yet, it is also what makes me feel stunned, uncomfortable, and even embarrassed at times. Many times, I have wanted to be more like him in this way. I have wanted him to tone down this gift at times, too. What is this gift that entices yet whacks me out? It is his boldness. He can talk to any stranger, get them to talk about their deepest issues and hurts, and sometimes pray over them. He has taught me the fine art of getting people, even strangers, to open up, like tonight when I met the college student working at Blockbusters. He was reluctant to talk at first, but I found out his hopes and dreams in less than five minutes.
At the same time, he says it like it is. No society rules hold him back. There are no elephants in the room that he sees but doesn't mention. Everyone knows exactly what he thinks and where he stands. He is constantly holding up God's Word as the plum line for everything in life.
So Doug was just being Doug that day. We were at some friends' house for a nice family gathering. Our children were playing in the basement. Someone called my attention to the other room to show me a collection of souvenirs from other countries, cultures, and religions. So he had to ask our hosts the question. There was no restraining him. Since he was in the other room, he was too far for me to kick, and there was no table to hide it. He said, "So you all have a false god in your house? You all haven't gone the way of (prominent political leader)? You all don't believe that we Christians worship the same God as Allah, the Muslims' god? You don't believe that all religions are the same, and we just worship God under a different name, do you?"
My face may have been displaying great interest in the story that someone else was telling me. However inside, my jaw was dropped, my voice was screaming, and panic flowed through my blood. My face so wanted to show horror! I thought we were going to be asked to leave their home. I couldn't believe that he was so daring. Even though we don't see this family very often, I love them so much. We could talk about Christ with them, and they attend a Christian denomination church. However, I had wondered if they had embraced other religions and forsaken John 14:6 that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Him, but I didn't have the guts to ask them!
Then, God started to work on my heart. We only had that day with that family. We probably only see them once a year. These were some important questions to ask them. Their eternal destinations were at stake! I was so proud of my husband for chain sawing a doorway where there was no opening and start asking them the most important questions in all of life!
God asked me who really showed love to them that day? Was it me who just wanted to have a sweet, fun time getting caught up on family stories for the past year? Or was it my husband who found a polite way to ask them if they knew the truth about the One and Only God? Only God can know what is really going on in these people's hearts. But what if they are not really saved? I couldn't bear it. I tell you nothing rips me up more than thinking of anyone, I mean anyone, not spending eternity with God. I stand with God in the desire to not see anyone perish (2 Peter 3:9). I can't imagine on judgment day if any of my friends turn to me and ask me why didn't I try harder to tell her? Why did I come to her home, break bread with her, laugh as we sat around the living room, and tell stories with her but not continue to share with her the truth about Jesus?
Beloved, our time is short on planet earth. We can't love peace so much in relationships that we forsake true love. If we know the truth and we don't speak about it, then shame on us - just like shame on me that day. We are called to uphold the Gospel in all situations. It takes boldness, but it also requires love. We can't beat people over the head. We must share the greatest love that mankind can ever know. We cannot sit quietly by when someone falls for the deception that all religions are the same. We must speak the truth in love. Gosh, I want to be stronger at this. Whether you are bold or know you are lacking, let's ask the God of daring to teach us to be risk takers for Him and for the sake of the Gospel and for the sake of the only thing we can take to heaven with us - people.
Pray with me: Oh, God, You are our God, and we will always praise You. You are the ONLY God. There is none like You. No other god compares to You. No other god knows the end from the beginning. No other god cares for us like You do. No other god can save us. No other god offers us abundant life on earth as well as paradise with him.
Father, give us the courage to speak. May we not wait for the "perfect" time, but may we make the most of every opportunity. May we have Your heart for all people so much that we don't want anyone to perish that we will speak the truth in love. Teach us to be more daring for the sake of the Gospel. Help us to be like Paul and share the Gospel more boldly and without hindrance. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, I pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Friday, March 6, 2009
Watchmen Who Are not Deceived
Watchmen Who Are not Deceived
"Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible."
Matthew 24:4, 24
When Jesus left the temple for the last time, He prophesied that not one stone would be left upon another. It prompted His disciples to ask Him in Matthew 24:3, "When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Then Jesus begins to tell His chosen disciples the signs. He starts with a strong command for His people to watch out so that no one deceives them. Watch out! Beware! Deception will be prevalent in the end.
In the last days, satan's pawns will be released to perform great signs and miracles. False Christs and false prophets will capture the attention of many. They will use this power to woo and to lure the people of the earth. They will appear so believable that people will put their trust in them. The deception will be so great that if it were possible for believers to be deceived, they would be.
Deception is Satan's number one battle tactic. He knows how to twist God's Word just enough where if we didn't take in the full counsel of His Word, we would believe the lie he is serving us. He desires to lure us away from Jesus and to make Him appear to be different than He really is. Deception can be beautiful, enticing, and of course, believable. Remember that Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3). He thrives on outwitting believers and the lost.
We may attend church or sing in the choir with someone who is deceived. Some may be masquerading as Christians because it seems like the right thing to do. Some may be snared before they realized what hit them. Some may be deceived because they have become stagnant in their relationship with God. Maybe they have never experienced true intimacy with God that makes their pulse quicken or takes their breath away. They have never been filled with a godly passion. When these false teachers offer to fill them with a counterfeit passion, they believe it.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 holds the clue to how we do not fall into deception. It says the antichrist will have great supernatural power and will deceive many who refuse to love truth to be saved. So how do we watch out? If people are deceived when they refuse to love truth, then we become lovers of truth. You and I cannot recognize deception by searching for it. You and I recognize deception by comparing it to God's Word. When we immerse ourselves in His Word, we can instantly sort truth from deception.
Additionally, when we saturate ourselves in God's Word, we find the greatest passion in all of life. We find the source of living that makes our hearts beat hot. We realize that our hearts were made to be thrilled. Only the Living God can do all of this. No false prophet can begin to catch our eye. We will only have eyes for Jehovah.
Oh, precious one, are you prepared for this age of deception? The evil one knows his time is short, and he will be furious and increase deception. Are you prepared for a deception that is so strong that if it were possible it would deceive the elect? If so, then stand with me as the bride makes herself ready for the return of her betrothed. Let's arm ourselves with the Word and let's pray.
Pray with me: Oh, God, we ask that You help us to be a people on watch. Do not let us be deceived, Lord. As the Day approaches, deception will increase. Prepare us so that we may be able to recognize deceiving teachers and deceived people. We don't ask this so that we may judge but so that we may discern. Give us wisdom and the words to speak when our beliefs must be shared. Your enemy knows every sign of the last days so please help us, Your people, to know them so that we can act on them. Your enemy has great cunning so we cannot be ignorant but must be Word bearers and hold Your Word in our hearts. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
"Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible."
Matthew 24:4, 24
When Jesus left the temple for the last time, He prophesied that not one stone would be left upon another. It prompted His disciples to ask Him in Matthew 24:3, "When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Then Jesus begins to tell His chosen disciples the signs. He starts with a strong command for His people to watch out so that no one deceives them. Watch out! Beware! Deception will be prevalent in the end.
In the last days, satan's pawns will be released to perform great signs and miracles. False Christs and false prophets will capture the attention of many. They will use this power to woo and to lure the people of the earth. They will appear so believable that people will put their trust in them. The deception will be so great that if it were possible for believers to be deceived, they would be.
Deception is Satan's number one battle tactic. He knows how to twist God's Word just enough where if we didn't take in the full counsel of His Word, we would believe the lie he is serving us. He desires to lure us away from Jesus and to make Him appear to be different than He really is. Deception can be beautiful, enticing, and of course, believable. Remember that Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3). He thrives on outwitting believers and the lost.
We may attend church or sing in the choir with someone who is deceived. Some may be masquerading as Christians because it seems like the right thing to do. Some may be snared before they realized what hit them. Some may be deceived because they have become stagnant in their relationship with God. Maybe they have never experienced true intimacy with God that makes their pulse quicken or takes their breath away. They have never been filled with a godly passion. When these false teachers offer to fill them with a counterfeit passion, they believe it.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 holds the clue to how we do not fall into deception. It says the antichrist will have great supernatural power and will deceive many who refuse to love truth to be saved. So how do we watch out? If people are deceived when they refuse to love truth, then we become lovers of truth. You and I cannot recognize deception by searching for it. You and I recognize deception by comparing it to God's Word. When we immerse ourselves in His Word, we can instantly sort truth from deception.
Additionally, when we saturate ourselves in God's Word, we find the greatest passion in all of life. We find the source of living that makes our hearts beat hot. We realize that our hearts were made to be thrilled. Only the Living God can do all of this. No false prophet can begin to catch our eye. We will only have eyes for Jehovah.
Oh, precious one, are you prepared for this age of deception? The evil one knows his time is short, and he will be furious and increase deception. Are you prepared for a deception that is so strong that if it were possible it would deceive the elect? If so, then stand with me as the bride makes herself ready for the return of her betrothed. Let's arm ourselves with the Word and let's pray.
Pray with me: Oh, God, we ask that You help us to be a people on watch. Do not let us be deceived, Lord. As the Day approaches, deception will increase. Prepare us so that we may be able to recognize deceiving teachers and deceived people. We don't ask this so that we may judge but so that we may discern. Give us wisdom and the words to speak when our beliefs must be shared. Your enemy knows every sign of the last days so please help us, Your people, to know them so that we can act on them. Your enemy has great cunning so we cannot be ignorant but must be Word bearers and hold Your Word in our hearts. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Bowing Tree
The Bowing Tree
“He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 17:8
Every time I return to Kentucky and cross the border I sing our state song, My Old Kentucky Home. I have a few close friends who either love our state or love me enough to sing it with me. Sadly, my beloved Kentucky was one of the states that was pounded by the ice storm in late January 2009. When ice forms on the tree limbs, its weight is difficult for the limbs to bear. The limbs begin to sag to the ground. If the limb is not strong enough, it breaks.
Some trees had broken during the storm. Some trees had broken and caused much damage to the property around them. Some trees knocked down power lines. Some trees or limbs had shattered through glass. Some had crashed through cars or even homes. Tree limbs broken by the storm dangled precariously over the streets and fell randomly regardless of what was below.
The newspaper said that 769, 353 people lost power. Tragically, the storm was attributed with taking 28 precious souls. The governor called the storm, “the worst natural disaster in the state's modern history.” The power company, government, and relief workers pulled together to work on restoring power, handing out food and water, and clearing the debris. Utility workers trekked through dangerous roads to reset power lines.
For my children, it meant snow days and out of school for the rest of the week. In their eyes, the beauty of the snow and ice just looked like a winter wonderland and made them wonder why mom ever tries to decorate the yard for a Christmas winter scene when God’s creation does a much better job.
Our whole family had watched the effect on our trees. Our pear tree stood tall through the storm. Our magnolia tree that once stood proudly looked like a weeping willow tree as all of its beautiful branches bent to kiss the ground. My children prayed for God to take care of it.
A few days after the storm while it still looked like winter wonderland, Sophia and I were driving to her soccer game. We found our favorite tree of all. The tree that captured our attention was the one with the trunk bent in a u-shape and the top of the tree on the ground. I said to her, “That tree is bowing down to God, Sophia.”
Then, it spurred a fountain of wisdom from my darling daughter about how the trees speak so much to us about Christians. She said, “Mommy, it is just like people. Only a few of us bow down to God and are really Christians.” Then, we started thinking of more parallels. When the storms of life come, some Christians stand tall and unaffected during the storm like our pear tree. However, some of us break under the pressure. We worry, explode in anger, and lose our trust in God. Some of us break so much that we are like the fallen trees that do damage to the property around us. We hurt our families, ruin our jobs, and suffer consequences for a long time to come.
I have been through many storms in my life. I remember when I told my commander some of my background. He said,”I can’t believe someone so young as you has seen so many troubles in life.” Now, that I have lived longer, I see that many people have experienced much worse than I have. I also have matured a bit spiritually where it takes more to rock me. (Somehow that doesn’t feel like a good thing because we need to be rocked every now and then.) I’ve learned that sometimes Christians stand strong through the storms of life. God desires to show us how strong we are in Him during those times. Other storms require us to fall prostrate to the ground and bow before the throne of the living God of the universe. As I say that to you, I say it with a heart full of worship. That’s when we may find that we feel the most alive because of how we experience God.
Beloved, what about you? Which tree have you been during the storm – fallen tree, destructive tree, standing strong tree, or the bowing tree? If you are like me, maybe you have experiences for all of them, and you know that storms of life will keep coming. We must be prepared and rooted in God’s Word so that our experiences glorify Him through showing His mighty strength or through complete trust and honor as we bow to worship the God Most High.
Pray with me: Almighty God, You amaze us! We magnify Your Name. You are holy, wonderful, beautiful, mysterious, intoxicating, and merciful! You are our protective Father, yet righteous Judge. We honor You for who You are and not just what You do for us.
Thank You for Your hand of protection during the storm. We ask You to pour out Your Spirit on the families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. Comfort those who mourn. We weep with them.
For those of us who are still able, it is our honor to physically bow down and worship You. There is nothing like putting our bodies in the same position as our hearts. Some day that won’t be an option. Some day there won’t be any physical restrictions barring us. Some day it won’t be one out of many, but it will be every single person in every generation, in every tribe, and in every nation who bows down and worships You. Oh, how we praise You, Lord! It’s in Your Son’s Name we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 17:8
Every time I return to Kentucky and cross the border I sing our state song, My Old Kentucky Home. I have a few close friends who either love our state or love me enough to sing it with me. Sadly, my beloved Kentucky was one of the states that was pounded by the ice storm in late January 2009. When ice forms on the tree limbs, its weight is difficult for the limbs to bear. The limbs begin to sag to the ground. If the limb is not strong enough, it breaks.
Some trees had broken during the storm. Some trees had broken and caused much damage to the property around them. Some trees knocked down power lines. Some trees or limbs had shattered through glass. Some had crashed through cars or even homes. Tree limbs broken by the storm dangled precariously over the streets and fell randomly regardless of what was below.
The newspaper said that 769, 353 people lost power. Tragically, the storm was attributed with taking 28 precious souls. The governor called the storm, “the worst natural disaster in the state's modern history.” The power company, government, and relief workers pulled together to work on restoring power, handing out food and water, and clearing the debris. Utility workers trekked through dangerous roads to reset power lines.
For my children, it meant snow days and out of school for the rest of the week. In their eyes, the beauty of the snow and ice just looked like a winter wonderland and made them wonder why mom ever tries to decorate the yard for a Christmas winter scene when God’s creation does a much better job.
Our whole family had watched the effect on our trees. Our pear tree stood tall through the storm. Our magnolia tree that once stood proudly looked like a weeping willow tree as all of its beautiful branches bent to kiss the ground. My children prayed for God to take care of it.
A few days after the storm while it still looked like winter wonderland, Sophia and I were driving to her soccer game. We found our favorite tree of all. The tree that captured our attention was the one with the trunk bent in a u-shape and the top of the tree on the ground. I said to her, “That tree is bowing down to God, Sophia.”
Then, it spurred a fountain of wisdom from my darling daughter about how the trees speak so much to us about Christians. She said, “Mommy, it is just like people. Only a few of us bow down to God and are really Christians.” Then, we started thinking of more parallels. When the storms of life come, some Christians stand tall and unaffected during the storm like our pear tree. However, some of us break under the pressure. We worry, explode in anger, and lose our trust in God. Some of us break so much that we are like the fallen trees that do damage to the property around us. We hurt our families, ruin our jobs, and suffer consequences for a long time to come.
I have been through many storms in my life. I remember when I told my commander some of my background. He said,”I can’t believe someone so young as you has seen so many troubles in life.” Now, that I have lived longer, I see that many people have experienced much worse than I have. I also have matured a bit spiritually where it takes more to rock me. (Somehow that doesn’t feel like a good thing because we need to be rocked every now and then.) I’ve learned that sometimes Christians stand strong through the storms of life. God desires to show us how strong we are in Him during those times. Other storms require us to fall prostrate to the ground and bow before the throne of the living God of the universe. As I say that to you, I say it with a heart full of worship. That’s when we may find that we feel the most alive because of how we experience God.
Beloved, what about you? Which tree have you been during the storm – fallen tree, destructive tree, standing strong tree, or the bowing tree? If you are like me, maybe you have experiences for all of them, and you know that storms of life will keep coming. We must be prepared and rooted in God’s Word so that our experiences glorify Him through showing His mighty strength or through complete trust and honor as we bow to worship the God Most High.
Pray with me: Almighty God, You amaze us! We magnify Your Name. You are holy, wonderful, beautiful, mysterious, intoxicating, and merciful! You are our protective Father, yet righteous Judge. We honor You for who You are and not just what You do for us.
Thank You for Your hand of protection during the storm. We ask You to pour out Your Spirit on the families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. Comfort those who mourn. We weep with them.
For those of us who are still able, it is our honor to physically bow down and worship You. There is nothing like putting our bodies in the same position as our hearts. Some day that won’t be an option. Some day there won’t be any physical restrictions barring us. Some day it won’t be one out of many, but it will be every single person in every generation, in every tribe, and in every nation who bows down and worships You. Oh, how we praise You, Lord! It’s in Your Son’s Name we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
No Other Gods
No Other Gods
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
‘To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour our gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.’ "
Isaiah 46:4-7
As I was doing my morning quiet time on New Year’s Day, God brought me to these Scriptures and told me to meditate on these words. For many months, God has been saying to me “No Other Gods.” I realized it was an invitation for deeper intimacy for me and for His bride. Then, He began to teach me the fullness of what that meant and how He was leading me to be closer to Him. While I may not bow down to a physical idol, He taught me that we can make other things our god; one in particular for me was relationships.
Other gods can also be sports, relationships, work, money, knowledge, information, food, body image, worry, TV, internet, identity, our children’s activities, pleasure, lust, sex, or a dream. Our idols may not be made of stone, wood, metal, or precious jewels, but they are whatever masters us, whatever owns our hearts, whatever we trust, whatever we fear, or on whatever we focus our energy. It is basically the root of our motivations. Why do we do what we do? Why are we motivated to participate in this or choose this thing? It is anything that substitutes for God. These things can be good, but when we want them too much and more than we want God, then we are figuratively hiring a goldsmith to make a god for us to carry around.
Some people try to purchase other gods. We are very skilled at making idols, and we use our abundant resources. However, all other gods fail to compare to the majesty and power of the one true God! No other god can save us from our troubles. No other god can go with us wherever we go. No other god can hear our cry and answer when we call upon him. Psalm 16:4 tells us that sorrows, pains, and hurts increase for those who run after other gods. Psalm 97:7 says that those who worship and boast in idols will be put to shame. Even though we worship and bow down to them figuratively, they are incapable to move on our behalf. They cannot act for us.
Our God, the Hope of Israel, Jehovah, The Father of Jesus the Messiah, can act on our behalf. Nothing else in life compares to Him…No human experience…No human crafted thing. Nothing fashioned by human design comes close to Him. We fall into traps, and we believe lies that our God can be compared or equaled to anything else. He is incomparable! Nothing compares to Him.
If you are a child of God, then you can be assured these are true for you, too. God is our Sustainer. “Sustain” means “keep us in existence.” When others are trying to take our lives, attack us physically or emotionally, God is the One who is keeping us from crumbling, shrinking, retreating, and shelling up. By sustaining us, God is the One who “strengthens our spirits, gives us courage, encourages, comforts, and buoys us up.” When we don’t get swallowed by the rushing water and swept away, it is because of God. He is our Maker. He is our Rescuer. He is our Carrier. He carries us when our feet cannot take another step!
I don’t know where you stand, but I hope you agree with me. When I realize all that I have to gain in God and the heartache and futility of other gods, I just want my eyes to be open to my motivations and to never substitute anything for Him. There is way too much living to do by making God the God of everything in my life! Agree?
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, no one compares to You or can be counted Your equal. You are incomparable! Even until we are old and gray, You are our all in all. You will sustain us. You made us, You will carry us, and You will rescue us.
Lord, we desire to be drawn closer to You. We do not want other things to be hindrances in our relationship with You. Reveal to us anything or anyone that we have set up in a place above You. Enable us to live the lifestyle of one who has no other gods except You. Don’t let us close our ears or cover our eyes to any idol that You reveal to us. We desire to lift You up and to have as much of You as we can on this side of heaven. We just want more of You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
‘To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour our gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.’ "
Isaiah 46:4-7
As I was doing my morning quiet time on New Year’s Day, God brought me to these Scriptures and told me to meditate on these words. For many months, God has been saying to me “No Other Gods.” I realized it was an invitation for deeper intimacy for me and for His bride. Then, He began to teach me the fullness of what that meant and how He was leading me to be closer to Him. While I may not bow down to a physical idol, He taught me that we can make other things our god; one in particular for me was relationships.
Other gods can also be sports, relationships, work, money, knowledge, information, food, body image, worry, TV, internet, identity, our children’s activities, pleasure, lust, sex, or a dream. Our idols may not be made of stone, wood, metal, or precious jewels, but they are whatever masters us, whatever owns our hearts, whatever we trust, whatever we fear, or on whatever we focus our energy. It is basically the root of our motivations. Why do we do what we do? Why are we motivated to participate in this or choose this thing? It is anything that substitutes for God. These things can be good, but when we want them too much and more than we want God, then we are figuratively hiring a goldsmith to make a god for us to carry around.
Some people try to purchase other gods. We are very skilled at making idols, and we use our abundant resources. However, all other gods fail to compare to the majesty and power of the one true God! No other god can save us from our troubles. No other god can go with us wherever we go. No other god can hear our cry and answer when we call upon him. Psalm 16:4 tells us that sorrows, pains, and hurts increase for those who run after other gods. Psalm 97:7 says that those who worship and boast in idols will be put to shame. Even though we worship and bow down to them figuratively, they are incapable to move on our behalf. They cannot act for us.
Our God, the Hope of Israel, Jehovah, The Father of Jesus the Messiah, can act on our behalf. Nothing else in life compares to Him…No human experience…No human crafted thing. Nothing fashioned by human design comes close to Him. We fall into traps, and we believe lies that our God can be compared or equaled to anything else. He is incomparable! Nothing compares to Him.
If you are a child of God, then you can be assured these are true for you, too. God is our Sustainer. “Sustain” means “keep us in existence.” When others are trying to take our lives, attack us physically or emotionally, God is the One who is keeping us from crumbling, shrinking, retreating, and shelling up. By sustaining us, God is the One who “strengthens our spirits, gives us courage, encourages, comforts, and buoys us up.” When we don’t get swallowed by the rushing water and swept away, it is because of God. He is our Maker. He is our Rescuer. He is our Carrier. He carries us when our feet cannot take another step!
I don’t know where you stand, but I hope you agree with me. When I realize all that I have to gain in God and the heartache and futility of other gods, I just want my eyes to be open to my motivations and to never substitute anything for Him. There is way too much living to do by making God the God of everything in my life! Agree?
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, no one compares to You or can be counted Your equal. You are incomparable! Even until we are old and gray, You are our all in all. You will sustain us. You made us, You will carry us, and You will rescue us.
Lord, we desire to be drawn closer to You. We do not want other things to be hindrances in our relationship with You. Reveal to us anything or anyone that we have set up in a place above You. Enable us to live the lifestyle of one who has no other gods except You. Don’t let us close our ears or cover our eyes to any idol that You reveal to us. We desire to lift You up and to have as much of You as we can on this side of heaven. We just want more of You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
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