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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No Need

On March 30, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Philippians 4: 19                   Index Card 12

And my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

This is a familiar passage of scripture and you likely hear it quoted frequently. It was written by the Apostle Paul. There is a caveat to this scripture before you begin using it freely though. Paul wrote it to the Philippians saying to them that God would meet their needs because they had met Paul’s needs. So, this powerful promise is specifically for those who are meeting the needs of the clergy. Don’t be discouraged. Be a sower. Avail yourself of the might of this passage. And, if you already are a consistent giver to the church, then celebrate. Paul speaks blessing over you.

There is more and I wish for you to receive the fullness of Paul’s message. Let’s read Philippians 4: 18, “But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied.” I really see two sides of this coin. First, Paul declares that his needs are abundantly met. So, the church has clearly done a good job of looking after him. Secondly, I read this passage with the view that when I look to the needs of the church and specifically its ministers then God meets my need so that I receive everything in full, abundantly, and fully supplied.

This is an insight into God’s economics. When you sow, you reap. When you take care of the needs of the church, God takes care of your needs. Paul wanted the church he established in Philippi to be filled. He was thrilled to declare blessing over them. Every minister wants her flock to overflow with blessing and Paul was overjoyed knowing that through the generosity of the Philippians not only were his needs taken care of but the blessing was going to flow back and flood them. Yahoo!

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Lordly Duties

On March 29, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Exodus 15: 26        NIV    Index Card 11

I am the Lord that heals you.

There is something about the tone of this verse which blesses me. It is almost as if God is saying that healing is in His job description, like healing us is part of what it means to be Lord.

One of the key points I take from the last two days’ verses is that they are both from the Old Testament. Do you know that old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same?” It seems the same can be said of scripture. Many of us think of healing as a New Testament theology but it is not. God was into healing long before Jesus’ amazing healing ministry. We know that God is not one to change (Hebrews 13: 8). Therefore, we can have confidence that He wants to heal us today. The God of the Old Testament was a Lord who heals. Jesus healed multitudes of people; therefore, they will heal us today. I love good news, don’t you?

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Restored

On March 28, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Jeremiah 30: 17                  Index Card 10

For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds.

This is one of my favorite healing verses because it speaks of wounds. That one word expands healing in my mind. Healing is not limited to disease and sickness. God will even heal our wounds and injuries. That is an important distinction for me.

When I was young I played sports and I suffered some injuries. Those injuries have plagued me throughout my life. Imagine my delight to find out that God is able and willing to heal injuries and wounds as well as diseases, but then I guess in reality an injury causes a great deal of dis-ease if we think of the word in its most literal terms.

So, if you have old injuries or wounds, realize that God provided for your healing thousands of years ago. We don’t have to carry these injuries the rest of our lives. Isn’t that great news?

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