Category: Faith

Identity

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What exactly is identity?  According to freedictionary.com, it is the collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is recognized or known; a set of behaviors or characteristics that makes one recognized as a member of a group; a distinct personality of an individual ; the quality or condition of being the same as something else. The other dictionaries had pretty similar definitions.
Those who are reading this for example would all fit into the category identified as human because we meet certain similar criteria. Some of us female, others male as defined by certain characteristics. Because every human is conceived and born of a mother and a father, we are classified as either son or daughter according to our gender regardless of their continued presence in our lives. Further, each of us can also be classified as individuals because every one of us is unique and different. Even in a family unit where there are great similarities, there are also distinct differences that make us uniquely who we are. We are shaped and influenced  by our genetics, by our environment, by our education, our relatives and friends, by our experiences in life and by our beliefs.
When we take on certain titles or positions we also adapt and our identity is influenced by this new aspect in our life. For example, when we become a Christian, a Christ-follower if you will there is a shift in our belief system. With that shift begins a remarkable shift in our identity, however how much of that shift is actually realized in our lives is up to us.
Many of us are introduced to the person of God through fear of punishment and see Him as just waiting and watching in the big unknown to catch us misbehaving or doing something He doesn’t approve of us doing. Most of us are not introduced first to Him as the Self-Existent Creator of life; or as a great and wonderful Creator and Artist that placed the stars above and the earth below. Is our first experience in knowing of God that He spoke and hundreds of thousands of species from the smallest microscopic cell or germ to the grandest majestic mountain was formed? Sadly, not generally is this ever instilled in us as our first impression. Yet, is it easier to believe that everything we see all around us just happened, sprung up from nothing? I personally find that difficult to believe, it is much easier for me to believe
God spoke it into being and when it was done, he lovingly created man to share the great beauty with then seeing man without anyone like him decided to form woman as a companion to man.
Having said this, I often wonder why most of us are introduced first to God as a heavy handed Father just waiting for us to mess up. Why this view of God is the most prevalent has puzzled me for a long time. I am sure there are many theories we could come up with but rather than speculate endlessly, I would like to continue to look at discovering a more accurate and diverse concept of the character of  the God I love and serve. Those possibilities are endless for He is infinite! Though I have spent my lifetime in this pursuit, I have but yet to barely scratch the surface! This I do know, when the Word of God speaks of fear of The Lord, it means a healthy respect; honor; reverence; and yes it also implies obedience.
Obedience, there is a word that throws up defences and rattles us. Have you ever noticed even with a young child just beginning to crawl the independent spirit begins to arise. It gradually intensifies as they become proficient at crawling. They want to go where they want to go and do not enjoy us setting boundaries or redirecting them from obstacles that might be harmful. Then as they grow stronger and begin to walk, it’s on!  Every step of our growth in childhood makes us more and more independent. Nevertheless, we must have boundaries and if we are blessed as we grow more, we learn to impose healthy boundaries for ourselves, not only for our protection but to keep us in line and respectful of those all around us.  I personally believe in hindsight that this is the ideal way to parent and it is how our loving Heavenly Father has designed in His Word that we grow and mature in our lives. It involves moving from dependence on our parents, growing into a place we can be interdependent.  As we mature, we strive to reach a place that we are able to take care of ourselves. Is that fully reaching the goal? Being independent? I believe not. I am convinced the goal of a mature life is interdependence.  There are seasons in our life like childhood, and in times of illness when we are completely dependant on someone. Most of our lives are spent in various states of interdependence but never have I met one who is truly independent or in other words does not need anyone for anything.  That concept is a mirage, it is not possible.
Just as we want to love and protect our little one as they grow and mature into childhood, adolescence and adulthood, our Heavenly Father who loving created each of us desires that and more for His children! The biggest difference is His ways are higher than ours as are His thoughts. He sees the bigger picture and all the possible outcomes if He doesn’t limit or guide us through life by setting standards and boundaries. Here is a practical example: how many children have at some point taken off running paying no attention where they were headed? As a parent or adult in charge, you know the danger of them running out into the street and getting hit by a vehicle weighting anywhere from a thousand pounds up to tens of thousands of pounds of metal, as an adult you see the hidden dangers of them running and falling into a pool resulting at worst in drowning because they can’t swim or even getting just a bit farther away and finding themselves lost in a crowd or kidnapped by a stranger.  The one under our care sees us as limiting their fun, controlling them and keeping them from enjoying life.  Interestingly, not so different from how many of us see God.
Sounds so simple and easy, of course we who are responsible and love our children are going to set rules and boundaries for their safety because we are responsible for them at a minimum until they can take full responsibility for themselves. It would be at the least negligent and unloving not to have their best interests, protection and well being at heart. May I just suggest here, it is no different where God is concerned!
Today on what would have been my Dad’s 79th birthday, I dedicate this to my parents.  Happy Birthday Dad! So grateful for all you and Mom taught me and more so each year I walk this planet without the two of you!! How great to have the assurance of being together again one day and telling you both this in person!  I truly know you love me and  always wanted what was best for me!

Circumstances, Grace, and Gratitude

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How fascinating when several avenues in our life converge and it results in a new understanding of who we are or of who we are meant to be, when they come together and totally change our perspective or our trajectory. Lately, I have been emerged in a study of Gideon, a Biblical hero of faith listed in the book of Hebrews. He did not start out that way! When first mentioned in Judges, he is hiding in a wine press threshing wheat. This is a very unconventional place to thresh wheat but Gideon is hiding in order to protect the wheat from the enemy who is oppressing his people. Meanwhile he is visited by an angel of The Lord with this message, “the Lord is with you, mighty warrior!” From our perspective, Gideon is fearful and hiding; from God‘s perspective he is declared a mighty warrior (Judges 6:11-12); and finally from Gideon’s perspective he is the weakest and the youngest (verse15). Whether we like it or not so is our lives. People see us from one perspective, we see ourselves from another, yet God sees us beyond those perspectives. He sees us for who we are, who He created us to be, and our unlimited potential in Him.

I don’t know about you but I am not that different from Gideon. I tend to be hard on myself and to be insecure, though some have said they see me as confident and strong, I rarely qualify. They only see the outside, my actions and have no idea what is in my heart unless I share it. Again, from God’s perspective, He sees the real me, the good, the bad, and the ugly. He also knows the destiny He created me for and the potential that I have, especially if I walk with Him. He has a plan and purpose for us; he also allows us free will to choose what path we will take.

Imagine our lives as series of roads, for this purpose we will picture if we can three roads. One is a beautiful road with flat places shaded by the covering of pretty trees at times, further along it meets with fields of flowers, rolling hills, and even the rougher terrain along the way is beautiful and pleasing to the eye.  We will call it God’s Grace. The next road is direct and straight for a long-span, it divides and goes different directions at a certain point and from there tends to meander and wind at times. It’s name is Circumstance. The last road is a perimeter like roadway, each of the other roads intersect with this road at some point and this road ALWAYS circles back to God’s Grace. This road is called Gratitude. All of these roads intersect each other at different places and each has an impact on the other.

Our lives are often lived in our circumstances. We are walking or driving along straight and smooth, something happens, a bump in the road, a sickness, or a tragedy and we are at a fork in the road. Which way will we choose to go? Will we go with the west fork or the east fork? For those of us who know God and have trusted Jesus, will we trust His promises? Will we see His grace and allow it to take us to gratitude? Will we take a turn on gratitude, knowing He is good and trust Him until we reach the path of God’s Grace. Will we possibly take the more winding path of West Circumstance taking the long way to God’s Grace and eventually finding our way to Gratitude. There is also the option of just staying on the road of our circumstance, east or west and continuing on their long paths and totally miss God’s Grace and Gratitude.

For me, I have chosen different options including the absolute longest roads back to His grace and to gratitude in a few cases. Trust me that one is not a healthy one!  After many trials and troubles and tragedies  it is my desire to take the shortest, straightest route to see Him bring grace and glory from both the good circumstances and the bad. Do I want difficult circumstances? Are you kidding me, no! Can I give thanks in a hard time? Maybe, maybe not. Can I believe that despite tragedy God is always good? Yes, He has proved it again and again. Can I believe He can take the worst circumstance and bring something good from it or despite of it? Yes, I have seen it and personally experienced it.  I write this today with a broken heart. Our small town has experienced tragedy today. While I was writing this, a wonderful man, a friend that owns our local jewelry store was viciously gunned down as four males decided that their desires and wealth or lack of was more valuable than his life. Three of them are on the loose. Tragedy!!! Heartbreak!!! Be assured, this does not change God’s Goodness!! This is a product of a fallen world and a culture that has come to value things and use people, a culture where wrong is accepted as right and right is judged as wrong. We can not blame God for these things when we are the ones who choose our own paths! We can strive to make good and right choices and teach others within our influence to do likewise.
I am not an artist, but they might look like this:

Image

Passionate Plea

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Have you ever been at a place that something was pressing so hard on the inside of you that  you just had to get it out either by talking about it or writing about it and you felt you would explode if you didn”t??  This is where I am today! For a little back ground, a few weeks ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to hear a survivor of the Holocaust. As he shared his horrific experiences and those of his loved ones, each time he would ask, “Could you forgive?” For about two hours he spoke of atrocity after atrocity and it was painful to hear how they had suffered and that was only a fraction of a percent compared to the his suffering, and that of his family, and his friends! His was a message of forgiveness from start to finish! Don’t get me wrong, he shared his anger, frustration, fear, torture but the solid thread flowing through his testimony was forgiveness and that we have to forgive in order to live freely. You see, unforgiveness makes us slave to the one we refuse to forgive, but that is a topic for another day. Next, the Holy Spirit began impressing us  that we were to share this fellow’s experiences and theme of forgiveness at a Bible Study we were to substitute teach in two days. We knew we had to be obedient but it took a little time to line up because there were a couple of people who bring their children and the youngest is about eight. The decision was made and the parents were informed on the topic and approved.  This all took place on the actual day of Yom Hashoah  (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and the days following.

The questions that arose from studying and sharing this that Tuesday evening turned a childhood spark into a flame. I had always heard that there were Christians that blamed the  Jewish people for the death of Christ. I never understood this thought pattern. You see since I was a child I have been a student of the Word of God.  I am not a theology student and I have no “formal” training in the Word. I do believe that God will enable us despite lack of formal training to understand  the Word because John 14 it tells us:

John 14:25-26  (HCSB)   “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Long story short, I began to do more research on the holocaust and the history of the church, how and if the church was a catalyst in some cases that fanned the flames of those who were propagating the evil atrocities that occurred. What I continue to read has sparked a passionate plea!  Christians, please read the Word of God for yourself! Know what it says, pray for understanding, find a reliable translation and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into wisdom and understanding. Yes, even and especially the Old Testament. When we don’t know our roots and our history, we are targets for deception and being lead astray from the truth. When that happens we can fall into false thinking which can lead us do things we might have thought at one time we were not capable of doing and rationalize our actions based on a false belief!

When we as Christians become students of the Word, we are arming ourselves against deception. Throughout the Bible it was prophesied that Jesus would come born of a Virgin  and that He would suffer, die, and be raised to life. A look at Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, to name just two tell us this. We are told that before the foundation of the world, Christ is the Lamb that was slain. This was God’s plan long before it happened.  Jesus was born and raised Jewish.  It was not the Jewish people who were responsible for His arrest, His beatings and His death. A quick look at John tells us it was certain Jewish rulers that plotted His capture and demise and it was planned under the cover of darkness.

John 18:13 And they brought Him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year.14 It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was expedient and for their welfare that one man should die for (instead of, in behalf of) the people.

24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium (judgment hall, governor’s palace). And it was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled (become ceremonially unclean), but might be fit to eat the Passover [supper]. 29 So Pilate went out to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this Man?30 They retorted, If  He were not an evildoer (criminal), we would not have handed Him over to you.

John 19:4 Then Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I bring Him out to you, so that you may know that I find no fault (crime, cause for accusation) in Him.

6 When the chief priests and attendants (guards) saw Him, they cried out, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no fault (crime) in Him.7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to that law He should die, because He has claimed and made Himself out to be the Son of God. (note this is referring back to the chief priests and guards who had brought Him)

Based on scripture, history and archeological findings, it is a pretty sure thing that it was  a select group of leaders and their guards/servants that are responsible for the death sentence given Jesus and knowing the prophecy it was accomplishing God’s plan that was from the beginning. Jesus was welcomed warmly when He entered Jerusalem with large numbers of people waving palms and celebrating. It was not they who turned on Him and cried “crucify” in the darkness of early morning! It was those who were threatened by their fear of loss of power, prestige and wealth. I understood this even as a youth based on the Word. It was only in the last ten years that I found that this was by the other historical and archeological findings.

The lesson here is when we don’t learn for ourselves, it is easy to be deceived. When we are deceived, we don’t generally know we are deceived and we act with great confidence fully believing that we are acting in an appropriate way. We have a tendency to become an impulsive people rather than  reflective, perhaps before acting rashly we should slow ourselves down; begin asking ourselves some questions;  listen to the answers; and for the “still small voice” to reveal:

  • What is really going on?
  • Am I missing something?
  • Why do I feel so strongly about this? whether it is anger, hurt, frustration, confusion.
  • What is the heart of those involved?
  • Am I being deceived?
  • Am I being defensive and if so why?
  • What does the Word say about this type situation? Though listed last, it is perhaps the most important question we can ask!

Ephesians 6:11-13 says:  11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tacticsof the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

Last night our pastor reminded us of 1 Peter 5″:8 Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour”.  His next words were priceless, he said: “Notice is says as a lion or like a lion; Satan is a poser! He comes to steal kill and destroy posed as a lion, but Jesus came to give us abundant, rich and satisfying life. John 10:10”

Jesus, the Lion of Judah, is the real deal. He is not a poser and He came not only to save us from ourselves and our sin but He came to give  us new life, freedom, deliverance; life better than we could ever imagine.  Reading, understanding, and seeking to follow His Word is paramount in seeing this to come to fruition in our lives!!

Reminder to Remember

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Following up on yesterday’s post, sometimes we need reminders to remember. Yesterday we explored a little history as the Hebrew people were rescued from their bondage in Egypt by the mighty and outstretched hand of God. God had moved mightily on their behalf. He not only  rescued them from their enslavement, but He also delivered  them from their enemy as the Egyptians and Pharaoh pursued them in their escape.  God parted the sea, His people escaped on dry ground and the sea swallowed up their enemy before they were able to catch up with God’s people! Things were looking up but one thing is sure. In this world we will have difficulties, trials and testing. The next forty years were just that for the Hebrew people. They would wander in the wilderness for 40 years to reach the Promised Land which by direct route was only an eleven day journey.

So, why the extended travel time for such a short trip?  I will let you read the story or travel notes yourself. I suspect from reading the stories and from putting together sermons I have heard, studies I have done, that the people were not so different from you or me. God has a purpose and plan for all of us and it is usually far better than anything we can even imagine. However, just like a baby is ill-equipped at birth to become an adult right away, we as believers are also not ready to immediately step into all God has planned for us.  As you are probably aware, there was an attempt at entering the promised land before the 40 year mark. Ten spies were sent in to scope out the land. They went in, explored, and even brought back produce from the land. The Promised Land was confirmed to be a beautiful land flowing with milk and honey, yet despite what they found eight of the ten spies had a negative report. Only Joshua and Caleb came back with the attitude that we are well able to take the land. They were the only of the spies that were certain that with God’s promise and outstretched arm and mighty hand this could be done. The opinion of the eight won out and the wandering continued. By the end of forty years most of those who had doubted and forgotten what God had already had done for them had died. Many could not see past their doubts and remember how God had delivered them. Many could not remember that God had provided food for their hunger, water for their thirst, that He prevented their clothing and shoes from wearing out during those years.

At last, in the book of Joshua we can read the account of Israel finally going into the Promised Land. They are told that God is among them and He will dispossess the inhabitants of the land. The priest will go first and enter the Jordan River, the waters will be cut off and held back despite it being at flood stage. The priests carrying the ark stood firmly on dry ground as the entire nation crossed. Once the people were across, Joshua sent twelve men, one from each tribe back to remove twelve stones to set up where they would camp that night as a memorial to what God had done. Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan  and placed them where the priests were standing as a memorial. Once this was accomplished the priests finished crossing and when they stepped out of the Jordan River, it resumed its course. That night they camped at Gilgal and set up the other twelve stones as a reminder to remember and to tell their children what they had experienced, what God had done for them and to teach them about the Lord’s mighty hand so they would reverence their God.

Just as Israel need to be reminded to remember, we also need to remember. When distractions and trials come into our life, when difficulty is here and it is hard to see past the immediate demands of our circumstances, we need to remember, turn to God remembering all He has seen us through. We need to remember His great love and His faithfulness and believe beyond human reason that He will once again act on our behalf and see us through whatever is the current circumstance or difficulty we face.  In order to do this, we must know what the Word says; we must have some grasp of His Word and His promises; and above all we must exercise our faith. The more we exercise faith the more faith grows in our life.

Tried, Tested…and True?

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Just thinking this afternoon about how as humans we are always looking to the next thing. Babies learn progressively from the first smile, turning over, sitting up, crawling, pulling up and finally taking steps. We adults do the same with the exception of we often do not take the time just to enjoy where we are at the moment. A few examples: when we are young we can not wait to be grown up; can’t wait to finish school, move out; get married; then, we tend to covet the freedom our single friends enjoy when we are married or the companionship our married friend enjoy when we are single. Many desire children and when they are here, we long for them to sleep through the night, out grow teething, be able to talk so they can tell us what is wrong when they feel bad, walk, start school…

Our techie world continues to teach us to not be satisfied with our phone, computer, tablet, car, TV:  the minute we purchase one it is on it’s way to being obsolete. Chances are that within 2 days to 6 months there will be a faster, better, fancier or sleeker one and many of us will be dreaming of the new best thing!  The world around us makes it hard to be content and just enjoy the moment in which we are living. This becomes even more apparent when we are in a time of trial or difficulty. Many times I find myself looking everywhere for an escape hatch when one of those times come around. Why? because I don’t like conflict, discomfort. I like choices to be easy, people to be loving and kind. The truth is life is not always easy, comfortable and neat and if it were, we would never grow or mature. Take the teething baby for example, in order for the baby to grow teeth, there is pain as the teeth push forward and break the skin. Without that pain the little baby would continue to grow but be relegated to a life of soft mushy food. Many also have used the example of a child. Children are wondrous and a blessing from God, however as they develop there is often morning sickness, stretching and discomfort at times for the mother and they are birthed through travail and pain.

Full Circle= (Remember. Reflect, Recuperate,Rededicate, Redirect)

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This morning after my S.O.A.P. reading, I found myself looking ahead to tomorrows passage just to see what was coming up and to ask the Lord to prepare my heart for what He would have me learn from it. I skimmed over the chapter and not once but twice a word jumped out at me. That word was Gilgal.  I began to think back to a time in my life when this word or maybe I should say the significance of this word became very real in my life and quite significant as well.

Gilgal is first mentioned in the Bible in Deuteronomy 11 where God is describing the Promised land that He will be giving His people. Interestingly enough, it is contains the declaration of God to the Israelites, 26 Today I’m giving you the choice of a blessing or a curse. 27 You’ll be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I’m giving you today. 28 You’ll be cursed if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God, if you turn from the way I’m commanding you to live today, and if you worship other gods you never knew. 29 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you’re about to enter, recite the blessing from Mount Gerizim and the curse from Mount Ebal. 

I find that very interesting, considering the topic of my last entry was about choosing blessing or cursing, life or death, so this is the result of something I believe the Lord is trying to say to me or teach me. If it is helpful to someone else that is great, but most of the things I write about are things that I am learning or that I feel the Holy Spirit is teaching me.  This is my outlet and if you will since we are talking about Gilgal…my memorial stone to help me remember.

Back to Gilgal.  One of the most known and important times in Gilgal is found in Joshua when the Israelites have been instructed to cross the Jordan River to enter the promised land. Here the Lord parts the waters of the river for all the people following cross the river on dry ground while the priests stand in the middle with the ark of the covenant . God instructed Joshua that one man from each tribe be assigned to select one stone from the middle of the river where the priests had stood and take it to the place the Israelites would camp that night. As they did what God asked, Joshua explained, “4:21 He said to the people of Israel, “In the future when children ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 the children should be told that Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.23 The Lord your God dried up the Jordan ahead of you until you had crossed, as he did to the Red Sea until we had crossed. 24 The Lord did this so that everyone in the world would know his mighty power and that you would fear the Lord your God every day of your life.”  

In chapter 5, at this same time, all the men who were born in the wilderness were circumcised at Gilgal. Circumcision was a sign to them that they were set apart unto the Lord.  Here they remained in this new land until they were healed.  Also, at Gilgal, the Lord declared in Joshua 5:

9 The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is called Gilgal to this day.

What does all this mean?  For me, I am sensing that Gilgal is the place where Israel has come full circle, it is a reminder of God’s salvation of Israel from Egyptian slavery, from the wrath of the Egyptians who were chasing them and were swallowed by the Red Sea; a reminder of His protection and provision for their 40 years of wandering in the desert, where they always had food and water and their clothes and shoes never wore out; it was a place of laying aside the flesh and consecrating themselves to God; laying down false beliefs and false gods that they were exposed to during slavery and being rededicated to the one True God. I believe Gilgal was a fresh start, a clean slate. It was also a great monument and reminder because of the twelve memorial stones. Human beings tend to over time forget or allow all that our God has done for us become a distant memory. These stones stood and still stand as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites, we would do well to note and remember all God has done for us! What a stabalizing factor and comforting peace we could enjoy when the storms of life come blowing us over, if we take time to set up remembrances of the times He has seen us through hardships and difficulties or rescued us from them. When we regularly celebrate His presence and provision in our lives we are much calmer and peaceful when the storms of life blow over us, sometimes blowing us over.  I want to come full circle, celebrating fresh starts, rededicating myself to Him, remembering His presence and provision in my life, letting go of the difficulties and pain of the past but remembering His faithfulness and love as a reminder not to return there; choosing life and blessing over death and the curse!

Which Mountain Will You Choose?

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Have you ever experienced a period of time where it seems everywhere you turn the same word or phrase keeps turning up?  Lately the words life, blessing, focus and the phrase “choose life”  seem to keep turning up and sometimes in the most unexpected places and at most unusual times. This has been going on for some time now and it is beginning to come together with some understanding.

Last night at Bible Study our topic was John 10:10, one that has been key in my life for the last several years. Before talking about it, we went back chapter 8 and began reading to get the full context of what was going on around this time.  In chapter 8 we see the story of the woman caught in adultery and Jesus telling her accusers, “whoever is without sin, cast the first stone.” One by one they all walked away because Jesus was the only on qualified as without sin. Jesus did just what His Father would have Him do. He said to her, ” I don’t condemn you either. Go! From now on, don’t sin.” Next Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about His Father. There is a good bit of contrast between the religious practices of the Pharisees and those things that are truly important to God and that are modeled by Jesus.  He points out the differences in what the Pharisees practice and the true desires of His Father for those who want to be His disciples. This debate or exchange of ideas which are opposed to each other leads to anger and the threat by some to stone Jesus but He slips away safely. As chapter nine unfolds Jesus heals a man born blind and an inquisition ensues. First Jesus is questioned, then the blind man, both tell the truth and their stories are the same. That is not good enough to satisfy the curious minds so the parents of the blind man are brought in. Fearing the repercussions of their words, they would only reveal: yes this is our son, and yes he was born blind. Then they told the people that he was an adult and could answer for himself. They inquire of the previously blind man again and when he answers him the same, he is thrown out of the synagogue. In His compassion of this man, Jesus reveals Himself to him and explains that:

39 Then Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge: Blind people will be given sight, and those who can see will become blind.”GWT

The Pharasiees responded:

40 Some Pharisees who were with Jesus heard this. So they asked him, “Do you think we’re blind?”GWT

Jesus went on to explain:

41 Jesus told them, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be sinners. But now you say, ‘We see,’ so you continue to be sinners.GWT

Next we see the story where Jesus explains His role as Shepperd and how to tell the true Shepperd from an impostor. This is were John 10:10 comes into play; “10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.’ GWT

Now the Bible makes it clear that Satan is our enemy and that he is the father of lies. Here we see his purpose is always to steal, kill and destroy. Whether it is our joy and peace or our very life, he is out to wreak havoc and destroy (bring about destruction and death) but Jesus came to bring life and every thing that we need for life! What a great assurance! Now as I am pondering the wonder of this once again the phrase “Choose life” returns to me and my thoughts go to the Old Testament and the discussions of the blessings and cursings discussed with the Israelites in the later chapters of Deuteronomy and God’s declaration:

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live[ and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess.(HCSB)

     From the both the old covenant and the new covenant expressed by Jesus Christ, we can see that God has given us a choice. In every wonderful event and in every tragedy, even in the most mundane things in our life we have a choice to make. We can choose life or we can choose death, we can choose blessing or we can choose cursing. We can not necessarily choose our circumstances but we can choose how we respond to them. When we choose life and blessing we always win in the long run!  My friend Katie Brown put it this way earlier today, “There are two mountains, only two, and we get to choose which one we will spend our time on. We want to choose life. If we find ourself on the wrong mountain, it is time to move!”  So the question I am pondering now is how will life be different if I make a decision to weigh every situation or circumstance on this scale before responding or reacting to it? Is it an accurate statement to say that when I respond, I am choosing life and when I react I am choosing death?
    I will bring these thoughts to a close by sharing my S.O.A.P. verse for today:
Mark 4;24 He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you’re listening to! Knowledge will be measured out to you by the measure of attention you give. This is the way knowledge increases. 25 Those who understand these mysteries will be given more knowledge. However, some people don’t understand these mysteries. Even what they understand will be taken away from them.”

As I thought about this scripture, I realized the more I pay attention to the Word without allowing other thoughts, worries, concerns or any other intruder to interrupt or distract me, the more God will speak to me through it and the better I will be equipped  with what I need to manage well and thrive in life. It will enable me to choose life. Wisdom and knowledge are in the Word and the Holy Spirit brings the understanding, but if I am burdened down by distractions, questions, concerns, etc.; I will miss out on part or all of what He is trying to teach me. Therefore, I must learn to set aside all the cares of this world when spending time with Jesus  and in the Word; hand them over to Him! Then I can focus on the whole of what He has for me each day! The choice between life and death is a gift from Him. We get to choose! Distractions are from the enemy and diminish our peace, our joy, our contentment, and our fruit! May the Lord teach us to choose life, laying down all those things that lead to death and destruction and allowing the mind of Christ to dwell richly in each of our lives!

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ImageNovember 16, 2012

Shalom,

It is with many emotions today that I leave Israel.  I am  flooded with gratitude to God  for this incredible opportunity! I have  missed our family very much and I  am grateful to be very close to seeing them again but also I am  overwhelmed with the desire to extend my stay in this land. I never imagined I would feel so at home here, be hit with such a depth of desire to stay here, nor did I realize the tears that I would shed because it was time to go!  What an exceptional group of people we have been blessed to travel with! Not only those from our Lifegate family, but also those who traveled from around the states to be with us and those who planned and executed our trip, especially our excellent driver. No one can maneuver a bus like Ami does.  It has been amazing to experience the Holy Land with such knowledgable and passionate guides. Huge gratitude to both Marc and Ilan!! The insight and understanding you brought to us was priceless. It is as Moshe  said when he spoke with us in his shop, ” None come to Israel unless it is by God’s hand.”  I am sure now more than ever, the longing to come here that I have carried for all these years was God given. I also believe the it was His perfect plan that this was the proper time for us to go. I don’t know that I will ever be able to fully express my gratitude for the ability to take this trip nor my perceptions in the land, but I will surely attempt to give it my best effort over time and it will forever change my understanding when I read God’s Word.  I can not wait to return.  Not only  have I left a large portion of my heart in Israel, I will forever carry a love for  Israel and it’s people in my heart!! As my wonderful friend Don says, ” This will change your life forever!”

November 20, 2012

The above was written at the airport last Friday. By the time we landed stateside, the attacks on Israel had escalated and continue to increase. This is a country surrounded but those who want to see it destroyed! Despite constant attacks, they use restraint in their defenses and as a rule only strike back when there are Israelis injured or killed.  This is a beautiful land with beautiful and diverse citizens who dwell together in peace. The attacks are coming at the hands of terrorist groups that want to see Israel and the Jewish people destroyed, please join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, Israel, and it’s people!

Psalm 122:5-7. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  “May those who love you prosper; 7 may there be peace within your walls, prosperity within your fortresses.”

He Understands

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Isaiah 61 (HCSB)

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn,
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning,
and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him.

I love this scripture! To me, it is one of the most beautiful scriptures ever written! It captivates me like no other!  The prophet Isaiah wrote this most scholars believe approximately 700 years prior to the birth of Christ and yet it outlines who Christ was and what His work here on earth would look like.  It clearly describes One upon whom God’s presence or Spirit would rest and explains that Jesus was anointed for the work He was sent to do. It was common practice for kings and priests to be anointed for service and in at least one instance a prophet was anointed to service. Jesus serves in all three capacities. He came to proclaim, preach and teach all that the Father directed Him fulfilling prophet and priest roles.  In His obedience in life, His obedience in death and His resurrection from the dead, He brought the Kingdom of Heaven here and made it available to all who believe.  In this victory He became King of kings, fulfilling the role of king.

As if that were not enough, the following verses beautifully describe the life Jesus lived. These verses echo in the words of the Beatitudes and in the gospel also as Jesus lived out His life as He healed, delivered and set people free. The echo in His obedience to the Father to carry out God’s plan and in the days following His resurrection. What a picture this paints! When it says Jesus came to bring good news to the poor, it is not necessarily speaking of those suffering in  financial poverty;  the original word means afflicted, humble, weak, needy, oppressed.  Please do not get me wrong here, Jesus came for all people to restore right relationship between a Holy God and His creation but many times when things are going well in our individual worlds, we forget our need for this relationship. It is in the tough times, when wave after wave of troubles or turmoil enter our lives that we reach out in need and cry out. It is in those times that our wonderful  Saviour meets us right where we are. It is in the sorrow of our lives that learn how precious joy is, the joy of knowing He not only sees our pain but He has experienced it and understands if far better than we know. He knows the pain when we are broken-hearted, He has been mocked, hurt, betrayed, accused and punished for things He did not do! Jesus suffered wrongful charges and was held captive, so He understands our desire for freedom! Our Lord experienced mourning, when His cousin was beheaded, when His friend died and his family wanted to know where Jesus was and why He delayed coming to them and the greatest mourning when on the cross He felt the absence of His Father’s presence!  He knew unending demands for His time and folks who tried His patience. There is nothing we struggle with that did not cross His path first. There is nothing that is beyond the scope of His understanding and nothing that He cannot turn around and use for our good. God never wastes our hurts and our pain and when we intrust ourselves to His care in the midst of it, He can turn it into something more beautiful that we could ever ask or imagine!!

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

   Unforsaken

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Lately, I have been spending a lot of time reading in Deuteronomy in both our scripture reading plan and in another study I have been engaged in. It has been fascinating to dive in and study more deeply the roots of our faith. You can see a great deal about the Holy character of God and the depth of His love for His people when studying the words of the Old Testament. Moses was protected from a decree to kill all baby boys, he grew up with the wealth and education of a prince in his adopted family, he evaded punishment for taking up for the Hebrew people from which he was born fleeing to the desert because he took a life, he started his life over in the desert and had a family of his own. He was call by God at a burning bush at the age of eighty and began the part of his life he is most known for, and perhaps the hardest time in his life at a time when most are slowing down and enjoying the fruit of their labors, at least in our day. Moses was a man like any other. He had successes, failures, questions, concerns but he is most known for his faithfulness to God, his listening to God and in most cases his obedience to God. His is also known for his love great love for God’s people.

What I found today as I came to the close of Moses life was the beauty in God’s love and care for His servant. Moses, because of disobedience to God had been told he would not be allowed to enter the promised land with the people and now as Deuteronomy comes to an end Moses is approaching the time that he will say goodbye to his people and they will begin their journey into the land of promise. Moses is now 120 years old in perfect health and perfect eye sight. In Chapter 31 God tells Moses that he is about to rest with his fathers, He tells Moses the people will one day turn from God. He then calls Joshua forth to be commissioned and anointed the new leader of Israel. Moses speaks warnings and blessings over the people. Despite knowing his fate, he shows his love and concern for the people he has led by speaking warnings and blessings over them.  The very day that Moses spoke over the people of Israel, God spoke to Moses saying,  “49 “Go up Mount Nebo in the Abarim range in the land of Moab, across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan I am giving the Israelites as a possession.50 Then you will die on the mountain that you go up, and you will be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.”   That is a lot of background summary to get to the heart of what has touched my heart so profoundly.  Moses in his last earthly act of obedience did just as the Lord said and went to Mount Nebo ascending to the top of Pisgah where the Lord spoke to him and  he was able to see at a distance the Promised land.  And having done as the Lord had instructed Moses.   34:5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, as the Lord had said. 6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him. 8 The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.”

Did you catch that, the Lord, his God buried him! God, Himself buried Moses!!  What a tender picture. God never left Moses! He took Moses from the mountain where he breathed his last breath and buried him in the valley in the land of Moab. God was with him in all aspects of his life, even in his disobedience that cost Moses the promised land. He was with him every step of the way! He was watching over him in the basket on the Nile, throughout his childhood, his time in the desert, his time of leadership over God’s people and even in his final hours! Moses died at the fullness of time as told in Genesis 6:3, “3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not  remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.”

We as believers also have great promises! Jesus also promised that He never leaves us or forsakes us. Deuteronomy 33:26-28 speaks of God coming down from over Moses, His everlasting arms beneath Moses, moving out the enemy from before him and in Isaiah 58:8 that He is our rear guard. We can count on these same promises in Christ, for we are grafted into the vine and are the seed of Abraham, we are joint heirs and heirs of the promise through Jesus Christ our Savior. We are truly blessed, Lord grant us the grace to walk in it!