Where you lead . . .

On April 8, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Exodus 40: 34 – 38

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

There is so much which could be said about this passage but my favorite part is that the Israelites did nothing unless the Lord went before them. This reminds me of Jesus in John 5: 19 where he was quoted as saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” Do you see the correlation between today’s verse and Jesus’ admission in John? No one is moving until God moves, then they follow His lead. One would speculate that this is the model our lives are to follow.

Another thing which screams out from this passage is that God rested on the tabernacle day and night. Wow! To get the revelation of that you have to acknowledge what the New Testament tabernacle is. In case you don’t know, it is you! There is nothing, other than your belief, which is preventing you from the glory of God resting on you day and night. Honestly, this is what the new dispensation is about. The glory of the Lord has come and it makes its abode with you.

This passage’s meaning, or inspiration, is pretty simple; follow God, let Him lead you, wait for Him to move before you pack up your tent. If you will make it a point to watch and wait for His spirit to lead you, you will abide in the glory of the Lord. How great is that?

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Walking

On April 7, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 5: 30

I can do nothing of my own initiative.

If Jesus could do nothing of his own initiative, what makes me think I can do anything of my own initiative. I am trying to get a big revelation of this verse and what Jesus was conveying to us. In verse 19 of this same chapter Jesus said that he could do nothing of Himself, only what he saw the Father doing. As I pondered these couple of verses the story of Jesus walking on the water came to mind. I am trying to understand what happened as Jesus approached the water.

Jesus earlier sent his disciples on ahead of him in the boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As Jesus prepared to follow them I presume he walked down to the water’s edge. Did he look for a boat for hire or one to borrow and there were none available? What happened next? If Jesus only did the things he saw his father do then he must have had some sort of revelation from God; a vision, a memory, about walking as a viable means of transport across bodies of water. Did He see in his spirit God walking before him on the water and so just launched out following the father? Did God show Jesus an image in his mind’s eye of Jesus walking on the water with God the Father?

I just don’t know but we know that Jesus did nothing of his own initiative. Therefore, God initiated Jesus’ stroll on the sea of Galilea. We also know that Jesus could do only those things which he saw His father do so God had to have, in some way, demonstrated walking on water. I am guessing that God didn’t sit down on the edge of the lake with Jesus and explain the physics of water molecule cohesion to him. He didn’t give him a course on water walking, I don’t believe. No, it seems to me that perhaps Jesus had to receive the concept by faith. 

Jesus didn’t explain the physics to Peter either. Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and emulated him. Paul told his disciples, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11: 1).  That is our essential model. Jesus is only doing what he witnesses his Father doing so we are to imitate Jesus as he imitates the Father.

Stop striving, stop trying, stop planning all your moves. Put your eyes on Jesus and just walk.

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Redeemed, Restored & Renewed

On April 6, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Galatians 3: 13 – 14

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” – in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles.

This is a message of the cross that we do not hear often and yet it is so profound that we should be shouting it from the housetops. This is a huge statement. While we were yet under the curse, God provided a way, the way, to redeem us from that curse. Jesus Christ, our beloved, went to the cross not to bear the burden of the curse but rather he became a curse so that we could be freed from the curse, from sin and from death. Jesus went to the cross so that we could be redeemed from the curse of the law and thereby be reconciled to God and into the blessing of Abraham.  

This passage encourages further study for it demands an answer to the question, “What is the blessing of Abraham?” It also answers many questions and some very large ones at that. We know, beyond doubt, that we are to live lives of blessing being no longer under the curse. We are heirs of all of the promises God made to Abraham. We know what the Christian life is to look like and it is not one of sickness, disease and poverty. Those are in the curse. It is not a life on anguish and torture. We are delivered from the curse of the law, from the power of darkness, into the kingdom of his dear son.

Additional text: Deuteronomy 28: 1-14

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Peek-a-boo

On April 5, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 52: 6

Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, “Here I am.”

It is cool to be God. He gets to identify how He will be known and He says to you and to me, “I want you to know me as ‘Here I am.’” Oh, how great is that? Come on, let that sink down into the pit of your stomach and see how that feels. That is exciting, isn’t it?

God said, “Hey, I am a God who is near, not far off” (paraphrase Jeremiah 23: 23). He wants to be the God of “Here”; here I am. In other words, His place in the cosmos is not sitting on some far off planet where He uses the moon of that planet as His footstool. He is the God of when you call, there I am. That is God’s self-identity. Many folks would define a true friend in that same language. A friend is someone who is always “there” when you need them. God wants us to call Him.

This also reminds me of playing Peek-a-boo with children. Every time the child moves their hands or we do, there we are. Think about how little children giggle every time they see you. We can be those little children who are comforted and cheered every time we look to the Father because He is always answering, “Here I am.”

You never again have to wonder where God is. He is there where you are. He is the playwright and  He wrote His role as your always present companion. You know, He is known as the great “I Am”. Now you know one important aspect of what that means –“Here I AM.” I am with you.

God can choose any role for Himself He wants and He chose to be your “Here I am.” That is pretty amazing. What a beautiful choice, what a beautiful concept and what a precious scripture. All that God is He brings to you. Glory to God!

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This Way ->

On April 4, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 30: 21            Index Card 15

And your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it.”

Well, today is the last index card but it really is a good one and certainly one which I have relied upon extensively. This is a promise from God and you can hold Him to it. First it means that we will hear God speak to us (See Word of the Day – Opened Ears, 3/24/16). That is a great promise all by itself but let’s not stop there. It also means that He will give me direction, He will guide me in the way I should go. God has opened our ears and is using the communication lines between us to show us the way (read all the puns into that you want). His voice guides us daily. If at any time we do not hear Him leading us then we have only to stop and recall this verse. Then we set our intention back to hearing His voice and there He is, still on the line talking.

Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit would be our guide (John 16: 13). He also revealed that the Holy Spirit would take whatever He hears and disclose it to us and believe it, the Holy Spirit keeps pretty good company. So, we really have it made. God the Father has promised to speak a word in our ears and Jesus commissioned the Holy Spirit to speak to us and guide us. Now we know the way.

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Revealed and Healed

On April 1, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 53: 5               Index Card 14

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Are you beginning to notice that I have a lot of verses on healing in my private collection? I told you, there are these old injuries. Frankly, I am quite active despite the injuries but I really don’t think I would be able to be active if I was not receiving a revelation of “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15: 26).

Peter quoted this passage of scripture in the New Testament. He says, “ … by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2: 24).  So, I am trying to let the revelation that I WAS healed penetrate every cell and membrane in my body. I don’t need to GET healed, I am healed. Jesus was wounded so that I would be whole. My healing was in the miracle he wrought for us in his scourging, the cross, the grave and his glorious resurrection. He took those injuries, sicknesses and diseases to the cross and then buried them in the grave. Then he arose, renewed and restored. We now have that resurrection power working in our bones. “By his wounds we are healed.”

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Fruity

On March 31, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Galatians 5: 22 – 23            Index Card 13

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

What a nice and gentle reminder this is about the fruit our lives are to express. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to come live within us. When the Holy Spirit moved in, he brought his furniture and his grocery basket. He is the fruit vendor of our lives if and when we yield to him. You see, we cannot produce this kind of fruit by our own strength and will power. We need help. Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me” (John 15: 4). 

Jesus said that we were to be fruit inspectors (Matthew 7: 16). This is what he was talking about. We look for these characteristics flowing from others. That is how we know they are safe for us. We do not look at the calamity which has perhaps befallen their lives and make judgments about them from that. This is not a basis for judging others but rather for discernment. We are to follow after divine fruit. Jesus said we would be able to know people by their fruit. A good tree does not produce bad fruit and a bad tree does not produce good fruit. We are to demonstrate love, joy, peace . . . and we should learn to recognize this fruit in others.

Why is this one of my index card verses? I need this as a constant reminder of the fruit that should be exhibited in my life. If it is not displayed, then I know I need to reconnect with the life of Jesus within me.

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