If we believe that life is about shutting ourselves into our homes or schools or churches - as Christian and as safe as they seem to be - in order to keep the devil out and to keep ourselves and our families safe, we have already locked ourselves in the closet with the enemy. Show a stranger the love of God this coming year!
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and a God-centered, Holy Spirit filled, fired up 2011! Peace!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Vain Images
Deu 4:15 Therefore take good heed to yourselves, for you saw no kind of likeness on the day Jehovah spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
Deu 4:16 lest you act corruptly and make yourselves a graven image, the likeness of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Deu 4:17 the likeness of any beast on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flies in the air,
Deu 4:18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish in the waters beneath the earth;
Deu 4:19 and lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, lest you should be driven to worship them and serve them, which Jehovah your God has allotted to all nations under all the heavens.
Paraphrased: None of you saw God, just in case you might have decided to make a graven image of Him and worship it. The image WOULD BE any of these things: a male, a female, a beast, a fowl, an insect, a fish, a star, or a planet, because this is what you would see if you were to see Him. You may all see something different, but what you see would be the creation He made. (Psa 19:1)
These created things are given to everyone - all nations. His image, however, is NOT for everyone any more than His name is. He gives His name to the one He marries, as any husband does. God is telling us not only to not take His name in vain, but also to not take His image in vain. Now we see the reason for the thick layer of incense smoke inside the tabernacle. To see Him above the Ark of the Testimony would be death. God even warned Moses about gazing upon Him and He hid Moses in a crack in the cliff as He passed by. Our sinful tendency is to worship sight and not substance. This is the opposite of the faith that pleases God.
Deu 4:16 lest you act corruptly and make yourselves a graven image, the likeness of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Deu 4:17 the likeness of any beast on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flies in the air,
Deu 4:18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish in the waters beneath the earth;
Deu 4:19 and lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, lest you should be driven to worship them and serve them, which Jehovah your God has allotted to all nations under all the heavens.
Paraphrased: None of you saw God, just in case you might have decided to make a graven image of Him and worship it. The image WOULD BE any of these things: a male, a female, a beast, a fowl, an insect, a fish, a star, or a planet, because this is what you would see if you were to see Him. You may all see something different, but what you see would be the creation He made. (Psa 19:1)
These created things are given to everyone - all nations. His image, however, is NOT for everyone any more than His name is. He gives His name to the one He marries, as any husband does. God is telling us not only to not take His name in vain, but also to not take His image in vain. Now we see the reason for the thick layer of incense smoke inside the tabernacle. To see Him above the Ark of the Testimony would be death. God even warned Moses about gazing upon Him and He hid Moses in a crack in the cliff as He passed by. Our sinful tendency is to worship sight and not substance. This is the opposite of the faith that pleases God.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Christmas Story
Rev 12:1-10 MKJV
(1) And there appeared a great sign in the heavens, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head,
(2) and having a babe in womb, she cries, being in travail, having been distressed to bear.
(3) And another sign was seen in the heavens. And behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads!
(4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them onto the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman being about to bear, so that when she bears he might devour her child.
(5) And she bore a son, a male, who is going to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
(6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, so that they might nourish her there a thousand, two hundred and sixty days.
(7) And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels warring against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels warred,
(8) but did not prevail. Nor was place found for them in Heaven any more.
(9) And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
(10) And I heard a great voice saying in Heaven, Now has come the salvation and power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night.
(1) And there appeared a great sign in the heavens, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head,
(2) and having a babe in womb, she cries, being in travail, having been distressed to bear.
(3) And another sign was seen in the heavens. And behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads!
(4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them onto the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman being about to bear, so that when she bears he might devour her child.
(5) And she bore a son, a male, who is going to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
(6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, so that they might nourish her there a thousand, two hundred and sixty days.
(7) And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels warring against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels warred,
(8) but did not prevail. Nor was place found for them in Heaven any more.
(9) And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
(10) And I heard a great voice saying in Heaven, Now has come the salvation and power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night.
Friday, December 17, 2010
God's Treasure
Malachai wrote:
For behold, the day is coming, burning like a fire pot; and all the proud, and every doer of wickedness, shall be chaff. And the coming day will set them ablaze, says Jehovah of Hosts, which will not leave root or branches to them. But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, and healing will be on His wings. And you shall go out and frisk like calves of the stall. And you shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day which I am preparing, says Jehovah of Hosts. Remember the Law of Moses My servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, the statutes and judgments. Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, that I not come and strike the earth with utter destruction.
This passage is seldom realized as a rapture reference, but it is. It is important to see God's plan for this age - how things culminate.
H5459
segu^lla^h
seg-ool-law'
Feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to shut up; wealth (as closely shut up): - jewel, peculiar (treasure), proper good, special.
The beauty of E-sword is that you can take a Strong's number - H5459 - and do a search on it in the KJV+ translation. This reveals every instance this word is used in the Hebrew. Let's examine some of these instances:
Exo 19:5 MKJV
(5) And now if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure to Me above all the nations; for all the earth is Mine.
Deu 7:6 MKJV
(6) For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Jehovah your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deu 14:2 MKJV
(2) For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God, and Jehovah has chosen you to be a peculiar people to Himself, above all the nations that are on the earth.
Deu 26:18 MKJV
(18) And Jehovah has taken you today to be His peculiar people, as He has promised you, and to keep all His commandments,
Psa 135:4 MKJV
(4) For Jehovah has chosen Jacob to Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure.
G4047
περιποίησις
peripoiēsis
per-ee-poy'-ay-sis
From G4046; acquisition (the act or the thing); by extension preservation: - obtain (-ing), peculiar, purchased, possession, saving.
The word is 'periousios', and the meaning is the same.
Tit 2:14 MKJV
(14) who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to Himself a special people, zealous of good works.
1Pe 2:9 KJV
(9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
To summarize what I take away from this passage:
God always intended to have a people all to Himself – a people He chose. It started out being Adam and Eve. One might think they failed Him and He went to plan B, but from the beginning plan B was the only plan. God desired to tabernacle with Adam and Eve and their family, but they created an atmosphere He couldn’t live in (nor could they). God expanded His plan. Exodus has Him tabernacling with a new people – yet another chosen people – Israel. Again, this was a people, not unlike us, who didn’t know exactly how to live with Him in their midst. So God expanded His plan again. Titus and Peter write of this same peculiar nation – a nation with God’s heart. Yet these are those who allow Him to tabernacle within them. These are a purchased people – a praising people – a people of light. All who call upon the name of the Lord can be a citizen of this nation. They make up His ‘treasure’.
Notice the redemptive intent of our Creator. Even though we continually ruined the environment of communion, He never disqualified anyone from again coming to Him. He expanded the invitation each time. Yes the road is narrow, but open to all.
A nation who possesses the heart of God… will be gathered up (asah) before a time that burns like a firepot. This holy nation will be spared as a father spares his son in order to show the world the difference between the righteous and the wicked. We know that during this time, Elijah will be sent to again foster a love in people – a love of restoration and redemption.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Gone for 70 Years
Hag 1:2-4 MKJV
(2) So says Jehovah of Hosts, saying: This people says, The time has not come, the time that Jehovah's house should be built.
(3) Then came the Word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying,
(4) Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your finished houses, and shall this House lie waste?
What would your house look like after you had been gone for 70 years? What would the yard look like? Where would you even start to make it livable again? Apparently, this is the quandary the Israelites faced when they returned home to Israel after 70 years in Babylon. They were a bit preoccupied. The last thing on their mind was rebuilding God's house - His 'place' among them.
For many of us who grew up in prosperity, these economic times have been very hard - much like exile. For some, the last thing on our mind is to be about the commission God set upon us. It is a struggle to stay afloat, after all! But God says this:
Hag 1:5-7 MKJV
(5) And now so says Jehovah of Hosts: Set your heart on your ways;
(6) you have sown much and bring in little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you dress, but no one is warm; and he who hires out himself hires himself for a bag full of holes.
(7) So says Jehovah of Hosts: Set your heart on your ways.
Can you identify with this at all? Has it been really easy to get ahead? It's time to set our heart on the way we will go. The Temple is now our body, and the Kingdom commission calls us.
Mat 6:31-33 ASV
(31) Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(32) For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
(33) But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(2) So says Jehovah of Hosts, saying: This people says, The time has not come, the time that Jehovah's house should be built.
(3) Then came the Word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying,
(4) Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your finished houses, and shall this House lie waste?
What would your house look like after you had been gone for 70 years? What would the yard look like? Where would you even start to make it livable again? Apparently, this is the quandary the Israelites faced when they returned home to Israel after 70 years in Babylon. They were a bit preoccupied. The last thing on their mind was rebuilding God's house - His 'place' among them.
For many of us who grew up in prosperity, these economic times have been very hard - much like exile. For some, the last thing on our mind is to be about the commission God set upon us. It is a struggle to stay afloat, after all! But God says this:
Hag 1:5-7 MKJV
(5) And now so says Jehovah of Hosts: Set your heart on your ways;
(6) you have sown much and bring in little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you dress, but no one is warm; and he who hires out himself hires himself for a bag full of holes.
(7) So says Jehovah of Hosts: Set your heart on your ways.
Can you identify with this at all? Has it been really easy to get ahead? It's time to set our heart on the way we will go. The Temple is now our body, and the Kingdom commission calls us.
Mat 6:31-33 ASV
(31) Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(32) For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
(33) But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
To Know What Is In Your Heart
(Deu 8:2 MKJV) And you shall remember all the way which Jehovah your God led you these forty years in the wilderness in order to humble you, to prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
It's easy to read through this verse and - like so many others - fail to consider what it is saying. God wants to humble me, and prove me, and to know what is in my heart? Does God not already know?
The word 'know' here is the same Hebrew term used when Adam 'knew' Eve. It's not an intellectual knowing, it's an experiential knowing. God wants to experience our faith. He wants to experience our growth. This brings Him glory in a way that simply knowing intellectually cannot.
This is worth considering the next time you drop a football pass that would have won the ballgame.
It's easy to read through this verse and - like so many others - fail to consider what it is saying. God wants to humble me, and prove me, and to know what is in my heart? Does God not already know?
The word 'know' here is the same Hebrew term used when Adam 'knew' Eve. It's not an intellectual knowing, it's an experiential knowing. God wants to experience our faith. He wants to experience our growth. This brings Him glory in a way that simply knowing intellectually cannot.
This is worth considering the next time you drop a football pass that would have won the ballgame.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
What If
If Jesus were tagging along with you today - in the flesh - just shadowing you at work or home or wherever you are, how often would He look at you and say, "Why don't you just go ahead and take care of that?"
How many times would He say, "We're here, let's do it."? Or... "Don't even bother with that - it's a wasted effort."
Or how about this? "Don't even entertain that thought. The Father has that covered."
If after one week of walking with Him, how many times would He still have to say that stuff? Would we be more proactive? Less apt to waste time on silly pursuits?
How many times would He say, "We're here, let's do it."? Or... "Don't even bother with that - it's a wasted effort."
Or how about this? "Don't even entertain that thought. The Father has that covered."
If after one week of walking with Him, how many times would He still have to say that stuff? Would we be more proactive? Less apt to waste time on silly pursuits?
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