Why Do We Dig?

It's a good question. Why does anyone dig? Perhaps we wish to hide something. Perhaps we wish to uncover something hidden.

Why would one bury something? Why are things hidden?

If it's the earth we are talking about, we bury things to protect them from harm, from view, or from public knowledge. We dig to reveal precious gems, ores, resources... or to recover things lost.

If it's the scriptures we are talking about, God is the one who has done all the burying. Why did He do it? Why did He bury some things and not others?

Pro 25:2
(2) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

What a statement. It implies quite a bit... some of it, hidden.

Look at this one:
Joh 3:16
(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Wow, there it is just lying there on the dirt. Exposed. There is nothing hidden about that statement, or in it. God did not wish that ANYONE miss it!

Okay, lets look at another, this time a passage:
Exo 33:18 And he (Moses) said, "Please, show me Your glory."
Exo 33:19 Then He (God) said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
Exo 33:20 But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live."
Exo 33:21 And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
Exo 33:22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.
Exo 33:23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

That was a fantastic moment. Can you imagine talking to the Lord in this way and have Him respond to you in like manner? It is what it is. But, it's more than that.
"You shall see my back" - can translate directly from the Hebrew: you shall see what is after Me. In effect... this passage can say: I will show you what comes after.

So, when God hid Moses in 'the Rock', perhaps He showed Moses 'what comes after' -or the future. It is my belief that 'at that moment', God literally took Moses 1500 years into the future and set him upon the Mt. of Transfiguration and revealed to him 'His Glory', that which Moses was asking for.

Regardless - there is much of value that can only be gained by digging. Get your shovel out.

Signs

If someone told you that in twenty years, we would still be here, would you believe them? How about 10 years? Or 5?

How about next year?

Do you really believe we are living in the last days, and if so, what does that mean to you?

Zec 12:3
(3) And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

If you click on the Jerusalem link on the left side of the page, the news articles will only list Jerusalem news. It is AMAZING how many nations have burdened themselves with Jerusalem. Guess what? America is at the forefront.

I'll say it again because this is what I believe: if you look outside, you look upon a society of people who have turned against God and His hand of blessing is becoming harder to see in this nation. Do the snapped telephone poles make this land appear more like the 'promised land', or less? How about the wild fires and floods? Hurricanes? Drought?

Abraham was told by God that those who bless him would be blessed. As a nation, we are losing that blessing. As an individual, I don't have to, nor does anyone else that blesses and supports God's people. Science writes this off as cyclical - or worse... man-made. (If the globe gets any warmer, I may freeze to death.) I'll contend that a truly blessed nation that walks in the light of God and under His rules would experience unprecedented properity - period. Look at Joshua's reign over Israel. When did it go awry for him? When they failed to do what God told them to do. I realize this is very hard-line. Even Joseph went through trying times, right? True - he did. But he kept his eyes on the Lord and look how he was elevated. Is that what we are doing as a nation? Are our eyes on the Lord?

My outlook on this really isn't all that bleak. Jesus said that even as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Look up, for our redemption draweth nigh.

Well... well... well

I missed posting yesterday. The ice has thus far spared our electricity, but darned if it didn't take out the cable (and therefore the internet). What luck!


Gen 26:15-23
(15) And all the wells which the slaves of his father dug in the days of his father Abraham, the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with dirt.
(16) And Abimelech said to Isaac, Go from us, for you are stronger than we.
(17) And Isaac went from there and camped in Gerar Valley, and lived there.
(18) And Isaac returned and dug the wells of water which they dug in the days of his father Abraham; and the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. And he called names to them like the names which his father had called them.
(19) And Isaac's slaves dug in the torrent-bed, and they found there a well of flowing water.
(20) And the shepherds of Gerar fought with the shepherds of Isaac, saying, The water is ours; and he called the name of the well, Contention, for they had contended with him.
(21) And they dug another well, and they also fought over it; and he called its name, Opposition.
(22) And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not fight over it; and he called its name, Broad Places. And he said, For now Jehovah has broadened for us and we shall be fruitful in the land.
(23) And he went from there to Beer-sheba.


The enemy will try to throw dirt into the wells your fathers have dug. He will disprove, dishearten, and discourage you regarding where you've been and what you thought you knew. He will tear down your faith.

That being the case, YOU will have to get out the shovel and start undoing what the enemy has done. You will start digging and because the promise is that if you seek, you will find, then you will find that torrent of living water. But it's not over there.

The more you dig the more you find, and it's not always good. Notice the names that were given to the wells above. First you dig into contention (Esek). Everyone wants to tell you that what you've found isn't real. If you withstand it, they'll tell you it's really not important, even if it is real. Jesus spoke of this when He said, "Don't cast your pearls before swine." Encourage who you can encourage, but do not turn your face either to the right or to the left. Stay focused on what God is doing in your presence.

Then comes opposition (Sitnah).
If you can withstand the contention, people will simply write you off as a loon. This is where it tends to get nasty. People might say, "He's a good guy, but he has some ideas that are just crazy." In a political world of legalistic religion, that is a binding statement. It's a death-knell for reputation. Your influence is taken away. Let's face it - if people don't think they can believe all you say, chances are they wont believe anything you say.

But if you can withstand the opposition, then God broadens the way (Rehoboth). Doors are opened - opportunities are born. All of a sudden, there is room for everyone.

Then comes the promise (Beersheba). More on this later.

Remember, this is all over Living Water.

Ice

It's freezing outside. Everything is icing up. They say the potential is for power loss, and for several days at that - in some areas. That makes one think about preparedness. We get used to the luxury of having everything at our fingertips, but God only has to send an ice storm to make us question our security. There would have been a day that I would have cared less - heat or no heat.

Now I have responsibilities - two little ones. That makes me think a bit more, and thinking hurts me.

John Hagee shared a nifty story today. It was about a lady who was on the Titanic the day it went down. As she was about to board the life boat, she told the officer in charge of lowering the boat that she had forgotten something in her stateroom and that she desperately needed to go get it. He told her she had 3 minutes.

She took off running across a deck that was already listing perilously to one side. She sprinted down a flight of stairs and through a casino where she waded through veritible millions scattered on the floor. When she burst into her room, she threw aside her furs and jewelrybox where she kept a lifetime worth of diamonds and gold, and she seized 3 oranges.

His point was this: when death creeps up, our priorities change. When danger is near, we find out what is really the most-dear to us.

This world is the Titanic. Jesus declared that heaven and earth would pass away, but His word would never pass away. What are we sprinting for? What is worth the risk?

Seeking a Healer

It has been said by many - myself included - that Jesus always healed everyone He came in contact with. Or, perhaps a better way to put it might be that everyone who sought healing from Jesus received it. The subject is contentious. Seek and ye shall find, yes?

There were definitely times when the multitude followed Jesus into the wilderness. After He taught them, He healed their sicknesses and cast out demons when necessary. Remember the well at Bethesda?

Joh 5:2-9
(2) And at Jerusalem is a pool at the Sheep Gate which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
(3) In these was a great multitude of the infirm lying, blind ones, lame ones, withered ones, awaiting the stirring of the water.
(4) For an angel at a certain time descended in the pool and agitated the water. Then the one first entering after the agitation of the water became well, whatever disease he was held by.
(5) But a certain man was there, being in infirmity thirty eight years.
(6) Seeing him lying, and knowing that he had already spent much time, Jesus said to him, Do you desire to become well?
(7) The infirm one answered Him, Lord, I do not have a man, that when the water is agitated he may throw me into the pool; but while I am coming, another goes down before me.
(8) Jesus said to him, Rise up, Take up your cot and walk!
(9) And instantly the man became well, and took up his cot and walked. And it was a sabbath that day.

First of all, you might notice that some translations do not include that little blurb about the angel stirring the water. Most all translations, however, include the man's statement about 'another man goes down before me'. Well... who cares if there's no angel stirring the water? Who cares who wins the race? That's a soapbox subject for me... the devil has won some battles with our editors.

Jesus didn't heal everyone. He picked a man out that had been seeking healing for 38 years. Why him? Why not 'everyone' at the pool?

We've missed the point. Remember the centurion who told Jesus to just 'say the word' and his child would be healed? With that kind of authority, Jesus could have spoken that same word over Jerusalem - or the world - and ALL sickness would have been destroyed.

Jesus came to heal the sick, true, but His prime purpose was the heal the spiritually sick. Humanity tends to live in the flesh. Once we find someone or some thing that satisfies the flesh, we gravitate toward it like wolves to meat. Jesus had to be careful not to reveal too much to a shallow-minded people... namely... us. God wishes us to live by FAITH, not by sight. And again, to remove all our need has historically driven us away from God, not to Him. He revealed just enough to us to let the seekers know - He is there for us in the physical and the spiritual.

Interesting to the Extreme

This letter was submitted to the New York Times by Muammar Qaddafi, the president of Libya.

By MUAMMAR QADDAFI
Published: January 21, 2009
Tripoli, Libya

THE shocking level of the last wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence, which ended with this weekend’s cease-fire, reminds us why a final resolution to the so-called Middle East crisis is so important. It is vital not just to break this cycle of destruction and injustice, but also to deny the religious extremists in the region who feed on the conflict an excuse to advance their own causes.

But everywhere one looks, among the speeches and the desperate diplomacy, there is no real way forward. A just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians is possible, but it lies in the history of the people of this conflicted land, and not in the tired rhetoric of partition and two-state solutions.

Although it’s hard to realize after the horrors we’ve just witnessed, the state of war between the Jews and Palestinians has not always existed. In fact, many of the divisions between Jews and Palestinians are recent ones. The very name “Palestine” was commonly used to describe the whole area, even by the Jews who lived there, until 1948, when the name “Israel” came into use.

Jews and Muslims are cousins descended from Abraham. Throughout the centuries both faced cruel persecution and often found refuge with one another. Arabs sheltered Jews and protected them after maltreatment at the hands of the Romans and their expulsion from Spain in the Middle Ages.

The history of Israel/Palestine is not remarkable by regional standards — a country inhabited by different peoples, with rule passing among many tribes, nations and ethnic groups; a country that has withstood many wars and waves of peoples from all directions. This is why it gets so complicated when members of either party claims the right to assert that it is their land.

The basis for the modern State of Israel is the persecution of the Jewish people, which is undeniable. The Jews have been held captive, massacred, disadvantaged in every possible fashion by the Egyptians, the Romans, the English, the Russians, the Babylonians, the Canaanites and, most recently, the Germans under Hitler. The Jewish people want and deserve their homeland.

But the Palestinians too have a history of persecution, and they view the coastal towns of Haifa, Acre, Jaffa and others as the land of their forefathers, passed from generation to generation, until only a short time ago.

Thus the Palestinians believe that what is now called Israel forms part of their nation, even were they to secure the West Bank and Gaza. And the Jews believe that the West Bank is Samaria and Judea, part of their homeland, even if a Palestinian state were established there. Now, as Gaza still smolders, calls for a two-state solution or partition persist. But neither will work.

A two-state solution will create an unacceptable security threat to Israel. An armed Arab state, presumably in the West Bank, would give Israel less than 10 miles of strategic depth at its narrowest point. Further, a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would do little to resolve the problem of refugees. Any situation that keeps the majority of Palestinians in refugee camps and does not offer a solution within the historical borders of Israel/Palestine is not a solution at all.

For the same reasons, the older idea of partition of the West Bank into Jewish and Arab areas, with buffer zones between them, won’t work. The Palestinian-held areas could not accommodate all of the refugees, and buffer zones symbolize exclusion and breed tension. Israelis and Palestinians have also become increasingly intertwined, economically and politically.

In absolute terms, the two movements must remain in perpetual war or a compromise must be reached. The compromise is one state for all, an “Isratine” that would allow the people in each party to feel that they live in all of the disputed land and they are not deprived of any one part of it.

A key prerequisite for peace is the right of return for Palestinian refugees to the homes their families left behind in 1948. It is an injustice that Jews who were not originally inhabitants of Palestine, nor were their ancestors, can move in from abroad while Palestinians who were displaced only a relatively short time ago should not be so permitted.

It is a fact that Palestinians inhabited the land and owned farms and homes there until recently, fleeing in fear of violence at the hands of Jews after 1948 — violence that did not occur, but rumors of which led to a mass exodus. It is important to note that the Jews did not forcibly expel Palestinians. They were never “un-welcomed.” Yet only the full territories of Isratine can accommodate all the refugees and bring about the justice that is key to peace.

Assimilation is already a fact of life in Israel. There are more than one million Muslim Arabs in Israel; they possess Israeli nationality and take part in political life with the Jews, forming political parties. On the other side, there are Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Israeli factories depend on Palestinian labor, and goods and services are exchanged. This successful assimilation can be a model for Isratine.

If the present interdependence and the historical fact of Jewish-Palestinian coexistence guide their leaders, and if they can see beyond the horizon of the recent violence and thirst for revenge toward a long-term solution, then these two peoples will come to realize, I hope sooner rather than later, that living under one roof is the only option for a lasting peace.

Uncomfortable

I just realized that I had not posted today. That is odd... I normally do it early. Today the Spirit has provided 'plenty' of inspiration, too, making it doubly unusual that this blog has not even entered my mind until this evening. Weird!

I think part of the problem is this subject. I knew it was coming and I knew I was not going to be able to sweep it under the rug. I probably will not ever read this one again.

Have you ever seen The Passion? I recall the first time it played in the theater. Our church bought out the entire theater and sent the members off to a free viewing. I wrestled, and wrestled, and wrestled with going. The spiritual warfare was UNBELIEVABLE. I didn't want to see anyone's portrayal of what we did to the Lord. I didn't want to see it, think about it, hear it. To this day His sacrifice is more than I can truly comprehend, and I'm still bothered through my gratitude. Does that make sense?

Well... all that to say this... The Lord has recently given me new insight to what it must be like to lose your children. You can't really get it until you 'have' children. To that end, you probably can't get it unless you have lost a child, either. But I do know what it is like to love someone so much it hurts. To know what a momma bear must feel like around her cubs... a jealous, protective, violent, frenzied love... Moms and dads everywhere know what I mean.

Perish the thought of losing a child. Perish the scenario. And by the way... it IS defeated, we're just waiting for a fulfillment of all things made new.

Meanwhile, God is losing His children. While we are busy playing church and tossing fives into the offering plate, and on a good day giving blood at work, He is losing that which is most important to Him. How do you picture God? Is He an old-looking fellow on a regal throne, grinning every time you do a good deed or resist cussing at traffic?

I know He is well-pleased with me. I know He is well-pleased with all those who call Him Father. He sees Jesus in and on us, after all. But there are some that He simply grieves over. He grieves over their choices, over their unbelief... and He then must grieve that the rest of us are so bogged down with ourselves that we never shine His light on the fading lives of the perishing. We just let them die like they are - and it is EASY to justify it, here. Besides, it was their choice. If that answer doesn't sound lame yet, give it time.

Really, you don't have to think about losing a child very long before your heart nearly rips itself out. I heard a pastor say, once, that there will be tears in heaven until God Himself says, no more tears (at the end of the Millennial Kingdom). Until then, many of the tears shed will be God's tears, because until there is no more death He will continue to lose children.

I'm so thankful that God made it abundantly clear within scripture just how much He loves children. He has that 'momma bear' mentality with children. If a person only knew what God had in store for those who abuse children, or who lead them astray, they would... tie a millstone around their neck and throw themselves into the sea, maybe. What comfort it is to know that children are HIS. Thank you God, for loving and protecting and claiming our children. I know, now, why you wish we were all as they are.

New Discoveries

Reading Genesis chapter 19, I see for the first time that Lot was a judge. He was a leader of the cesspool that was Sodom. There are a couple of clues. One, leaders (judges) sat at the gates. Others did not.

Gen 19:1
(1) And the two angels came into Sodom at evening. And Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. And Lot saw, and he rose up to meet them and bowed his face to the earth.

Secondly, the townsfolk told him this:
Gen 19:9
(9) And they said, Stand back! And they said, This one came in to visit, and must he always judge? Now we will do evil to you rather than to them. And they pressed on the man, upon Lot violently, and drew near to break the door.

So Lot came as a visitor but became a leader. Perhaps he was trying to change a bad situation. Regardless, his association nearly cost him everything - and it did cost him his wife.

More On The Name

Gen 17 - the changing of the names

When God confirms His covenant with us, He often changes our name. Isn't that interesting?

With Abram and Sarai, He added His breath... 'Ahhh'.. like an exhale. It's NOOMA... air... life...(pneuma). So instead of Abram, he became AbraHAm, and instead of Sarai, she became SarAH. You might say that until God truly gets ahold of you, you are lifeless.

So how important is the name change, and does it apply to us?

Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter. Saul became Paul.


Rev 2:17
(17) The one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To the one overcoming, I will give him to eat from the hidden manna. And I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name having been written, which no one knows except the one receiving it.

So overcomers, too, will receive a new name from God. I think for a minute what it must be like for God to tell me, "Steven, from this point on you will not be called Steven, but will be called..., because I have determined that you shall always be known for..."

Does that work at all in your spirit? Is there any motivation toward holiness there? There is for me.


Even the Lord will take on a new name:
Rev 3:12
(12) The one overcoming, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out any more. And I will write the name of My God on him, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name.

So we see, even having His name written upon us will be an honor of the ages. It is unfathomable. There is much in a name!

Swallowed Up By A Larger Porpoise

Jonah had no chance. He had a calling from God that was non-negotiable, yet he still tried to dodge it.

Isn't it strange he was swallowed by a giant fish? The fish is the symbol - even scripturally - of Christianity. God said about Israel:

Deu 32:21
(21) They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; They have provoked me to anger with their vanities: And I will move them to jealousy with those that are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Even from the time the Law was given to Israel, God said that He would provoke them to jealousy because of their idolatrous tendencies. Provoked by a nation that was not yet a nation. That is, by the way, the Christian nation. The Kingdom of Heaven - the Message of Foolishness. And evangelical Christianity has indeed provoked disdain from the legalistic Judaic community since the ministry of Jesus began.

So, we can ignore the call of God if we want to. But if so, we'd better get used to smelly conditions. If it's between me and the Fish... the Fish will win.

Hiding The Stank

Joh 11:17-27
(17) Then coming, Jesus found him already being held in the tomb four days.
(18) And Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia off.
(19) And many of the Jews had come to those around Martha and Mary, that they might console them concerning their brother.
(20) Then when Martha heard that Jesus is coming, she met Him; but Mary was sitting in the house.
(21) Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if You were here, my brother would not be dead.
(22) But even now I know that whatever You may ask God, God will give You.
(23) Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again.
(24) Martha said to Him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day.
(25) Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life. The one believing into Me, though he die, he shall live.
(26) And everyone living and believing into Me shall not die to the age, never! Do you believe this?
(27) She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.

Great story, the one where Lazarus has died and is in the tomb. Martha, understandably distraught, tells Jesus that IF He had been there then maybe things would have been different. Jesus says this, (as written in the New Stevie Highly Prophetic Hidden Symbolic Version) "You will get over this hurt."

Martha says, (again in the NSHPHSV) "I know that I will 'someday', Lord".

See, we all carry this 'stank' stuff in our lives, whether it be our past baggage, a habit, a stronghold, a weakness... and we roll a stone over it so that nobody sees it, and so that nobody SMELLS it.

I say, "Lord, I know that someday after the resurrection I'll be free of all this."
Jesus says, "You can be free of that today, you know..." (NSHPHSV)

Then He may do something that makes us all uncomfortable. He rolls the stone away, and everyone sees the mess and smells the stink, and then HE FIXES IT.

Bring it out. Let the Master resurrect your life TODAY.

Fishin'

I've often wondered, of all the symbols that could be used, why did Jesus choose to make us 'fishers of men'? That implies that men are fish, naturally, and fishermen. It's odd, considering we are also sheep and sometimes shepherds. It also made me curious to see if there were any references to this in the Old Testament.

Eze 47:9-10
(9) And it shall be, every soul that lives, which swarms in every place, there where the two torrents go, that soul shall live. And there shall be very many fish, because these waters shall come there. And they shall be healed. And all shall live there where the torrent goes.
(10) And it will be, the fishermen shall stand on it; from En-gedi even to En-eglaim, a spreading place for nets shall be there; their fish shall be by its kind, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many.

This is Ezekiel speaking of the End Times when the Mount of Olives splits in two and a great torrent of water rushes from the east side of the temple, running into the DEAD SEA and healing it. That is just too perfect. There's got to be more to it than that, right?

Of course, this is going to happen in the literal. But the torrent is also the Spirit of God. Where the Spirit goes, all shall live. Where did Jesus go that He did not heal EVERYONE? Very many kinds of fish, all there for the catching. Are we talking about fish, really? Yes, and no. We're also talking about fishers-of-men.

They spread their nets to catch fish. We spread the Gospel to catch men. The word for 'nets' is 'cherem', which means "a devoted thing that should have been destroyed". Doesn't that sound like our Savior? The enemy sure thought He was destroyed, didn't he. The Word continually proves its divine inspiration.

Releasing the Greater Miracle

Mat 8:5-9
(5) And Jesus, entering into Capernaum, a centurion came near to Him, begging Him,
(6) and saying, Lord, my child has been laid in the house, a paralytic, being grievously tormented.
(7) And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him.
(8) And answering, the centurion said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only speak a word and my child will be healed.
(9) For I am also a man under authority, having soldiers under myself. And I say to this one, Go; and he goes; and to another, Come; and he comes; and to my slave, Do this; and he does it.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn't just 'say the word' to begin with? Did He really just want to take the walk? We can see from His statement that NONE of His disciples had shown the faith of the centurion to that point, nor had anyone else.

Because of the faith of the centurion, Jesus was able to do something He was otherwise not going to do.

Had his faith been - normal - for lack of a better term, Jesus would have walked to the man's house and healed his child. Instead, faith unlocked a greater miracle. The power Jesus then exhibited had previously been 'unseen'. When we ask Jesus to do the miraculous in an area of our lives, do we still box Him in with our own expectations? Consider... that maybe God would truly blow us away if He thought we could really handle it. I don't know. The first step is expecting the miracle, I suppose, and most do not. Can we see the distance we still need to travel with our faith? Just when we thought we've arrived... NOT.

Killing Giants

We had our grand opening at Revolution Church's new building on Saturday night. It was a Spirit-filled event. Not since the opening day of CPH had I seen excitement like that all-around. During the service, I made a mental note of the four corners of the building, and I thought of all the giants that would fall within the confines of those walls. In my mind's eye I could see them piled up.

Bill Johnson made this point. Of all the known giants in scripture, we know David killed the most famous one. And of the other documented giants, most were killed by followers of David - his mighty men. The point was, if you want to kill giants, hang out with giant killers. Profound.

I'll one-up that. If you don't know any giant-killers, you'd best know the One True giant-killer, God-Almighty. See, young David didn't know any mortal giant killers, but He did know the Lord intimately. Those are our two choices if we expect to overcome life's giants.

I'm blessed to live amongst mighty men - some have slain some tremendous giants. Beyond that, I know the Lord and HE has slain giants before me more than once. I want to walk in His presence continually and get used to hopping over bodies.

Solar Doomsday

Today in the news: Powerful Solar Storm Could Shut Down U.S. for Months

Damage to power grids and other communications systems could be catastrophic, the scientists conclude, with effects leading to a potential loss of governmental control of the situation.

Good stuff. I sure would hate for the government to lose control, wouldn't you? They've also been touting a deep-space roar that has recently been detected. None of us know what's really going on, of course, but the scriptures say that in the last days there would be 'signs in the heavens'.

Much of this revolves around Israel. The more turmoil in Israel, the more turmoil in the skies. That's quite a study in itself.

"Obviously, the sun is Earth's life blood," said Richard Fisher, director of the Heliophysics division at NASA.

He misspelled Son.

Give It Up pt2

After it has had a chance to soak in, there is more to say about Elijah's fallen mantle. Originally, he cast his mantle upon Elisha before he did anything else. This was a symbol of the anointing passing to Elisha. Yet, a single dose.

1Ki 19:19
(19) And he left there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat; and he was plowing; twelve pairs were before him, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him, and threw his mantle upon him.

One definition of 'anoint' is "To choose by or as if by divine intervention." Typically it was done with oil, but in this case, the mantle fell upon Elisha as oil.

So what does it mean to have a double portion? Can you be twice as chosen? No. But you can be twice as enabled. That is the part of the definition that is missing. When God anoints His servant, He also enables His servant. A servant carrying a double portion is walking in a supreme authority of his master.

If Elisha had not received the double portion, the mantle would have never fallen to him the second time upon Elijah's departing. He simply would have continued on as before.

But we cannot miss this. Originally, the mantle fell, then Elisha destroyed the yoke.

1Ki 19:21
(21) And he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen, and sacrificed them, and boiled their flesh with the yoke of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and ministered to him.

Isa 10:27
(27) And it shall be in that day, his burden shall turn away from on your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Revelation In Job

Reading through Job, I have made some discoveries that are worth writing down. For the sake of continuity, I'll use His name, Yeshua, as opposed to Jesus in this post.

Job 7:21
(21) And why do You not lift up my transgression, and make my iniquity pass away? For now I shall lie down in the dust, and You shall seek me; but I will not be.

God did lift up Job's transgression, in the form of Yeshua.
John 3:14
(14) And even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

In this way, Job's iniquity passed away. Instead of Job lying in the dust, Yeshua was laid in the ground, and was sought there, but was not found there, for He rose.

Next...
Job 9:32-33
(32) For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him; that we should come together in judgment;
(33) there is no mediator between us, who might lay his hand on both of us.

God, listened and sent such a Mediator between man and Himself. His name is Yeshua.

Next...
Job 10:4-5
(4) Have You eyes of flesh; or do You see as a man sees?
(5) Are Your days as the days of man? Or Your years like the days of man,

God must have been listening to that, too, because He did take on flesh in the form of Yeshua. He felt our length of days and the toil of daily living.

Next...
Job 12:24-25
(24) He takes away the heart of the heads of the people of the land; and He causes them to wander in a waste in which is no path.
(25) They grope in the dark, and there is no light; and He makes them stagger like a drunkard.

Job complains that the people have no path. Yeshua said, "I am the way (path)." Job said man gropes in the dark, but Yeshua said, "I am the Light of the world."

Next...
Job 13:16
(16) He also is my salvation, for an ungodly one shall not come before Him.

Job said God is his 'salvation'. The Hebrew for salvation here, is "Yeshua". Job had no clue. What I find is that the trials of Job serve to OUTLINE A NEED of suffering humanity. God saw and graciously complied and supplied.

Deception

Works not working out?

One of the ruts I find myself in is the 'works' rut. I need to change this, or I need to get on with that, because if I don't God wont continue to bless me.

Then I read about Jacob. He was a deceiver - in fact, that was what his name meant until God changed his name. What we find out, though, is that Jacob never really got over it. He was a deceiver in the beginning, and he was a deceiver in the end.

Remember the birthright? Remember his dealings with Laban? Remember his dealings with Esau later? He deceived continually, and yet God called him an overcomer. If that doesn't blow your mind...

Gen 32:28
(28) And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Jacob's name literally means "heel catcher". Does that remind anyone of an earlier prophecy?

Gen 3:15
(15) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

So, in what ways did Jacob overcome? He sought God. He wrestled with God. He persisted with God. He learned. Contrast him to Esau, and you'll see that Esau never learned anything from God. That was the difference.

These thoughts are somewhat convoluted, but it speaks to me that God could use someone like Jacob, despite himself. Even if we feel unusable, continue to have a moldable heart and mind.

A Dangerous Anointing

Oh... the things I'm reminded of when I attend church on Saturday night. Stan spoke of the Anointing of God, and how it demands certain things. By His grace, we are not under a certain amount (for lack of a better word) of the anointing because we simply couldn't handle it. We aren't ready. His example was Ananias and Sapphira. That's just scary. But it reminded me of Moses, who flirted with the same anointing. After all, who on earth besides Jesus Himself carried a greater anointing than Moses?

Exo 4:24-26
(24) And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
(25) Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
(26) So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

That is three verses - only three - that share God's intent to KILL Moses. Why? Moses had accepted the anointing, but had not sold out to God. He had withheld his own son from God. It was Zipporah, Moses' wife, that saved his keester (is that a word?). There's more than one sermon on this subject. How about... Why Marry a Godly Woman? Or... A Bloody Husband Thou Art...

It is a very visual reminder of how serious God is about His Anointing. He might kill you if you don't accept it - true. He wrestled with Moses to take it. This is quite the subject, because we don't know what God would have done to Moses had he refused to lead God's people. God had His heart set upon Moses, after all. He also might kill you if you accept the anointing lightly. This is more likely. God is a loving God, and a gracious God, and a merciful God, but He IS God, and He IS Holy, and He IS serious about His Kingdom. Therefore, we should be serious about it, too.

To whom much is given, MUCH is expected. How much have I been given? What have I done with it? Have I buried it under my tent?

The 8th Day

My pastor reminded me of the 8th day this evening. The Jews celebrate Shemini Atzeret, or the 8th day which falls after the 7 days of Sukkot (Tabernacles). If 8 is the day of new beginnings, certainly Shemini Atzeret is a great way to begin a new cycle.

Following the Jewish festivals, the final (7th) High Holy Day is Sukkot, which is synonymous with the 7th millennium or the 1000 year reign of Jesus on earth. This is the Sabbath 'day'. Shemini Atzeret would be the following 'day', or 1000 years, and it looks like this:

Jesus said, "Behold, I make all things new. There will be no more tears, nor death." (Paraphrased by myself)

It's the day after the big party (Tabernacles). All of the family that was itching to go home has gone, and it's just you and the Lord reclining at a giant table sipping wine and eating grapes. Basically, you are r-e-l-a-x-e-d and just thrilled to be in the presence of the Lord, and none-too happy about the thought of leaving. He says, "I know the party is over, but please... stay a little longer. We'll just visit a while. Don't rush off."

Can you imagine? Seriously... CAN YOU IMAGINE HIM SAYING THAT TO YOU?

That is Shemini Atzeret, the 8th day. Do not be in a hurry to leave the presence of the King. Perhaps, the party is really just getting started!

Give It Up

1Ki 19:19-21
(19) So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
(20) And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
(21) And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

This is deeper than meets the eye. When a man of God is called, there are some necessary things that must happen.

1) the yoke has to be broken - this occurred when Elisha chopped up the literal yokes and burned the oxen
2) the obvious means of making a living (is this to anyone?) must be abandoned
3) leave mom and dad

Mar 10:29-30
(29) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
(30) But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

4) follow in his master's steps

Wow... what a sacrifice that seems to be.

Walking In The Mist

Gen 2:6
(6) But there went up from the earth a mist and watered all the face of the ground.

All through scripture, RAIN is synonymous with the blessings of God. He tells us that if we turn from Him, He could withhold the rain from our land - or our lives. That affects everything, doesn't it. Without rain, everything dries up, withers, and eventually dies.

In the beginning, there was no rain. Interesting, that. If we continually walk in the Presence of God, there is a MIST that surrounds us, permeating everything. It's only when we visit the dry places that we need to see that rain coming.

Certainly, it can be argued that the mist is gone and we all visit the dry places from time to time. I do. But this verse tells me that there was once a place - and is coming a place - that we will continually walk in the blessings of God, and that looking forward to the next rain will no longer be necessary.