As you know I have been weaving in and out, learning here and there about my Jewish roots to Christianity. Having been adopted in the natural, I understand the meaning behind “chosen” perhaps more than most. Although I know my natural mother I did not know my natural father. So it is not to be looked at lightly when someone takes on the responsibility of adoption. I believe that most everything that is positive about me came from my adopted father. He was patient with me and was always nearby. I could go to him at any time and for anything. It is a good memory.
Spiritually speaking, I do not question my Jewish roots but I long to understand more. Yeshua (Jesus) my Savior and big brother guided me to know my adopted father, Abba. It was because of my Abba’s (Father’s) love, that He revealed Jesus to me, but for many years I related only to Yeshua. I think perhaps that is how it is with most Christians today. I did not know my Abba. Oh, I accepted the fact that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all One but I did not know my Abba. Today, I can say I know Abba and He continues to show me more of Him everyday as I grow in faith and study especially from Torah. The Torah is where I find Abba most and the Gospels is where I find My Big Brother...
I am trying to cease from referring to my Bible as if it were two truths. I do not want to divide its essence into Old Testaments and New Testaments. The truth is that, my Bible from Genesis to Revelation is one Covenant and what I do with it makes me a part of the One… In other words just as we have the Father, Son and Holy Ghost in our faith, This “One” has shown me that I have the Torah, the Gospels and Me and together we are also one. Hallelujah! This might not make since to anyone but me, but there it is anyway…
We are to learn from the Word and keep it in our hearts but not only keep it but do it!
I understand that my Father is God. He, Almighty and Divine, who sent His son to be born to a Jewish maiden and grew up in a Jewish house. This Son, Jesus, was as human as you or I. He grew up observing the rituals and traditions of the Hebrew faith. He learned that the first action taught to Adam by God was sacrifice. The lamb was sacrificed and the “bloody” skins were put on Adam and Eve to cover their shame. The shame was not that they were naked but that their sin was so great they needed a shield. They thought the shield was necessary so that they could be hidden from God. But the trees and leaves in the garden were not enough to hide behind. God knows everything...
Think about it … Adam and Eve were afraid and they hid. In their hiding they tried to cover themselves with leaves. When you were a child and afraid, did you cover yourself with your blanket? What did you cover up? Did you only cover up your private parts when you were afraid? I don’t believe the pictures of the Adam and Eve are accurate representations of the truth. If you were like me, I was afraid sometimes of the dark. I would be sure that my blanket was wrapped completely around me, from my feet to my head and I only left a small breathing hole by my nose. I believe Adam and Eve were so ashamed and afraid that they tried to become invisible. But God sees everything.
Adam and Eve probably trembled behind the bushes as they answered Him. They probably stayed there behind the bushes because they had broken fellowship with God. They must have watched as the sacrifice for them was being made. They probably cried for the first time and felt pain, not only for the loss of that animal whose life ended before their eyes, but for themsleves. They had not known death before but they learned that death was the price of disobedience. The innocent was slain for them so that they could be covered!
This practice was taught to their sons. Cain and Abel would not have known to sacrifice had they not been taught to do it. I'm sure Adam and Eve's stories were shared with them. I'm sure they taught them that plants would not atone for sin, but only blood can be an atonement. Adam and Eve may not have understood why this was so, but they were compelled to listen and obey. Just read the Word and keep reading it. The teachings are there for all of us to learn from. Start in Genesis and go where the Spirit leads you to make connections and reflect so that you can live your life to honor Him. I believe if you start in Genesis, that will reveal just how enormous God is and who God is...
In many ways, we have been living in a culture that has has tried to pull God down to be equal to us. We are not to pull God down! We could't do it, if we tried. Our culture was supposedly "enlightened" during the 18th century when everything was centered on reason, science and cultural entertainments. These ideas became the norm for society and this western philosophical thinking has robbed us of intimacy with God.
The truth is that we are to be drawn to Him. Jesus didn't linger by the boats (Matthew 4) when He called Peter and Andrew. He was walking by the sea and called them to follow Him and they did! God will be near and call, then its up to you... We are to be drawn to Him.
When I study, it usually starts with a preacher’s sermon that I listen to in my car, replaying sections that seem unclear but important. When I'm home, I tend to stick to one teacher at a time, reading my Bible along side his/her teachings. As I study on my own I look up things I’m not sure of in the regular dictionary and concordances. I also check out encyclopedias (including standard, Jewish and Catholic). Sometimes I will Google a topic and read several pieces of information that adds to my stockpile of information and occasionally I will ask a pointed question to someone I respect knows the answer. Many times the answers I find only push me to ask more questions and that is how the Holy Spirit guides my learning.
I must be cautious and discerning when reading anything or listening to anyone. Before I begin study, I need to seek His face and ask that He reveal what He wants me to know and do. Then when I study, anything that I find contrary to the Word itself must be discarded. You may discover that what you thought you knew wasn’t true at all when you study so don’t be discouraged but believe God to empty out the lies and fill that empty gap with truth.
After I’ve found satisfaction in my study, then it’s time to listen and observe another’s research. I compare notes, glean information and hopefully gain inner wisdom from God. I know when my study is honored by God because He will have someone, somewhere confirm it verbally to me usually without them ever knowing I was studying in that area. Often I hear this confirmation in church on Sunday from the lips of my own Pastor! Praise God... He keeps us all thinking and working together in His kingdom and we don't even realize sometimes how well He weaves us all together!
Jesus said:
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6
He said:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Luke 11:9
So I suppose, today my plea to anyone reading this is…
Get into the Word and study for yourself. Find out what is behind your faith so if you are asked you will be ready to answer. We can't expect God to answer for us from an empty vessel. He has commaned us to be filled and from that filling, He will answer.
Remember, the message of my Savior is simple and clear: He is the way, the truth and the life. John 14:6.
Your study should bring you closer to Him. When you study and find yourself moving away from Him, STOP and do a quick check. Ask Him, "Is this where I need to be?" Ask Him in prayer—perhaps He is leading you to a better understanding, but it may be that you have gone on a goose chase! I mean this sincerely. We can get so caught up in philosophies, religious thouhts and practices, and the events of the past that it clouds our present and keeps us from our future. Satan loves it when we withdraw to study and never come out to practice it!
But God is there to lead us in our study. We must be sure to ask Him what He wants us to know and how to use it!
Don’t be discouraged because there is so much you do not know, but rather be encouraged that He has taught you so much so far! He will continue to teach you as long as you are willing to do your part and learn it. The day you close the book, stop hearing Him, forget to pray and praise Him—is the day that you walk away from Him.
Stay close to the Father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Who are we, really? Who is our father, really?
My prayer is this, O Lord, open my eyes and let me see more of you! Open my ears and let me hear more of you! Open my mind and let me grow gracefully in the knowledge that is you! Open my heart and let me love as deeply as you! Guide my hands and let me serve more dutifully for you! Guide my feet and let me follow your paths of righteousness! I ask these things not just for me but anyone who is seeking to know you more intimately. These things I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Every step of our Christian lives should remind us that we have an important relationship with our Father God, Creator and King of the Universe. Well, this reads great on paper and it sounds great in the pulpit! But what do we do with it?
Most of the time, each of us goes through this life completely unaware of our relationship with Him. We move from being joyful to being desperate based on the events in our lives. All these emotional highs and lows hide Him from us. Now, we could say this is the enemy's way to keep the Lord hidden from us and that satan keeps us on this emotional roller coaster. But come on now, sometimes it's just us and our flesh that keeps the Lord hidden behind a veil. Satan doesn't have to do a thing becasue we are doing a fine job of concealing God all by ourselves!
Well, then we have those brief "emotional" encounters. We may experience a hint of recognition of Him during church or during a conversation with another believer and for that moment we want more of Him.
O what disgraceful neglect! These brief 'emotional" encounters are unacceptable! We need to repent of the shameful neglect of yesterday and today where we didn't get into His word and we didn't pray and we didn't serve Him as we knew to do. So now as we breathe in and out, we must seek His face and ask His help to remember Him [at all times] and we must not neglect Him tomorrow or thereafter! When I say breathe in and out I'm thinking that without Him I'd have no breath. Perhaps I need to learn to be so focused on Him that I'm aware of each breath. For those of you that know, I had a really bad time with asthma these past few weeks and I now know more than ever before how precious each breath is.
Ephesians 5 17 tells us to be careful how we live. Don’t live like fools... Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk but, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to ourselves, and making music to the Lord in our hearts and to give thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I fall short in this area of giving thanks always and keeping Him in my heart by singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. I bet you fall short, too! We have to make a conscience effort to acknowledge Him at all times. I will say it's easier to do than it used to be but I still have a ways to go.
Our main problem is this. We don’t really know who we are, our position or our duty! God desires a relationship with us 24-7, but we give him the scraps of our lives when it suits us.
Here are two examples where someone was begging for scraps:
Remember the Gentile woman from Mark 7? She said,” even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates. Jesus was impressed with her words and with that her daughter was healed. Jesus represented the Father in all that He did. There is a spiritual message here. Jesus is impressing upon this Gentile woman that He was sent to feed the children— of His own family, the Jews. He said it isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs. But she waited for a scrap and ended up with a full meal.
In John 4, Jesus said to His disciples previously… I have a kind of food you know nothing about. He had to explain that His nourishment came from doing the will of God. In John 6, He says… I am the bread of life. So this woman got a spiritual meal and not the scraps, when Jesus restored her from an unclean demonic spirit. It wasn’t the given time for the Gentiles yet, but still the Father honored her and gave her the desire of Her heart. She was included in the kingdom at that moment because she believed and had faith.
Remember from Luke 16, how the rich man was in torment and desired that Lazarus dip his finger in water to cool his burning tongue? Could it be that the very thing he denied the poor man when they were both alive was the very measure of torment that he had to endure? The poor man’s hungry tongue became the rich man’s burning tongue. The Bible says that there was a certain rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen, who fared sumptuously every day and that Lazarus laid by his gate, covered with sores. He longed for scraps from the rich man’s table, but only the dogs would come and lick his open sores. The dogs were his only companions. But the angels carried Lazarus into Abraham’s bosom and the rich man went to hell. Lazarus was included among the righteous and I’m sure never hungered for food or companionship ever again.
In both instances, the woman and Lazarus only desired scraps but they ended up feasting at the Master’s table.
If God only gave us scraps that would be enough, but God gives us abundance in this life and we are so “rich” that we are unable to see His mercy and grace toward us. We have become haughty. Would you have the Lord begging for scraps? Would I? We say "no" but our actions many times prove us liars!
O, we say that's not fair! It's too strong a language! But, let's call an ace an ace. We are sometimes liars. We lie to ourselves. Do you remember waht group liars are included with in the Bible? Remember Revelation 21:8 8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Have you lied to yourself thinking that you are safe because you professed belief in Jesus? Even the demons believe in Him to the point they know who He is, but is He their Lord and Savior? I think not! Stop this insanity! Stop lying to yourself! Check yourself and see if you really are a child of God and Jesus is your Lord and Savior.
The problem is we don’t know who we are.
So who are we?
· We are loved of God so much that He sent His Son to redeem us. (John 3: 16-17)
· We are to repent and believe to become children of God, to be adopted by Him. (Mark 1:15, John 15:15, Eph. 1 3-8)
· We are to receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22, 1 Cor. 6:17)
· We are to love one another. (John 15:12)
· We are Jesus’ friends. (John 15:15)
· We are sent out to make disciples and teach them. (Matthew 28:18-20)
· We are ambassadors of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
· We are priests and kings. (Revelations 5:10)
This list is just the beginning… We must read and follow him to find out more and more of whom God made us to be. We must think about the responsibility we have been given.
We need to remember…
John 15: 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Let’s stop giving Jesus the scraps. He is the King of kings.
.
Every step of our Christian lives should remind us that we have an important relationship with our Father God, Creator and King of the Universe. Well, this reads great on paper and it sounds great in the pulpit! But what do we do with it?
Most of the time, each of us goes through this life completely unaware of our relationship with Him. We move from being joyful to being desperate based on the events in our lives. All these emotional highs and lows hide Him from us. Now, we could say this is the enemy's way to keep the Lord hidden from us and that satan keeps us on this emotional roller coaster. But come on now, sometimes it's just us and our flesh that keeps the Lord hidden behind a veil. Satan doesn't have to do a thing becasue we are doing a fine job of concealing God all by ourselves!
Well, then we have those brief "emotional" encounters. We may experience a hint of recognition of Him during church or during a conversation with another believer and for that moment we want more of Him.
O what disgraceful neglect! These brief 'emotional" encounters are unacceptable! We need to repent of the shameful neglect of yesterday and today where we didn't get into His word and we didn't pray and we didn't serve Him as we knew to do. So now as we breathe in and out, we must seek His face and ask His help to remember Him [at all times] and we must not neglect Him tomorrow or thereafter! When I say breathe in and out I'm thinking that without Him I'd have no breath. Perhaps I need to learn to be so focused on Him that I'm aware of each breath. For those of you that know, I had a really bad time with asthma these past few weeks and I now know more than ever before how precious each breath is.
Ephesians 5 17 tells us to be careful how we live. Don’t live like fools... Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk but, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to ourselves, and making music to the Lord in our hearts and to give thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I fall short in this area of giving thanks always and keeping Him in my heart by singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. I bet you fall short, too! We have to make a conscience effort to acknowledge Him at all times. I will say it's easier to do than it used to be but I still have a ways to go.
Our main problem is this. We don’t really know who we are, our position or our duty! God desires a relationship with us 24-7, but we give him the scraps of our lives when it suits us.
Here are two examples where someone was begging for scraps:
Remember the Gentile woman from Mark 7? She said,” even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates. Jesus was impressed with her words and with that her daughter was healed. Jesus represented the Father in all that He did. There is a spiritual message here. Jesus is impressing upon this Gentile woman that He was sent to feed the children— of His own family, the Jews. He said it isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs. But she waited for a scrap and ended up with a full meal.
In John 4, Jesus said to His disciples previously… I have a kind of food you know nothing about. He had to explain that His nourishment came from doing the will of God. In John 6, He says… I am the bread of life. So this woman got a spiritual meal and not the scraps, when Jesus restored her from an unclean demonic spirit. It wasn’t the given time for the Gentiles yet, but still the Father honored her and gave her the desire of Her heart. She was included in the kingdom at that moment because she believed and had faith.
Remember from Luke 16, how the rich man was in torment and desired that Lazarus dip his finger in water to cool his burning tongue? Could it be that the very thing he denied the poor man when they were both alive was the very measure of torment that he had to endure? The poor man’s hungry tongue became the rich man’s burning tongue. The Bible says that there was a certain rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen, who fared sumptuously every day and that Lazarus laid by his gate, covered with sores. He longed for scraps from the rich man’s table, but only the dogs would come and lick his open sores. The dogs were his only companions. But the angels carried Lazarus into Abraham’s bosom and the rich man went to hell. Lazarus was included among the righteous and I’m sure never hungered for food or companionship ever again.
In both instances, the woman and Lazarus only desired scraps but they ended up feasting at the Master’s table.
If God only gave us scraps that would be enough, but God gives us abundance in this life and we are so “rich” that we are unable to see His mercy and grace toward us. We have become haughty. Would you have the Lord begging for scraps? Would I? We say "no" but our actions many times prove us liars!
O, we say that's not fair! It's too strong a language! But, let's call an ace an ace. We are sometimes liars. We lie to ourselves. Do you remember waht group liars are included with in the Bible? Remember Revelation 21:8 8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Have you lied to yourself thinking that you are safe because you professed belief in Jesus? Even the demons believe in Him to the point they know who He is, but is He their Lord and Savior? I think not! Stop this insanity! Stop lying to yourself! Check yourself and see if you really are a child of God and Jesus is your Lord and Savior.
The problem is we don’t know who we are.
So who are we?
· We are loved of God so much that He sent His Son to redeem us. (John 3: 16-17)
· We are to repent and believe to become children of God, to be adopted by Him. (Mark 1:15, John 15:15, Eph. 1 3-8)
· We are to receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22, 1 Cor. 6:17)
· We are to love one another. (John 15:12)
· We are Jesus’ friends. (John 15:15)
· We are sent out to make disciples and teach them. (Matthew 28:18-20)
· We are ambassadors of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
· We are priests and kings. (Revelations 5:10)
This list is just the beginning… We must read and follow him to find out more and more of whom God made us to be. We must think about the responsibility we have been given.
We need to remember…
John 15: 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Let’s stop giving Jesus the scraps. He is the King of kings.
.
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