Jesus sat with His disciples explaining the grief they would go through at His departure (death). He spoke in terms of hope, telling them about the Holy Spirit who was to come. He shared how good it was for Him to go and for what would come for them. He assured them that though they would grieve, soon after they would understand and their joy would return. It would be a new kind of joy, however, the kind this world cannot take away. Now, this next part should cause us to rise up and shout! Through Jesus death and resurrection, we have access. I have been a God-follower a long time and read this passage many times, but it struck me new.
We have ACCESS to GOD the FATHER through what Jesus did.
"In that day you will
ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your
behalf.
(He no longer has to ask on our behalf once the resurrection and ascension were complete)
No, the Father himself
loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from
God.
(Because we believe in Jesus (God in flesh/the Living Word) we are displaying our belief in God Himself.)
I came from the Father
and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the
Father.” John 16:26-28
(Jesus work on earth was nearing an end, the veil would soon be torn from top to bottom, and ACCESS to God the Father granted to those who believe!)
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
He Equips the Called
There are times I feel ill-prepared for what the Lord is asking me to to do. I can come up with a long list of reasons why I am not qualified. Thankfully He doesn't ask me to come qualified, but He takes care of the qualifying. Let the Word speak for itself...
Exodus 31: 1 - 6 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills — 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:"
And... It will be worth it...
Galatians 6:9 " Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up"
Exodus 31: 1 - 6 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills — 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:"
And... It will be worth it...
Galatians 6:9 " Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up"
Friday, June 29, 2012
Questions to Ponder
Paul asks these questions of the Galatians. The Word is active and alive, so they bear asking today.
Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing with your heart? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing - if it really was for nothing? Does God give you His Spirit and work miracle among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? ~ Galatians 3:2 - 5
Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing with your heart? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing - if it really was for nothing? Does God give you His Spirit and work miracle among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? ~ Galatians 3:2 - 5
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Set a Fire
I came across another beautiful nugget of truth in Exodus this morning.
Exodus 27: 20 "Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning."
If I am understanding this correctly, the Israelites were responsible for bringing something to the table. They had to bring their own oil and it had to be clear. There was purpose in that.... it was so the lamps could be kept burning. Is anyone else catching this?!
Where did the responsibility lie? Or should I say with whom? With the people! It's the same today. If I am feeling dull and lifeless in my walk with God. If the excitement that once was, is no more, than it is up to me to do something about that. You see, I know God's character well enough by this stage in my walk, to know that the "problem" is never with him :)
Truly....
So, when I am not "feeling it" with God, the place to look is at myself.
Now, what goes beyond taking the above measures? You see, I want God to absolutely move in my life. Not just occassionally, but as a lifestyle. I remember a quote attributed to John Wesley. " I want to be set on fire (by God) so the world can watch me burn (for Him)."
So for that to happen...going back to Exodus 27... I must bring some clean oil to keep the lamp burning.
(Sidenote - The oil was from pressed olives! Wow! That is a whole different direction to take this in, when you think of the trials of life producing clean oil, but I will let you chew on 2 Corinthians 4:8 for now.)
I'll leave you with these two songs.... set aside some time to worship. Stir up the faith within again!
Set A Fire
by the United Pursuit Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtGa7akdddI
You Won't Relent, All Consuming Fire
by Misty Edwards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRiT9Ds4ch4&feature=related
Exodus 27: 20 "Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning."
If I am understanding this correctly, the Israelites were responsible for bringing something to the table. They had to bring their own oil and it had to be clear. There was purpose in that.... it was so the lamps could be kept burning. Is anyone else catching this?!
Where did the responsibility lie? Or should I say with whom? With the people! It's the same today. If I am feeling dull and lifeless in my walk with God. If the excitement that once was, is no more, than it is up to me to do something about that. You see, I know God's character well enough by this stage in my walk, to know that the "problem" is never with him :)
Truly....
- He is always there (Hebrews 13:4)
- He is love (1 John 4:8)
- He has our best interests in mind (John 3:16)
So, when I am not "feeling it" with God, the place to look is at myself.
- Am I being carried away by the cares of this world? (2 Timothy 2:4)
- Am I holding onto hurts when I should be forgiving/releasing (Mark 11:25)
- Am I in the Word (2 Timothy 2:15, Psalm 119:105)
Now, what goes beyond taking the above measures? You see, I want God to absolutely move in my life. Not just occassionally, but as a lifestyle. I remember a quote attributed to John Wesley. " I want to be set on fire (by God) so the world can watch me burn (for Him)."
So for that to happen...going back to Exodus 27... I must bring some clean oil to keep the lamp burning.
(Sidenote - The oil was from pressed olives! Wow! That is a whole different direction to take this in, when you think of the trials of life producing clean oil, but I will let you chew on 2 Corinthians 4:8 for now.)
I'll leave you with these two songs.... set aside some time to worship. Stir up the faith within again!
Set A Fire
by the United Pursuit Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtGa7akdddI
You Won't Relent, All Consuming Fire
by Misty Edwards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRiT9Ds4ch4&feature=related
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The Living Word
At the start of 2012 I felt led to read through the Bible. I looked at various reading plans and came across this one on www.youversion.com. It is called the M'Cheyne Reading Plan. Starting in four places: Genesis 1, Matthew 1, Ezra 1, and Acts 1, reading a chapter a day. It seemed like a unique set-up, but that's the one I was drawn to. Incredible parallels are seen between Genesis and Matthew as well as Ezra and Acts. I let go of the goal of having the reading completed in a year. I would rather glean what I can from each day rather than rush through it for the sake of completion. Of course, there are days when I am led to read elsewhere and that's okay, too. :)
So, today's reading led me to Exodus 26, John 5, Psalms 2, and Galatians 1. Check out the lesson that is woven together among these seemingly separate books...
Exodus 26:30 "Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain."
Here we have God reminding Moses to stick to the plan. In the midst of acacia wood frames being built, scarlet yarn being made into curtains, and gold clasps being fashioned, God's voice is heard... simply, plainly..."Don't forget what I have shown you. Stick to the plan."
My family loves to decorate and make our home feel like home. As of late, we have become hooked on HGTV's Design Star. It is so interesting to watch the challenges assigned to the designers. They are given an alloted amount of money, time, and resources to complete a project for a homeowner's inspection, not to mention the watchful eye of three critical judges. They begin with a plan, a theme, a direction. They make their lists and budget their time and money. They delegate who will do what task. Then the project begins. Nearly without fail, when time comes to an end, even the most confident designers begin to quake, realizing parts of their plan will have to be scrapped in order to present a completed room. They frantically run around throwing up last minute artwork, cleaning the floors, often running over whomever is in their way.
Somehow, that's not how I picture the building of the tabernacle. Any building project of that caliber would be quite an undertaking. There were many people involved - sewing, building, etc. Yet in the midst of it all, there comes a voice of reassurance. A voice that says, "I have this figured out. The plans are laid. Stick to the plan." Moses had a clear word from the Lord. He didn't read it anywhere. The message was not in a handbook somewhere for building tabernacles. He received it up on the mountain by way of divine revelation. He had been up on the mountain with God receiving the blueprints needed for every detail of the tabernacle. His job was to make those plans known to the team around him.
Are we listening for that voice today? Are we making ourselves available to receive the blueprints for our lives?
Moving on to John 5:39 - 40 "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to ME to have life."
Here we have Jesus speaking to the Jews who were persecuting Him. They were hung up on the fact that He healed a man on the Sabbath. It was a man disabled for 38 years, waiting by the pool of Bethesda and when he encountered Jesus, he was healed and set free from years of bondage. It was a pretty odd thing to get criticized for, but nevertheless the religious leaders were there to pounce. Jesus laid it out for them. If I may paraphrase... "Look, here I AM, the source of life for you. The Living Word, ready to speak to you. The written Word points to Me. I came to fulfill it all."
Can you hear the same God from Exodus 26 speaking to the Jews in John 5? "I have a plan for you. Come to the mountain with Me. Let me lay out the plan for you to follow. Come to Me, the Living Word. I have things I want to share with you."
I am a woman of the Word. I love to read God's Word and apply it to my life. I love to hear the stories of the heroes of the faith - Ruth, Esther, Moses, Abraham, John, Peter. I learn from them, from their intimacy with Christ, and how their walk flowed out of that. Yet I also learn from the cry of Jesus heart to the religious people of His day. "You know the rules, you know the history, but what about Me? Can you see that I am here for you?"
I long to hear His voice, not only through a written page but for myself. He speaks to us today just as He spoke to Moses. I love time on the mountain with Him, hearing His voice. I don't want the same rebuke the religious leaders received. To miss out on the Source of Life would be tragic. He is still here in a different form, the Holy Spirit. He is still speaking, still teaching, still comforting, still pointing, still allowing us access to the heart of the Father.
How will you respond?
So, today's reading led me to Exodus 26, John 5, Psalms 2, and Galatians 1. Check out the lesson that is woven together among these seemingly separate books...
Exodus 26:30 "Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain."
Here we have God reminding Moses to stick to the plan. In the midst of acacia wood frames being built, scarlet yarn being made into curtains, and gold clasps being fashioned, God's voice is heard... simply, plainly..."Don't forget what I have shown you. Stick to the plan."
My family loves to decorate and make our home feel like home. As of late, we have become hooked on HGTV's Design Star. It is so interesting to watch the challenges assigned to the designers. They are given an alloted amount of money, time, and resources to complete a project for a homeowner's inspection, not to mention the watchful eye of three critical judges. They begin with a plan, a theme, a direction. They make their lists and budget their time and money. They delegate who will do what task. Then the project begins. Nearly without fail, when time comes to an end, even the most confident designers begin to quake, realizing parts of their plan will have to be scrapped in order to present a completed room. They frantically run around throwing up last minute artwork, cleaning the floors, often running over whomever is in their way.
Somehow, that's not how I picture the building of the tabernacle. Any building project of that caliber would be quite an undertaking. There were many people involved - sewing, building, etc. Yet in the midst of it all, there comes a voice of reassurance. A voice that says, "I have this figured out. The plans are laid. Stick to the plan." Moses had a clear word from the Lord. He didn't read it anywhere. The message was not in a handbook somewhere for building tabernacles. He received it up on the mountain by way of divine revelation. He had been up on the mountain with God receiving the blueprints needed for every detail of the tabernacle. His job was to make those plans known to the team around him.
Are we listening for that voice today? Are we making ourselves available to receive the blueprints for our lives?
Moving on to John 5:39 - 40 "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to ME to have life."
Here we have Jesus speaking to the Jews who were persecuting Him. They were hung up on the fact that He healed a man on the Sabbath. It was a man disabled for 38 years, waiting by the pool of Bethesda and when he encountered Jesus, he was healed and set free from years of bondage. It was a pretty odd thing to get criticized for, but nevertheless the religious leaders were there to pounce. Jesus laid it out for them. If I may paraphrase... "Look, here I AM, the source of life for you. The Living Word, ready to speak to you. The written Word points to Me. I came to fulfill it all."
Can you hear the same God from Exodus 26 speaking to the Jews in John 5? "I have a plan for you. Come to the mountain with Me. Let me lay out the plan for you to follow. Come to Me, the Living Word. I have things I want to share with you."
I am a woman of the Word. I love to read God's Word and apply it to my life. I love to hear the stories of the heroes of the faith - Ruth, Esther, Moses, Abraham, John, Peter. I learn from them, from their intimacy with Christ, and how their walk flowed out of that. Yet I also learn from the cry of Jesus heart to the religious people of His day. "You know the rules, you know the history, but what about Me? Can you see that I am here for you?"
I long to hear His voice, not only through a written page but for myself. He speaks to us today just as He spoke to Moses. I love time on the mountain with Him, hearing His voice. I don't want the same rebuke the religious leaders received. To miss out on the Source of Life would be tragic. He is still here in a different form, the Holy Spirit. He is still speaking, still teaching, still comforting, still pointing, still allowing us access to the heart of the Father.
How will you respond?
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
After...They believed....
After He turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana...
John 2:11 "(Jesus) thus revealed His glory and His disciples put their faith in Him."
After Jesus was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered....
John 2:22 "...then (the disciples) believed the Scripture and words that Jesus had spoken."
After the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, many people saw the miraculous signs...
John 2:23 "... and believed in His name."
After the Samaritan woman met Jesus at the well, she excitedly shared this news with the whole town...
John 4:42 "They said to the woman 'We no longer believe because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves."
After Jesus prayed and the Centurion's son lived...
John 4:53 "So he and all his household believed."
Then we hear the voice of Jesus speaking to the official in regard to his son, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe."
Is He frustrated with the people? Or is He simply stating a fact?
I always thought there was a bit of disappointment in His voice, but not anymore. Not at this point, anyway. This was Jesus initial launch into ministry. In chapter 2 of John, He had just turned water into wine. It was His first visible miracle. In chapter 3, we see the miracle of His teaching. In chapter 4, we see the miracle of His relationships. He broke mold after mold and the people had never seen anything like it. So rather than disappointment in His voice, I hear a fact. Just as children need a hand, leg, or table to hold onto while they are learning to walk, babes in Christ need to see the miraculous to believe. It builds our faith, just as walking builds the muscles in a child's legs.
Now, what about these verses?
After a storm rose up when the disciples were on the sea of Galilee and they woke Jesus in a panic...
Matthew 8:26 "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"
After the disciples attempted and failed to heal a boy with epilepsy...
Matthew 17:20 "(Jesus) replied, 'Because you have so little faith...'"
What made the difference in Jesus response? Time! The disciples had walked with Jesus. They had seen miracle upon miracle. They walked daily with the Son of God and had front row seats to everything He did. They saw Jesus raise the dead, heal the sick, and cast out demons. They saw Him teach the multitudes, relate to women and children, and rebuke the Pharisees. They gave up their lives to follow Him and professed with their mouths their undying devotion to Him. Jesus' rebuke of the disciples in Matthew 17:20 comes shortly after Peter's bold statement in Matthew 16:16, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Hear me on this... I am not knocking Peter. We have all been in this place. Our words and actions are not completely matched up. There is no question that Peter loves Jesus. He has given up his job, his reputation, his family to follow Him. He was learning as he journeyed.
Let's move ahead to the end of Jesus three year open ministry on earth. He has now demonstrated and spoken all He has come to do. The Word tells us the world could not contain the volumes if everything were recorded. (John 21:25) We know He spent time at supper with His disciples breaking bread; time in the Garden beseeching His Father; time in the courtyard; time in prison; time on the cross; time in hell; time in the tomb; and now it is time to present Himself one last time to those He came to save. He spent a bit more time with His disciples and even when it was time to go He spoke to them...
Mark 16: 15 - 18 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs shall accompany (follow after) those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues' they will pick up snakes with their hands' and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of
God!
After that...
Mark 16:20 "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it!"
So now, we see a total shift! In the beginning, we see that "After they saw... they believed." Now three years later, "They believed and these things (signs, wonders, miracles) followed after them."
As we grow, so it goes!
John 2:11 "(Jesus) thus revealed His glory and His disciples put their faith in Him."
After Jesus was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered....
John 2:22 "...then (the disciples) believed the Scripture and words that Jesus had spoken."
After the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, many people saw the miraculous signs...
John 2:23 "... and believed in His name."
After the Samaritan woman met Jesus at the well, she excitedly shared this news with the whole town...
John 4:42 "They said to the woman 'We no longer believe because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves."
After Jesus prayed and the Centurion's son lived...
John 4:53 "So he and all his household believed."
Then we hear the voice of Jesus speaking to the official in regard to his son, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe."
Is He frustrated with the people? Or is He simply stating a fact?
I always thought there was a bit of disappointment in His voice, but not anymore. Not at this point, anyway. This was Jesus initial launch into ministry. In chapter 2 of John, He had just turned water into wine. It was His first visible miracle. In chapter 3, we see the miracle of His teaching. In chapter 4, we see the miracle of His relationships. He broke mold after mold and the people had never seen anything like it. So rather than disappointment in His voice, I hear a fact. Just as children need a hand, leg, or table to hold onto while they are learning to walk, babes in Christ need to see the miraculous to believe. It builds our faith, just as walking builds the muscles in a child's legs.
Now, what about these verses?
After a storm rose up when the disciples were on the sea of Galilee and they woke Jesus in a panic...
Matthew 8:26 "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"
After the disciples attempted and failed to heal a boy with epilepsy...
Matthew 17:20 "(Jesus) replied, 'Because you have so little faith...'"
What made the difference in Jesus response? Time! The disciples had walked with Jesus. They had seen miracle upon miracle. They walked daily with the Son of God and had front row seats to everything He did. They saw Jesus raise the dead, heal the sick, and cast out demons. They saw Him teach the multitudes, relate to women and children, and rebuke the Pharisees. They gave up their lives to follow Him and professed with their mouths their undying devotion to Him. Jesus' rebuke of the disciples in Matthew 17:20 comes shortly after Peter's bold statement in Matthew 16:16, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Hear me on this... I am not knocking Peter. We have all been in this place. Our words and actions are not completely matched up. There is no question that Peter loves Jesus. He has given up his job, his reputation, his family to follow Him. He was learning as he journeyed.
Let's move ahead to the end of Jesus three year open ministry on earth. He has now demonstrated and spoken all He has come to do. The Word tells us the world could not contain the volumes if everything were recorded. (John 21:25) We know He spent time at supper with His disciples breaking bread; time in the Garden beseeching His Father; time in the courtyard; time in prison; time on the cross; time in hell; time in the tomb; and now it is time to present Himself one last time to those He came to save. He spent a bit more time with His disciples and even when it was time to go He spoke to them...
Mark 16: 15 - 18 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs shall accompany (follow after) those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues' they will pick up snakes with their hands' and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of
God!
After that...
Mark 16:20 "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it!"
So now, we see a total shift! In the beginning, we see that "After they saw... they believed." Now three years later, "They believed and these things (signs, wonders, miracles) followed after them."
As we grow, so it goes!
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