He Inhabits Eternity
By Shirley Mitchell
“For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
Isaiah 57:15 (NKJV)
God’s Word is Alive! It breathes life into those who sincerely search for help, truth, answers, meaning, purpose, righteousness, and above all God Himself. Sometimes just a simple Scripture will rejuvenate and refill me so that my heart leaps and soul bounds in worship. My countenance goes from heavy and dark to uplifted and bright. Today’s verse Isaiah 57:15 did it for me. I just sat and stared at this verse for the longest time thinking about it. God just continues to stun me.
In this verse, Isaiah tells us that God is the High and Lofty One. He is higher than the sky you and I see. He is above all earthly kings and kingdoms, presidents, nations, and authorities. Heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain God (1 Kings 8:27). He is exalted over all others – every Hollywood actor, every political leader, every person of the year, every billionaire, every sheik, every sports star, every war hero, or every royalty. Their fame does not compare. Our God is exalted above all people and things on earth, throughout the solar system, the entire galaxy, the universe, and beyond!
Isaiah’s next words just get me. God inhabits eternity. He lives forever. He always has been and always will be. His reign had no beginning. It extends from eternity to eternity. Time is God’s creation and He rules over it. Time does not constrain Him, rather He constrains time.
The Hebrew word for “inhabit” is shekan. It is the same word used in Exodus 25:8-9 where God tells Moses, "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” God had the Israelites make a sanctuary or a tabernacle so that He could dwell among them or shekan among. Shekan means “the idea of lodging, to reside or permanently stay. Abide, continue, dwell, have habitation, inhabit, remain, lay, place, rest, set.” The verb shekan is derived from the noun form of the word “shekinah.” It means “the dwelling presence of God.” Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia says it is “the visible divine presence.” God is omnipresent, but this presence indicates the fullness and the richness of His presence.
God desired to have a place where He could dwell among His people. Even though sin had come between the Holy God and man, God still desired to be with man, His prized creation, and to fellowship with him once again. Hebrews 8:5 tells us that this sanctuary was a shadow of the real thing in heaven where He shekans for eternity. God’s dwelling place is for all time.
Even though God dwells in this high and holy place, He also dwells with those who have a contrite and lowly spirit. In other words, He dwells with those who bend their knee to Him in adoration and repentance. Isn’t it beautiful that the God who inhabits eternity, all time, is also the God who comes close to you and me when our spirits are low and our hearts are contrite? He dwells with those who have their spirits crushed, and He revives their spirits. He restores those who don’t know how they can keep going on. He gets us on our feet again. When we are fatigued, in trouble, or broken, He revives and puts the pieces of our lives back together again. Through grief, loss, pain, sorrow, wanderings, and disbelief, our God who inhabits eternity, whose Name is Holy, will dwell with us and revive us to live for Him again and throughout eternity!
I have had some things happen lately that have crushed my spirit, brought a sick feeling to my stomach, and left me with the feeling of defeat. I have felt overcome by the enemy for seasons in my life. But GOD – oh what precious words to nullify everything that seeks to destroy me – But GOD who dwells in the high and holy place further than the farthest stretches of my mind AND with me is a contrite and lowly spirit.
He spans every dimension from His throne in the highest holy place to my heart. He covers the full range from being so close that His Spirit indwells me, to taking care of everyone and every sparrow on earth, to controlling our galaxy, our universe, and beyond. He goes from being bigger than my mind can handle to giving me the right word that I really needed. He is a great big God, but yet He is close enough to me to feel my pain. Oh, precious one, does it not just grab you, too, that the God Most High, El Elyon, is so close to you when you need to be revived and when you humble yourself before Him?
Pray with me: Oh, God, You inhabit eternity! You are the Alpha and Omega. You are the beginning and the end. Time is in Your hands. You are the King of Ages. You are just so much bigger than we can imagine. You never cease to stretch my mind. You span from Your holy throne in heaven to my heart and everywhere in between. I worship You, my God Most High, the Holy and Lofty One! Revive us! Breathe life into us! REVIVE us! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s 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
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Two Lips
Two Lips
By Shirley Mitchell
"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."
Psalm 34:1
When Mikayla was very young, she told the same joke over and over, day after day. She asked me, "What flower grows between your chin and your nose?" Even though I had heard the joke multiple times every day, I played along with her every time and said, "I don't know, Mikayla. Tell me." Each time she would giggle and say, "Two - Lips, Mama. Two - Lips. Get it? You know the flower - tulips."
Now that she is older I'm teaching her about the power of those two lips. I'm known for having a list of Bible verses on a colored, usually laminated, sheet in my Bible, by my computer, by my mirror, and sometimes in my car for the dead time at stoplights or busy traffic. So I'm making a red, lip-shaped sheet with Bible verses that talk about the purpose and power of our lips in honor of her favorite childhood joke.
God's Word is filled with people using their lips to praise Him. Psalm 34:1 tells us about the heart of David who exclaimed, "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." My favorite verse in the Old Testament is Psalm 63:3, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Oh, my, it just gets me every time. His love is better than life itself and every part of living so that I can't help but praise Him! Because God had taught one psalmist His decrees, his lips overflowed with praise (Psalm 119:171). He valued God's instructions so much that he could not remain reserved but spilled praise about how wonderful our God is!
God's Word tells us the value and the benefits of having lips of His character. Proverbs 20:15 says, "Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel." I didn't know that when I'm speaking something with some knowledge that I'm making some rare jewels. I must have put a few good words together to get a small jewelry box together for heaven. Truthful lips endure forever (Proverbs 12:19). We win God's delight with truthful lips while He detests lying lips (Proverbs 12:22). I would much rather choose to win His delight than the Mighty God's detest! Proverbs 10:32 says "The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse." Since I've stuck my foot in my mouth so many times, I know the value of being able to speak what is fitting and appropriate instead of really stupid. Proverbs 13:3 says, "He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." I can attest that rash words bring ruin, and guarding my lips sure does make my life simpler.
God deals with people who use their lips for evil. God silences lying lips (Psalm 31:18). God cuts off flattering lips (Psalm 12:3). God catches prideful lips (Psalm 59:12). We are to not let the names of other gods be heard on our lips (Exodus 23:13). Lips can be a person's undoing, prove she's a fool, and snare her soul (Proverbs 18:6-7).
When Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his great wealth, power, glory and the city of Babylon that he had built, God humbled him while his arrogant words were still on his lips. God stripped him of his authority and gave him a disease where he had delusions of being a wild animal. When he learned to use his lips to honor and glorify God who had dominion over him, God restored his sanity and his throne.
God also has a message to us if we think our lips just get twisted, fall all over themselves at the wrong time, and that God could not use them. When Moses told God he was too scared to confront Pharaoh about letting the Israelites go, he told the Creator of his lips that his lips were faltering and questioned whether Pharaoh would listen to him. God gave him Aaron to speak for him, but if you read the story of Moses, God also used those lips of Moses many times in the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage, to the desert, and to the edge of the Promised Land.
Lastly, it doesn't do us any good to have unfaltering lips that flow with praise if our hearts are far from Him. In Matthew 15:8, Jesus says, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." The point is that the lips should stem from motivations to be close to our God and have an intimate relationship with Him.
Pray with me: Oh, Almighty God, You are worthy of praise! Bring our hearts near to You so that when we honor You, it is real because we are intimate with You. Help us to guard our lips and to say only what is fitting. We don't want to be eating the leather of our shoe inserted in our mouths anymore, but we want praises of You to overflow from our lips. Give us lips that speak knowledge, a rare jewel. You created our lips and have the power to use them for Your glory. So Lord we say aloud with our lips, "We praise You, God Most High, the God of all power, authority, and dominion. We exalt You above all other gods." It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."
Psalm 34:1
When Mikayla was very young, she told the same joke over and over, day after day. She asked me, "What flower grows between your chin and your nose?" Even though I had heard the joke multiple times every day, I played along with her every time and said, "I don't know, Mikayla. Tell me." Each time she would giggle and say, "Two - Lips, Mama. Two - Lips. Get it? You know the flower - tulips."
Now that she is older I'm teaching her about the power of those two lips. I'm known for having a list of Bible verses on a colored, usually laminated, sheet in my Bible, by my computer, by my mirror, and sometimes in my car for the dead time at stoplights or busy traffic. So I'm making a red, lip-shaped sheet with Bible verses that talk about the purpose and power of our lips in honor of her favorite childhood joke.
God's Word is filled with people using their lips to praise Him. Psalm 34:1 tells us about the heart of David who exclaimed, "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." My favorite verse in the Old Testament is Psalm 63:3, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Oh, my, it just gets me every time. His love is better than life itself and every part of living so that I can't help but praise Him! Because God had taught one psalmist His decrees, his lips overflowed with praise (Psalm 119:171). He valued God's instructions so much that he could not remain reserved but spilled praise about how wonderful our God is!
God's Word tells us the value and the benefits of having lips of His character. Proverbs 20:15 says, "Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel." I didn't know that when I'm speaking something with some knowledge that I'm making some rare jewels. I must have put a few good words together to get a small jewelry box together for heaven. Truthful lips endure forever (Proverbs 12:19). We win God's delight with truthful lips while He detests lying lips (Proverbs 12:22). I would much rather choose to win His delight than the Mighty God's detest! Proverbs 10:32 says "The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse." Since I've stuck my foot in my mouth so many times, I know the value of being able to speak what is fitting and appropriate instead of really stupid. Proverbs 13:3 says, "He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." I can attest that rash words bring ruin, and guarding my lips sure does make my life simpler.
God deals with people who use their lips for evil. God silences lying lips (Psalm 31:18). God cuts off flattering lips (Psalm 12:3). God catches prideful lips (Psalm 59:12). We are to not let the names of other gods be heard on our lips (Exodus 23:13). Lips can be a person's undoing, prove she's a fool, and snare her soul (Proverbs 18:6-7).
When Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his great wealth, power, glory and the city of Babylon that he had built, God humbled him while his arrogant words were still on his lips. God stripped him of his authority and gave him a disease where he had delusions of being a wild animal. When he learned to use his lips to honor and glorify God who had dominion over him, God restored his sanity and his throne.
God also has a message to us if we think our lips just get twisted, fall all over themselves at the wrong time, and that God could not use them. When Moses told God he was too scared to confront Pharaoh about letting the Israelites go, he told the Creator of his lips that his lips were faltering and questioned whether Pharaoh would listen to him. God gave him Aaron to speak for him, but if you read the story of Moses, God also used those lips of Moses many times in the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage, to the desert, and to the edge of the Promised Land.
Lastly, it doesn't do us any good to have unfaltering lips that flow with praise if our hearts are far from Him. In Matthew 15:8, Jesus says, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." The point is that the lips should stem from motivations to be close to our God and have an intimate relationship with Him.
Pray with me: Oh, Almighty God, You are worthy of praise! Bring our hearts near to You so that when we honor You, it is real because we are intimate with You. Help us to guard our lips and to say only what is fitting. We don't want to be eating the leather of our shoe inserted in our mouths anymore, but we want praises of You to overflow from our lips. Give us lips that speak knowledge, a rare jewel. You created our lips and have the power to use them for Your glory. So Lord we say aloud with our lips, "We praise You, God Most High, the God of all power, authority, and dominion. We exalt You above all other gods." It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Friday, June 19, 2009
Is It Worth It?
Is It Worth It?
By Shirley Mitchell
“Peter said to him, ‘We have left all we had to follow you!’
‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.’ ”
Luke 18:28-30
After the encounter with the rich young ruler, Peter declared that all of the disciples had done what this man could not do. They chose to leave every part of their former lives behind. They left their wives, children, businesses, security, warm beds, and cupboards of food. They left it all behind to follow Jesus and for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Jesus emphasized His words in this passage by saying, “I tell you the truth.” He wanted to make His next statement loud and clear. He told them because they had left everything that they would receive many times as much in this age, and, in the age to come, eternal life.
Anyone who chooses not to leave chooses the less-than life. She never reaches her full potential for the kingdom of God. She is settling for what is visible and not stretching for the invisible. She settles for the known and never dares to believe God for the unknown. She becomes complacent. “Complacency” means “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.” I love the part about the danger lurking in the complacency. Complacency can lull us into unawareness as we are being lured into the jaws of satan.
The difference between a person who attends church and a person who is involved in the ministry of her church is commitment. Attendees are spectators from the sidelines. It is the same difference between a less-than disciple and a sold-out disciple.
There is a cost associated with following Jesus. If we will fulfill our callings, then it will cost us something, darling. Perhaps we will forfeit job opportunities, awards, treasures, physical comforts, or emotional comfort zones. They won’t be cheap. We will have to make some hard choices. We will need discernment to know which choice has eternal value. We will need fortitude to choose to be discomforted, inconvenienced, sacrificial, and stretched beyond what we alone can do. Then, we will understand the expensiveness of our callings. They are priceless. No one will ever be able to convince us that it is not worth all that we gave up. It is worth it because He is worthy.
It requires giving up the life we built in exchange for the unknown. Relinquishing and entrusting your life to Jesus is the dividing line that separates the godly men and women who have lived the great adventure from the unknown men and women who failed to even try to experience Him.
Until you relinquish “self,” you do not realize what you have to gain. Only those who have dropped their nets understand the worth of what they gained. We have to trust Jesus that He’s right, that what we leave behind is nothing compared to the greatness of following Him. Jim Elliott said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” We have trusted Him with our time after we die. Let’s trust Him with our time on earth.
There is a story about monkey trappers in Africa that helps us to understand the point of not giving up the earthly life. When the tribe wanted to catch monkeys, they made a hole in the tree big enough to hold food and for the monkey to put his hand into it. However, the hole was not big enough for the monkey to pull out his hand with food in it; his fist full of food was too big. The monkey will not let go and thus is captured - no ropes, no nets for a trap. The monkey is caught by his desire and greed.
The kingdom of darkness has been using this tactic on humans for ages. We humans are too stubborn, stupid, and gluttonous to release the tasty fruit and escape the trap. When the giver of the “good” gift is not God, then the gift is bogus and a fatal trap of satan. We gain our worldly lives only to hear the words for all eternity, she was saved, but her life on earth was wasted. Our enemy can use many good traps – an excellent job opportunity, a beautiful home, or an exciting new friendship. They are not wrong because they are too good to be true. They could be wrong if the source of the gift is not God but the enemy.
Oh, my, beloved, how I desire to be like Peter and declare, “I have left all to follow You, Lord.” Nothing tantalized my eye. No one else captivated my attention. He is worth whatever you or whatever I have to give up to experience the road that few people choose. Let’s live out there on the edge with Him and not settle for ordinary lives that don’t bring Him glory.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, we magnify Your Name. We worship You and honor You. We trust You with our lives. You are worth it. You are worth all the loss, the uncertainty, the tribulation, and even the persecution. You are worth being unsettled. Knock us out of our complacency and awaken us to be like Peter and leave all to follow You. It’s in the Name of above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study,
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
“Peter said to him, ‘We have left all we had to follow you!’
‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.’ ”
Luke 18:28-30
After the encounter with the rich young ruler, Peter declared that all of the disciples had done what this man could not do. They chose to leave every part of their former lives behind. They left their wives, children, businesses, security, warm beds, and cupboards of food. They left it all behind to follow Jesus and for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Jesus emphasized His words in this passage by saying, “I tell you the truth.” He wanted to make His next statement loud and clear. He told them because they had left everything that they would receive many times as much in this age, and, in the age to come, eternal life.
Anyone who chooses not to leave chooses the less-than life. She never reaches her full potential for the kingdom of God. She is settling for what is visible and not stretching for the invisible. She settles for the known and never dares to believe God for the unknown. She becomes complacent. “Complacency” means “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.” I love the part about the danger lurking in the complacency. Complacency can lull us into unawareness as we are being lured into the jaws of satan.
The difference between a person who attends church and a person who is involved in the ministry of her church is commitment. Attendees are spectators from the sidelines. It is the same difference between a less-than disciple and a sold-out disciple.
There is a cost associated with following Jesus. If we will fulfill our callings, then it will cost us something, darling. Perhaps we will forfeit job opportunities, awards, treasures, physical comforts, or emotional comfort zones. They won’t be cheap. We will have to make some hard choices. We will need discernment to know which choice has eternal value. We will need fortitude to choose to be discomforted, inconvenienced, sacrificial, and stretched beyond what we alone can do. Then, we will understand the expensiveness of our callings. They are priceless. No one will ever be able to convince us that it is not worth all that we gave up. It is worth it because He is worthy.
It requires giving up the life we built in exchange for the unknown. Relinquishing and entrusting your life to Jesus is the dividing line that separates the godly men and women who have lived the great adventure from the unknown men and women who failed to even try to experience Him.
Until you relinquish “self,” you do not realize what you have to gain. Only those who have dropped their nets understand the worth of what they gained. We have to trust Jesus that He’s right, that what we leave behind is nothing compared to the greatness of following Him. Jim Elliott said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” We have trusted Him with our time after we die. Let’s trust Him with our time on earth.
There is a story about monkey trappers in Africa that helps us to understand the point of not giving up the earthly life. When the tribe wanted to catch monkeys, they made a hole in the tree big enough to hold food and for the monkey to put his hand into it. However, the hole was not big enough for the monkey to pull out his hand with food in it; his fist full of food was too big. The monkey will not let go and thus is captured - no ropes, no nets for a trap. The monkey is caught by his desire and greed.
The kingdom of darkness has been using this tactic on humans for ages. We humans are too stubborn, stupid, and gluttonous to release the tasty fruit and escape the trap. When the giver of the “good” gift is not God, then the gift is bogus and a fatal trap of satan. We gain our worldly lives only to hear the words for all eternity, she was saved, but her life on earth was wasted. Our enemy can use many good traps – an excellent job opportunity, a beautiful home, or an exciting new friendship. They are not wrong because they are too good to be true. They could be wrong if the source of the gift is not God but the enemy.
Oh, my, beloved, how I desire to be like Peter and declare, “I have left all to follow You, Lord.” Nothing tantalized my eye. No one else captivated my attention. He is worth whatever you or whatever I have to give up to experience the road that few people choose. Let’s live out there on the edge with Him and not settle for ordinary lives that don’t bring Him glory.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, we magnify Your Name. We worship You and honor You. We trust You with our lives. You are worth it. You are worth all the loss, the uncertainty, the tribulation, and even the persecution. You are worth being unsettled. Knock us out of our complacency and awaken us to be like Peter and leave all to follow You. It’s in the Name of above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study,
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Read the Rules! – Part 2
Read the Rules! – Part 2
By Shirley Mitchell
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:36-40
Yesterday, I told you about the time that my daughter Mikayla broke one of her brackets on the braces of her teeth. I allowed her to buy rock candy and because neither one of us were familiar with the orthodontist’s rules, her bracket broke. When she told me the bad news, we faced each other and said simultaneously, “We have got to read the rules!”
Sometimes, we need to go back to our Rule Book, too. We may have learned the rules when we were a child or perhaps when we first became a Christian. However, it is easy to forget the rules, and we need a refresher course at times.
Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments, the Law of Moses, and all that the prophets told the people by these two commandments in Matthew 22. Yesterday, we talked about the first four commandments and our relationship with God. Today we will talk about the next six commandments. Jesus covered them by saying “Love your neighbor as yourself.“
God wants us to have esteem and to know that we are dearly loved. Therefore, it is okay to love our neighbor like we love ourselves. If we will take care of each other like we want to be taken care of, then everyone’s needs will be met. If we treat them like we want to be treated, then we won’t break this next list of commandments.
The fifth commandment is to honor our father and mother. It is the first commandment with a promise – that we will live long. We are to honor them regardless of whether or not they are saved. We are to learn to respect their position regardless of whether their characters are worthy of respect.
The sixth commandment is to not murder. This means we are to not intentionally kill another person. It is not talking about acting in self-defense or protecting a nation in times of war. It is addressed to individuals who have hate, jealousy, or uncontrolled anger in their hearts or do not honor the sanctity of human life.
The seventh commandment is to not commit adultery. Oh, my, I have a lot to say about this one. In our sex-crazed society, adultery is prevalent. It is no longer the great taboo. Precious one, we must protect our marriages. Wives, we must not nag but respect our husbands and take care of his needs. Both husbands and wives, we must not put ourselves in relationships with others that create a level of intimacy that belongs to our mates. Remember, precious one, if you get them through adultery, your chances of losing them through adultery is great. An unfaithful heart won’t change without God.
The eighth commandment is to not steal. We should not take something that doesn’t belong to us. If we steal, we are letting satan lie to us for the need for immediate gratification and steal from us our character and hurt our relationship with God. Stealers reject dependency on God to provide our needs and godly desires.
The ninth commandment is to not give false testimony against your neighbor. Simply, we should not lie about each other. I’m also amazed at the wickedness in people’s hearts to hurt others in order to elevate themselves or put that person down. I’m also amazed at how many lies are stemmed from inability to see the truth of situations, the denial of truth, or reliance on our limited perception. I tell my children all the time, there is nothing worse than a liar. A liar will betray friends, twist things in their favor, and eventually lie to herself.
The tenth commandment is to not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, animals, or servants – essentially anything belonging to someone else. I believe this is the biggest sin in our country. We are so stricken with the illness of coveting and longing for what others have. And most of us have no idea that we do it.
Did you notice how many of these are about control and the desire to have it our way? What motivates people to covet? Because they want to create the best life here and control what they have. People steal for the same reason. They want it now, and it doesn’t matter how they get it. Why does someone lie? To control what others believe about someone or manipulate the situation.
As we leave each other for the day, let’s really think about this refresher course on God’s commandments. Let’s implant these commandments in our hearts and be compelled by our love for God and love for people to live by them the best that we can. Let’s relinquish control to God and let His way for our lives win.
Pray with me: Oh, God Almighty, You are so wise. You knew exactly the Ten Commandments that the Israelites and we would need and the two commandments that Jesus used to summarize it all. Help us to love You with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strengths. Teach us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to care about others and to desire to meet their needs as we would meet our own. May we not live in self-centeredness. Guard us from the temptations to dishonor our parents, murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, and covet. Help us to be people who know Your rules. At the same time, may we be motivated by love and not legalism. Help us to relinquish control of our lives to You! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:36-40
Yesterday, I told you about the time that my daughter Mikayla broke one of her brackets on the braces of her teeth. I allowed her to buy rock candy and because neither one of us were familiar with the orthodontist’s rules, her bracket broke. When she told me the bad news, we faced each other and said simultaneously, “We have got to read the rules!”
Sometimes, we need to go back to our Rule Book, too. We may have learned the rules when we were a child or perhaps when we first became a Christian. However, it is easy to forget the rules, and we need a refresher course at times.
Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments, the Law of Moses, and all that the prophets told the people by these two commandments in Matthew 22. Yesterday, we talked about the first four commandments and our relationship with God. Today we will talk about the next six commandments. Jesus covered them by saying “Love your neighbor as yourself.“
God wants us to have esteem and to know that we are dearly loved. Therefore, it is okay to love our neighbor like we love ourselves. If we will take care of each other like we want to be taken care of, then everyone’s needs will be met. If we treat them like we want to be treated, then we won’t break this next list of commandments.
The fifth commandment is to honor our father and mother. It is the first commandment with a promise – that we will live long. We are to honor them regardless of whether or not they are saved. We are to learn to respect their position regardless of whether their characters are worthy of respect.
The sixth commandment is to not murder. This means we are to not intentionally kill another person. It is not talking about acting in self-defense or protecting a nation in times of war. It is addressed to individuals who have hate, jealousy, or uncontrolled anger in their hearts or do not honor the sanctity of human life.
The seventh commandment is to not commit adultery. Oh, my, I have a lot to say about this one. In our sex-crazed society, adultery is prevalent. It is no longer the great taboo. Precious one, we must protect our marriages. Wives, we must not nag but respect our husbands and take care of his needs. Both husbands and wives, we must not put ourselves in relationships with others that create a level of intimacy that belongs to our mates. Remember, precious one, if you get them through adultery, your chances of losing them through adultery is great. An unfaithful heart won’t change without God.
The eighth commandment is to not steal. We should not take something that doesn’t belong to us. If we steal, we are letting satan lie to us for the need for immediate gratification and steal from us our character and hurt our relationship with God. Stealers reject dependency on God to provide our needs and godly desires.
The ninth commandment is to not give false testimony against your neighbor. Simply, we should not lie about each other. I’m also amazed at the wickedness in people’s hearts to hurt others in order to elevate themselves or put that person down. I’m also amazed at how many lies are stemmed from inability to see the truth of situations, the denial of truth, or reliance on our limited perception. I tell my children all the time, there is nothing worse than a liar. A liar will betray friends, twist things in their favor, and eventually lie to herself.
The tenth commandment is to not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, animals, or servants – essentially anything belonging to someone else. I believe this is the biggest sin in our country. We are so stricken with the illness of coveting and longing for what others have. And most of us have no idea that we do it.
Did you notice how many of these are about control and the desire to have it our way? What motivates people to covet? Because they want to create the best life here and control what they have. People steal for the same reason. They want it now, and it doesn’t matter how they get it. Why does someone lie? To control what others believe about someone or manipulate the situation.
As we leave each other for the day, let’s really think about this refresher course on God’s commandments. Let’s implant these commandments in our hearts and be compelled by our love for God and love for people to live by them the best that we can. Let’s relinquish control to God and let His way for our lives win.
Pray with me: Oh, God Almighty, You are so wise. You knew exactly the Ten Commandments that the Israelites and we would need and the two commandments that Jesus used to summarize it all. Help us to love You with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strengths. Teach us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to care about others and to desire to meet their needs as we would meet our own. May we not live in self-centeredness. Guard us from the temptations to dishonor our parents, murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, and covet. Help us to be people who know Your rules. At the same time, may we be motivated by love and not legalism. Help us to relinquish control of our lives to You! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Read the Rules!
Read the Rules!
By Shirley Mitchell
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:36-40
My daughter Mikayla plays on a select soccer team. We enjoy the mother/daughter time when we get to travel to her games out of town. We especially love the tournaments because we get the whole weekend together. We recently went to a tournament in Nashville, TN. After a team dinner at the Rain Forest Café that weekend, the girls on the team went shopping in the café's store. Mikayla and her teammate McKenna brought back rock candy sticks to ask their parents for permission to buy them. I turned to McKenna's dad with a "Oh, let's just spoil them this time" look, but playing tough in front of them I said, "Why don't we buy one bag with two sticks in it and they share instead of each have two sticks each. McKenna's father agreed to the plan and to spoil our little angels who had played so well that day.
Well, regrettably both of our little angels have braces on their teeth. In the time that it took to walk from the restaurant's side of the mall to where our cars were parked, Mikayla had broken one of the brackets of her braces. In the two months that she has had braces, this was her second incident. When she told me the bad news, we faced each other and said simultaneously, "We have got to read the rules!" Neither of us remembered that rock candy is not allowed by the orthodontist.
Sometimes, we need to go back to our Rule Book, too. We may have learned the rules when we were a child or perhaps when we first became a Christian. However, it is easy to forget the rules, and we need a refresher course at times.
Jesus summarized the rules for us in Matthew 22. After He silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees confronted Him, trying once again to attack Him. One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments, the Law of Moses, and all that the prophets told the people, in other words the Old Testament by these two commandments. This summary is about relationships - our relationship with God and our relationship with others. When I pray with my children every night, I pray for them to love God with all their being - their heart, soul, mind, and strength. If they will put Him first, then I know their lives will be blessed. They will have His presence, strength, and comfort through their darkest days. They will have everlasting joy and satisfaction that the world can't take away. They will have discernment and wisdom for the decisions they must make.
This first and greatest commandment of Jesus summarizes the first four of the Ten Commandments. Since we are refreshing our memory on the rules, let's talk about each one of them. The first commandment is to have no other gods before God. Other gods can also be relationships, work, money, knowledge, sports, food, body image, worry, TV, internet, identity, our children's activities, pleasure, lust, sex, or a dream. The second commandment goes hand in hand with the first. It is to not have any idol - or a god that we can see in this world. While our idols may not be made of stone, wood, metal, or precious jewels, they are whatever masters us, whatever owns our hearts, whatever we trust, whatever we fear, or wherever we focus our energy. It is the root of our motivations. 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.
The third commandment is to not take the name of God in vain. This means that we are to speak of His name as holy and to not defile it. It also means that since we are a people of His Name that we should conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of carrying the family Name. The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. I go to my mother's house almost every Sunday afternoon. Recently, she was ill and couldn't do her usual housework. So I told her since I was there that Sunday that I would vacuum for her. She wouldn't let me because she didn't want me to work on Sunday. It surprised me because even though I try to guard Sunday and won't work in the workplace on that day, I had become desensitized to giving God a day out of the week.
We'll talk about the rest of the Ten Commandments next time. As we leave each other for the day, let's take this refresher course on God's commandments to heart while making sure that we don't fall into the stronghold of legalism. Let's live by His rules out of the motivation that all we really want in this life is Him.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, we exalt You. Help us to be people who know Your rules. Don't let us become desensitized to them. As generations move away from You and what becomes acceptable for some, let's remember what is acceptable to You. At the same time, may we be motivated by love and not legalism. You never desire for us to come to You doing all the right things without a passion for knowing our God. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
By Shirley Mitchell
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:36-40
My daughter Mikayla plays on a select soccer team. We enjoy the mother/daughter time when we get to travel to her games out of town. We especially love the tournaments because we get the whole weekend together. We recently went to a tournament in Nashville, TN. After a team dinner at the Rain Forest Café that weekend, the girls on the team went shopping in the café's store. Mikayla and her teammate McKenna brought back rock candy sticks to ask their parents for permission to buy them. I turned to McKenna's dad with a "Oh, let's just spoil them this time" look, but playing tough in front of them I said, "Why don't we buy one bag with two sticks in it and they share instead of each have two sticks each. McKenna's father agreed to the plan and to spoil our little angels who had played so well that day.
Well, regrettably both of our little angels have braces on their teeth. In the time that it took to walk from the restaurant's side of the mall to where our cars were parked, Mikayla had broken one of the brackets of her braces. In the two months that she has had braces, this was her second incident. When she told me the bad news, we faced each other and said simultaneously, "We have got to read the rules!" Neither of us remembered that rock candy is not allowed by the orthodontist.
Sometimes, we need to go back to our Rule Book, too. We may have learned the rules when we were a child or perhaps when we first became a Christian. However, it is easy to forget the rules, and we need a refresher course at times.
Jesus summarized the rules for us in Matthew 22. After He silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees confronted Him, trying once again to attack Him. One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments, the Law of Moses, and all that the prophets told the people, in other words the Old Testament by these two commandments. This summary is about relationships - our relationship with God and our relationship with others. When I pray with my children every night, I pray for them to love God with all their being - their heart, soul, mind, and strength. If they will put Him first, then I know their lives will be blessed. They will have His presence, strength, and comfort through their darkest days. They will have everlasting joy and satisfaction that the world can't take away. They will have discernment and wisdom for the decisions they must make.
This first and greatest commandment of Jesus summarizes the first four of the Ten Commandments. Since we are refreshing our memory on the rules, let's talk about each one of them. The first commandment is to have no other gods before God. Other gods can also be relationships, work, money, knowledge, sports, food, body image, worry, TV, internet, identity, our children's activities, pleasure, lust, sex, or a dream. The second commandment goes hand in hand with the first. It is to not have any idol - or a god that we can see in this world. While our idols may not be made of stone, wood, metal, or precious jewels, they are whatever masters us, whatever owns our hearts, whatever we trust, whatever we fear, or wherever we focus our energy. It is the root of our motivations. 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.
The third commandment is to not take the name of God in vain. This means that we are to speak of His name as holy and to not defile it. It also means that since we are a people of His Name that we should conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of carrying the family Name. The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. I go to my mother's house almost every Sunday afternoon. Recently, she was ill and couldn't do her usual housework. So I told her since I was there that Sunday that I would vacuum for her. She wouldn't let me because she didn't want me to work on Sunday. It surprised me because even though I try to guard Sunday and won't work in the workplace on that day, I had become desensitized to giving God a day out of the week.
We'll talk about the rest of the Ten Commandments next time. As we leave each other for the day, let's take this refresher course on God's commandments to heart while making sure that we don't fall into the stronghold of legalism. Let's live by His rules out of the motivation that all we really want in this life is Him.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, we exalt You. Help us to be people who know Your rules. Don't let us become desensitized to them. As generations move away from You and what becomes acceptable for some, let's remember what is acceptable to You. At the same time, may we be motivated by love and not legalism. You never desire for us to come to You doing all the right things without a passion for knowing our God. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright 2009 © Christ Compels
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Perfect “Coach”
The Perfect “Coach”
By Shirley Mitchell
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.”
Job 12:13
My daughter Mikayla just finished her first soccer season on her middle school’s team. Her school is so small that they joined with another school to try to get enough players. They still needed players so although she is not in middle school yet, they let her play. When her Coach Caleb found out who her select soccer team’s coach was, he was thrilled to have her on the team but nervous because he knew how good he was.
At the end of the season pizza party, Coach Caleb started passing out awards with Mikayla, the youngest player from their school. He complimented her foot skills and sense for the ball, but he also shared how intimidated he was to coach her. In his opinion (and ours!), her other select team Coach Steve was the best girls’ soccer coach in the state.
See, Coach Caleb is just a father who loves his daughter. When his daughter took an interest in soccer, he learned all that he could to spend time, develop, and coach her. Although he has learned a lot, he doesn’t know as much as Coach Steve, who has played soccer for years, was the leader on his team, and has coached many successful teams.
Coach Steve knows how to play the game, develops the girls, acts with complete integrity, and displays the highest character. He knows the strategy of the game. He instructs the girls on positioning and develops their foot skills. He knows how to get more out of the girls than they themselves think they can do. He understands the mind of the young girls, too. He motivates the girls when they are down. He teaches them the difference between playing and competing. He knows they are easily distracted, and he reels them in again. Even though the officials may not call the game correctly, his temper stays controlled, his mouth never demeans anyone, and his tongue is never foul. He is fair, good, and caring.
The combination of his character with knowledge reminds me of what we need in people in leadership and power and more importantly, in a God. While God is much more than a coach, imagine with me for a minute what if God was not perfect in knowledge and understanding? What if time was a barrier for Him so He couldn’t see the future? What if He couldn’t understand your situation that you are in right now? What if He was learning how to be a god as He went along and was just leading us through life because He loved us since we are His children?
What if God was a god of bad character? What if He was exasperating because we could never make Him happy, and He was always disciplining us without love or worse abusive to us? What if He was arrogant, ego-maniac, or self-centered? What if He lashed out in anger and said things He regretted later? What if He promised us something then just changed His mind? Or I just shudder to think of this, what if He lied to us? Imagine the turmoil and ghastly ramifications of having a god like that. A god like that would never win my affection, adoration, or worship. I would never bend my knee to that kind of god.
However, because God is both perfect in knowledge and character and desires to guide me through life, it compels me to lift up my arms and shout “Hallelujah.” When I reflect on the contrast of what could be lacking in a god with who He is as a God, I am awestruck.
Today’s verse reminds you and me that God is not just a wise, powerful counselor with a lot of understanding. All four of those things belong to Him. The Hebrew word for belongs is used in this instance to indicate possession. Think about this. Our God owns and controls wisdom, power, counsel, and understanding. This marvelous combination makes Him a good God in whom we can fully trust for the outcome of any heart-rending situation, hotspot that we get into, and to guide us through life. Let’s take comfort in who the God Almighty is!
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are perfect in character and perfect in knowledge. You are our Counselor. Wisdom and understanding and power belong to You. You guide us with Your counsel, and afterward You will take us into glory (Psalm 73:24). Teach us Your ways so we may walk in Your paths (Isaiah 2:3b). Instruct us and teach us the way we should go. Counsel us and watch over us (Psalm 32:8). You are better than any human coach. You develop and conform us into the likeness of Your Perfect Son. You know exactly how to get to our hearts, how to motivate us, and how to get us to change. Thank You for being so patient with us and preparing us for heaven. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels Ministry
By Shirley Mitchell
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.”
Job 12:13
My daughter Mikayla just finished her first soccer season on her middle school’s team. Her school is so small that they joined with another school to try to get enough players. They still needed players so although she is not in middle school yet, they let her play. When her Coach Caleb found out who her select soccer team’s coach was, he was thrilled to have her on the team but nervous because he knew how good he was.
At the end of the season pizza party, Coach Caleb started passing out awards with Mikayla, the youngest player from their school. He complimented her foot skills and sense for the ball, but he also shared how intimidated he was to coach her. In his opinion (and ours!), her other select team Coach Steve was the best girls’ soccer coach in the state.
See, Coach Caleb is just a father who loves his daughter. When his daughter took an interest in soccer, he learned all that he could to spend time, develop, and coach her. Although he has learned a lot, he doesn’t know as much as Coach Steve, who has played soccer for years, was the leader on his team, and has coached many successful teams.
Coach Steve knows how to play the game, develops the girls, acts with complete integrity, and displays the highest character. He knows the strategy of the game. He instructs the girls on positioning and develops their foot skills. He knows how to get more out of the girls than they themselves think they can do. He understands the mind of the young girls, too. He motivates the girls when they are down. He teaches them the difference between playing and competing. He knows they are easily distracted, and he reels them in again. Even though the officials may not call the game correctly, his temper stays controlled, his mouth never demeans anyone, and his tongue is never foul. He is fair, good, and caring.
The combination of his character with knowledge reminds me of what we need in people in leadership and power and more importantly, in a God. While God is much more than a coach, imagine with me for a minute what if God was not perfect in knowledge and understanding? What if time was a barrier for Him so He couldn’t see the future? What if He couldn’t understand your situation that you are in right now? What if He was learning how to be a god as He went along and was just leading us through life because He loved us since we are His children?
What if God was a god of bad character? What if He was exasperating because we could never make Him happy, and He was always disciplining us without love or worse abusive to us? What if He was arrogant, ego-maniac, or self-centered? What if He lashed out in anger and said things He regretted later? What if He promised us something then just changed His mind? Or I just shudder to think of this, what if He lied to us? Imagine the turmoil and ghastly ramifications of having a god like that. A god like that would never win my affection, adoration, or worship. I would never bend my knee to that kind of god.
However, because God is both perfect in knowledge and character and desires to guide me through life, it compels me to lift up my arms and shout “Hallelujah.” When I reflect on the contrast of what could be lacking in a god with who He is as a God, I am awestruck.
Today’s verse reminds you and me that God is not just a wise, powerful counselor with a lot of understanding. All four of those things belong to Him. The Hebrew word for belongs is used in this instance to indicate possession. Think about this. Our God owns and controls wisdom, power, counsel, and understanding. This marvelous combination makes Him a good God in whom we can fully trust for the outcome of any heart-rending situation, hotspot that we get into, and to guide us through life. Let’s take comfort in who the God Almighty is!
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are perfect in character and perfect in knowledge. You are our Counselor. Wisdom and understanding and power belong to You. You guide us with Your counsel, and afterward You will take us into glory (Psalm 73:24). Teach us Your ways so we may walk in Your paths (Isaiah 2:3b). Instruct us and teach us the way we should go. Counsel us and watch over us (Psalm 32:8). You are better than any human coach. You develop and conform us into the likeness of Your Perfect Son. You know exactly how to get to our hearts, how to motivate us, and how to get us to change. Thank You for being so patient with us and preparing us for heaven. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels Ministry
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Crucial Piece
The Crucial Piece
By Shirley Mitchell
"An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts..."
Luke 9:46-47a
Today let's talk about one of the most critical elements of discipleship. Any great Olympic athlete has experienced this element many times. Any great inventor has experienced it repeatedly. Any great leader has experienced this factor again and again. What is this priceless key to living the victorious Christian life?
There are five stories of Jesus' disciples that demonstrate this crucial piece. These five sequential incidents do not show the stellar godly character of the disciples. Each story shows a different portrait of characteristics, that honestly, we do not wish to emulate.
In Luke 9:37-43, the disciples could not drive out a demon from a young boy. Jesus expressed His frustration with them. After all, He sent all twelve disciples out two by two in Luke 9:1-2. They were driving out demons and curing diseases as they preached the kingdom of God. They were the traveling miracle workers using the power of the kingdom of God. Jesus called them an "unbelieving and perverse generation" (Luke 9:41). Our enemy desires to shipwreck our faith by wedging in unbelief into our true identity. Faith is a continuous fight. It is not a women's tea party. It is an ongoing fight (2 Timothy 4:7). If our enemy can make us stop believing who we are in Christ, then he can "pervert us," which means "to turn or twist throughout, to distort, pervert, to veer off the right track."
In Luke 9:43-45, the disciples show that they could be spiritually dim-witted at times when Jesus warned them for the second time about His future and added that He would be betrayed. The disciples still thought Jesus would have earthly rule for they were arguing about their places in this kingdom. Since Jesus' death would spoil their dreams of greatness (in truth, only temporarily), they did not seek further understanding of His words.
In Luke 9:46-48, the disciples showed their arrogance through their arguments about "Who would be the greatest?" Jesus "knew the thoughts of their heart" (KJV) and admonished them. The disciples were focused on obtaining their places in the kingdom rule. Therefore, they forgot its purpose. Arrogance brewed over the rim of the cup of "their" accomplishments. They wanted the crown but not the cross. God can't use arrogance. He won't use it. He knows who is guilty of it. His scale is the accurate one. Let's resolve to pass this weigh-in.
In Luke 9:49-50, John told Jesus that they saw a man who was casting out a demon. Since he was not one of the elite clique of the 12 disciples, they tried to stop him. Jesus told him"Do not stop him.for whoever is not against you is for you." Their commission was to multiply and empower others to join in the mission. It was not to restrict membership to a certain clique. They were concerned about their power and their authority being diminished. Jesus has plenty of power and authority to give to all who are willing to use it for His kingdom.
Lastly, in Luke 9:51-56, James and John asking for permission to burn the village that did not welcome Jesus, demonstrated their pride and lack of caring. They took the lack of hospitality as rejection of Jesus and responded in fury. Jesus rebuked them for wanting to call down fire from heaven to destroy the village. They thought they knew Jesus' heart and will, but they were wrong. They didn't understand the will of Jesus and the Father. They did not share the Trinity's compassion for the lost world.
Although failures can be defining moments in our lives, they don't necessarily define our lives and brand us as a failure. If we are moldable and teachable through them, then these pivotal moments can raise us up to the next level of spiritual maturity. Our natural tendency is to pull away and shrink back when we fail. All creatures want to avoid pain. We especially want to avoid pain to our pride. However, the pain of failure can be one of our best teachers. If the incident does not hurt us personally, somehow we do not learn as much from it. The deeper the hurt, the longer we remember.
These men had heard the Sermon on the Mount. They had heard Jesus' teachings to "love your neighbor as yourself," "turn the other cheek," "give your cloak to those who try to take your tunic," "be reconciled to your brother," and "the meek, merciless, pure in heart will be blessed." So why did they not live it out?
It takes time and God's power to transform our ways and thoughts from our selfish sinful nature into the nature of God. It takes practice and perseverance to bring your real life into alignment with your theology. It takes pressing through our failures. Through these different situations, these men's inner thoughts were brought into the Light (John 1:5). We act out of what we truly believe. Even though their deep-rooted beliefs were exposed, these men did not give up. They still made some blundering mistakes, but they did not quit, go home, and return to their less-than-the-promised life of following Jesus. They kept taking the tough exams, no matter the grade.
So how do we get there, beloved? We know that the disciples did not become spiritual giants instantaneously. Jesus slowly prepared and developed the 12. If we are growing in our relationship with Jesus, you and I are in a state of continuous progression. Training and development is highly important to God. Part of the preparation is hearing and understanding the truth. Then, we learn how to live it out in our lives. We have to get the Word into our lives. Of course, we won't hit the mark every time. It takes practice just like a great concert musician or an Olympic athlete. Spiritual maturity is earned through learning and persevering through our failures. It is the crucial piece to our development.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, help us to beteachable through our failures. Don't let us pull back or shrink away. We want to press through embarrassment. We choose to practice what we believe and let You keep exposing our faults. It may hurt and it may be hard, but we will not quit. We keep choosing to have as much of You as we can experience in our lifetime! Praise and honor and glory to You, LORD Almighty! It's in the Name of above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
By Shirley Mitchell
"An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts..."
Luke 9:46-47a
Today let's talk about one of the most critical elements of discipleship. Any great Olympic athlete has experienced this element many times. Any great inventor has experienced it repeatedly. Any great leader has experienced this factor again and again. What is this priceless key to living the victorious Christian life?
There are five stories of Jesus' disciples that demonstrate this crucial piece. These five sequential incidents do not show the stellar godly character of the disciples. Each story shows a different portrait of characteristics, that honestly, we do not wish to emulate.
In Luke 9:37-43, the disciples could not drive out a demon from a young boy. Jesus expressed His frustration with them. After all, He sent all twelve disciples out two by two in Luke 9:1-2. They were driving out demons and curing diseases as they preached the kingdom of God. They were the traveling miracle workers using the power of the kingdom of God. Jesus called them an "unbelieving and perverse generation" (Luke 9:41). Our enemy desires to shipwreck our faith by wedging in unbelief into our true identity. Faith is a continuous fight. It is not a women's tea party. It is an ongoing fight (2 Timothy 4:7). If our enemy can make us stop believing who we are in Christ, then he can "pervert us," which means "to turn or twist throughout, to distort, pervert, to veer off the right track."
In Luke 9:43-45, the disciples show that they could be spiritually dim-witted at times when Jesus warned them for the second time about His future and added that He would be betrayed. The disciples still thought Jesus would have earthly rule for they were arguing about their places in this kingdom. Since Jesus' death would spoil their dreams of greatness (in truth, only temporarily), they did not seek further understanding of His words.
In Luke 9:46-48, the disciples showed their arrogance through their arguments about "Who would be the greatest?" Jesus "knew the thoughts of their heart" (KJV) and admonished them. The disciples were focused on obtaining their places in the kingdom rule. Therefore, they forgot its purpose. Arrogance brewed over the rim of the cup of "their" accomplishments. They wanted the crown but not the cross. God can't use arrogance. He won't use it. He knows who is guilty of it. His scale is the accurate one. Let's resolve to pass this weigh-in.
In Luke 9:49-50, John told Jesus that they saw a man who was casting out a demon. Since he was not one of the elite clique of the 12 disciples, they tried to stop him. Jesus told him"Do not stop him.for whoever is not against you is for you." Their commission was to multiply and empower others to join in the mission. It was not to restrict membership to a certain clique. They were concerned about their power and their authority being diminished. Jesus has plenty of power and authority to give to all who are willing to use it for His kingdom.
Lastly, in Luke 9:51-56, James and John asking for permission to burn the village that did not welcome Jesus, demonstrated their pride and lack of caring. They took the lack of hospitality as rejection of Jesus and responded in fury. Jesus rebuked them for wanting to call down fire from heaven to destroy the village. They thought they knew Jesus' heart and will, but they were wrong. They didn't understand the will of Jesus and the Father. They did not share the Trinity's compassion for the lost world.
Although failures can be defining moments in our lives, they don't necessarily define our lives and brand us as a failure. If we are moldable and teachable through them, then these pivotal moments can raise us up to the next level of spiritual maturity. Our natural tendency is to pull away and shrink back when we fail. All creatures want to avoid pain. We especially want to avoid pain to our pride. However, the pain of failure can be one of our best teachers. If the incident does not hurt us personally, somehow we do not learn as much from it. The deeper the hurt, the longer we remember.
These men had heard the Sermon on the Mount. They had heard Jesus' teachings to "love your neighbor as yourself," "turn the other cheek," "give your cloak to those who try to take your tunic," "be reconciled to your brother," and "the meek, merciless, pure in heart will be blessed." So why did they not live it out?
It takes time and God's power to transform our ways and thoughts from our selfish sinful nature into the nature of God. It takes practice and perseverance to bring your real life into alignment with your theology. It takes pressing through our failures. Through these different situations, these men's inner thoughts were brought into the Light (John 1:5). We act out of what we truly believe. Even though their deep-rooted beliefs were exposed, these men did not give up. They still made some blundering mistakes, but they did not quit, go home, and return to their less-than-the-promised life of following Jesus. They kept taking the tough exams, no matter the grade.
So how do we get there, beloved? We know that the disciples did not become spiritual giants instantaneously. Jesus slowly prepared and developed the 12. If we are growing in our relationship with Jesus, you and I are in a state of continuous progression. Training and development is highly important to God. Part of the preparation is hearing and understanding the truth. Then, we learn how to live it out in our lives. We have to get the Word into our lives. Of course, we won't hit the mark every time. It takes practice just like a great concert musician or an Olympic athlete. Spiritual maturity is earned through learning and persevering through our failures. It is the crucial piece to our development.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, help us to beteachable through our failures. Don't let us pull back or shrink away. We want to press through embarrassment. We choose to practice what we believe and let You keep exposing our faults. It may hurt and it may be hard, but we will not quit. We keep choosing to have as much of You as we can experience in our lifetime! Praise and honor and glory to You, LORD Almighty! It's in the Name of above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Friday, June 5, 2009
He Will Not Fail You!
He Will Not Fail You!
By Shirley Mitchell
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm 73:26
Psalm 73:26 tells us that there will be times that our heart and flesh will fail us. Our hearts, the seat of our emotions and from which all living flows, may get discouraged and betray us. Our bodies will give out on us, and we won't be able to take another step on the journey of life. But God will never fail us.
In Deuteronomy 31:6-8 (KJV), Moses turns the reins of the leadership of Israel to Joshua. He tells him to "be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." In Joshua 1 after Moses' death, God reaffirms to Joshua that He will never leave his side nor fail him. He says in verses 5-6 (KJV), "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them."
The Hebrew transliteration for the word "fail" is raphah. It means "to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, to be disheartened, to refrain, let alone, to show oneself slack." At the end of Joshua's life, Joshua agreed that God had kept His promise to never leave him. God proved trustworthy to Joshua to not be afraid of his enemies. Joshua 23:14 says, "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."
1 Kings 8:56 says, "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses." Lamentations 3:22 says, "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." Isaiah 51:6 says, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail." Acts 5:38-39 says, "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
We may fail. Our hearts and our flesh may fail. Glory to God, He never fails. He never falls short. He is never inferior. He never deserts us. He can't show Himself slack. He does not get disheartened. He doesn't drop us. His compassions are never insufficient. I have felt worthy of being dropped, but He never gave up on me. What a God!
My precious friend Andrea is such a godly woman through whom God has done so many amazing things. Let me tell you something that she said that made me laugh so hard. She said jokingly, "I don't think I ever want my life to be a book. I know what it would say. 'She failed. She failed again. She failed yet again, but God never failed her.' " Now, doesn't that just sum it up? Actually, she has what you and I need. She has the perseverance to keep going even if we make a mistake. We aren't called to be perfect; we are just called to love, trust, learn, and pursue.
If our activity is of human origin, there is a real possibility it will fail. However, if you and I are in the process of fulfilling our callings, we may have lessons along the way to rid us of arrogance and jealousy, to unveil future things to us, and to bring us into accordance with God's heart. Yet, the overall calling will be fulfilled. When we walk in obedience, our callings can't be thwarted by human hands. Hallelujah!
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are God. From ancient days You are He. No one can deliver us out of Your hand. When You act, no one can reverse it (Isaiah 43:12-13). Only You can tell us the future before it even happens. Everything You plan will come to pass, for You do whatever You wish (Isaiah 46:10 NLT). God, help us to be strong and be courageous like Joshua. Burn into our hearts and minds that You will never leave us nor forsake us and that You will not FAIL US! Hallelujah! It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
By Shirley Mitchell
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm 73:26
Psalm 73:26 tells us that there will be times that our heart and flesh will fail us. Our hearts, the seat of our emotions and from which all living flows, may get discouraged and betray us. Our bodies will give out on us, and we won't be able to take another step on the journey of life. But God will never fail us.
In Deuteronomy 31:6-8 (KJV), Moses turns the reins of the leadership of Israel to Joshua. He tells him to "be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." In Joshua 1 after Moses' death, God reaffirms to Joshua that He will never leave his side nor fail him. He says in verses 5-6 (KJV), "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them."
The Hebrew transliteration for the word "fail" is raphah. It means "to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, to be disheartened, to refrain, let alone, to show oneself slack." At the end of Joshua's life, Joshua agreed that God had kept His promise to never leave him. God proved trustworthy to Joshua to not be afraid of his enemies. Joshua 23:14 says, "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."
1 Kings 8:56 says, "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses." Lamentations 3:22 says, "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." Isaiah 51:6 says, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail." Acts 5:38-39 says, "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
We may fail. Our hearts and our flesh may fail. Glory to God, He never fails. He never falls short. He is never inferior. He never deserts us. He can't show Himself slack. He does not get disheartened. He doesn't drop us. His compassions are never insufficient. I have felt worthy of being dropped, but He never gave up on me. What a God!
My precious friend Andrea is such a godly woman through whom God has done so many amazing things. Let me tell you something that she said that made me laugh so hard. She said jokingly, "I don't think I ever want my life to be a book. I know what it would say. 'She failed. She failed again. She failed yet again, but God never failed her.' " Now, doesn't that just sum it up? Actually, she has what you and I need. She has the perseverance to keep going even if we make a mistake. We aren't called to be perfect; we are just called to love, trust, learn, and pursue.
If our activity is of human origin, there is a real possibility it will fail. However, if you and I are in the process of fulfilling our callings, we may have lessons along the way to rid us of arrogance and jealousy, to unveil future things to us, and to bring us into accordance with God's heart. Yet, the overall calling will be fulfilled. When we walk in obedience, our callings can't be thwarted by human hands. Hallelujah!
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are God. From ancient days You are He. No one can deliver us out of Your hand. When You act, no one can reverse it (Isaiah 43:12-13). Only You can tell us the future before it even happens. Everything You plan will come to pass, for You do whatever You wish (Isaiah 46:10 NLT). God, help us to be strong and be courageous like Joshua. Burn into our hearts and minds that You will never leave us nor forsake us and that You will not FAIL US! Hallelujah! It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
He Will Not Fail You!
He Will Not Fail You!
By Shirley Mitchell
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm 73:26
Psalm 73:26 tells us that there will be times that our heart and flesh will fail us. Our hearts, the seat of our emotions and from which all living flows, may get discouraged and betray us. Our bodies will give out on us, and we won't be able to take another step on the journey of life. But God will never fail us.
In Deuteronomy 31:6-8 (KJV), Moses turns the reins of the leadership of Israel to Joshua. He tells him to "be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." In Joshua 1 after Moses' death, God reaffirms to Joshua that He will never leave his side nor fail him. He says in verses 5-6 (KJV), "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them."
The Hebrew transliteration for the word "fail" is raphah. It means "to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, to be disheartened, to refrain, let alone, to show oneself slack." At the end of Joshua's life, Joshua agreed that God had kept His promise to never leave him. God proved trustworthy to Joshua to not be afraid of his enemies. Joshua 23:14 says, "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."
1 Kings 8:56 says, "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses." Lamentations 3:22 says, "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." Isaiah 51:6 says, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail." Acts 5:38-39 says, "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
We may fail. Our hearts and our flesh may fail. Glory to God, He never fails. He never falls short. He is never inferior. He never deserts us. He can't show Himself slack. He does not get disheartened. He doesn't drop us. His compassions are never insufficient. I have felt worthy of being dropped, but He never gave up on me. What a God!
My precious friend Andrea is such a godly woman through whom God has done so many amazing things. Let me tell you something that she said that made me laugh so hard. She said jokingly, "I don't think I ever want my life to be a book. I know what it would say. 'She failed. She failed again. She failed yet again, but God never failed her.' " Now, doesn't that just sum it up? Actually, she has what you and I need. She has the perseverance to keep going even if we make a mistake. We aren't called to be perfect; we are just called to love, trust, learn, and pursue.
If our activity is of human origin, there is a real possibility it will fail. However, if you and I are in the process of fulfilling our callings, we may have lessons along the way to rid us of arrogance and jealousy, to unveil future things to us, and to bring us into accordance with God's heart. Yet, the overall calling will be fulfilled. When we walk in obedience, our callings can't be thwarted by human hands. Hallelujah!
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are God. From ancient days You are He. No one can deliver out of Your hand. When You act, no one can reverse it (Isaiah 43:12-13). Only You can tell us the future before it even happens. Everything You plan will come to pass, for You do whatever You wish (Isaiah 46:10 NLT). God, help us to be strong and be courageous like Joshua. Burn into our hearts and minds that You will never leave us nor forsake us and that You will not FAIL US! Hallelujah! It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
By Shirley Mitchell
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm 73:26
Psalm 73:26 tells us that there will be times that our heart and flesh will fail us. Our hearts, the seat of our emotions and from which all living flows, may get discouraged and betray us. Our bodies will give out on us, and we won't be able to take another step on the journey of life. But God will never fail us.
In Deuteronomy 31:6-8 (KJV), Moses turns the reins of the leadership of Israel to Joshua. He tells him to "be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." In Joshua 1 after Moses' death, God reaffirms to Joshua that He will never leave his side nor fail him. He says in verses 5-6 (KJV), "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them."
The Hebrew transliteration for the word "fail" is raphah. It means "to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, to be disheartened, to refrain, let alone, to show oneself slack." At the end of Joshua's life, Joshua agreed that God had kept His promise to never leave him. God proved trustworthy to Joshua to not be afraid of his enemies. Joshua 23:14 says, "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed."
1 Kings 8:56 says, "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses." Lamentations 3:22 says, "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." Isaiah 51:6 says, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail." Acts 5:38-39 says, "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
We may fail. Our hearts and our flesh may fail. Glory to God, He never fails. He never falls short. He is never inferior. He never deserts us. He can't show Himself slack. He does not get disheartened. He doesn't drop us. His compassions are never insufficient. I have felt worthy of being dropped, but He never gave up on me. What a God!
My precious friend Andrea is such a godly woman through whom God has done so many amazing things. Let me tell you something that she said that made me laugh so hard. She said jokingly, "I don't think I ever want my life to be a book. I know what it would say. 'She failed. She failed again. She failed yet again, but God never failed her.' " Now, doesn't that just sum it up? Actually, she has what you and I need. She has the perseverance to keep going even if we make a mistake. We aren't called to be perfect; we are just called to love, trust, learn, and pursue.
If our activity is of human origin, there is a real possibility it will fail. However, if you and I are in the process of fulfilling our callings, we may have lessons along the way to rid us of arrogance and jealousy, to unveil future things to us, and to bring us into accordance with God's heart. Yet, the overall calling will be fulfilled. When we walk in obedience, our callings can't be thwarted by human hands. Hallelujah!
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, You are God. From ancient days You are He. No one can deliver out of Your hand. When You act, no one can reverse it (Isaiah 43:12-13). Only You can tell us the future before it even happens. Everything You plan will come to pass, for You do whatever You wish (Isaiah 46:10 NLT). God, help us to be strong and be courageous like Joshua. Burn into our hearts and minds that You will never leave us nor forsake us and that You will not FAIL US! Hallelujah! It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Set His Face
Set His Face
By Shirley Mitchell
"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem."
Luke 9:51-53 (KJV)
Near the end of His ministry, Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. He was resolved to head to Jerusalem to fulfill God's plan for His life even if it meant His suffering. "His face" occurred three times in these few verses. When I looked up the word "face," I learned that "to spit in a person's face was an expression of utmost scorn and aversion" because "the face was considered to be the noblest part of a person." When Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, He was setting His "inward thoughts and feelings" with a fixed purpose for Jerusalem.
Jesus set His face to the Holy City of God like one would set his face to have a discussion with someone. It was time to do business with Jerusalem. It was time to do what He had come to earth to do. It was time to carry out the plan that had been decided before the foundation of the world. He was under the mastery of the Spirit within Him. He did not give in to sin and ignore the "conversation" that He would hold with Jerusalem.
How opposite this is from the human desire to avoid facing conflict and emotionally tough situations! Maybe we've wronged someone. Maybe someone has wronged us. Maybe it is a relationship more tangled than a kitten's ball of yarn. Maybe there is a circumstance that you have deceived yourself into not dealing with because you think you can't face it. Maybe there is a situation that makes you want to stick your head under your pillow and ask God to make it go away. You and I can't be escape artists. As women under the mastery of the Holy Spirit, we can't hide our faces. He wants us to lift up our heads and face Him. We face God, and then we obey Him by facing the situation in a way that honors Him.
Precious one, is there someone whom you are having difficulty facing? Do you sense that God is asking you to be the mature spirit-filled believer about this one? It is time to face our most difficult and draining situations. No longer will we cower or deny the existence of the trouble. When we obey God and relinquish the outcome to Him, we live the great adventure and the victorious Christian life.
Pray with me: Oh, LORD Almighty, we worship You! You are worthy of all honor, glory, and praise! Thank You, Jesus, for not avoiding Jerusalem or evading the cross. Thank You for facing the worst cruelty of all times. Help us to remain determined to face our most difficult situations. Just as Jesus resolutely faced Jerusalem, may we face the things that make us want to hide. May we not quit but persevere to bring You glory. It's in the Name of above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
By Shirley Mitchell
"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem."
Luke 9:51-53 (KJV)
Near the end of His ministry, Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. He was resolved to head to Jerusalem to fulfill God's plan for His life even if it meant His suffering. "His face" occurred three times in these few verses. When I looked up the word "face," I learned that "to spit in a person's face was an expression of utmost scorn and aversion" because "the face was considered to be the noblest part of a person." When Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, He was setting His "inward thoughts and feelings" with a fixed purpose for Jerusalem.
Jesus set His face to the Holy City of God like one would set his face to have a discussion with someone. It was time to do business with Jerusalem. It was time to do what He had come to earth to do. It was time to carry out the plan that had been decided before the foundation of the world. He was under the mastery of the Spirit within Him. He did not give in to sin and ignore the "conversation" that He would hold with Jerusalem.
How opposite this is from the human desire to avoid facing conflict and emotionally tough situations! Maybe we've wronged someone. Maybe someone has wronged us. Maybe it is a relationship more tangled than a kitten's ball of yarn. Maybe there is a circumstance that you have deceived yourself into not dealing with because you think you can't face it. Maybe there is a situation that makes you want to stick your head under your pillow and ask God to make it go away. You and I can't be escape artists. As women under the mastery of the Holy Spirit, we can't hide our faces. He wants us to lift up our heads and face Him. We face God, and then we obey Him by facing the situation in a way that honors Him.
Precious one, is there someone whom you are having difficulty facing? Do you sense that God is asking you to be the mature spirit-filled believer about this one? It is time to face our most difficult and draining situations. No longer will we cower or deny the existence of the trouble. When we obey God and relinquish the outcome to Him, we live the great adventure and the victorious Christian life.
Pray with me: Oh, LORD Almighty, we worship You! You are worthy of all honor, glory, and praise! Thank You, Jesus, for not avoiding Jerusalem or evading the cross. Thank You for facing the worst cruelty of all times. Help us to remain determined to face our most difficult situations. Just as Jesus resolutely faced Jerusalem, may we face the things that make us want to hide. May we not quit but persevere to bring You glory. It's in the Name of above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Bite-Sized Chunks
Bite-Sized Chunks
By Shirley Mitchell
"This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.' "
Isaiah 48:17
My youngest daughter Victoria is adopted from China. She spent her first year in an orphanage that took pretty good care of her by their standards. For many months after bringing her home, we only placed small portions on her plate. We replenished them after she ate what she was given. Why? If we gave her too much food at the same time, then she would try to put all of the food in her mouth. She looked like a chipmunk preparing for winter. Sometimes she could not even move her jaws! We were told this behavior is very common for a child from an orphanage in another country. The nannies at the orphanage seemed wonderful, but they had so many babies to tend. The babies learned from an early age if you can get your hands on food, put it in your mouth where it is safe. The next bite may not be there when you are finished chewing and swallowing the former bite.
God's economy works much like the way we fed Victoria. He disciples us in bite-sized chunks. He does not stuff our mouths full when we are not ready to chew and swallow the food. He doesn't give all of the practicum tests at once. He does not give us what we need until we are ready for it. He is gently leading us to a point of most use for His kingdom and to bring Him glory. His discipleship will be there tomorrow, the next day, and the day after it. We do not have to hoard it for today.
We see God as the Great "Career" Planner and Developer throughout the Bible. God prepared Joseph for the second highest position in Egypt by placing him in charge of Potipher's house and the prison. He could not run a country without developing the necessary leadership and planning skills. God cultivated his skills through two painful work experiences. God prepared Paul for 10 years through having the other disciples teach him before he became the mighty missionary and writer of most of the books in the New Testament. I strongly believe God is developing a series of skills through my work as a project engineer and manager in a Fortune 500 company - organization, leadership, public speaking, customer needs incorporated into design, team conflict resolution, management, and much more. I have called this time my Joseph years because it has not been easy. It certainly is not how I would have chosen to be developed for kingdom use. How He will use these skills in His kingdom is His choice. I am just thankful for being developed. Just as God has a development plan for me, He has one for you, too.
Do you see, dear one, how God is using the good, the painful, the hard, and the ugly to stretch you and grow you into who you are to be in Christ? Let's praise God for choosing the best way to disciple us and for being the Greatest People Developer of all. Let's thank Him for setting the pace that doesn't leave us exasperated in the dust, but a pace that we follow.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in Your truth (Psalm 86:11). Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in Your commands (Psalm 119:66). Thank You for not trying to fix us all at once. Thank You, Lord, that You are slowly transforming us. You don't come at us with a list of our faults and deficiencies. You come to us in love. Slowly through Your daily plan of transformation and our obedience and willingness to seek You through Bible study and prayer, You change us. We praise You for knowing the best way to disciple us and teach us how to be like Christ. May we accept Your plan for our lives and trust that You have a good plan and will carry it out. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
By Shirley Mitchell
"This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.' "
Isaiah 48:17
My youngest daughter Victoria is adopted from China. She spent her first year in an orphanage that took pretty good care of her by their standards. For many months after bringing her home, we only placed small portions on her plate. We replenished them after she ate what she was given. Why? If we gave her too much food at the same time, then she would try to put all of the food in her mouth. She looked like a chipmunk preparing for winter. Sometimes she could not even move her jaws! We were told this behavior is very common for a child from an orphanage in another country. The nannies at the orphanage seemed wonderful, but they had so many babies to tend. The babies learned from an early age if you can get your hands on food, put it in your mouth where it is safe. The next bite may not be there when you are finished chewing and swallowing the former bite.
God's economy works much like the way we fed Victoria. He disciples us in bite-sized chunks. He does not stuff our mouths full when we are not ready to chew and swallow the food. He doesn't give all of the practicum tests at once. He does not give us what we need until we are ready for it. He is gently leading us to a point of most use for His kingdom and to bring Him glory. His discipleship will be there tomorrow, the next day, and the day after it. We do not have to hoard it for today.
We see God as the Great "Career" Planner and Developer throughout the Bible. God prepared Joseph for the second highest position in Egypt by placing him in charge of Potipher's house and the prison. He could not run a country without developing the necessary leadership and planning skills. God cultivated his skills through two painful work experiences. God prepared Paul for 10 years through having the other disciples teach him before he became the mighty missionary and writer of most of the books in the New Testament. I strongly believe God is developing a series of skills through my work as a project engineer and manager in a Fortune 500 company - organization, leadership, public speaking, customer needs incorporated into design, team conflict resolution, management, and much more. I have called this time my Joseph years because it has not been easy. It certainly is not how I would have chosen to be developed for kingdom use. How He will use these skills in His kingdom is His choice. I am just thankful for being developed. Just as God has a development plan for me, He has one for you, too.
Do you see, dear one, how God is using the good, the painful, the hard, and the ugly to stretch you and grow you into who you are to be in Christ? Let's praise God for choosing the best way to disciple us and for being the Greatest People Developer of all. Let's thank Him for setting the pace that doesn't leave us exasperated in the dust, but a pace that we follow.
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in Your truth (Psalm 86:11). Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in Your commands (Psalm 119:66). Thank You for not trying to fix us all at once. Thank You, Lord, that You are slowly transforming us. You don't come at us with a list of our faults and deficiencies. You come to us in love. Slowly through Your daily plan of transformation and our obedience and willingness to seek You through Bible study and prayer, You change us. We praise You for knowing the best way to disciple us and teach us how to be like Christ. May we accept Your plan for our lives and trust that You have a good plan and will carry it out. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
God’s Revelation to His Servants
God’s Revelation to His Servants
“Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7
God tells His servants the prophets what is going to happen because He wants to be unmistakable. He desires to be clearly identifiable to His people. God is not a firefighter reacting to the situation at hand. Contrarily, He is the one moving things into motion and setting the stage for the events. God does nothing without revealing it first to His prophets, His servants. He leaves no room for us to mistake His work for coincidence or the scheme of man. He proves He is the one and only God.
God speaks to our hearts through the Holy Spirit and His Word in many different forms. God knows the future because He holds the future in His hand. It is completely under His control. God will sometimes reveal His plan for our lives to us. He desires that we reach out to Him to seek guidance.
God has purpose in matters that we do not know yet as He is purposeful over what we do know. If there is something that you and I do not know yet, we must first seek an answer through prayer, His Word, and possibly fasting if medically appropriate and God moves us to do it. Sometimes He does not tell us things so that we will seek Him. Acts 17:26-27 says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” If we diligently seek God and He does not reveal to us an answer, it is because you and I have no need to know right now. There is a difference between need to know and want to know! We have to trust Him until that time comes. God does not say, “Oops, I forgot to tell you something.” He is not forgetful, absent minded, or distracted! We should not treat Him like He is such. He is the opposite. He is intentional and precise. When the time is right, He will tell us.
God created us with a need to have some adventure and some thrills. The key to God’s great adventure is to walk in obedience to His ways. Some of us confuse the drama that we have created through the consequences of sin with the adventure of Him. Creating drama in our lives through our continuous poor choices is not the same as the adventure of faith in Him. Yes, He can rescue us from our consequences. Yet, sometimes He does not rescue us entirely. When we walk in obedience to Him, we eliminate the need for the dramatic rescue.
God has given me promises for my life because I have sought Him. I don’t know the fullness of those promises. I am beginning to be more comfortable with the fact that I do not know what tomorrow will bring. I am putting my trust in my God who has brought me thus far. If I knew how the rest of my days would be, then it would be like reading the last chapter of a novel first. It would be the picture on the book cover that says a thousand words and reveals the book’s plot. It takes away the mystery and the fun.
Think about it. Lottie Moon did not know when she died in poverty in China that an international mission offering would be collected every Christmas in her name. David was not looking too much like a mighty king when he was cowering in a cave as a fugitive hiding from King Saul. When Paul was approving Stephen’s stoning, he would never have guessed that he would become a mighty apostle for Jesus. All were given some revelation by God at the right time and to the right degree. Lottie was called, David was anointed, and Paul was divinely encountered. Then, they began their journey with God, and they were given more revelation.
As I have learned, the journey can be equally as important as arriving at the destination. Additionally, the journey can make the destination sweeter. My independent, controlling, and planning self is learning to depend on Him. What about you? Has God told you something about your life? Do you believe that if you seek Him with pure motives that He will give you a revelation? Are you clinging to a word that He has given you, or have you released it?
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, thank You for Your promises. Thank You for not being our fortune teller. Thank You for not telling us the fullness of what the rest of our lives hold. Thank You, Father, that You let us seek You through each step of our lives. Thank You for the times when You reveal Your plan to us, Your servants. Thank You for being so unmistakable. You have identified Your hand and Your work in our lives so clearly. Keep setting the stage in motion. We ask to be people so close to You, such close servants, that when it comes time for You to reveal Your plan for our families, our friends, our schools, our churches, our cities, our nations, someone else, or the world, that You will choose us. We choose to closely abide with You and to care about what You care about. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study,
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7
God tells His servants the prophets what is going to happen because He wants to be unmistakable. He desires to be clearly identifiable to His people. God is not a firefighter reacting to the situation at hand. Contrarily, He is the one moving things into motion and setting the stage for the events. God does nothing without revealing it first to His prophets, His servants. He leaves no room for us to mistake His work for coincidence or the scheme of man. He proves He is the one and only God.
God speaks to our hearts through the Holy Spirit and His Word in many different forms. God knows the future because He holds the future in His hand. It is completely under His control. God will sometimes reveal His plan for our lives to us. He desires that we reach out to Him to seek guidance.
God has purpose in matters that we do not know yet as He is purposeful over what we do know. If there is something that you and I do not know yet, we must first seek an answer through prayer, His Word, and possibly fasting if medically appropriate and God moves us to do it. Sometimes He does not tell us things so that we will seek Him. Acts 17:26-27 says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” If we diligently seek God and He does not reveal to us an answer, it is because you and I have no need to know right now. There is a difference between need to know and want to know! We have to trust Him until that time comes. God does not say, “Oops, I forgot to tell you something.” He is not forgetful, absent minded, or distracted! We should not treat Him like He is such. He is the opposite. He is intentional and precise. When the time is right, He will tell us.
God created us with a need to have some adventure and some thrills. The key to God’s great adventure is to walk in obedience to His ways. Some of us confuse the drama that we have created through the consequences of sin with the adventure of Him. Creating drama in our lives through our continuous poor choices is not the same as the adventure of faith in Him. Yes, He can rescue us from our consequences. Yet, sometimes He does not rescue us entirely. When we walk in obedience to Him, we eliminate the need for the dramatic rescue.
God has given me promises for my life because I have sought Him. I don’t know the fullness of those promises. I am beginning to be more comfortable with the fact that I do not know what tomorrow will bring. I am putting my trust in my God who has brought me thus far. If I knew how the rest of my days would be, then it would be like reading the last chapter of a novel first. It would be the picture on the book cover that says a thousand words and reveals the book’s plot. It takes away the mystery and the fun.
Think about it. Lottie Moon did not know when she died in poverty in China that an international mission offering would be collected every Christmas in her name. David was not looking too much like a mighty king when he was cowering in a cave as a fugitive hiding from King Saul. When Paul was approving Stephen’s stoning, he would never have guessed that he would become a mighty apostle for Jesus. All were given some revelation by God at the right time and to the right degree. Lottie was called, David was anointed, and Paul was divinely encountered. Then, they began their journey with God, and they were given more revelation.
As I have learned, the journey can be equally as important as arriving at the destination. Additionally, the journey can make the destination sweeter. My independent, controlling, and planning self is learning to depend on Him. What about you? Has God told you something about your life? Do you believe that if you seek Him with pure motives that He will give you a revelation? Are you clinging to a word that He has given you, or have you released it?
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, thank You for Your promises. Thank You for not being our fortune teller. Thank You for not telling us the fullness of what the rest of our lives hold. Thank You, Father, that You let us seek You through each step of our lives. Thank You for the times when You reveal Your plan to us, Your servants. Thank You for being so unmistakable. You have identified Your hand and Your work in our lives so clearly. Keep setting the stage in motion. We ask to be people so close to You, such close servants, that when it comes time for You to reveal Your plan for our families, our friends, our schools, our churches, our cities, our nations, someone else, or the world, that You will choose us. We choose to closely abide with You and to care about what You care about. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study,
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
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