Love and Communication
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
If marriage was designed by God, then why is it so hard? Are you like me and have thought this so many times? Marriage is not for the faint-hearted, the naïve, and quitters. It is only for the resolved, determined, and the tenacious. I don’t know of any other thing in life that has as much influence on our fulfillment and joy. Frankly, I don’t know how marriages without God as the center survive. They must be less than fulfilling. It causes many dear sisters much pain and anguish. Yet, a godly marriage gives us glimpses of God.
God’s Word tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that out of faith, hope, and love, that the greatest thing that we could experience is love. Love involves connecting with another human being. Connecting requires communication. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think they need to improve their communication skills. I was astonished in my college communication class when I learned that communication was made of three parts: words (8%), tone of voice (38%), and body language (55%). Additionally, communication is listening, as well as sharing. Only love could motivate us to want to communicate with someone so different from us. Only love would make us to want to overcome these barriers. Only love would make us want to be more patient. We can’t demonstrate love without having been filled with Christ’s love. Someone who has been filled with Christ's love cannot stop herself from giving it to others.
No other human has the power to hurt us like our mates. Likewise, we wield the same power to hurt them. Remember James tells us the power of our tongues. They are like the bits in horses’ mouths that can turn the whole animal, like a rudder to a large ship, or a small spark that sets off a forest fire. They can set our lives on fire (James 3:1-7). Proverbs 18:21 says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (NASB). It may take duck tape on our mouths sometimes, but we need to catch ourselves when we nag, belittle, condemn, get angry, or criticize. We can pray for God to prick us when destructive words start to roll off our tongues. Our tongues are the most influential and most powerful tool that we have. They can unleash great potential, creativity, and joy, or they can destroy and change the whole course of life.
I’m not telling you anything that God hasn’t already pressed into me. Maybe you know all of this but needed a reminder to be more encouraging, supporting, and uplifting. Our mates need cheering. I know you may be thinking like the parents at my daughter’s recent soccer team when the kids asked the parents to cheer for them. One parent said what we were all thinking aloud, “You need to give us something to cheer about!” It may take some time and creativity, but an ounce of encouragement goes a long way to motivate the human soul.
Some of us may be thinking, “Is it too late for my marriage?” or “This all sounds wonderful and I know it is right, but my marriage is too far gone.” Many times, we don’t know how it became “too far gone.” The love that we had our wedding day just slipped away. We may not know, but God knows, and He can reveal to us where things went wrong. However, we must be open to Him telling us our part in it! Some of us may have been the unwise woman who has torn down her own house. Some of us may be angry with him for the mistakes he has made – career, financial, parenting, or spiritually. Some of us may be so frustrated with him that we have stopped talking to him and just give him some fierce looks. Or maybe he has hurt us so badly we just give him a rejected or guarded look.
So how do we get past this? How do we have a marriage that gives us all that God designed for it to be? We turn to the God of hope. We turn to the God who resurrects marriages from the dead. We turn to Him in deepest prayer. Nobody is going to pray for our own marriage like we will. Will you join me?
Pray with me: Almighty God, thank You, Lord. You are amazing. You are still the truest love of our hearts. Thank You for those of us whom You have brought into marriage. Marriage is under such an onslaught, full scale attack by the enemy. We desire that You raise up godly marriages in the church as Your bride prepares for the return of her Groom.
We realize, Lord, that we need Your help in communication. Teach us to bridle our tongues. Do not let any unwholesome word come out of our mouths except words for edification (Ephesians 4:29). We bring You all the hurts of our marriages and relationships. We consecrate our thought life to You. We know that if we think bad thoughts, that we will speak bad words. Teach us to bring our thoughts captive. Help us to walk moment by moment in the Spirit. It is in the Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that 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, February 19, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Marriage, Romance, and Intimacy
Marriage, Romance, and Intimacy
“The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ "
Genesis 2:18
“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
Ephesians 5:33
When God created Adam, He knew that it was not good for man to be alone so He made a helper for him (Genesis 2:18). Eve was created to remove Adam’s loneliness and provide companionship, even though Adam did not know he needed her. Although Eve was made from Adam and for Adam, God wired us completely differently. Men and women are a mystery to each other. Let’s face it. We baffle each other! Most men are problem solvers. Most women don’t want their problems solved but just want someone to listen to them. God wired men to desire sex while most women want relationship before sex can be enjoyed. Thus, the conflict begins. Yet, because we humans like a challenge, the romance begins, too.
The male/female romance is in the image of God. It is just a mere shadow of how God, the God who sits on His throne where lightning flashes and angels say “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,” longs for us. He loved us before time began. He has given us life, creation, and His beloved only Son. God pursues us to the depths of despair, to heights of affluence, and to the highway of our choice. When we start to consider that human romance is just a mere shadow, or just a dark image, of God’s romance with us, we understand why we long for romance.
Marriage fulfills our desire for intimacy. We desire for someone to truly know us and still like us! While at the same time, they are willing to let us know them. Such intimacy requires vulnerability and the risk of rejection.
The high calling of the husband is to love his wife unconditionally. Even more frightening, he is to love his wife just as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). Men were commanded to do it because God knew it would not come easy for them. My sister whispered in my ear at one wedding where we were both bridesmaids, “Do you know why men are so nervous on their wedding day? They know the pressure of trying to live up to loving her like Christ.” To which I replied, “No wonder many men don’t want to make the commitment of marriage!” Whether the man knows this command or not, somewhere deep inside they know this is a stretch of calling for them. For a man to consistently love his wife through every moment, every hormone, every physical ailment, any mental health issue, and every season of life, it takes God. He has to submit himself to God. This takes laying aside his pride and listening to God through His Word and His voice.
The high calling of the wife is to respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33 tells wives to respect their husbands. Respect is a man’s deepest need, not love. God knew this in how He wired our men, and that is why we women are commanded to respect them. Most men desire to lead. We women fear being trampled on and emasculate many of our men. Although I am a petite woman, I am a strong woman. I have overcome many obstacles and climbed high in a man’s world. Therefore, I must constantly be reminded that my husband needs respect from me. I am not becoming a doormat when I lift him up. I am not relinquishing my dignity by elevating him. When I act on this knowledge, I find the love and romance that I need.
As we head into valentine’s weekend, if we are married, then let’s celebrate what God has given to us. Let’s spend some time in prayer for this God-given institution.
Pray with me: Almighty God, we lift up to You today marriages – whether we are married or not. We ask that Your people have marriages than can be distinguished from the rest of the world.
Whether we are married or single, may we KNOW the greatest Romancer of all – You. May we let You display Your love for us. May You be our valentine. Your gifts are better than anything man can give. Sweep us off our feet, and take our breath away.
For those of us who are married, we don’t want mediocre marriages but sizzling marriages with a passion that is ordained by You. May they be vibrant. Instead of the sparks of conflict flying, may they be sparks of desire and love. Teach us to make our husbands feel like Prince Charming. May we respect them in all they do for our families, for their achievements, for their service, or for whatever they strive to do or be. It is in Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that we pray, Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ "
Genesis 2:18
“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
Ephesians 5:33
When God created Adam, He knew that it was not good for man to be alone so He made a helper for him (Genesis 2:18). Eve was created to remove Adam’s loneliness and provide companionship, even though Adam did not know he needed her. Although Eve was made from Adam and for Adam, God wired us completely differently. Men and women are a mystery to each other. Let’s face it. We baffle each other! Most men are problem solvers. Most women don’t want their problems solved but just want someone to listen to them. God wired men to desire sex while most women want relationship before sex can be enjoyed. Thus, the conflict begins. Yet, because we humans like a challenge, the romance begins, too.
The male/female romance is in the image of God. It is just a mere shadow of how God, the God who sits on His throne where lightning flashes and angels say “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,” longs for us. He loved us before time began. He has given us life, creation, and His beloved only Son. God pursues us to the depths of despair, to heights of affluence, and to the highway of our choice. When we start to consider that human romance is just a mere shadow, or just a dark image, of God’s romance with us, we understand why we long for romance.
Marriage fulfills our desire for intimacy. We desire for someone to truly know us and still like us! While at the same time, they are willing to let us know them. Such intimacy requires vulnerability and the risk of rejection.
The high calling of the husband is to love his wife unconditionally. Even more frightening, he is to love his wife just as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). Men were commanded to do it because God knew it would not come easy for them. My sister whispered in my ear at one wedding where we were both bridesmaids, “Do you know why men are so nervous on their wedding day? They know the pressure of trying to live up to loving her like Christ.” To which I replied, “No wonder many men don’t want to make the commitment of marriage!” Whether the man knows this command or not, somewhere deep inside they know this is a stretch of calling for them. For a man to consistently love his wife through every moment, every hormone, every physical ailment, any mental health issue, and every season of life, it takes God. He has to submit himself to God. This takes laying aside his pride and listening to God through His Word and His voice.
The high calling of the wife is to respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33 tells wives to respect their husbands. Respect is a man’s deepest need, not love. God knew this in how He wired our men, and that is why we women are commanded to respect them. Most men desire to lead. We women fear being trampled on and emasculate many of our men. Although I am a petite woman, I am a strong woman. I have overcome many obstacles and climbed high in a man’s world. Therefore, I must constantly be reminded that my husband needs respect from me. I am not becoming a doormat when I lift him up. I am not relinquishing my dignity by elevating him. When I act on this knowledge, I find the love and romance that I need.
As we head into valentine’s weekend, if we are married, then let’s celebrate what God has given to us. Let’s spend some time in prayer for this God-given institution.
Pray with me: Almighty God, we lift up to You today marriages – whether we are married or not. We ask that Your people have marriages than can be distinguished from the rest of the world.
Whether we are married or single, may we KNOW the greatest Romancer of all – You. May we let You display Your love for us. May You be our valentine. Your gifts are better than anything man can give. Sweep us off our feet, and take our breath away.
For those of us who are married, we don’t want mediocre marriages but sizzling marriages with a passion that is ordained by You. May they be vibrant. Instead of the sparks of conflict flying, may they be sparks of desire and love. Teach us to make our husbands feel like Prince Charming. May we respect them in all they do for our families, for their achievements, for their service, or for whatever they strive to do or be. It is in Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that we pray, Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Singles: Love Well!
Singles: Love Well!
“I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you're unmarried, you're free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, leading to so many more demands on your attention…I'm trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder.”
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 (The Message)
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
Jeremiah 17:9
As we near Valentine’s Day, God led me to encourage those of us who are single. Singles just have a special place in my heart. I realize this time of year can be so hard on singles. The sun doesn’t shine as much, the weather makes it hard to get out, and those perky married people are smiling about the roses that their husbands sent them. So whether you are divorced, widowed, or have never been married, let me encourage you today by talking to you. If you are married – perky or not, then I pray this will still speak to you, too.
One of my most precious friends asked me the other day some questions about what it was like when I was dating my husband Doug. She is on the dating scene and is working through some troubles in a relationship. I told her honestly that I was not the person to talk to about how to date correctly. In fact, if I ever write a book on dating, courting, and the single life, it would cover the list of what not to do. Experience has taught me every single “no-no.” I made one mistake after another until God must have said, “You failed, child. I must remove you from the single life before it gets any worse.” You know I’m just teasing with you.
If I were single all over again – which trust me, if Doug went on to heaven now, I would have to completely lose my mind to marry again – but if God opened a door (because He would have to do it since I would treat it like the door that is on burning fire), I would be a completely different person. My mind is right with God now and no longer a mess! When we were young and dating, my sister and I talked about how “unstable” our minds were. We knew we were nuts! Additionally, I don’t seek in my marriage, and I hope that I would remain strong in the Lord in my singleness, what only God can give me. Gone are the days when I wrestled with being enough – smart enough, thin enough, tough enough, athletic enough, pretty enough, and rich enough. These things are shallow and temporal. I am so much more secure in my identity in Christ. Sometimes, I forget that the world doesn’t see me as the radiant daughter of the Most High King and the crown of creation. Just because the world can’t see my true identity like the spiritual realm can doesn’t mean I dress how they see me. I don’t wear their opinion of me as a cloak that covers my spiritual beauty and identity. It means that I have to know who I am and be willing to radiate through the world’s veils. God changed me by teaching me to invest in eternal things and ministering to my wounded heart and “unstable” mind. I no longer am a basket case! In fact, many people think I am wise – now if that isn’t a hoot because only God could do that. Only God could give wisdom to a former fool. Praise Him!
God also taught me to not glorify human love anymore. It is no longer an idol to me. I am no longer desperate for someone to love me. It is not because I have Doug who meets my human needs, but it is because I have God who meets the deepest needs of my heart. My husband teases his friends, “My wife spends an hour every morning with another man, and I don’t mind it.” He could be very jealous of the time that I give to my first love, but he isn’t. He knows that I wouldn’t be the same woman whom he loves without the time spent on my most important relationship. He is also plenty afraid of living with the version of me who takes one step away from God! I’m sure he has had glimpses of her and doesn’t want that girl coming back from the dead!
My first encouragement to singles is this: know Jeremiah 17:9. A heart not under the control of God will deceive us and lead us where we never wanted to go. You must choose to lead your heart instead of letting your heart lead you. Emotions confuse us. God wired us so that we need companionship. Desperation and loneliness can control our hearts and lead us to make the wrong decisions in relationships. Pursuing the wrong man will always lead to more misery than we ever wanted. Additionally, they can sucker shoot our time from the works that God has planned for us during our single years (whether it is just a while longer or the rest of our lives).
My second encouragement is this: make your mind a garden of truth. The mind is the battlefield. Our enemy has bombarded us with his twists of truth. You and I both have some twisted truths planted in our minds. We must take charge of our thought life and compare our thoughts to God’s thoughts (His Word). We must examine every belief and hold it against God’s beliefs – the ultimate truth. Let’s get our identity straight. Let’s be tenacious about fulfilling our purposes. When we find something that is a twisted truth, it is time to shovel it out of our minds!
Let’s not be foolish women, but let’s live by these two principles of life for the rest of our days whether single, married, or single again. Let’s understand our feelings, let God show us how to sort our desires, and protect ourselves from deception of the heart. Let’s stand on the battlefield of our minds and not give the enemy any territory to take us down. Let’s know the truth of God’s Word and be mighty to not accept any lie that seeks to defeat us, tempt us, or destroy us. I’m recharged and ready to live the life where I love well. Are you, beloved?
Pray with me: Almighty God, You know that it is hard for us to be alone. You created us with the need for human companionship so our feelings to desire companionship are not wrong. However, we cannot let our feelings turn dark and captivate us. We cannot give our minds to dwelling on empty spaces in lives. We must lead our desires and not be deceived by them. Teach us truth. Give us a strong mind. We don’t want to be wackos. May we safeguard our daily time with You where we let You pour into us Your feelings toward us and Your thoughts about us.
For our single sister, may she let You be her Husband. Don’t let any sister be lonely, depressed, or feel unloved or unwanted during this time. Pour Yourself on her. Give her true friends who fill her with joy. Give her spiritual children. Teach her to be patient during the years that she has You alone for a husband until the time that You bring her the one whom You have chosen. Prepare her husband to be the godly man whom she needs. If marriage is not in my sister’s future, then replace her desire for marriage with other blessings from Your hand. Do not let her settle for an unhappy, ungodly marriage. Above all, we pray that You raise up a generation of strong Christian women who live the single life that glorifies Your Name and shows the world how fulfilling a life built with You can be! It is in Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that we pray, Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you're unmarried, you're free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, leading to so many more demands on your attention…I'm trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder.”
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 (The Message)
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
Jeremiah 17:9
As we near Valentine’s Day, God led me to encourage those of us who are single. Singles just have a special place in my heart. I realize this time of year can be so hard on singles. The sun doesn’t shine as much, the weather makes it hard to get out, and those perky married people are smiling about the roses that their husbands sent them. So whether you are divorced, widowed, or have never been married, let me encourage you today by talking to you. If you are married – perky or not, then I pray this will still speak to you, too.
One of my most precious friends asked me the other day some questions about what it was like when I was dating my husband Doug. She is on the dating scene and is working through some troubles in a relationship. I told her honestly that I was not the person to talk to about how to date correctly. In fact, if I ever write a book on dating, courting, and the single life, it would cover the list of what not to do. Experience has taught me every single “no-no.” I made one mistake after another until God must have said, “You failed, child. I must remove you from the single life before it gets any worse.” You know I’m just teasing with you.
If I were single all over again – which trust me, if Doug went on to heaven now, I would have to completely lose my mind to marry again – but if God opened a door (because He would have to do it since I would treat it like the door that is on burning fire), I would be a completely different person. My mind is right with God now and no longer a mess! When we were young and dating, my sister and I talked about how “unstable” our minds were. We knew we were nuts! Additionally, I don’t seek in my marriage, and I hope that I would remain strong in the Lord in my singleness, what only God can give me. Gone are the days when I wrestled with being enough – smart enough, thin enough, tough enough, athletic enough, pretty enough, and rich enough. These things are shallow and temporal. I am so much more secure in my identity in Christ. Sometimes, I forget that the world doesn’t see me as the radiant daughter of the Most High King and the crown of creation. Just because the world can’t see my true identity like the spiritual realm can doesn’t mean I dress how they see me. I don’t wear their opinion of me as a cloak that covers my spiritual beauty and identity. It means that I have to know who I am and be willing to radiate through the world’s veils. God changed me by teaching me to invest in eternal things and ministering to my wounded heart and “unstable” mind. I no longer am a basket case! In fact, many people think I am wise – now if that isn’t a hoot because only God could do that. Only God could give wisdom to a former fool. Praise Him!
God also taught me to not glorify human love anymore. It is no longer an idol to me. I am no longer desperate for someone to love me. It is not because I have Doug who meets my human needs, but it is because I have God who meets the deepest needs of my heart. My husband teases his friends, “My wife spends an hour every morning with another man, and I don’t mind it.” He could be very jealous of the time that I give to my first love, but he isn’t. He knows that I wouldn’t be the same woman whom he loves without the time spent on my most important relationship. He is also plenty afraid of living with the version of me who takes one step away from God! I’m sure he has had glimpses of her and doesn’t want that girl coming back from the dead!
My first encouragement to singles is this: know Jeremiah 17:9. A heart not under the control of God will deceive us and lead us where we never wanted to go. You must choose to lead your heart instead of letting your heart lead you. Emotions confuse us. God wired us so that we need companionship. Desperation and loneliness can control our hearts and lead us to make the wrong decisions in relationships. Pursuing the wrong man will always lead to more misery than we ever wanted. Additionally, they can sucker shoot our time from the works that God has planned for us during our single years (whether it is just a while longer or the rest of our lives).
My second encouragement is this: make your mind a garden of truth. The mind is the battlefield. Our enemy has bombarded us with his twists of truth. You and I both have some twisted truths planted in our minds. We must take charge of our thought life and compare our thoughts to God’s thoughts (His Word). We must examine every belief and hold it against God’s beliefs – the ultimate truth. Let’s get our identity straight. Let’s be tenacious about fulfilling our purposes. When we find something that is a twisted truth, it is time to shovel it out of our minds!
Let’s not be foolish women, but let’s live by these two principles of life for the rest of our days whether single, married, or single again. Let’s understand our feelings, let God show us how to sort our desires, and protect ourselves from deception of the heart. Let’s stand on the battlefield of our minds and not give the enemy any territory to take us down. Let’s know the truth of God’s Word and be mighty to not accept any lie that seeks to defeat us, tempt us, or destroy us. I’m recharged and ready to live the life where I love well. Are you, beloved?
Pray with me: Almighty God, You know that it is hard for us to be alone. You created us with the need for human companionship so our feelings to desire companionship are not wrong. However, we cannot let our feelings turn dark and captivate us. We cannot give our minds to dwelling on empty spaces in lives. We must lead our desires and not be deceived by them. Teach us truth. Give us a strong mind. We don’t want to be wackos. May we safeguard our daily time with You where we let You pour into us Your feelings toward us and Your thoughts about us.
For our single sister, may she let You be her Husband. Don’t let any sister be lonely, depressed, or feel unloved or unwanted during this time. Pour Yourself on her. Give her true friends who fill her with joy. Give her spiritual children. Teach her to be patient during the years that she has You alone for a husband until the time that You bring her the one whom You have chosen. Prepare her husband to be the godly man whom she needs. If marriage is not in my sister’s future, then replace her desire for marriage with other blessings from Your hand. Do not let her settle for an unhappy, ungodly marriage. Above all, we pray that You raise up a generation of strong Christian women who live the single life that glorifies Your Name and shows the world how fulfilling a life built with You can be! It is in Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that we pray, Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Friday, February 6, 2009
Watchmen for Israel: The Return
Watchmen for Israel: The Return
“In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.
He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.”
Isaiah 11:11-12
In the Bible study Jesus Lives Session 7 DVD, I teach you the signs of Jesus’ return. I so passionately desire for you and me to be women who know how to look at current events from God’s viewpoint. We must be on alert because these signs are happening in our lifetime, and we need to know what to do with them. Prophecy after prophecy is being fulfilled in our lifetime. Let’s focus on one topic that is covered by many Scriptures today.
The Roman Empire defeated Israel, and most of the population was dispersed throughout the known world during 66 – 135 A.D. This time is known in Israel as the Diaspora. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were scattered to the ends of the earth. They did not return to their homeland as a nation until God fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 66:8 which says that Israel would be born in one day, “Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.” On May 14, 1948, the United Nations decreed Israel was a nation. This nation was born in one day!
From 1948 to 2000, 20% of the world’s Jewish population went to Israel. Even though they did not have a country, they maintained their Jewish identity and religion. The largest groups were Holocaust survivors and people leaving after the fall of communism. The Jewish people are returning to Israel from all over the world. They are coming from African countries like Ethiopia, Arab countries, and the former communist block. When the Berlin Wall fell and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, the doorway was open for the Jewish people to return to their homeland. They immigrate to Israel, making aliyah, which is the Hebrew word for “ascension” or “go up.” (In the Bible, all geography points speak of going up to Jerusalem because of its elevation.) They are living the dream of their ancestors for the past 2,000 years!
They are also fulfilling the numerous prophecies that God was going to bring Israel back. The return of the Jews was prophesied in so many Scriptures - Jeremiah 3:14, 31:8-9, and Zechariah 2:6-7 to list just a few. Ezekiel 37:5-8 (New King James Version) says, “Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.” Scripture tells us that the dry bones were the house of Israel. Ezekiel’s prophecy was that God was going to divinely bring life back to the dry scattered dead bones. The dry bones represent Israel during the Diaspora.
When they returned, Israel was an arid desert. However, through their hard work and God’s blessing, the desert blooms with abundance. Within the past few days, there are news reports of two huge natural gas fields that have been discovered in the Mediterranean off of Haifa to which Israel apparently holds title (Source: Jerusalem post).
Scripture tells us that those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3, 27:29, Numbers 24:9). God’s Word is filled with examples of Gentiles who were blessed themselves as a result of blessing Israel. Rahab believed God, and her family was spared in the fall of Jericho. Ruth also believed God and was blessed with a kinsman redeemer. In Luke 7, the Roman centurion who loved Israel and built a synagogue for the Jews was blessed when his servant was healed. Cornelius gave money to the poor people in Israel. His family and he were blessed by being the first Gentile believers (Acts 10). God’s Word tells us in many places like Isaiah 49:22 that Gentiles will aid the Jewish people’s return in the last days. God will bless those Gentiles, too!
Many years ago, I was watching a program on TV about this migration to Israel, aliyah. God spoke to my heart and told me that yes, He is pleased that I tithe to the church and give to the poor, the orphans, and the hungry as His Word tells me to do. However, He said, I never need to ask if it is His will to participate in sending the Jews back to Israel. He has repeated Himself over and over in Scripture because this is His plan. My husband and I started sending Jews back. Then, my daughter saved her money for two years so she could also participate in the fulfillment of this prophecy. Now, Christ Compels is sending back our first Jew. It is the most glorious experience to know that I am contributing to the fulfillment of prophecy in the Word of God! Oh, precious one, you can, too. You can offer God what you have and join us in prayer for this exciting time on the kingdom calendar!
Pray with me: Almighty God, Your Word says, “Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind (Ezekiel 39:28).” You are bringing Your people back to Israel. While this door is open, we pray that Your Spirit sends out the call to every Jew in every nation. May each one have the opportunity and means to return. Raise up Jews and Christians to make this possible. Provide a way where there doesn’t seem to be a way. May Your bride be awakened for what is happening in our days and join You in Your movement of Your people. Father, help us to be a people who know the signs of our times and stand as watchmen on the wall and be prepared for Your Son’s return. It’s in His Name, we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.
He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.”
Isaiah 11:11-12
In the Bible study Jesus Lives Session 7 DVD, I teach you the signs of Jesus’ return. I so passionately desire for you and me to be women who know how to look at current events from God’s viewpoint. We must be on alert because these signs are happening in our lifetime, and we need to know what to do with them. Prophecy after prophecy is being fulfilled in our lifetime. Let’s focus on one topic that is covered by many Scriptures today.
The Roman Empire defeated Israel, and most of the population was dispersed throughout the known world during 66 – 135 A.D. This time is known in Israel as the Diaspora. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were scattered to the ends of the earth. They did not return to their homeland as a nation until God fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 66:8 which says that Israel would be born in one day, “Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.” On May 14, 1948, the United Nations decreed Israel was a nation. This nation was born in one day!
From 1948 to 2000, 20% of the world’s Jewish population went to Israel. Even though they did not have a country, they maintained their Jewish identity and religion. The largest groups were Holocaust survivors and people leaving after the fall of communism. The Jewish people are returning to Israel from all over the world. They are coming from African countries like Ethiopia, Arab countries, and the former communist block. When the Berlin Wall fell and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, the doorway was open for the Jewish people to return to their homeland. They immigrate to Israel, making aliyah, which is the Hebrew word for “ascension” or “go up.” (In the Bible, all geography points speak of going up to Jerusalem because of its elevation.) They are living the dream of their ancestors for the past 2,000 years!
They are also fulfilling the numerous prophecies that God was going to bring Israel back. The return of the Jews was prophesied in so many Scriptures - Jeremiah 3:14, 31:8-9, and Zechariah 2:6-7 to list just a few. Ezekiel 37:5-8 (New King James Version) says, “Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.” Scripture tells us that the dry bones were the house of Israel. Ezekiel’s prophecy was that God was going to divinely bring life back to the dry scattered dead bones. The dry bones represent Israel during the Diaspora.
When they returned, Israel was an arid desert. However, through their hard work and God’s blessing, the desert blooms with abundance. Within the past few days, there are news reports of two huge natural gas fields that have been discovered in the Mediterranean off of Haifa to which Israel apparently holds title (Source: Jerusalem post).
Scripture tells us that those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3, 27:29, Numbers 24:9). God’s Word is filled with examples of Gentiles who were blessed themselves as a result of blessing Israel. Rahab believed God, and her family was spared in the fall of Jericho. Ruth also believed God and was blessed with a kinsman redeemer. In Luke 7, the Roman centurion who loved Israel and built a synagogue for the Jews was blessed when his servant was healed. Cornelius gave money to the poor people in Israel. His family and he were blessed by being the first Gentile believers (Acts 10). God’s Word tells us in many places like Isaiah 49:22 that Gentiles will aid the Jewish people’s return in the last days. God will bless those Gentiles, too!
Many years ago, I was watching a program on TV about this migration to Israel, aliyah. God spoke to my heart and told me that yes, He is pleased that I tithe to the church and give to the poor, the orphans, and the hungry as His Word tells me to do. However, He said, I never need to ask if it is His will to participate in sending the Jews back to Israel. He has repeated Himself over and over in Scripture because this is His plan. My husband and I started sending Jews back. Then, my daughter saved her money for two years so she could also participate in the fulfillment of this prophecy. Now, Christ Compels is sending back our first Jew. It is the most glorious experience to know that I am contributing to the fulfillment of prophecy in the Word of God! Oh, precious one, you can, too. You can offer God what you have and join us in prayer for this exciting time on the kingdom calendar!
Pray with me: Almighty God, Your Word says, “Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind (Ezekiel 39:28).” You are bringing Your people back to Israel. While this door is open, we pray that Your Spirit sends out the call to every Jew in every nation. May each one have the opportunity and means to return. Raise up Jews and Christians to make this possible. Provide a way where there doesn’t seem to be a way. May Your bride be awakened for what is happening in our days and join You in Your movement of Your people. Father, help us to be a people who know the signs of our times and stand as watchmen on the wall and be prepared for Your Son’s return. It’s in His Name, we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Don't Hold It
Don’t Hold It
“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”
Psalm 119:45
She held onto her secret sin for months. No one knew that she had done it. Then one morning in Bible time, God’s Word convicted her of her sin those many months ago. She couldn’t sleep at night because she was tormented by her guilt and the lies of the enemy. Desperate for relief, one of my daughters sneaked into my bedroom while her sisters were sleeping and my husband was working. She poured her heart out to me through tears and agony. She thought no one would love her and that she would lose her friends. I won’t tell you which daughter it was or what sin she committed for her protection.
Together we worked through the process with God to find forgiveness for her sin and restoration. While she received discipline for her sin, the consequences of confession were nothing compared to what she had imagined or had been experiencing through keeping the sin a secret. Since it took a couple of weeks to work out everything, I could see how much it had plagued her. I sensed a willingness to never listen to the lure of the enemy to commit the same sin again. When it was over, she wept for joy in my arms and praised her Father in heaven for working everything out. She was set free!
What amazed me so much was that she had kept her sin a secret for so long! She let it torment her until it was completely unbearable! While no one in the physical realm knew her sin, the spiritual realm knew. Both our loving Father God and satan knew. The accuser fed her shame while God waited patiently for the right time when her heart would be tender to hear His voice and be convicted of her sin. She knew she heard a voice in her mind pressuring her to commit the sin. (I find that so interesting at her young age.) The enemy thrives on tempting us to sin and then piles the shame upon us after we have committed it. He makes us believe that all of the worst consequences are inevitable.
This is a classic case of the enemy’s deception and accusation. It is a classic example of how we humans sin and respond to our sin. We are lured and tempted to sin. We don’t listen to the alarms in our minds telling us not to sin, and we do it. After we commit the crime, the accuser hurls all sorts of names at us. There is some twisted truth to it that we really believe we are these terrible things. We don’t hold the twisted truth up to the precepts of God. We become beaten down by the enemy’s lies and unable to deal with our shame. We fall into devastating patterns of sin. Sometimes we become desensitized to it since we can’t deal with the pain. We complicate the situation by not bringing it to God. Or we decide that it was not really that wrong and forsake the ultimate truth of the matter.
All of this makes me wonder if you and I do the same thing but in a grown up way? What sin are we holding onto for so long? Do we have any sin that we have become desensitized to? Are we not finding freedom in Christ by taking the matter to God? Are we not seeking the ultimate truth of the matter and finding out what Scripture says about our situation? Have we broken relationship with God by focusing on a cover-up story instead of restoration? In what ways do we want to protect our image and reputation instead of keeping our intimacy with God? Whatever we are holding onto needs to be cleared out of the way and dealt with so we can gain the greatest prize – a cleansed heart and intimate relationship with God. I’m ready for letting go and seeking His precepts more! Are you?
Pray with me: Almighty God, You never intended for us to hold onto our sins. We were intended to bring our dirt and filth to You. In our hands, things just become worse. Consequences are amplified. Situations spiral from bad to worse. In You, we find relief, a cleansed heart, and the joy of the redeemed! Angels cannot experience what a fallen person redeemed of her sin can. We know what it is like to be set free from the shackles of sin and clutches of darkness. We are unchained and free! Hallelujah for the freedom and cleansing that can only be found in You! It is for freedom that Christ set us free (Galatians 5:1). When we seek Your precepts, Your Word, then we will walk in freedom! Oh, how we adore You! It is in Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that we pray, Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”
Psalm 119:45
She held onto her secret sin for months. No one knew that she had done it. Then one morning in Bible time, God’s Word convicted her of her sin those many months ago. She couldn’t sleep at night because she was tormented by her guilt and the lies of the enemy. Desperate for relief, one of my daughters sneaked into my bedroom while her sisters were sleeping and my husband was working. She poured her heart out to me through tears and agony. She thought no one would love her and that she would lose her friends. I won’t tell you which daughter it was or what sin she committed for her protection.
Together we worked through the process with God to find forgiveness for her sin and restoration. While she received discipline for her sin, the consequences of confession were nothing compared to what she had imagined or had been experiencing through keeping the sin a secret. Since it took a couple of weeks to work out everything, I could see how much it had plagued her. I sensed a willingness to never listen to the lure of the enemy to commit the same sin again. When it was over, she wept for joy in my arms and praised her Father in heaven for working everything out. She was set free!
What amazed me so much was that she had kept her sin a secret for so long! She let it torment her until it was completely unbearable! While no one in the physical realm knew her sin, the spiritual realm knew. Both our loving Father God and satan knew. The accuser fed her shame while God waited patiently for the right time when her heart would be tender to hear His voice and be convicted of her sin. She knew she heard a voice in her mind pressuring her to commit the sin. (I find that so interesting at her young age.) The enemy thrives on tempting us to sin and then piles the shame upon us after we have committed it. He makes us believe that all of the worst consequences are inevitable.
This is a classic case of the enemy’s deception and accusation. It is a classic example of how we humans sin and respond to our sin. We are lured and tempted to sin. We don’t listen to the alarms in our minds telling us not to sin, and we do it. After we commit the crime, the accuser hurls all sorts of names at us. There is some twisted truth to it that we really believe we are these terrible things. We don’t hold the twisted truth up to the precepts of God. We become beaten down by the enemy’s lies and unable to deal with our shame. We fall into devastating patterns of sin. Sometimes we become desensitized to it since we can’t deal with the pain. We complicate the situation by not bringing it to God. Or we decide that it was not really that wrong and forsake the ultimate truth of the matter.
All of this makes me wonder if you and I do the same thing but in a grown up way? What sin are we holding onto for so long? Do we have any sin that we have become desensitized to? Are we not finding freedom in Christ by taking the matter to God? Are we not seeking the ultimate truth of the matter and finding out what Scripture says about our situation? Have we broken relationship with God by focusing on a cover-up story instead of restoration? In what ways do we want to protect our image and reputation instead of keeping our intimacy with God? Whatever we are holding onto needs to be cleared out of the way and dealt with so we can gain the greatest prize – a cleansed heart and intimate relationship with God. I’m ready for letting go and seeking His precepts more! Are you?
Pray with me: Almighty God, You never intended for us to hold onto our sins. We were intended to bring our dirt and filth to You. In our hands, things just become worse. Consequences are amplified. Situations spiral from bad to worse. In You, we find relief, a cleansed heart, and the joy of the redeemed! Angels cannot experience what a fallen person redeemed of her sin can. We know what it is like to be set free from the shackles of sin and clutches of darkness. We are unchained and free! Hallelujah for the freedom and cleansing that can only be found in You! It is for freedom that Christ set us free (Galatians 5:1). When we seek Your precepts, Your Word, then we will walk in freedom! Oh, how we adore You! It is in Name above all names, Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, that we pray, Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Friday, January 30, 2009
Watchmen for the U.S.: Cries Redeemed
Watchmen for the U.S.: Cries Redeemed
“Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.”
1 Peter 2:13-17 (The Message)
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister who became the leader in the African American civil rights movement of the 1960’s. He was a freedom fighter whose weapons were peaceful means, civil disobedience, righteousness, and pure bravery. He was a servant of God who respected all men and honored our government. Through his courage and Christlike character, he brought change in this country. In his “I Have a Dream” speech he said,
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character…I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood…Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children…Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’ "
The day before his death, Rev. King addressed a rally and delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" address. In the close of the last speech of his career, King said that he had been to the mountaintop, and he had looked over and seen the Promised Land. He knew that he might not go there, too, but that his people would arrive one day to his dream.
Last week, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America. His inauguration was watched all over the whole world. I watched clips of it later that night. Never before have I seen so many hopeful faces for a president. Never have I seen so many tears of joy and such a release from so much pain.
I was actually praying with some ladies from my workplace when he was sworn into office. As I prayed for President Obama and our country, something happened that I can’t say I have ever experienced previously. I hope that I can explain it to you well and that you won’t think it is too strange. I heard the cries of the African Americans for the past few hundred years. I didn’t hear them with my physical ears but with my spiritual ears. Their cries were overwhelming. Some cries were asking God for deliverance. Some cries were of joy at this moment that Dr. King’s vision from the mountaintop was realized. It is my deepest prayer that this brings healing to the wounded from this national sin. It is my prayer that this is the final chapter of the curse on this land from this sin.
At the same moment that I heard the redemption of the African Americans, I heard the cries for redemption of the unborn, aborted babies who have been killed in this land. My heart was full of emotion for the realized victory for one sin and unrealized victory for the lives of babies. I was so disturbed over the poor choices of this country and the people who have been hurt. At the same time, my heart wanted to be transported to heaven to celebrate with Dr. King and God.
We should pray for this president’s heart and mind to see life at conception. It is our responsibility to pray for wisdom in every aspect of his responsibilities – global economic crisis, terrorism, healthcare, social security, Supreme Court justice nominees, and the list continues. Doesn’t that amaze you that anyone would want such a job? Anyway, as watchwomen, it is our duty to pray. We pray because we love this country and because our God tells us to respect the government and honor the king (1 Peter 2:17 The Message and Amplifed).
Pray with me: Almighty God, as You instruct us we are praying for our ruler. Government, law, and ruling authorities are a gift. We know that You set up kings and that You have appointed President Obama for this particular time. We ask You to place Your mighty hand of protection upon Him. We ask for You to shield and protect his wife and his children. He has been entrusted with a great responsibility and much will be required. Give him heavenly wisdom on all matters and not the foolishness of man. Help him to see the sanctity of human life. Give him resolve where his heart is right before Your eyes. Change his heart where it is not. Give him courage to do what is right. Help him to fulfill his role as Commander-in-Chief while we will ultimately trust You as our Defender.
Thank You for redemption and healing of the wounds caused by the great sin of slavery, segregation, and unequal rights. Lord, protect Your church and may this country always be a place of religious freedom for believers. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.”
1 Peter 2:13-17 (The Message)
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister who became the leader in the African American civil rights movement of the 1960’s. He was a freedom fighter whose weapons were peaceful means, civil disobedience, righteousness, and pure bravery. He was a servant of God who respected all men and honored our government. Through his courage and Christlike character, he brought change in this country. In his “I Have a Dream” speech he said,
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character…I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood…Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children…Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’ "
The day before his death, Rev. King addressed a rally and delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" address. In the close of the last speech of his career, King said that he had been to the mountaintop, and he had looked over and seen the Promised Land. He knew that he might not go there, too, but that his people would arrive one day to his dream.
Last week, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America. His inauguration was watched all over the whole world. I watched clips of it later that night. Never before have I seen so many hopeful faces for a president. Never have I seen so many tears of joy and such a release from so much pain.
I was actually praying with some ladies from my workplace when he was sworn into office. As I prayed for President Obama and our country, something happened that I can’t say I have ever experienced previously. I hope that I can explain it to you well and that you won’t think it is too strange. I heard the cries of the African Americans for the past few hundred years. I didn’t hear them with my physical ears but with my spiritual ears. Their cries were overwhelming. Some cries were asking God for deliverance. Some cries were of joy at this moment that Dr. King’s vision from the mountaintop was realized. It is my deepest prayer that this brings healing to the wounded from this national sin. It is my prayer that this is the final chapter of the curse on this land from this sin.
At the same moment that I heard the redemption of the African Americans, I heard the cries for redemption of the unborn, aborted babies who have been killed in this land. My heart was full of emotion for the realized victory for one sin and unrealized victory for the lives of babies. I was so disturbed over the poor choices of this country and the people who have been hurt. At the same time, my heart wanted to be transported to heaven to celebrate with Dr. King and God.
We should pray for this president’s heart and mind to see life at conception. It is our responsibility to pray for wisdom in every aspect of his responsibilities – global economic crisis, terrorism, healthcare, social security, Supreme Court justice nominees, and the list continues. Doesn’t that amaze you that anyone would want such a job? Anyway, as watchwomen, it is our duty to pray. We pray because we love this country and because our God tells us to respect the government and honor the king (1 Peter 2:17 The Message and Amplifed).
Pray with me: Almighty God, as You instruct us we are praying for our ruler. Government, law, and ruling authorities are a gift. We know that You set up kings and that You have appointed President Obama for this particular time. We ask You to place Your mighty hand of protection upon Him. We ask for You to shield and protect his wife and his children. He has been entrusted with a great responsibility and much will be required. Give him heavenly wisdom on all matters and not the foolishness of man. Help him to see the sanctity of human life. Give him resolve where his heart is right before Your eyes. Change his heart where it is not. Give him courage to do what is right. Help him to fulfill his role as Commander-in-Chief while we will ultimately trust You as our Defender.
Thank You for redemption and healing of the wounds caused by the great sin of slavery, segregation, and unequal rights. Lord, protect Your church and may this country always be a place of religious freedom for believers. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Miracles or Enduring Hardships?
Miracles or Enduring Hardships?
“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Paul is writing to the Corinthians. He is telling them that he wants them to understand his group’s hardships. The pressure was great. It was far beyond their ability to endure that they despaired even of life. In their hearts, they felt the sentence of death. Their situation was so grave they thought they would die.
Their hearts which are the wellsprings of life, the place out of which all living flows, began to stop believing there was more to life. I know what it is like to have a heart fully alive, and I know what it is like to have a heart that feels life will never be the same. It feels like there is no more living to be had, and death is waving to you. Your long-term goals are to wake up and make it through one more day. The pressure is beyond your ability to endure.
This word for “ability” in the Greek is dunamis which means “to be able, achieving power.” This power is different from other words for power because this power is active, working, and achieving. It is not just ability. It is working power! The English word “dynamite” is derived from dunamis. Jesus used dunamis in Acts 1:8 to tell the disciples that they would receive this power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. In Ephesians 1:18-20, Paul prayed that all who will believe will know His incomparably great power. He tells them that this power is the same power that God exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul tells us that he delights in his weaknesses because God’s power is made perfect in weakness. So he will boast in his weaknesses so Christ’s power may dwell in him. God intended for us to know this power that is living inside of us. We are meant to experience the dynamite power of God that is all accomplishing.
Paul had experienced it. He had healed people of their many afflictions. He had raised the boy back to life who fell asleep, fell, and died while Paul was preaching. God had done extraordinary miracles through him in Asia so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them (Acts 19:11-12). However, this suffering that he endured in Asia was beyond the dunamis power that God was willing to release in his life. Paul experienced sufferings that were above and beyond his ability to endure.
Without God, you and I have no power over death. We are powerless against the kingdom of darkness. We have no control of this life. We are powerless against our idols and strongholds. We cannot heal ourselves. We cannot experience victory apart from God. However, with God we can change from trampled wimps to mighty warriors. Defeat is not in our vocabulary.
Sometimes God gives us the dunamis power to heal all sorts of diseases. Sometimes God does not allow us to invoke our dependent power displayed, but He requires us to invoke our dependent power of the mind. I believe a committed disciple will have periods of both displayed in her life if she lives long enough and if she is willing to experience both sides. Some of us believe God so much for miracles that we would stay on that side and be ill-equipped to remain faithful when God does not release His dunamis power. Some of us have never believed God and don’t think He performs miracles anymore. We only need to open our eyes because God is doing miracles all around us…Healing people physically…Healing people of generational sin… Defeating their giants.
O, my dear precious one, have you lived both sides? Have you seen His power applied in your life? Have you relied on Him so much that you have been free from despair and even seen Him remove the death sentence? Are you willing to accept a God who gives us opportunities to experience both sides? May you and I be true to God no matter the hardship. May we always believe that even though we can’t figure out the miracle that our God can do more than we can ask or imagine and release His dunamis power in our lives!
Pray with me: O, God, You are mighty! You are majestic! You are the Giver of every good gift. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will not fear because You are with us. You will never forsake us!
We will experience times that we despair even of life. Our hearts may feel the death sentence and that there is no way out, but with You there is always a way. Help us to remember this. With You there is always a way. There may be circumstances that we can’t change, but for You it is nothing to change it. You can reverse time, make the sun stand still, or even undo death! Everything is possible with You, and do not ever let our hearts stop giving You room to be God. We believe in Your mighty power and Your willingness to heal anyone. Show Your power and loving kindness to heal the afflicted whom we encounter so that we can bring You glory!
In times of despair, we want to be proved true! We want to fully rely on You. In hardships, when we feel like we cannot go on, may You reveal Yourself to us even more as we depend on You for each minute. May we be like Paul and be willing vessels of either miracle-working power or mind power to endure. It is in the mighty Name of Your Son Jesus, Yeshua, that we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Paul is writing to the Corinthians. He is telling them that he wants them to understand his group’s hardships. The pressure was great. It was far beyond their ability to endure that they despaired even of life. In their hearts, they felt the sentence of death. Their situation was so grave they thought they would die.
Their hearts which are the wellsprings of life, the place out of which all living flows, began to stop believing there was more to life. I know what it is like to have a heart fully alive, and I know what it is like to have a heart that feels life will never be the same. It feels like there is no more living to be had, and death is waving to you. Your long-term goals are to wake up and make it through one more day. The pressure is beyond your ability to endure.
This word for “ability” in the Greek is dunamis which means “to be able, achieving power.” This power is different from other words for power because this power is active, working, and achieving. It is not just ability. It is working power! The English word “dynamite” is derived from dunamis. Jesus used dunamis in Acts 1:8 to tell the disciples that they would receive this power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. In Ephesians 1:18-20, Paul prayed that all who will believe will know His incomparably great power. He tells them that this power is the same power that God exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul tells us that he delights in his weaknesses because God’s power is made perfect in weakness. So he will boast in his weaknesses so Christ’s power may dwell in him. God intended for us to know this power that is living inside of us. We are meant to experience the dynamite power of God that is all accomplishing.
Paul had experienced it. He had healed people of their many afflictions. He had raised the boy back to life who fell asleep, fell, and died while Paul was preaching. God had done extraordinary miracles through him in Asia so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them (Acts 19:11-12). However, this suffering that he endured in Asia was beyond the dunamis power that God was willing to release in his life. Paul experienced sufferings that were above and beyond his ability to endure.
Without God, you and I have no power over death. We are powerless against the kingdom of darkness. We have no control of this life. We are powerless against our idols and strongholds. We cannot heal ourselves. We cannot experience victory apart from God. However, with God we can change from trampled wimps to mighty warriors. Defeat is not in our vocabulary.
Sometimes God gives us the dunamis power to heal all sorts of diseases. Sometimes God does not allow us to invoke our dependent power displayed, but He requires us to invoke our dependent power of the mind. I believe a committed disciple will have periods of both displayed in her life if she lives long enough and if she is willing to experience both sides. Some of us believe God so much for miracles that we would stay on that side and be ill-equipped to remain faithful when God does not release His dunamis power. Some of us have never believed God and don’t think He performs miracles anymore. We only need to open our eyes because God is doing miracles all around us…Healing people physically…Healing people of generational sin… Defeating their giants.
O, my dear precious one, have you lived both sides? Have you seen His power applied in your life? Have you relied on Him so much that you have been free from despair and even seen Him remove the death sentence? Are you willing to accept a God who gives us opportunities to experience both sides? May you and I be true to God no matter the hardship. May we always believe that even though we can’t figure out the miracle that our God can do more than we can ask or imagine and release His dunamis power in our lives!
Pray with me: O, God, You are mighty! You are majestic! You are the Giver of every good gift. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will not fear because You are with us. You will never forsake us!
We will experience times that we despair even of life. Our hearts may feel the death sentence and that there is no way out, but with You there is always a way. Help us to remember this. With You there is always a way. There may be circumstances that we can’t change, but for You it is nothing to change it. You can reverse time, make the sun stand still, or even undo death! Everything is possible with You, and do not ever let our hearts stop giving You room to be God. We believe in Your mighty power and Your willingness to heal anyone. Show Your power and loving kindness to heal the afflicted whom we encounter so that we can bring You glory!
In times of despair, we want to be proved true! We want to fully rely on You. In hardships, when we feel like we cannot go on, may You reveal Yourself to us even more as we depend on You for each minute. May we be like Paul and be willing vessels of either miracle-working power or mind power to endure. It is in the mighty Name of Your Son Jesus, Yeshua, that we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
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