The most important thing about Jesus is having Him in your heart; inviting Him in, giving Him full access to every room, talking with Him about everything, sharing all your secrets with Him, asking His advice on everything, and letting Him decorate how He wants to. Then constantly working on your private relationship with Him, figuring out how He speaks to you, so that you fully understand each other. This is going to be different for each person. He is not the author of fear or confusion. He will guide you through love if you let Him. The more you grow, the deeper your relationship with Him gets, the more you can share His love…
“Come” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:29
“The disciple may think he is being dragged out of his secure life into a life of absolute insecurity, but in truth he is stepping into the absolute security and safety of Jesus’ fellowship.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer
When Peter stepped out of the storm-tossed boat and onto the water, where was the safest place to be? In the boat or in the arms of Jesus?
The answer, of course, is with Jesus, and for a brief time, Peter saw that. Right then he got a glimpse of what it is like to TRUST in Jesus and what it is like to operate within the realm of costly grace as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.
And we get a glimpse of that, too. We see that following Jesus requires us to step into apparent insecurity in order to find true security. In the alleged insecurity of discipleship, we experience the gift of Christ and are enveloped in the grace of God.
It’s a paradox of faith: Our first step of faith places us in a position where faith becomes possible. By our obedience, we learn to be faithful. If we refuse to follow, we never learn how to believe. We stay stuck in the shallow end of faith, trusting in ourselves, living by sight and not by faith.
Discipleship is Jesus constantly pushing us into new situations where it is possible for us to trust him even more. He pushes us into impossible situations where we must stake everything solely on his Word. Ask Jesus to push you to the place where you will know with certainty that he is good for his Word, that he is the Word of God.
So often the sacrifice that Christ made for us is presented in a sanitized, bloodless manner. It’s easier to take, less traumatizing. But the reality of the suffering he bore for you and I was profound. He gave everything so that you could be saved. Let’s not forget what he endured for us on that first Good Friday!
This description of a crucifixion is graphic. Reader discretion is advised.
The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.
As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain — the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.
As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.
Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.
Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.
It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues.
Finally, he allows his body to die.
All this the Bible records with the simple words, “and they crucified Him” — Mark 15:24
When Pilate learned that Jesus was dead, he asked the soldiers if they were certain. They were. Had they seen the Nazarene twitch, had they heard even one moan, they would have broken his legs to speed his end. But there was no need. The thrust of a spear removed all doubt. The Romans knew their job. And their job was finished. They pried loose the nails, lowered his body, and gave it to Joseph and Nicodemus.
Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus the Pharisee. They sat in seats of power and bore positions of influence. Men of means and men of clout. But they would’ve traded it all for one breath out of the body of Jesus. He had answered the prayer of their hearts, the prayer for the Messiah. As much as the soldiers wanted him dead, even more these men wanted him alive.
As they sponged the blood from his beard, don’t you know they listened for his breath? As they wrapped the cloth around his hands, don’t you know they hoped for a pulse? Don’t you know they searched for life?
But they didn’t find it.
So they do with him what they were expected to do with a dead man. They wrap his body in clean linen and place it in a tomb. Joseph’s tomb. Roman guards are stationed to guard the corpse. And a Roman seal is set on the rock of the tomb. For three days, no one gets close to the grave.
But then, Sunday arrives. And with Sunday comes light—a light within the tomb. A bright light? A soft light? Flashing? Hovering? We don’t know. But there was a light. For he is the light. And with the light came life. Just as the darkness was banished, now the decay is reversed. Heaven blows and Jesus breathes. His chest expands. Waxy lips open. Wooden fingers lift. Heart valves swish and hinged joints bend.
And, as we envision the moment, we stand in awe.
We stand in awe not just because of what we see, but because of what we know… We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us” (Rom. 6:5–9 MSG).
The butchery of the Assad regime is horrifying to behold. More than 6,000 Syrians have been brutally murdered by the thugs in Damascus. The evil Assad government must be brought down and brought to justice, or face judgment.
Bible prophecy tells us in Isaiah 17:1-3 and Jeremiah 49:23-27 that Damascus will be destroyed as a city in the last days. Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly when or how this will happen, but I believe that day is steadily approaching. Indeed, it may not be far off. I’m currently writing a political thriller called The Damascus Countdown about how this could play out.
In the meantime, followers of Jesus Christ around the world must be praying and working for the spiritual and political liberation of the Syrian people. We need to be praying and working to strengthen the persecuted Church in Syria, and to help believers there spread of the Gospel to every person in that precious country. Make no mistake: God loves the people of Syria. The Apostle Paul came to faith in Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Believers were first called “Christians” in Antioch, Syria. And our God and Father wants every Syrian to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. We need to act now and share the good news with Syria before judgment comes. For God is not going to allow this current evil to go unchecked much longer. In Genesis 12:1-3, the Lord told us that those who bless the children of Israel will be blessed, and those who cursed them will be cursed. The Syrian government faces judgment for killing its own citizens, but also for killing so many Jews and Israelis over the years, and cursing the State of Israel on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, since we don’t know when the judgment of Syria’s government will happen, the U.S. government — and our allies — can and must take decisive steps to stand with and for the people of Syria against the Assad regime. This past week, 58 foreign policy experts urged President Obama to take strong, specific action. Among their recommendations:
Immediately establish safe zones within Syrian territory, as well as no-go zones for the Assad regime’s military and security forces, around Homs, Idlib, and other threatened areas, in order to protect Syrian civilians. To the extent possible, the United States should work with like-minded countries like Turkey and members of the Arab League in these efforts.
Establish contacts with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and, in conjunction with allies in the Middle East and Europe, provide a full range of direct assistance, including self-defense aid to the FSA.
Improve U.S. coordination with political opposition groups and provide them with secure communications technologies and other assistance that will help to improve their ability to prepare for a post-Assad Syria.
Work with Congress to impose crippling U.S. and multilateral sanctions on the Syrian government, especially on Syria’s energy, banking, and shipping sectors.
The experts noted: “For eleven months now, the Syrian people have been dying on a daily basis at the hands of their government as they seek to topple the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad. As the recent events in the city of Homs—in which hundreds of Syrians have been killed in a matter of days—have shown, Assad will stop at nothing to maintain his grip on power. Given the United Nations Security Council’s recent failure to act, we believe that the United States cannot continue to defer its strategic and moral responsibilities in Syria to regional actors such as the Arab League, or to wait for consent from the Assad regime’s protectors, Russia and China. We therefore urge you to take immediate steps to decisively halt the Assad regime’s atrocities against Syrian civilians, and to hasten the emergence of a post-Assad government in Syria. Syria’s future is not purely a humanitarian concern. The Assad regime poses a grave threat to national security interests of the United States. The Syrian government, which has been on the State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list since 1979, maintains a strategic partnership with the terror-sponsoring government of Iran, as well as with Hamas and Hezbollah. For years, it facilitated the entry of foreign fighters into Iraq who killed American troops. For years, it secretly pursued a nuclear program with North Korea’s assistance. And for decades, it has closely cooperated with Iran and other agents of violence and instability to menace America’s allies and partners throughout the Middle East….The Syrian people are asking for international assistance. It is apparent that American leadership is required to ensure the quickest end to the Assad regime’s brutal reign, and to clearly show the Syrian people that, as you said on February 4, 2012, the people of the free world stand with them as they seek to realize their aspirations.”
I agree. Time is running out, according to Bible prophecy. Now is the time for the free world to speak out, and act decisively. Now is also the time for followers of Jesus Christ to do our part.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. (World English Bible)
Promise #11: My plan for your future is filled with hope.
When you think of your own future, how do you feel? Are you excited to think of what is ahead or does the thought of the future cause you to be anxious? With an uncertain economy, wars and rumors of wars, etc., it is easy to feel anxious and uncertain about what lies ahead. Yet in today’s promise, God says that your future is filled with hope.
My favorite Bible translation of this verse comes from the NIV Bible… For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV) I find it very reassuring to know that God has a plan for my future that is filled with hope. I don’t have to dread what’s coming because my heavenly Dad already has a plan for me. And of course we know that the ultimate hope is living in the light of God’s love forever!
May the reality of today’s promise fill you with peace. May you know that while the future may be uncertain to you, it is not to God. He has a father’s heart toward you and has determined to fill your future with hope. Does this mean that there will be no bumps in the road? Certainly not. But we do know that all things will ultimately work together for our good as Paul declared in Romans 8:28… We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. (WEB)
26 I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them. (World English Bible)
Promise #10: I have given you a new heart and put My own Spirit in you.
This passage of Scripture is pointing to the day when people would no longer have to live a life separate from God. They wouldn’t have to try and figure out what the Lord desired from a distance because God promised to give them a new heart and put His own Spirit within them.
Of course this promise was fulfilled when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, came into the world and made a way for each one of us to receive the free gift of salvation. Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, we no longer have to live with a cold heart of stone because He has given us a new heart. Because of the New Covenant, we no longer are separated from God because He has given us the most precious gift He could give…the gift of Himself.
God has given each one of us a new heart and He has put His own Spirit within us as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. There is no greater gift that He could give. May we be aware of the abiding presence of God that lives in us today and have a heart of thanksgiving to God for giving us the precious gift of a new heart and His own Spirit!
If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed
and heirs according to promise. (World English Bible)
Promise #9: Since you are in Christ, I have made you an heir of all My promises.
Every one of the promises that God made to Abraham now belongs to you and I because we belong to Jesus Christ and are now heirs according to the promise. Just think of that for a moment. You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17). Every promise that God made to Abraham is part of your own spiritual inheritance!
When God said to Abraham that He would be the father of many nations, and a blessing to many (Genesis 12), you were part of that promise. The New Living Translation says Galatians 3:29 this way… And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. NLT
May our God and Father give each one of us a revelation today about what it means to be an heir in His amazing kingdom. An heir of God and a co-heir with our elder brother, Jesus Christ. There is no higher call, there is no greater destiny, than to be part of the eternal family of the living God. Be encouraged by the words found in Galatians 4:7 – So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.(WEB)
And because you are children,
God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
“Abba, Father!” (World English Bible)
Promise #8: I sent the Spirit of My Son into your heart so you could call Me Father. The greatest gift that the Father could give us was the Spirit of His Son, the Spirit of Sonship. Each one of us who is born again, carries within our being the very life and nature of Jesus Christ Himself. Galatians 4:7 goes on to say… So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (WEB)
The Spirit of the Son that lives within us continually calls out ‘Abba Father!’. Abba is an Aramaic word for father that little children would call out to their dads in New Testament times. It would be like us saying ‘papa’ or ‘daddy’ in the English language. Because we carry within our very being the Spirit of the Son, our spirit man continually cries out ‘Papa’ to God, whether we are aware of this cry in our heart or not.
I believe it delights our heavenly Father when we cry out ‘Abba!’ to Him, for that is the very reason why God has given us the Spirit of His Son… so that He could be a Father to us. So may a cry resonate deep in our heart today as we join with the Spirit of the Son that lives within us that calls out ‘Abba Father!’.
Photo by Jeff Epp
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (World English Bible)
Promise #7: I have given you eternal life because you have believed in Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted, most loved Bible verses in the New Testament. This Scripture has been used by evangelists over the years to invite many people to come to Christ. The foundation of this much loved verse is and always will be, the love of the Father. For God (the Father) so loved the world…
It was the great love of our heavenly Father that caused Him to give up His most treasured possession, the life of His Son, so that we too could share in Jesus’ eternal life. What a glorious promise! We were loved so much by God, that He gave up all that He loved in order to gain our love!
May we never take the wonder of John 3:16 for granted, but may we continue to revel in the amazing love our God and Father has for us every day in our lives. Thank you Father for loving us so much, that you sent your only begotten Son to the world in order to purchase our redemption! ~ Barry Adams
12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love; (World English Bible)
Promise #6: I delivered you from darkness into the kingdom of My beloved Son.
Each one of us were once held captive by the power of darkness before we were set free by the power of Christ and brought into His kingdom. For every one who have said ‘yes’ to Jesus, our old life is now in the past tense and our new life in Christ is our present reality…
Whether we feel like it or not.
May the Holy Spirit give us revelation today to know that we have already been translated into the kingdom of our elder brother. The power of darkness has no more hold on us because of our royal position in Christ. We now live in an upside down kingdom, where the last will be first, the weak will be strong, and the poor will inherit the riches of our Father’s kingdom.
May each and every one of us echo the prayer that Paul prayed in Ephesians that our God and Father would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Him better. That the eyes of our heart would be opened so that we could really see the hope of His calling and our glorious inheritance in the saints!
Ephesians 1:15-23… 15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints, 16 don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. 22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (WEB)
There’s no love more precious,
more costly, more kingly.
There’s no love that’s greater-
that’s more wonderful, more wild,
more passionate, more powerful-
than the love of Jesus.
Believe, receive, and rejoice forever in the greatest love the world has ever known!
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38, 39 NASB
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love; 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, (World English Bible)
Promise #5: I chose you to be adopted into My family before creation.
It pleased the Father to choose us before the foundation of the world. In love, He saw the day when we would say yes to the free gift of His Son’s life for our life and become born into His amazing family. Before He even spoke the world into existence, He saw us!
And our adoption is not like any human adoption, for God has given us His own Spirit as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. We are not servants in His house, but actual sons and daughters, joint heirs with our elder brother Jesus, seated in Christ in heavenly places.
What an amazing promise! Every other promise and precept rests on God’s eternal plan to make us part of His family. As Ephesians 1:4 says, we are holy and without blame before Him in love all because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. What Jesus did on our behalf has secured our place forever as God’s kids!
1 John 3:1 – Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. (WEB)
As a child, I loved to receive gifts. In such a simple time of life, a gift meant I was loved. I didn’t worry about the significance or hidden message in a gift. I wasn’t concerned about the “strings attached” to the gift. It was just a gift — a free expression of love I didn’t deserve, given to me by someone who truly cared for me. Isn’t it great to get to be God’s child and receive his gift and know we can receive it as a child?!
Prayer…
Thank you, generous Father, for the gift of grace, the gift of faith, the gift of salvation, and most of all, the gift of Jesus. I know I can never repay these gifts, but I look forward to saying “Thank you!” through my lifestyle now and I look forward to continuing to say “Thank you!” through all eternity. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Luke 9:28-36
The Transfiguration
…after Jesus said this,… went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning….
Location: Mount of Transfiguration – Israel
One of the unknowns of the New Testament is the identification of the mountain where Jesus underwent his Transfiguration. The Matthew account of the Transfiguration is as follows.
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” (Matthew 17:1-9, KJV)
Three candidates for this mountain have been suggested:
Mount Hermon, for two reasons: It is the highest in the area (and the Transfiguration took place on “an high mountain” (Matthew 17:1)), and it is located near Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13), where the previous events reportedly took place.
(Note* – However, it is important to note that this location was extremely far from Jerusalem, and Yeshua & his Disciples would have been in Jerusalem for the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles), as it is one of three Pilgrimage feasts set forth in Leviticus 23, thereby making Mt. Hermon an unlikely reality for the place of Transfiguration)
Mount Hermon = 9,232 feet High. (33°24′N, 35°51′E; Hebrew: הר חרמון, Har Hermon) More Information on Mount Hermon
Mount Tabor = 1,886′ High. (Hebrew: הר תבור), For more information on Mount Tabor: Mount Tabor
Mount Sinai. This has been suggested by Benjamin Urrutia on the basis of the presence of Moses and Elijah (two prophets traditionally associated with Mount Sinai). This is, however, unlikely since Sinai is rather geographically remote.
Mount Sinai = 7497′ High. (Arabic: طور سيناء , Hebrew: הר סיני), For more information on Mount Sinai: Mount Sinai
Jesus was claimed to stand on the Mountain with Elijah and Moses. These would be the three figures which had the most miracles surrounding them in the Bible. Moses, representing the law and Elijah, the prophets. In Luke Jesus spoke to Moses of Jesus departure( in Greek exodus ).
29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,[a] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ( Luke 9:29-31 ESV)
Peter who was one of the claimed eyewitnesses with James and John reflects on this in 2 Peter about Peter’s own departure – exodus.
13I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 16We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. (2 Peter 1:13-18 ESV )
This account is one of three in the New Testament where God is heard audibly speaking. All three accounts concern Jesus. They are:
Jesus’ baptism ( Mk 1:9-11)
The mount of transfiguration ( Mk 9:14-29 )
At the temple when Greeks approach Jesus ( Jn 12: 20-26 )
The account of the Transfiguration occurs six (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2) or eight (Luke 9:28) days after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah at Caesarea Phillipi and immediately followed by coming down off the mountain and healing an epileptic boy. Peter’s confession and Jesus’ announcement He would die and rise are both in a sense confirmed with the discussion of Jesus’ “exodus – departure” with Moses. The mountain top experience contrasts with the difficulties of life and healing of the boy ( Mk:14-29).
Jesus is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Let’s unpack those church words.
Righteousness — the ability to stand before God and be declared free from guilt.
Holiness — the character and nature that reflect the glory and sanctity of heaven.
Redemption — the gift of freedom bought at great expense.
Christians aren’t perfect? Hmmm!
We know this is true. But, because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice, we also know that in God’s eyes we’re righteous, holy, and redeemed.
That, dear friend of Jesus, is what we call amazing grace!
Prayer…
How can I thank you, wise and merciful Father, for the gift of Jesus? Your love in formulating the plan to send him, your sacrifice in having him become mortal, your agony when your own creations murdered him are too wonderful for understanding. But in my heart I do know that you did these things because of your loving grace and I want to thank you and praise you forever. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (World English Bible)
Promise #4: I created you in My own image with My special blessing.
God created us in His own image. Think about that for a moment. We were created to reflect the image of God Himself! I wonder what the angels thought when they first saw Adam and Eve? What a glorious privilege to be made in the image of the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb!
May we never take this blessing for granted. May we always be in awe of the fact that we were created to look just like God. When Jesus came to the earth 2,000 years ago, He sealed the deal by making a way for us to be conformed into His image (Romans 8:29) inside and out so that He could be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.
My prayer today is that we would live in the light of our Father’s original blessing to be fruitful, to multiply and to have dominion throughout the whole earth with the knowledge that we were created to look just like our heavenly Dad.
Psalm 33:11 The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations. (World English Bible)
Promise #3: The intentions of My heart will remain steadfast forever.
In today’s promise, we are reminded that God is steadfast in what He has purposed. The New Living Translation Bible says Psalm 33:11 this way… But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. NLT
When God determines to do something, His plans will stand firm forever. He is not fickle or tempermental and He will not be swayed by public opinion or the winds of change. He has fixed His eyes upon us and has purposed in His heart to love us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). …And He won’t change His mind!
What our heavenly Father started in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1, He will see to completion at the end of the book of Revelation. No force in heaven or on earth will be able to prevent His purposes from being fulfilled. We can rest in God’s plan for our lives for the intentions of His heart will remain steadfast forever! ~ Barry Adams
“For I, Yahweh, don’t change;
therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. (World English Bible)
Promise #1: I am the Lord your God and I never change.
It is important for us to be reminded of this simple truth… The Lord our God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Every promise that He has made is secure and will last forever. Since we live in a world that is constantly changing, the promise of our Father’s rock-solid commitment to us is very reassuring.
Today is a new day for us to be able to experience the Lord’s continued faithfulness in our lives. He will never leave us or let us down. He loves us with all His heart and each one of His promises that is true today will be true in a million years from now.I pray that this truth will bring a deeper level of comfort and security to each one of our lives. May we look forward to all of the ways that our Father will show Himself faithful to us in 2012. May you be blessed beyond imagination!
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you
before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to
the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and
forevermore! Amen.
— Jude 1:24-25 http://www.BibleStudyTools.com/search/?query=Jude+1:24-25
THOUGHT:
What a great cluster of truths are found in this one prayer of
blessing. Our eyes are first drawn to what God can do for us —
prevent us from falling and present us before his glorious presence
in joyful perfection. But on closer inspection, our hearts are
drawn to the description of our incredible God: the one who is
able, the only God, our Savior, the one who lives in glory and
majesty and power and authority, the one who has communicated to us
through Jesus our Lord, and the one who exists before all ages and
who is alive now and who will be forevermore. Our blessings as
God’s children are incredible, but the reason why they are is that
our God is beyond incredible, awesome, and wonderful. Our words
cannot do him justice. Our brightest insights cannot comprehend the
glory he has. Yet despite his grandeur, he loves you and me in our
finite mortality!
PRAYER:
Awesome and Holy Lord Most High, thank you for not only being
God, but for loving me and showing yourself to me in the face of
Jesus. I look forward to standing in your presence, enjoying your
shared perfection, and praising your glory with the angels. Please
accept my limited and human praise until the day my words are
unchained from their mortality and my imperfections are swallowed
up in your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Romans 3:20 (NIV)
I once went to one of those coin-sorting machines today and poured in a huge bag of change that had accumulated in a cup kept on the chest of drawers in my bedroom.
The total came to $22.31. I took the receipt to customer service and the cashier gave me 22 dollars in bills . . . and then 31 cents.
So I still have change and I paid the machine eight percent of the total to count those 31 cents (why it rejected the rubber band and the guitar pick that also poured out of the cup is beyond me).
Hmmm, I think I need some chocolate to help me think this through. Perhaps this is how you get hooked into an addiction; you always have change left over, so you eventually have to come back.
I know, I could count out the exact amount of change to total an even dollar amount, like $22.00 and no cents, and then pour that into the coin-sorting machine.
But then I’d be counting the change myself and I might as well not be at the machine. Aarghhhh!!!!
I definitely need some chocolate to reach a cosmic revelation on this. Anybody got change for a candy bar? I seem to be a little short . . .
When we try to live by the law, it’s like we’re pouring change into a coin-sorting machine, always trying to hit an even dollar amount. The law serves a useful purpose in that it shows us how impossible it is to reach God-righteousness by our own efforts.
The frustration we feel when we stumble and fail is absolutely normal. In truth, it’s part of God’s plan. “Through the law we become conscious of sin,” (Romans 3:20 NIV) and by realizing how far we fall short, we’re able to admit, “I can’t; God can.”
Once there, we’re able to live by the Holy Spirit at work within us.
January 12, 2012 – When Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards on Sunday, it launched a viral buzz over one of his favorite verses, John 3:16, which has led to thousands of people landing on the BGEA’s Internet Evangelism website, PeacewithGod.net.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16 (NIV)
By Trevor Freeze
Search John 3:16 in Google and in the blink of an eye — 0.11 seconds to be exact — more than 104 million search results pop up.
Ironically, it took all of 11 seconds for Tim Tebow’s Denver Broncos to score a huge upset in overtime Sunday night against the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
Tebow — a devout Christian who wore the Bible verse John 3:16 painted on his eye blacks during the 2009 NCAA National Championship game — finished with 316 yards.
And if that wasn’t enough…
Tebow’s per-throw average: 31.6 yards.
Sunday’s overtime TV rating: 31.6.
Pittsburgh’s time of possession: 31 minutes, 6 seconds.
But there have been other numbers, eternally speaking, surrounding John 3:16 that have also been registered this week on PeacewithGod.net. The initial website launched by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Internet Evangelism ministry known as Search for Jesus has had a very busy week.
Taking advantage of John 3:16’s popularity in Google searches on Monday, the BGEA advertised a PeacewithGod.net landing page around searches for John 3:16 — the central message of the video-driven Gospel website.
Over 9,000 users specifically inquiring about John 3:16 this week have landed on PeacewithGod.net via Google, with more than 150 clicking they had made a decision to accept Jesus Christ into their life.
“That’s what makes this online ministry so unique,” said John Cass, BGEA’s director of Internet Evangelism. “We can respond to exactly what people are searching for at that moment—and it’s often a very simple next-step to the Gospel.
“Current events give us the opportunity to share the Gospel.”
Churches and individuals can partner with the BGEA’s Internet Evangelism ministry by clicking on the How You Can Help tab on the website SearchforJesus.net.
Always one to deflect credit, Tebow did not mention the similarities of the 316 passing yards and one of his favorite verses in Sunday’s post-game press conference, but he was quick to give God the glory.
“First and foremost, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Tebow said. “He’s done so much in my life.”
In the course of his preaching ministry, Billy Graham delivered countless sermons from John 3:16, which reads: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV).”
“‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips … and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal … which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:5–8 NIV)
One of the most effective tools the enemy will use to keep you from serving God this year is convincing you that you’ve either messed up too much or that you must clean up your life before you can get God’s attention. When these thoughts pop into your head, sniff the air for the scent of sulfur because they are lies straight from the fires of Hell!
God’s intention when he convicts us of our sins is not to condemn us; rather his breath of life disperses that satanic smoke the father of lies uses to keep us on the run from God.
If you follow the sequence of Isaiah 6, you’ll see how God initiates the process that brings you into his holy presence and purifies you to remain in his presence, and that your new guilt-free, sin-atoned status will compel you and prepare you for the unique mission God sets before you.
Isaiah reports that God’s fire is a cleansing fire that burns your guilt away and purifies you from sin, sealing within you the work of Jesus Christ. The prophet also suggests God’s ultimate purpose for cleansing us is to prepare us for mission: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8 NIV)
Prior to God taking the initiative to cleanse Isaiah, the prophet felt overwhelmed and unprepared for any mission on God’s behalf.
After the cleansing, Isaiah is energized with a desire to serve God.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has done the work of preparing you for whatever task he will ask of you. How will you seek God and his mission for you this year?
I like the simplicity, yet profound way that Bryan writes. Even though yesterday was Christmas Day, I think you will be encouraged as you read this message.
Preparing for the holidays is primarily a preparing of the heart.
Because what comes down is love and the way to receive love isn’t to wrap anything up — but to unwrap your heart.
This will take time.
This will take waiting.
I must make space for these.
Why don’t I make space just for the heart unwrapping?
Advent — this is the season of preparing that prepares us for any season of life — because we are preparing our lives for Christ to enter in — which prepares for us the life without end.
Is that the ultimate purpose of this life — the preparing for the next life?
Is this why Christmas, Advent, unlike any other time of year, glimmers with a glimpse of heaven — because it’s the time of year we’re fulfilling our purpose, preparing for Christ and His coming again? The Christmas tree’s been lit for weeks, a beacon, a preparing, an anticipation. Why is it easier to make Christmas cookies than to make our hearts ready for Christ?
Is getting ready for Christmas as simple and difficult as simply sitting stilled before the cradle of Christ?
And yet.
Love came down and “He came to his own people, and his own people did not receive him.”
(John 1:11)
Love came down – and his own people did not recognize Him.
Love came down — and His own people did not want what He offered.
The Messiah came down and He wasn’t received as the Messiah — and Love comes down down and who receives all the moments as His love?
How in the world am I receiving Christ this Advent?
During Advent, the season of waiting for the coming, the Christ-people, they meet whatever comes with this brazen belief that it is Love that Comes Down.
Love comes down to His own people — and His own people are the ones who do receive the unexpected and unlikely as His love.
The infant as infinite God.
The Babe as bondage-breaker.
The stump as new shoot, the ugly as beautiful, the weak as strong.
Our loving God always comes to us wrapped in the unlikely.
We may not know the outcome but we tenaciously believe that in Him we overcome — because Love comes down.
Is that how we get ready for Christmas? By readying the heart to receive the gift of every moment — no matter what the moment unexpectedly holds — as a gift of His love?
We’re ready for Christmas, not when we have all the gifts, but when we are ready for Christ — when we’re ready to give all of ourselves to Christ.
At the end of the day, the carols hardly play, and yet I hear them.
I light the candles at the hearth.
And I can feel how it comes.
The warmth and the flame and this slow unwrapping of everything bound…
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
Promise #332: The eternal glory that is in store for you far surpasses your present troubles.
I find it interesting that Paul refers to his own struggles a ‘light affliction’. This is a man who was stoned, shipwrecked and beaten nearly to death on a number of occasions. Yet he had the ability to see his sufferings through an eternal perspective. Because God gave him the ability to see with the eyes of faith, he could endure the hardships of life knowing what was yet to come.
In the light of eternity, our lives will be a moment, a twinkling of an eye, so to speak. In James 4:4, our lives are described this way… Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. NIV
No matter what you are struggling with today, be encouraged that the glory of God that will be revealed in you far outweighs your present circumstances. May our God and Father give you His peace so that you can take heart in this promise today as you continue to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.
And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you,
and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you:
for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
Promise #317: I will wait for opportunities to show you My compassion.
The Amplified version of the Bible says the first part of Isaiah 30:18 this way… And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. AMP
What a beautiful picture of the longing that God has for you and I. He is always in a posture of waiting for every opportunity to show us His compassion. I love the Amplified translation that says that He is expecting, looking and longing to be gracious to us.
This Bible verse reminds of the father in the Prodigal Son story in Luke 15 who was waiting for his rebellious son to find his way home. In this story, Jesus tells us that the father saw the son when he was still a long way off and started running toward his boy. I think in the same way, our God and Father is waiting and watching for every opportunity to run to us so that He might pour out His love and mercy all over us. May we always be mindful of this amazing truth! Photo by Barry Adams
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
For I am the Lord your God.
Isa. 43:2–3 NASB
With God—chance is eliminated.
God knows what is best.
No struggle will come your way apart from his purpose, his presence, and his permission.
Isaiah 43:2 says,
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and through the rivers,
they will not overflow you.”
What encouragement!
You are never the victim of nature or the prey of fate.
Chance is eliminated.
You are more than a weather vane whipped about by the winds of fortune.
Would God truly abandon you to the whims of drug-crazed thieves, greedy corporate raiders,
or evil leaders?
Perish the thought!
You live beneath the protective palm of a sovereign King
who superintends every circumstance of your life, and delights in doing you good.
Remember this.
Nothing comes your way that has not first passed through the filter of God’s love.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.
Promise #315: Come boldly to My throne when you need to find mercy and grace.
You and I have an invitation from our God and Father to come boldly before His throne of grace today. In the book of Revelation, we read a little bit about what God’s throne room is like in chapter 4… Angels crying holy, holy holy, flashes of lightning, 24 elders bowing down, a sea of glass, and so much more! It is a holy place where angels fear to tread, but a place in our Father’s heart where we have free access to enter as His beloved little ones.
You can come into His presence right now if you like. His royal doors are always open to you, anytime, day or night. God wants each one of us to come to Him boldly, not timidly. He loves it when we climb up on His lap just as a little child would jump into his dad’s arms. He is always there for us ready to provide the mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.
There is no way that we can fathom the privilege that God has extended to us by inviting us to His throne of grace. It is an honor that could have only been purchased by the highest price possible…the shed blood of the Lamb of God. Thank you Jesus for making the way for us to become part of your family so that we could come boldly before our Father’s throne of grace 24/7! ~ Barry Adams
We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. Numbers 13:30b
When the Israelites first approached the borders of Canaan, Moses sent scouts into the Promised Land to assess the situation. Ten of the scouts came back with reports that focused on the giants in the land, men so big and powerful the scouts feared they could not be defeated.
However, two of the scouts focused on the promise from God that he would hand the land over to the Israelites. One of those scouts, Caleb, silenced the others when he said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Num. 13:30).
Caleb trusted God instead of trusting his own fear. The opposite of fear is faith, the belief that Jesus is capable of handling anything we may face in life. But operating out of faith means we must rely on Jesus, remaining dependent on him to see us through any issue.
He brings us to a choice: Will we trust God or will we trust our own fears?
The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10a). In other words, we hold God in reverence, recognizing his sovereignty, authority, and omnipotence—his ability to protect us in any situation.
And we reach that level of trust by knowing the Father and understanding his character: “[K]nowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10b). We know and understand the Father by following Jesus.
“To see me is to see the Father,” says Jesus. “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act” (John 14:9b–10 msg).
Your fear simply reveals a place where you aren’t yet trusting in Jesus. Don’t stay stuck in your fear, and don’t receive condemnation for your lack of faith. Jesus wants to move you past that into a place where your fears are replaced by faith. Follow him and learn to trust.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Promise #292: I will cover you with My feathers and protect you with My wings.
Psalm 91 is one of my favorite psalms that speaks of Almighty God’s protection and covering. I love the imagery of this verse in particular. Just imagine for a minute the imagery that the psalmist is portraying in this verse… The Most High God covers us with His feathers and protects us with His wings.
When I think of the imagery of this promise, I imagine God as a majestic eagle and we are His little chickadees who live in the shelter and safety of His magnificient wings. Nothing can harm us there. We are completely safe and secure. Another picture that comes to my mind when I think of this verse is that of a little child who seeks refuge under their dad’s raincoat in the midst of a storm, hanging tightly onto his leg, completely sheltered from the storm.
Both pictures bring me a sense of peace and safety and security knowing that God is my refuge and my safe place. This promise does not only paint a nice picture for us, but it declares a spiritual reality that you and I can live in all the days of our lives. The truth is that we are safe and secure in under the protection of our heavenly Dad’s wings… no matter how scary it is outside of His care! May the reality of this promise become more and more real to each and every one of us!
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Promise #289: If I look after the sparrows, I will certainly look after you.
I love this passage of Scripture where Jesus tells us how important the sparrows are to God. Even though they do not have much value to us, He will not even forget one of them. In Matthew 10:29 Jesus tells us that not even one of them will fall to the ground apart from His Father’s will. This is the value He places on a single bird!
But then Jesus goes on to to tell us that we have a value to God worth more than many sparrows! So if God looks after and watches over these little birds, how much more will He watch over you and I! Our value to God far exceeds the birds of the air who neither sow or reap or store into barns (Matthew 6:25-34) so how much more will He take care of us!!!!!
The next time you are feeling anxious about the future, just take a moment and look at a bird, or squirrel, or a tree for that matter. God provides for all that He created because that is simply what fathers do. If He looks after even the most insignificant of His creation, will He not also look after you? ~ Barry Adams
THOUGHT:
Jesus is the ultimate one “who believes.” All things ARE
possible for him. Guess what? He longs to do great things through
us, too! In fact, he promised he would do even greater things
through us than he did himself because he is now at the Father’s
side helping us! (See John 14:12-14.) So isn’t it time that we quit
talking about what we can’t do, and start believing in the one who
can do great things? Paul put it this way: God can do “more than we
can ask or imagine by his power at work in us.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
PRAYER:
Great Almighty God, Ruler of the nations, Creator of the
universe, and Lord of all things, please forgive me. Forgive me for
my wimpy and limited prayers. Forgive me for getting involved in
petty quarrels over mundane and irrelevant things. Forgive me for
my spiritual lack of vision. Please stir me by your Spirit. Please
open my eyes so that I can see what you long to do through me.
Please empower me to be a powerful witness to our world trapped in
darkness. Please give me incredible dreams for your Kingdom, then
astound me by doing far more than I ever imagined. In the name of
Jesus, and to your glory, I pray. Amen.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love;
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Promise #287: If you make your home in love, you live in Me and I live in you.
The KJV Bible says that if we dwell in love, we live in God. We could also translate this to mean that if we make our home in love, we make our home in God for God is love. Think about this image for a second. Imagine if love were a house, and you were welcome to have the complete run of the place! You could go to the refrigerator any time you like…kick off your shoes in the living room and lie on the couch… etc.
If love were a house, God would want us to be comfortable living there. But my question is… Are we comfortable living in love? Are we comfortable with the intimacy and vulnerability that comes with living in love? For many of us, even the word ‘love’ might have a broken meaning. For us to learn to be comfortable living in love, God will have to redeem our understanding of what love is.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we read the Apostle Paul’s description of love… 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. NIV
For us to be able to comprehend the kind of love that comes directly from God Himself, we need to be comfortable on the receiving end of love. In 1 John 4:19, the Bible says that ‘we love because He first loved us’. If you want to learn how to be comfortable living in the house of God’s love, ask Him to teach you how to receive love from Him every day.
The more that we are able to receive our Father’s love, the more that we will be comfortable making our home living in love. As we live in the love that God has for us, others will see it’s impact on our lives and want to live there too!~ Barry Adams
But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said,
Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.
Promise #284: I am happy to treat you as My child, and I hope you will call Me Father.
In the Old Testament, God is revealed by many names. There are actually over 300 different names that refer to God with the name ‘Father’ being one of them. I believe that this passage of Scripture truly reveals God’s amazing heart to be a Father to Israel.
The NIV Bible says it this way… “I myself said, ” ‘How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. NIV
When I read this passage of Scripture, I feel the longing that God has to be a father to us. How happy He is to treat us like sons and how He hopes that we would call Him ‘Father’. Though God is revealed by many names in the Old Testament, Jesus primarily revealed God as Father in the New Testament.
Through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, we now have the opportunity to call Him our Father now! In John 20:17, after just coming out of the tomb, I believe that Jesus summarizes all the New Testament revelation into one statement … Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ “ NIV
The longing in your Father’s heart is that you would call Him ‘Father’. May today be the day when this revelation of His fathering nature goes deeper into your heart than ever before. ~ Barry Adams
THOUGHT:
With whom do you compare the incomparable? How do you grasp the
infinite with a finite mind? When the quintessence of majesty is
the God you contemplate, how can you ever speak of majesty about
anything else? God exhausts our superlatives. God’s glory bewilders
our imaginations. God’s greatness exceeds our wildest dreams. He is
beyond what we can know or believe. Yet the Wonder of all his
wonders is simply this: he limited himself to a baby, swaddled by
loving parents in strips of cloth, and placed in a feed trough
because there was no room for them in the inn. Sometimes the
greatest of all wonders are not the ones that require our biggest
and best words. Sometimes the greatest of all wonders wrap their
tiny fingers around our own and capture our hearts.
PRAYER:
I do not know how to understand your incredible love for us, yes
even for me. How could you enter our world in baby Jesus? Like the
Magi, I bow and worship you, Lord Jesus, and our Father who sent
you. Who is like you, O God? Nobody is even close. Yet for some
reason known only to your grace, you have brought us close. I
praise you for your majesty and I praise you for your manger. To
your glory, precious Jesus, and in your name, I offer this praise.
Amen.
VERSE:
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 goal of
your faith, the salvation of your souls.
— 1 Peter 1:8-9 http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Peter+1:8-9
THOUGHT:
Can you trust what you don’t see? Of course! What kind of
question is that? Our lives depend on what we cannot see — things
like gravity and the air we breathe, just to name two. Faith in
Jesus is as natural as faith in each of those things. The problem
is that our hearts are skeptical. We find it hard to believe that
anyone divine would love us so much. Our experience says, “If it
seems too good to be true, it is.” That skepticism is just the
twisted form of the response God longs to see from us:
“inexpressible and glorious joy.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve
tasted both. I prefer joy over skepticism!
PRAYER:
What joy fills my heart, Father, when I anticipate what it will
be like to be in your presence — to have you wipe each tear from
my eyes and to have you introduce me again to those I love and to
those I’ve only known by reputation. Please never let me outlive
that sense of anticipation and never let that hope dim in my heart,
no matter what else may happen in my life here. In Jesus’ name I
pray. Amen.
gain, brother, you have reached out and touched my heart. Thank you for your vulnerability in reaching out to those of us who are truly “Broken Believers”. Blessings.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Promise #269: When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will be with you.
Today’s promise is a much loved verse from the often quoted Psalm 23. Most times, we might quote this verse at a funeral service or at another time of extreme loss and of course this verse is fitting for those occasions. At the end of our lives, it is comforting to know that God will never ever leave us.
However, I do want to ask you to think of another application of this promise… Jesus told us that except a seed falls in the ground and dies, it abides alone (John 12:24). The principle of the Christian life is a continual letting go of things, allowing them to ‘die’, only to see them resurrected again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether those things are dreams or desires, the principle of the cross (death, burial, resurrection) is a resounding theme in the daily Christian life.
In that context, when you are feeling like God is asking you to surrender something dear to you, when you are in a sense walking through the shadow of death for something that you have hoped for, be comforted in knowing that God is very close to you in those times of surrender and His staff and rod will bring comfort to you. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy is coming in the morning! (Psalm 30:5)
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
Promise #268: I will always be close when you need My comfort.
We all need comfort. When we scraped our knee playing in the backyard, we needed the comfort of a mother or a father to simply hold us and reassure us that everything was going to be okay. When we experience extreme disappointment or the loss of a loved one, words fail… What we need is comfort.
In today’s Bible passage from 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul tells us that God is the Father of mercies (compassion) and the God of ALL comfort. Our God and Father is the source of ALL comfort and He wants us to be comfortable coming to Him to receive comfort whenever we need it.
Since we were created to receive comfort, we will seek it out somewhere. If we don’t receive it from God, we will receive it from other things… Food, material things, false comforts, etc. God wants each and every one of us to run into His arms every time we need to be comforted! As we receive the comfort from His loving arms, we will then be able to be an expression of that same comfort to other people when they need a comforting shoulder to cry on. Photo by Barry Adams
The Palestinian statehood bid provided a platform for many views and positions regarding the Middle East, including those of Evangelical Christians who no longer believe in the validity of the promises contained in the Bible.
In the run-up to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas officially requesting UN membership for the “State of Palestine,” Carl Medearis, a recognized expert on Middle East Christians, suggested on CNN’s Belief Blog that Jesus would support the Palestinian statehood motion.
“So how would Jesus vote this week if he had a seat at the UN?” Medearis asked. “Surely love, compassion, justice and peace-making would top his lists of concerns for all involved. Maybe he would give a new parable – the Parable of the Good Palestinian – offending all who would hear.”
Medearis continued by deriding the Christian Zionist movement and its insistence on a literal reading of the Bible:
“In their minds, the modern Israeli state is not only a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. In a bizarre twist that leaves most outsiders dumbfounded, Christian Zionists say the Bible predicts that Jews and Palestinians will forever be at war until Jesus returns.”
Medearis’ remarks were hotly debated in various publications, but it is not his personal view of the situation that is troubling. Medearis was merely the mouthpiece of a post-modern, humanist-infected strand of Christianity that no longer believes the Bible carries any literal meaning beyond the commandments regarding basic gestures of goodwill and proper moral behavior.
In other words, while it is still important to love one’s neighbor and not to steal, passages like Jeremiah 31:36-38 or Ezekiel 36:24-28 that confirm the eternal nature of Israel’s divine right to the land are, in Medearis’ words, “obscure Old Testament promises.”
In order to cement their position as the “sane Christians,” Medearis and others like him will highlight the often-unsympathetic positions of those perceived “lunatics” who do hold fast to the Bible’s every promise.
It is true that in their zealousness a good many Christian Zionists often spout rhetoric that is hateful toward the Palestinian Arabs. It is also true, as Medearis pointed out, that Yeshua told us to love our enemies, even those seeking Israel’s demise. But this point of supporting Israel (uncritically, Medearis wrongly claims) and opposing Palestinian statehood is not what Christian Zionism is really about, not at its core.
Christian Zionism is the recognition that long-awaited biblical promises and prophecies are being fulfilled in our time. It is about getting behind that fulfillment, and opposing efforts to reverse it. And though God may not actually need our help in preventing that attempted reversal, one day we will be held accountable for the stand we took (or didn’t take). Ultimately it is a question of whether or not God keeps His word and has the sovereignty in our lives to do so.
“Christian Zionists believe the scriptures are true, active and alive today. They believe that by acknowledging the truth that God has given the Land of Israel to the Jewish People as an everlasting inheritance we are acknowledging God’s sovereignty,” wrote local Messianic leader Eliyahu Ben-Chaim in his book Setting the Record Straight.
If God can renege on a promise to Israel that He repeatedly labeled as “everlasting,” surely we should all be concerned that other promises can be annulled or rewritten, like that promise of eternal life for the members of an equally sinful Church.
The truth is that God does not go back on or alter His promises. He made abundantly clear that the most important factor is the glory of His name. The biblical record has shown, even up to the present day with the rebirth of Israel, that when God makes a promise, He keeps it, not for our sake, but for the sake of His good name. To suggest otherwise is to attack not only God’s credibility, but, more detrimentally, the glory of His name.
Mount Gilboa, located in the Lower Galilee region, south of the Sea of Galileeis one of Israel’s most beautiful spots. Whilst spring saturates the mountains in pretty wildflowers, no matter what the season, Gilboa is a stunning, tranquil area to explore, offering a break from the intense summer heat with a cool breeze.
The Gilboa Scenic Road is your access point into this array of hikes, viewpoints, picnic sites, bike paths, and stunning outlooks, and is a great path to follow when exploring the area.
Mount Gilboa by kikasso, on Flickr
The Gilboa Scenic Road is Road 667 which runs Road 90 (the Jordan Valley Highway) to Road 675, which is off Highway 60 (the main road leading from the center of Israel into the Galilee. The road follows the ridges of Gilboa providing amazing scenic views and stop-offs.
As you enter the Gilboa Scenic Road from Road 60 and Road 675 near the town of Afula, you begin to climb the 18 kilometer long Gilboa Ridge which juts out from the northern side of the Samarian Mountains. The stark landscape of the region is as a result of Gilboa’s proximity to the Syrian African Rift Valley (part of the Great Rift Valley) which has created steep cliffs on Gilboa’s northern and eastern sides, providing even more breathtaking views across the Harod and Beit She’an Valley. At its highest, Gilboa reaches 650meters above sea level, and whilst not high in mountain terms, in a region surrounded largely by valleys and lowlands, provides a strong contrast.
Mount Shaul, Gilboa ridge, Israel by vad_levin, on Flickr
Each of the peaks along the Gilboa Scenic Road are named after famous Biblical characters and events. Driving the road from the Afula side, the first you will reach is Mount Shaul (Saul) which juts out from the rest of the ridge. Here, drive down the track and you will see, through a break in the pine foliage, you will see a ‘window’ open unto a special view of Gilboa dropping down into the valley, and the valley beyond.
From here, you can see Biblical events such as at Givat Hamoreh (to the north) where the Philistines camped before going into battle with Saul, and the adjacent valley in which the Midianites were housed before they were routed by Gideon. Beyond, to the east, the tip of Mount Tabor, can be seen, famous for Barak and the prophetess Deborah, the Heights of Issachar (who fought with Barak). To the west can be seen Upper Jezreel Valley (known in Christianity as the Valley of the Armageddon where the world will end).
Paragliding from Gilboa, by yxejamir, on Flickr
Mount Shaul is especially popular for outdoor pursuits, and in particular paragliders, who take take advantage of the steep cliffs and flock to the area at weekends and holidays.
Beyond Mount Shaul lies Kefef Shaul (Saul’s Shoulder) which is the main recreation area in Mount Gilboa. This is a great place to stop off, with picnic tables, playgrounds, and a nice accessible trail leading to a great lookout.
Continuing along the Gilboa Scenic Road, you come to the Vinya Overlook – turn off the road and drive along the track and two balconies among the lush grove will emerge. From here, more great views, including Ein Harod a kibbutz which is split into two. On a sunny days, the kibbutz’s sparkling fishponds and colorful fields are sure to make any visitor wonder why they do not inhabit this breathtaking place.
Back on the trail, you will come to a great hiking spot, suitable for only advanced hikers (red marked trail) leading to a spring called Ein Hasamal. The trail becomes very steep and difficult to maneuver close to the bottom. There is, however, a treat in store for those who do hike it, with a Hidden Valley near to the bottom. If you have two cars, park the second car below Gilboa at Old Tel Yosef.
A curve in the road to the Gilboa by yxejamir, on Flickr
If you decide the advanced trail is not for you, you still have great surprises in store as there is an easier hiking trail ahead. From the JNF Tower at Mount Barkan you can take a one hour circular path which boasts breathtaking views across the West Bank, including Nablus and the Jenin Valley.
Moving along the Scenic Road, you will come to the Gilboa Iris Nature Reserve. In the cooler months when the reserve has water, take sight of these incredible flowers which appear in shades of purple. Although it is dry in the summer, you can still take a great path through the reserve to the watchtower at Mount Barkan.
The final stop along the scenic road is just a few meters along, where, on the left is a great lookout called Paltiel Sela which offers a great final stop. Park near the sign and walk 400m into the shady forest until you reach some picnic tables. Gleam across the landscape and take note that this is another beautiful spot of Israel that you have been privileged enough to visit.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Promise #265: I will give you a peaceful sleep surrounded by safety.
There are many things in this world that cause us to be afraid and not feel at peace. As a result, many people struggle with sleep at night because of the numerous anxious thoughts that they have circulating in their minds.
Jesus was able to sleep on boats in the midst of storms. He is the Prince of Peace and has promised to give His peace to us. In John 14:27 Jesus says… PeaceI leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. NIV
His encouragement to us today is to not be afraid. He will make us to lie down in peace and have a restful sleep surrounded by His abiding sense of safety. For all those who struggle with geting a good night’s sleep, I pray that this promise would become a tangible reality for you today.
May you go to sleep tonight not dreading a night of tossing turning. May the tangible presence of the Prince of Peace surround you and envelope you with His love so that you can feel truly safe and you can have the best sleep of your life!
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits,
even the God of our salvation. Selah.
Promise #260: I carry your burdens every day.
The NIV Bible translations says Psalm 68:19 this way… Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.Selah NIV
I am thankful that our God promises to save us continually and to daily bear our burdens. When we feel the weight of the world on our own shoulders, may this promise encourage us that we are not called to carry the burdens ourselves. May we always be reminded of Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 that says…
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. KJV
If you are carrying a backpack full of worry and anxiety today, why not cast every care in that backpack on God because He really cares about you! (1 Peter 5:7)
Barry Adams
sharin' His love & Prophecy Unfolding 