05-17-13 Faith

Hebrews 11 "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword;whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Couldn't have said it better myself.... 26 times...

I Can Only Imagine - MercyMe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwzItqYmII

05-16-13 Faith in the Midst of Battle

2 Kings 6:15-18 "When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.”So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked."

How many times have we felt like this servant, proclaiming fear and doom and gloom because all we see is the armies amassed against us? We cry out, "LORD, what shall we do?" and He opens our eyes.

Well, He opens our eyes if we want to see and if we quiet ourselves enough to listen to His voice, saying "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Even if the warring angels were not present, the Lord's Presence is more than enough to route the enemy.

When we have faith, even as small as a mustard seed-

then He will use that very small amount of faith and allow us to see what HE sees in the spiritual, not just what we see in the natural.

I've quoted the scripture before that Jesus is always interceding for us. He wants us to see - Our Father wants us to see what HE sees. But not just to see it, believe it! THAT, my friends, is faith.

Jesus has already defeated the enemy - satan - lucifer - any and all of his demonic horde -- we must come to believe THAT if we are to overcome and defeat him/them in our lives. Jesus has done the work, but that doesn't mean we sit back and do nothing.  Francis Frangipane has a book called, "This Day We Fight".  I don't usually promote anything one here, but this is an excellent book on rising out of ourselves and learning to fight. Yeah, we have to fight the enemy... but it's alongside of Jesus... and in knowing that we have the victory. It may not look like it or feel like it at the time, but Jesus already has set us free. Our job is to not listen to the flesh, the world and the devil - to pick up our swords and any other weapon the Lord has given us and shoot the Word of God, shoot faith, shoot hope, shoot trust, shoot love, shoot patience, etc. right back at the enemy.  

If we resist him, he will flee (James 4:7-8). Doesn't mean he won't come back, but does mean that if we've persevere in our resistance, he learn that we are going to back down... then he'll go pick on someone else... right after he gets a good butt-kicking from his boss. Sometimes, he tries harder. We ask others around us for help - for prayer, for support - and route the enemy that way.

So, if you're in the midst of a battle right now between the forces of darkness and Light... know that the Light always wins. Have faith - there are more with us than with them!

Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) - Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vBDKtzzrR4

05-15-13 Faith Rewarded by Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

Romans 5:1-2 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God." 

Faith is believing in something we don't yet see.

Grace is having favor with someone even though we have done nothing to deserve  it.

Faith is going for a morning run or walk and seeing the dark clouds all around - but believing that sooner or later the clouds will go away. 

Grace is looking up and seeing a patch of blue sky and no matter where you run or walk, if you look up, you will another patch of blue sky - and maybe the sun starting to come up on the horizon with white clouds all around.

It's not that we never have to do anything and just 'have fun in the sun', but as the first set of verses say, "it is by GRACE we have been saved, through faith". Another way of saying it is, "even though we have done nothing to deserve it, God has saved us solely because we believe in Who He is and what He has done for us."

Father just wants us to 'be'. To know who we are and Who He Is and what He has done in us and for us. The next set of verses could read, "we have gained access to the grace of God through believing that we have been washed clean of our sins through Jesus Christ."

Faith is a choice. We ask Father for something or better yet, we declare one or more of His promises; we choose to believe; Father turns to Jesus and says, "Hey,  did you hear what I heard? I think we should do it." Sometimes, He waits to do it and sometimes, for reasons beyond our understanding He doesn't do it - or at least we THINK He didn't do it. But faith is still a choice and it's by His grace that He does what He does.

I like it when He does come through on a visually level - because it builds our faith. We grow in faith. We grow in grace. We hope in the GLORY of God.

What Faith Can Do - Kutless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTNBWv33-QI

05-14-13 Faith in the Midst of Fear

Psalm 46:1-6,10-11 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam    and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.... He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Okay, so I'm praying a little bit ago,and ask the Lord what should I write about today? You know those looks that you get when you as a silly question in which someone has just told you the answer? It's a look of amazement at how much we just didn't 'get it' (or 'duh - I just told you').  I was like, oh.

Imagine a mountain in front of you - an obstacle in our personal path with Him. Contrary to popular belief, no, we are not in any way, shape or form, perfect ;)  We ask Him if He's going to remove it or are we going to climb it or is it something that's going to take a little longer and go around it. He said, "It's not A, B, or C - It's D (none of the above). We're going to go through it." At this point He turns to us and smiles. Somehow, we know we are not going to like this.

So, He simply parts the mountain. No falling rock, no loud noises - a part of the mountain has simply been removed to reveal a narrow path through it. It's not really a straight path, to where we can keep our eyes focused on the other side, maybe a little daylight shining through to make us feel better - none of that. Just a small enough amount of light that is glowing off of Jesus - so, we figure we had better stick to Him like glue - like super-glue.

Some of us (as in I) am afraid. I like a challenge, but really - I don't like closed in places. Just like I don't relish the idea of falling from heights, but force myself to get into places where I try to overcome that.... until I look down....

Well, we go in a little scared, but we are on Jesus' heels (almost literally). Then we look up and see how tall the mountain is. We look at the rocks jutting out that could fall at any time. We look at just how narrow this opening is and this little thought comes into out heads 'what if you get stuck in here'? Our eyes adjust and we see little ground creatures - some are kind of cool, others are not so cool.

Every once in a while we snag ourselves on a small sharp rock - maybe producing a cut here and there - some bruises here and there, but we can't stop, because Jesus isn't stopping.

Jesus just keeps walking and what?  He's even whistling, like He's done this a million times before or something! In the meantime, our hearts are beating wildly and it's getting hard to catch our breath. At this point we are wondering if the path is ever coming out on the other side... it's been such a long journey.

Jesus stops - we stop. He turns around takes us by the shoulders, looks into our eyes and says, 'It's okay. Do not fear, WE are going to get through this.' As we look into His eyes, a calmness comes over our souls and a courage floods over our wildly beating hearts and he starts to back up - still looking at us. His eyes are like fire and He's emboldening us with that fire. The more we look at Him, the more light comes from Him and we see sparkling in the walls - they are gems! Beautiful gems....  The light dims and He turns back around and keeps walking. Fear instantly starts to clamor for our attention, and we do have to admit we're still a little afraid, but as long as we just follow Jesus, it's doesn't overwhelm us. This happens a few times over the course of meandering through the mountain path.

Eventually we come through to the other side of the mountain. The work is done, the beauty of the valley is awesome to behold, because the Lord created it for us and He is Awesome.

The point? Being a Christian, doesn't mean we don't go through hard things in our lives. It doesn't mean that we don't become afraid to walk through those hard things. The Lord wants to reassure us that He has/is/always will go before us and all we need to do is follow His lead. He'll turn around when we need His to and if we look into His eyes - we will see the love and courage that melts away the fear... and we can go on a little further...

Overcome - Jeremy Camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERMzo0npg_g

05-13-13 Faith - Protection

Psalm 121 "I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

God watches over us.

Think about that sentence. The Great and Awesome, Almighty God, is watching over you (plural) and I. The Creator of the Universe that is so vast and beyond measure is watching over us right this very minute, and the next and the next, and then the next - always... ALWAYS. The Lord God who has died for our sins and has risen from the dead in the Person of Jesus.... the One Who Gives Us His Power through the Person of the Holy Spirit... is watching over us day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second.

That is why we can say with complete and total confidence 'I lift my eyes to the mountains (in our lives - wondering) where does my help come from. MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.' 

In this short Psalm, it says so much about what the Lord is doing to watch as He watches over us... as He looks at the mountains in our lives and either removes them if they aren't supposed to be there, or helps us overcome them.

He won't let our foot slip. He is our firm foundation.

As He watches over us - He will not sleep - He never closes His eyes on us.

He is our shade (Psalm 91 - He has us under His wing). Where we can rest.

The heat of the day nor the darkness will not harm us.

He watches over OUR LIVES - hear that? Our Lives. From the day we were conceived to this very second as you're reading this. 

HE HAS, IS AND WILL WATCH OVER US! Where we go, where we come from - HE WATCHES NOW AND FOREVER!

Ok, so if we're doing wrong, that may bring consternation - so stop it ;)

BUT it doesn't negate the fact that He is still watching over us.

His protection is there. So, look at the mountain, it's a reality - but don't dwell on it so much as to try to figure out how in the heck and I going to get through it... Look higher than the mountain and see where your help comes from!

God Will Make a Way - Don Moen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o

05/11/13 Joy Bubbles

Psalm 126:2-3 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

Hebrews 1:8-9 "But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

1 Peter 1:7-9 "These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

As I sit here, I was thinking about how we were created in the image of God. There are numerous times in the Bible where we see emotion coming from the Lord: Love, Compassion, Anger, Sadness, Joy. Those are emotions that I can think of right now. 

Since we were created in His image, then it would stand to reason that we would have emotions also. Some emotions we like - joy, happiness, compassion, they make us have a warm feeling inside. Other emotions some of us would rather not think about, but are also good in their own ways. Yes, I'm talking to myself also....

There's no real precedent in the Bible about laughing until your stomach hurts - which, by the way, is exercising your abs...  :)  But, the above verses say a little bit about joy. 'Mouths FILLED with laughter'; 'Being ANOINTED with the oil of joy'; 'FILLED with an INEXPRESSIBLE AND GLORIOUS joy'. Think about those words for a moment. 

If something is filled it's topped off - to the brim. I'm thinking of a cup of water, any little shake could cause it to overflow.

If God anoints us with love for others or for some other task - such as healing - we become a conduit of His power. We overflow with His anointing and those whom it's directed towards benefits from the overflow.

If we are filled with and inexpressible joy, there are no words that can describe it so, it has to come out somehow, right? He also says it 'glorious' - meaning joy is surrounded by His Presence.

Now, some may argue with me saying that it's out of place in church. Granted, there are some that operate more in the flesh than in the spirit when it comes to laughter. But if we're 'in the Spirit', such as after we've prayed for people or praised and worshiped the Lord, and we're 'in the zone' of His Presence. Sometimes we just cannot contain that inexpressible joy. So, sometimes it comes out in overwhelming laughter that really cannot be stopped. Just like dancing before the Lord. It's joy overflowing!  

Laughter is healing, just as crying is healing. The Word say, the 'joy of the Lord is our Strength'. It lifts us up - kind of God's way of saying 'You're going to be okay'. It brings glory to God, because we are so thankful for His joy that we offer praise back to Him.

Some go from laughter to crying, because sometimes the Lord uses laughter to open our hearts (if we're willing) and then He comes in to heal a specific area.

So next time we hear someone laughing in church (and it's not in mockery), let's not be that quick to judge... we really don't know what the Lord is doing in that person.

Oh, and watch out... it's contagious ;)

Joy Unspeakable - Todd Agnew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3fmmihxBtQ

05-10-13 Laughter and Songs of Joy

Psalm 126:1-3: "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

How can I write about joy and not include this passage of scripture? Well, I guess I already answered that question. I can't.

The Lord is the Restorer - the Builder. He was a carpenter in His 'younger' years. He liked to fiddle with this and that with His hands. He liked to use His hands to created, build, to restore. I'll let you in on a little secret.... He still does :)

Let's go back to the first line. "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion..." Our God is the One and Only Living God. What He did way back in the early years when the earth was still a baby, He still does now. Sure, it may look different, but He's the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). 

He restores lives to what He intended originally for us. He heals body, mind, emotions. He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer (Exodus 15:26). He places the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6) -- we no longer are orphans - we are part of the Body of Christ. We have a really BIG family! Whatever we NEED, He is there to supply, it just may not be right away...

When I saw the word 'Zion' - which means Israel, Jerusalem, Land of the Jewish peoples... the Lord reminded me of another portion of scripture - Psalm  87:2-7 "He has founded his city on the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, city of God: “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”

Those who are not of Jewish descent may be thinking - well, that's not for me.  But wait.... there's more.... it's in Romans 11 - specifically verses 11-24. Those not of Jewish descent have really good news... these verses say basically say that everyone who believes and accepts Jesus and follows His commandments is grafted in to that root system. That should bring joy alone! But be aware that branches were broken off because of unbelief of the Jewish people of the time - so humbling hold that within. It should be a cause of holy reverence to a God who loves the world.

When I come to stand before the Lord, I want to hear the words 'This one was born in Zion.' It gives me goosebumps just thinking about hearing Him say that.

Father restores us to Himself through the sacrifice of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are set free from bondage to whatever because He loves us.

When that occurs, how can we not be filled with joy. How can we not proclaim, "THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US"? And be so full of joy that if we don't do something, we feel like we'll just explode!  Come on, I believe everyone can think of at least one thing God has done that caused you joy in the past. That joy is still there. Access it. Ask the Lord to brush off the dirt and dust and let Holy Spirit revive it - revive you.

This One Was Born in Zion - Wayne Watson (one of my favorites from when I graduated high school - oops did I just date myself?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih60FK35Gw4

05-09-13 Joy in the Morning

Psalm 65:3-8 "When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy."

I could have just copied the last verse, but the other ones were too good to not include. Besides, I like words...

I was running this morning - I don't know how many runners we have out there, but it was a great run. It was dark to start out, so I was wearing a light colored shirt so people could see me. The air was cool, the birds were chirping, the exhaust.... well, never mind about the exhaust ;) I was talking with Father about His beauty and repented of something he brought to mind in a ‘dream’ I had and told the enemy he had no place in me. Then prayed for people that I knew. Towards the end of my run, the Lord kept saying (well, it was almost yelling) – EVERYTHING I HAVE MADE IS BEAUTIFUL… EVERYTHING I HAVE MADE IS BEAUTIFUL… EVERYTHING I HAVE MADE IS BEAUTIFUL. I looked around and darn it, He was right! The trees, the sun coming up, the people I passed, the flowers and grass….. and then I really got it, US also!

Everything…. If we don’t obtain some measure of joy from that, then we’d check our pulse…. Or look closer. We can ask the Lord to take the blinders off our eyes – we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Some people aren't morning people, like me – I know, because they want to throw stuff at me when I walk in all bright eyed and bubbly. But try it sometime, make yourself get out of bed while it’s still dark and just sit outside or go for a walk if your neighbor allows it – take in the sounds, take in the silence, take in the stillness, take in the smell, take in the sights. Okay, have a cup of coffee or tea or cola first, then do it.

God just may surprise you with joy.

Joy in the Morning - Sovereign Grace Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm7Y47bonmk