To Be His

Isa 26:19-21
(19) Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.
(20) Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
(21) For, behold, Jehovah cometh forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

The passage above talks about a last days event that is still to come. Some refer to this event as the rapture - it doesn't matter what it's called. Whenever God is trying to convey a point in His Word, it will be found in more than one spot, because from the testimony of two or more witnesses shall a matter be decided. (Deut 19:15). Most Christians are familiar with this passage:

1Co 15:51-52
(51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Notice, both passages are speaking of the same event.

Looking at Isaiah's message, the Lord is telling us two things:
The Lord will be indignate in the last days because of the iniquity of mankind.
He will call those that are His to Himself: "Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers"

Mat 24:36-39
(36) But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.
(37) And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
(38) For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
(39) and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.

We know this event is coming. We know that the day the event does come - the world will be 'business as usual'. The world is not looking for the event, for 'they knew not until the flood came...'

So, do you belong to Him? When He pours out His indignation upon the earth, do you desire to be hidden? I do. I'm out. Escapism if you like... there will be much to escape from in the end. It's all about Him and what He said He would do - not about me and what I'd do. Our job is to be ready and the let others know that the good news is - All Are Invited!

Wisdom's Demise

1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God

There's much to deduce from this statement. One, apart from God, there is no real wisdom. That would really tick off a lot of 'wise men' if they heard that said. Monks, sages, rabbis, teachers, philosophers, professors, students, disciples... many who claim to be wise - yet unless they are plugged in to God through Jesus they are simply fooling themselves.

Pro 4:7
(7) Wisdom is the main thing; get wisdom, and with all your getting, get understanding.

Pro 8:11
(11) For wisdom is better than jewels, and all delights cannot be compared to it.

Pro 16:16
(16) How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

Jas 1:5
(5) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, who gives to all freely and with no reproach, and it will be given to him.

So if God is the giver of wisdom, and wisdom is more valuable than jewels, or gold, then maybe it is time to evaluate who or what we are seeking. The stock market is not going to win in the end. The big picture doesn't really include our 401k (which is becoming more obvious every day). And even if we make a million... will it buy us the security we are searching for? Wisdom tells me that God has a plan in action right now, and a government bailout probably isn't going to effect it much, long-term.

His Presence

Every time I enter the Presence of God, I feel such a love for Him that I wish I could share or convey. I cannot get enough of Him.

People that are hooked on addictive things like drugs, money, sex, or fame... they are hooked because they hunger for something and cannot get satiated. It's easy to see why God had very bad things to say about sexual immorality, pleasures of the eyes, and the pride of life. They are gods that take His place.

The difference is that His Presence is Life, while these other things lead only to death. Does it make sense to nurture the very disease that kills you? Seek life!

Waiting For Rain

1Ki 18:42-45
(42) And Ahab went up to eat, and to drink; and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he stretched himself out on the earth, and he put his face between his knees;
(43) and said to his young man, Now go up, look closely to the way of the sea. And he went up and looked closely, and said, There is nothing; and he said, Go back seven times.
(44) And it happened at the seventh time, he said, Behold, a little cloud like the hand of a man is coming up out of the sea. And he said, Go up and say to Ahab, Bind up and go down, that the rain may not stop you.
(45) And until this and this, it happened that the heavens became black with thick clouds and wind, and the rain was heavy; and Ahab rode and went to Jezreel;

There is a spiritual principle about praise that can be gleaned from a word-study on the word "Judah". Hosea 10 says, "Judah shall plow". We all know that plows are used on earth to make it plantable - to break it up so 'water' and 'seed' can penetrate. Jesus used earth as an example of the heart of man. Some hearts are hard, as the earth along the roadside. Others are fertile, as is earth with dark soil. Judah means praise, so we can imagine that praise will plow up the hardened ground of our heart so that the water of the Holy Spirit and the seed of the Word can penetrate.

When we have a fantastic worship service - I mean - truly fantastic - we all get plowed up... broken... ready to be 'productive'. That's when we screw up. We quit... and we go home... right before the rain comes. I've heard some very wise men teach on this, and they all say that the key is to wait... wait... wait... It may not be the first prayer, or the second, or the third, but pretty soon, the cloud is on the horizon. When the rain does come, it comes in torrents and the miraculous is released. What might that look like?

1Ki 18:46
(46) and the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab until [the place where] you enter Jezreel.

Elijah outran Ahab's horse-drawn chariots from Carmel to Jezreel. What will it look like when it happens to us? We may be outrunning a Crown Victoria back to the house.

Losing Control

Last night's services were amazing. God showed up and ministered to everyone there, I believe. It's such a strange observance - when God shows up. I use that term in reference to when the Holy Spirit is present in such a Power that He can be tangibly felt. Many would deny that ever happens... but... there weren't many there last night, either.

Can you imagine jumping naked into the arctic ocean in the middle of winter? I can only imagine that one loses all control of their body when placed in such a medium. The body can no longer heat itself, and it's attempt to go into overdrive in order to do so shuts everything else down.

Or how about bungee cording off a 2000 ft bridge? I've seen videos where the frightened individual loses all bladder control, or worse... Yes, it's an odd post, but my point is that the flesh can only handle so much before unusual phenomenon take place.

It has always been my contention that the Presence of God has the same effect on the flesh. God says that nobody can see His face and live. That is extreme. He told Moses to watch His back as He passed by, so that he might have the honor of seeing God in the flesh and surviving the experience.

When God's Presence manafests in such a power here on earth, is it any wonder people fall down? Or cry? Or sing (even if they can't)? It's a delightful experience.

Is it also any wonder that shepherds who try to control their flock's spiritual experience rarely if ever experience a move of the Spirit? That is a sad thing, and especially when the people have never had a God-encounter.

State of the Union

The posts have died off a little this week. It's not that I'm out of things to write down. It's nearly the opposite - there's so much stuff to talk about it's overwhelming.

The news is abysmal. This nation moves further from God's ways and wishes. As a result, demonic activity is skyrocketing here. Strangely, as this nation goes, so too goes many others. The Taliban is gaining power and popularity again. Many civilized countries are adopting Shia Law... an Islamic belief system of ruling.

I'm sure you heard about the Muslim man in New York (I believe) who beheaded his wife because she was divorcing him. He'd started a Muslim TV station with the purpose of showing America that the Muslim way is modern, sensible, civil, and tolerant despite how it is portrayed by much of the media. He cut her head off in the TV station. So much for sensibility, I guess. We are charging him with 2nd degree murder. Now... I'm not lawyer, but what constitutes 1st degree murder? Did she need to wear a badge?

Our churches struggle to keep people interested. That is largely because there is nothing special about most churches. Nothing is offered that can't be found at a mall or a country club... or at home on the couch watching it on TV. It's boring, cold, and dead. That doesn't mean they aren't trying - although some truly aren't. Shepherds of congregations everywhere are looking for answers and trying everything in their power to maintain their flock. That's the problem. Their power is never going to be good enough.

Where true, life-changing worship is concerned, there are some rules we should all follow:
IF YOU WANT TO CONTROL IT, GIVE UP. GO HOME. YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE ANYONE. ONLY GOD CAN AND YOU CAN'T CONTROL HIM!
IF WHAT YOU ARE DOING CAN BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT, DO SOMETHING ELSE!
IF YOU AREN'T MOVED BY THE PRESENCE OF GOD WHERE YOU GO TO CHURCH, HE ISN'T THERE. GOD WILL ALWAYS MOVE YOU OR MAKE YOU SO UNCOMFORTABLE YOU WILL MOVE YOURSELF.

And if I insist on going to a dead church where I always leave feeling hunky-dory and the world is my oyster and I'm always comfy and I don't want anything to change... then please yell at me for wasting gasoline and contributing to global warming because I should be able to find a more eco-friendly hobby at home - even if it's listening to my Al Gore tapes. I realize that was a horribly long, awkward sentence.

Things are winding up in the world. The darkness is getting darker, and as a result, the light is getting brighter. It's time to put away childish things, childish pursuits, and childish dreams. Dial into someone BIG.

Salvation In Esther

The ladies of the church are studying Esther. As a result, I've done a little delving into the book, myself. Esther's name given to her by her parents was Hadassah. The name given to her by the Gentiles when she became queen was Esther. The Gentiles called her some form of 'Ishtar' or 'Astarte', but in Hebrew and Aramaic it came out as Ester. (In English, for some reason, it is spelled Esther.)

The Talmud finds Esther's name alluded to in the Tanach (Jewish Bible) in the verse "astir panai," which means, "I will hide My face...." (Deuteronomy 31:18). So many would say her name means 'hide' or 'hidden' as opposed to 'star'.

Hadassah, on the other hand, means 'myrtle', which is a rather plain-looking plant, but when its leaves are bruised and crushed they give forth a very sweet fragrance. Can you see where this is headed?

Very often, Salvation lies hidden. Seek, and you shall find it. With Esther, Hadassah was 'hidden'. As we study Esther, we realize that she hid her identity in order to allow God's 'salvation' to come to the Jews.

Our Savior, Yeshua, was bruised and crushed for our sake so that we, too, could find the sweet and savory - Salvation.

You are such a 'donkey'

Exo 13:13
(13) You can save the life of a first-born donkey by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must save every first-born son.


As descendants of Adam, we are all born 'unclean', like a donkey. Even the donkeys belong to God, but see - they are not acceptable to God, because they are unclean. Something has to be sacrificed in its stead.

How many pictures does God have to bury in the Old Testament to prove to us that it's all about Jesus?

I'm the donkey... Jesus was the Lamb substituted for me. Wow... otherwise... I'm as good as dead.

I'll take that!

Maturing Into The Supernatural

The other day I was watching my two little girls. I was holding one, while the other was playing in the floor with a little stuffed black sheep. She loves that little toy. It's stuffed, but it's stuffed tight, so if she drops it, it will roll.

She dropped it, and it rolled away from her. She stretched to get it but couldn't reach it.

Standing next to her, I took my foot and flipped the sheep back into her lap. It surprised her. It happened so fast I don't even think she saw what happened. All of a sudden, her sheep was back in her grasp.

As I thought about the reality of that, a few things occurred to me.

What I had just done was a total impossibility for her. She didn't get it, understand it, or visualize it. Therefore she couldn't even begin to try to emulate it. Had she tried it - she would have failed miserably. She is 10 months old. There are milestones she must achieve before the possibility even becomes real.

For me, on the other hand, it was a simple act. I could have done it with red shoes, blue shoes, green shoes, no shoes, socks, no socks, or with either foot - every time - no failures.

At some point, my little girl will begin to understand what I did - even if she can't yet emulate it. Soon enough, she will be able to do those little acts with limited success - and then... she'll be able to do them without fail.

How much of the miraculous are we destined to mature into? I'm NOT saying we are heading for God-hood. But certainly, we are heading for greater measures of faith as we mature. With greater faith will come greater understanding and greater works.

I'll continue to seek the miraculous in my life. As I mature, I'm betting my success rate goes up in some areas. But I've got to quit swatting at that darned mobile and seek something new for a change.

Peace and Safety

1Th 5:3
(3) For when they say, Peace and safety! Then suddenly destruction comes upon them, like the travail to the one having babe in womb, and not at all shall they escape.

Interesting blurb from Foxnews today concerning the plight of Israel:

"Israelis are overwhelmed by security pressures, by fear of the future, by a sense of unworthy leadership. Israelis look at the Middle East and feel the walls coming in, there are terrorist enclaves on our borders and we don't seem to have answers," he said.

"We just fought a war that we won and even that war has not stopped the missiles from falling. So Israelis look around and say, 'No one can deliver peace, no one can deliver security, who can we depend on?'"

That was from

Some commentaries (most) on the verse above say that the world will be in a secure state - of 'peace and safety', and then the end will come. I tend to think that the cry of the world will be for peace and safety - something much sought after. That would be the current state of the world. We have work to do.

What about... Isaac?

Remember in John when all the people were arguing with Jesus about their lineage?

Joh 8:39
(39) They answered and said to Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, If you were children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham.


Notice how the people were enamored with being the 'seed' of Abraham. If we go back to Genesis and read, Abraham had multiple children, including Ishmael. You would think that if the people really cared about being heir to the Promise, they would clarify. "We are children of Abraham and Isaac!"

Do you know why they didn't? Because although they thought they knew and understood the father, they forgot the son. Does this have a familiar ring?

Rom 9:6-8
(6) Not, however, that God's Word has failed. For not all those of Israel are Israel,
(7) nor because they are Abraham's seed are all children, but "In Isaac a Seed shall be called to you." Gen. 21:12
(8) That is: Not the children of flesh are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for a seed.

You know... Isaac was so important. He was the child of promise. Without promise, there is no need for faith. I can sit around all day and hope the house next door becomes a huge piece of chocolate, but believing that is moronic because it hasn't been promised by God. In what or whom do we have faith?

If Abraham was a picture of God the Father, and Isaac a picture of the Son (in that the Father was willing to sacrifice the Son), is it really any wonder they never mentioned the Son?

Recent Torah Portions

Every year the Jews read through Torah - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Each week a 'portion' is read. These are significant to the season in which they are read, and they do not change from year to year. For instance, we can often tell which Jewish holiday or season was approaching by what Jesus taught in the synagogue. Recently, Mark Biltz had this to say about the recent portions:

Remember the Israeli elections in prayer coming up on Tuesday of next week
Feb. 10th.

Those of you following along with the audio torah portions will be aware
of this but in Judaism they always say history follows the torah portions.
Jan 17th began the portion on the Book of Exodus where there is a new
Pharaoh and one of the first things he does is sign a decree to allow the
killing of the newborns. Then on Jan 20th we have a new leader and one of
the first thing Congress does is pass the freedom of choice act. The next
Sabbath was on the beginning of the plagues and we find this article about
the [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/129565 ] bubonic
plague hitting an Al Qaeda cell in the news.

This last Shabbat the reading is on the last 3 plagues of locusts, well
here is a link to an [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7865240.stm ]
unidentifiable insect plague in Africa that is destroying the crops.

This next weekend’s torah portion covers the Red Sea crossing, the manna
falling and the complaints for food and over the bitter water ending with
the story of Amalek attacking Israel. With the elections this next week it
could be interesting!

Is Heaven For You?

"If we don't want to experience God's closeness here on earth, why would we want to go to heaven anyway? He is the center of everything there. If we don't enjoy being in his presence here and now, the heaven would not be heaven for us. Why would he send anyone there who doesn't long for him passionately here on earth?

I am not suggesting that we are justified by works of prayer or any other acts of devotion. I am not a legalist. But let us not dodge the issue of what heaven will be like: enjoying the presence of God, taking time to love him, listening to him, and giving him praise.

Thanks Mike E for sending this great quote from Jim Cymbala!

Dreams

I've got a few friends that dream dreams - not regular ones but head-scratchers. Sometimes they are scary, sometimes simply interesting. In some cases, the dreams seem very significant. Here is a rule of thumb about dreams taken right out of scripture.

If the dream is from God and you only dream it once, it is a warning or a special insight to something that 'might' happen.

If the dream is dreamed twice (and is from God), it is established by God. Why? Remember the rule that from the testimony of two or more a matter is established?

This is made clear from the dreamer himself, Joseph, who said this about Pharaoh's dream:
Gen 41:32
(32) And as to the dream being repeated to Pharaoh twice, the thing is settled because it is from God, and God is hastening to do it.

Non-trivial Trivia

Most of us know the story of Joseph, the boy who was sold into slavery by his loving brothers. Joseph had a hard time of it at first, and was purchased by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. We also know that Potiphar's wife lusted after Joseph and when he resisted her advances, she trapped him with false accusations. Potiphar had Joseph thrown into jail.

One wonders... was this girl so desperate for attention that she simply couldn't keep her mind off Joseph?

Here is an interesting tidbit:
Gen 39:1
(1) And Joseph was brought down to Egypt. And Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, the chief of the executioners, an Egyptian man, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.

Notice the word? Eunuch
The Hebrew word is:
sârîys sâris
saw-reece', saw-reece'
From an unused root meaning to castrate; a eunuch; by implication valet (especially of the female apartments), and thus a minister of state: - chamberlain, eunuch, officer.

Might that explain what kind of damage an unsatisfied spouse can do?