Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Thursday, May 24, 2007
"Pride Proceeds Captivity"
Isaiah 1:1; 6:1; 2 Chronicles 26; Jeremiah 13:[15-17]
I have been studying the Captivity of God's people in the Old Testament. I find that Isaiah has more to say about the captivity of God's people more than any other book in the Bible. It also tells us a lot about God's promises of restoration and freedom that He gives to his people. Isaiah was God's primary spokesperson to the people of Judah. During this period of time in History Israel was a divided kingdom. It divided to the North and South after the death of King Solomon in 931 B.C.. Which then became the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern kingdom continued to be called Israel while the Southern kingdom called itself Judah. The Southern Kingdom of Judah, in Jerusalem, the holy city, was where Isaiah mainly served. The meaning of Isaiah's name is an important fact to know while studying the pages of this book of the Bible. Isaiah means--"The Lord saves." And what is amazing to me is that the word salvation is mentioned at least 27 times in this book. God called Isaiah to preach to Judah about their rebellion against Him. Isaiah warned them of the Assyrians and the captivity they would face under their rule. God's people were facing personal and internal captivity.
To gain some insight into the captivity and spiritual state of God's people at this time in History, I began to examine the reign of the kings who ruled over Judah.
Isaiah 1:1--"The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."
King Uzziah reined during Isaiah's ministry. I believe that when Isaiah was growing up he idolized Uzziah. I am sure that any time he saw a throne, his mind most likely pictured Uzziah sitting on it, instead of God. I believe that when Isaiah looked at Uzziah he saw a great and mighty man. He may have even called him his hero.
In 2 Chronicles we are able to examine King Uzziah's rule and learn about the pride that led to his captivity. 2 Chronicles 26:[1-15]--"Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites. The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful. Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. He also built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army. In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful."
Much of Uzziah's rule was a reflection of His name. Uzziah means--"the Lord is my strength." During His rule the Lord was the source of His strength. Well, up until he became powerful. Uzziah became King at 16, and reigned for fifty-two years. He enjoyed great prosperity and protection. As much as this Southern Kingdom was fortified and protected by a great army Uzziah might have believed that he would have been invulnerable to captivity. I believe that Uzziah came to realize that He was captivated internally by pride before he was ever captivated externally. Isn't that true of us too? The pride in our heart captivates us internally which finally captivates us externally.
Uzziah had more power than anyone in the Southern Kingdom. He was well known among the nation for his fame was spread far and wide. The people loved and revered him for how he rebuilt Elath and restored it. The only Authority that was with held from Him was the authority given to the priests by God to serve in the temple. After he became powerful he became prideful. Pride led to Uzziah's captivity. His sin of pride proved to be his down fall. Pride precipitates a fall. Proverbs 16:18--"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." In 2 Chronicles 26:[16-23], we are told of the penalty of Uzziah's pride.
2 Chronicles 26:[16-23]--But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted him and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God." Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD's temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him. King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house--leprous, and excluded from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king."
It was against Gods law and forbidden in the Levitical code for anyone to burn incense in the temple except for the priests. I believe Uzziah became prideful to the point of usurping the role of the priest to burn insence because he allowed prayerlessness to come between God and himself. I see this in 2 Chronicles 26:[5;15b-16]--"He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense."
Uzziah was motivated more by power than by worship. Uzziah had not offended the priests, rather, he offended God. The priests confronted his sin. The priests were not motivated by pride, but by the reverent worship of God who had appointed them. I see by Uzziah's reaction to the priests correcting him that he knew what he was doing was wrong, it wasn't just a mistake in his judgement. He became furious when he was confronted. As a consequence for disobeying God, God struck him instantly with leprosy. After his face broke out with leprosy, in verse 20--"Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him."-- Uzziah himself was eager to leave the temple. Our first response to our sin being confronted is to become angry. But when we see our sin for what it is we repent and want to get as far away from it as we can. Just as Uzziah did.
God hates pride. Pride can lead to captivity. Jeremiah 13:[15-17]--"Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it to deep gloom. But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD's flock will be taken captive."
God hates pride because it involves dethroning Him and making us the center of our lives instead of Him. It robs Him of the glory that is rightfully His. We need to thank God for our wonderful victories and point people to Him as the source of our success. God is the one and only Sovereign victorious. We need to thank him all the time for His strength, victory, and deliverance not just in the beginning. This is a very sobering reminder to all of us of what happens when we do not seek to cultivate our relationship with the Lord on a daily basis. This is also an example of what happens to us when we dethrone God and exalt ourselves.
We can learn a lot about God's great mercy from the life of Uzziah. God judged Uzziah for disobeying the law but was merciful to him in that He did not kill him. Now being struck with leprosy, Uzziah had to submit to the priests in a new way according to the laws given to them in Lev. 13 and 14 concerning leprosy. He also had to endure separation from the temple. When Uzziah died all that the people could say about him was that he, "He had leprosy." 2 Chronicles 26:23--"Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king."
"How like our human natures--both in our tendency toward pride when we are blessed with sucess and in our tendency to judge someone's entire life by a brief season of failure."--Beth Moore
We must seek to dethrone--humble--ourselves so that God can be exalted. It was only after Uzziah's death that Isaiah saw the Lord. Isaiah 6:1--"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple." Therefore, I believe that Uzziah had to be dethroned before the people of Isaiah's day would look to God as their King. Only after Uzziah's death would they see that he was only a man and come to believe in the King of Kings, God himself.
What is your spiritual state? Are you living in pride or humility? Is there sin in your life that is offending God? Are your decisions making captivity inevitable? Who is sitting on the throne in your life? God or self? Is there pride in your heart that is causing you to judge others by their failures? Are you motivated more by power or worship?
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
I have been studying the Captivity of God's people in the Old Testament. I find that Isaiah has more to say about the captivity of God's people more than any other book in the Bible. It also tells us a lot about God's promises of restoration and freedom that He gives to his people. Isaiah was God's primary spokesperson to the people of Judah. During this period of time in History Israel was a divided kingdom. It divided to the North and South after the death of King Solomon in 931 B.C.. Which then became the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern kingdom continued to be called Israel while the Southern kingdom called itself Judah. The Southern Kingdom of Judah, in Jerusalem, the holy city, was where Isaiah mainly served. The meaning of Isaiah's name is an important fact to know while studying the pages of this book of the Bible. Isaiah means--"The Lord saves." And what is amazing to me is that the word salvation is mentioned at least 27 times in this book. God called Isaiah to preach to Judah about their rebellion against Him. Isaiah warned them of the Assyrians and the captivity they would face under their rule. God's people were facing personal and internal captivity.
To gain some insight into the captivity and spiritual state of God's people at this time in History, I began to examine the reign of the kings who ruled over Judah.
Isaiah 1:1--"The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."
King Uzziah reined during Isaiah's ministry. I believe that when Isaiah was growing up he idolized Uzziah. I am sure that any time he saw a throne, his mind most likely pictured Uzziah sitting on it, instead of God. I believe that when Isaiah looked at Uzziah he saw a great and mighty man. He may have even called him his hero.
In 2 Chronicles we are able to examine King Uzziah's rule and learn about the pride that led to his captivity. 2 Chronicles 26:[1-15]--"Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites. The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful. Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. He also built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army. In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful."
Much of Uzziah's rule was a reflection of His name. Uzziah means--"the Lord is my strength." During His rule the Lord was the source of His strength. Well, up until he became powerful. Uzziah became King at 16, and reigned for fifty-two years. He enjoyed great prosperity and protection. As much as this Southern Kingdom was fortified and protected by a great army Uzziah might have believed that he would have been invulnerable to captivity. I believe that Uzziah came to realize that He was captivated internally by pride before he was ever captivated externally. Isn't that true of us too? The pride in our heart captivates us internally which finally captivates us externally.
Uzziah had more power than anyone in the Southern Kingdom. He was well known among the nation for his fame was spread far and wide. The people loved and revered him for how he rebuilt Elath and restored it. The only Authority that was with held from Him was the authority given to the priests by God to serve in the temple. After he became powerful he became prideful. Pride led to Uzziah's captivity. His sin of pride proved to be his down fall. Pride precipitates a fall. Proverbs 16:18--"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." In 2 Chronicles 26:[16-23], we are told of the penalty of Uzziah's pride.
2 Chronicles 26:[16-23]--But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted him and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God." Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD's temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him. King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house--leprous, and excluded from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king."
It was against Gods law and forbidden in the Levitical code for anyone to burn incense in the temple except for the priests. I believe Uzziah became prideful to the point of usurping the role of the priest to burn insence because he allowed prayerlessness to come between God and himself. I see this in 2 Chronicles 26:[5;15b-16]--"He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense."
Uzziah was motivated more by power than by worship. Uzziah had not offended the priests, rather, he offended God. The priests confronted his sin. The priests were not motivated by pride, but by the reverent worship of God who had appointed them. I see by Uzziah's reaction to the priests correcting him that he knew what he was doing was wrong, it wasn't just a mistake in his judgement. He became furious when he was confronted. As a consequence for disobeying God, God struck him instantly with leprosy. After his face broke out with leprosy, in verse 20--"Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him."-- Uzziah himself was eager to leave the temple. Our first response to our sin being confronted is to become angry. But when we see our sin for what it is we repent and want to get as far away from it as we can. Just as Uzziah did.
God hates pride. Pride can lead to captivity. Jeremiah 13:[15-17]--"Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it to deep gloom. But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD's flock will be taken captive."
God hates pride because it involves dethroning Him and making us the center of our lives instead of Him. It robs Him of the glory that is rightfully His. We need to thank God for our wonderful victories and point people to Him as the source of our success. God is the one and only Sovereign victorious. We need to thank him all the time for His strength, victory, and deliverance not just in the beginning. This is a very sobering reminder to all of us of what happens when we do not seek to cultivate our relationship with the Lord on a daily basis. This is also an example of what happens to us when we dethrone God and exalt ourselves.
We can learn a lot about God's great mercy from the life of Uzziah. God judged Uzziah for disobeying the law but was merciful to him in that He did not kill him. Now being struck with leprosy, Uzziah had to submit to the priests in a new way according to the laws given to them in Lev. 13 and 14 concerning leprosy. He also had to endure separation from the temple. When Uzziah died all that the people could say about him was that he, "He had leprosy." 2 Chronicles 26:23--"Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king."
"How like our human natures--both in our tendency toward pride when we are blessed with sucess and in our tendency to judge someone's entire life by a brief season of failure."--Beth Moore
We must seek to dethrone--humble--ourselves so that God can be exalted. It was only after Uzziah's death that Isaiah saw the Lord. Isaiah 6:1--"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple." Therefore, I believe that Uzziah had to be dethroned before the people of Isaiah's day would look to God as their King. Only after Uzziah's death would they see that he was only a man and come to believe in the King of Kings, God himself.
What is your spiritual state? Are you living in pride or humility? Is there sin in your life that is offending God? Are your decisions making captivity inevitable? Who is sitting on the throne in your life? God or self? Is there pride in your heart that is causing you to judge others by their failures? Are you motivated more by power or worship?
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Saturday, March 31, 2007
" Liberty in Christ "
Galatians 5:1--"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
As I read Galatians chapter five this week verse one really seemed to stand out to me. This verse has caused me to think and meditate on who I am in Christ. It has produced in my mind some thought provoking questions. Such questions as: Am I walking in freedom or bondage? Have I realized just how much Christ gave up for my freedom? Am I a captive, a prisoner unaware?
These questions have caused me to study and dissect Galatians 5:1. I have always thought that the only people that were captives were the spiritually lost. I have found out through this verse that as a Christian I too can live in bondage with a yoke of slavery strangling my neck. I see this in the the last part of this verse when he uses the word, "again".
Galatians 5:1b--"Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
I am held captive by anything that hinders me from the abundant and effective spirit-filled life God has planned for my life. Based on this verse this liberty is directed not to the lost world but rather to the Church. To the genuine born again believers. When Christ died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins He purchased our freedom from every yoke and replaced it with one, Christ Himself.
Matthew 11: [28-30]--" "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Satan would love nothing more than for us to live in captivity, because when we are in captivity we are worthless to the cause of Christ. A lot of the time that we are in bondage it is self-inflicted. I have found that Satan attacks me mostly through the first person singular. In my mind. I do not need to believe the lies he tries to put into my mind. I only need to believe the truth of God's word. Satan wants to keep us in bondage because it distract us and keeps from reading God's word. He doesn't want us to read the word because he knows it is the key to unlocking the prison gates that hold us captive.
Nothing! Not even Satan himself can hold us captive without our permission. We must choose through the freedom we have in Christ to Live in Freedom. Christ did not set us free so that we could live the rest of our lives in bondage. We were captives but now we have been set free. We must live our lives in light of this truth. When we are walking with Christ we are walking in the path of freedom.
As we walk in freedom perhaps these words will echo in our hearts......."How would I have known that I was lost had You not searched and found me? How would I have known that I was blind had You not made me see? How would I have known my bleeding 'Til You bound Your love around me? How would I have groaned my slavery until You set me free?" --Beth Moore
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
As I read Galatians chapter five this week verse one really seemed to stand out to me. This verse has caused me to think and meditate on who I am in Christ. It has produced in my mind some thought provoking questions. Such questions as: Am I walking in freedom or bondage? Have I realized just how much Christ gave up for my freedom? Am I a captive, a prisoner unaware?
These questions have caused me to study and dissect Galatians 5:1. I have always thought that the only people that were captives were the spiritually lost. I have found out through this verse that as a Christian I too can live in bondage with a yoke of slavery strangling my neck. I see this in the the last part of this verse when he uses the word, "again".
Galatians 5:1b--"Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
I am held captive by anything that hinders me from the abundant and effective spirit-filled life God has planned for my life. Based on this verse this liberty is directed not to the lost world but rather to the Church. To the genuine born again believers. When Christ died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins He purchased our freedom from every yoke and replaced it with one, Christ Himself.
Matthew 11: [28-30]--" "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Satan would love nothing more than for us to live in captivity, because when we are in captivity we are worthless to the cause of Christ. A lot of the time that we are in bondage it is self-inflicted. I have found that Satan attacks me mostly through the first person singular. In my mind. I do not need to believe the lies he tries to put into my mind. I only need to believe the truth of God's word. Satan wants to keep us in bondage because it distract us and keeps from reading God's word. He doesn't want us to read the word because he knows it is the key to unlocking the prison gates that hold us captive.
Nothing! Not even Satan himself can hold us captive without our permission. We must choose through the freedom we have in Christ to Live in Freedom. Christ did not set us free so that we could live the rest of our lives in bondage. We were captives but now we have been set free. We must live our lives in light of this truth. When we are walking with Christ we are walking in the path of freedom.
As we walk in freedom perhaps these words will echo in our hearts......."How would I have known that I was lost had You not searched and found me? How would I have known that I was blind had You not made me see? How would I have known my bleeding 'Til You bound Your love around me? How would I have groaned my slavery until You set me free?" --Beth Moore
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Giving Thanks to God
Hello All,
As I was having my quiet time this morning my mind began to think of all the things that I have to be Thankful for, mainly for my Salvation but my list seems to be an endless amount of praise to God for how He so graciously provides, protects, and loves me. As I praised God for each way I have seen His grace at work in my life my heart was immediately filled with tears of Joy.
In my heart I know that even if I had nothing to my name or Family and friends to share Thanksgiving Day with I am blessed beyond measure because I have Christ in my heart. If I had nothing at all I have Christ to spend Thanksgiving with and that my friends is the most precious gift that God has blessed me with because Christ is all I need. I believe Nancy Leigh Demoss says it best when she said,"Jesus will meet my deepest need....water for those who are thirsty...bread for those that are hungry...Strength for the weak...Righteousness for the sinful...Healing for the wounded...Forgiveness for the guilty...Rest for the weary...A friend for the lowly...Fullness for the empty...Joy for the grieving...Peace for the troubled heart...Beauty for the scarred.
HE IS.....Direction for those who don't know which way to go...Home for the rejected...Love for the unloved...Father for the fatherless...Husband for the widow...Freedom for those who have lost their way...A Refuge for the fearful...Hope for the discouraged...Fruitfulness for those who are barren...Life for those who are dead. Christ is all I need."
As I was thinking about Thanksgiving and praying and fellowshipping with my Lord I began to look at different passages of scripture on how the people of the Bible praised God and what they said to God when they prayed. It is amazing to me how much praise is talked about in the Bible. After I read how much Abraham, Esther, Moses, Elizabeth, Anna, Hannah and many more praised and glorified God, I began to browse the web to see what other people had to say about Thanksgiving and what they have prayed and here is a couple of things that I came across that I thought were very interesting and thought provoking.
"Thanksgiving Prayer: Is there an official Thanksgiving Prayer?
A Thanksgiving prayer brings to mind a festive table filled with turkey, cranberries, and other traditional dishes. Families surround the table with mouths watering as young cousins eyeball pumpkin pies with whipped cream. Before the turkey is carved, the family joins hands with heads bowed and offers words of thanks for the meal spread before them.
There is no official "Thanks to God" but prayers of gratitude have been offered since long before the 1620 American tradition began. It is the source by which the Pilgrims decided to begin with a prayer of thanks at this historic feast shared with the Wampanoag Indians. Years later, both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving history with their Thanksgiving proclamations.
Thanksgiving Prayer: Where did the idea come from?
For a way to express their thankfulness for survival and the first harvest, the deeply religious Pilgrims looked to the Bible. They found the celebrated Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), or Feast of Ingathering. The ingathering of Israelites (delivered from the desert of Sinai) and their harvest were celebrated in this feast and is the most joyous of all feasts still today (Leviticus 23).
Another reference to giving thanks is found in the account of "setting" what Samuel called the Ebenezer Stone. This was a memorial to remind them to be grateful for God’s help during an attack from the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:10-12). Actually, the Bible speaks of giving thanks nearly from cover to cover. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
All early celebrations had one common theme -- God. Thanksgiving was directed toward God, their Creator, Protector, and Provider. They believed that all good things ultimately came from Him as they do today. Other verses that include thanks can be read in Psalm 100:4, Psalm 105:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:57."--all about prayer.org
Here are two Thanksgiving Prayers that I believe give God the Glory for all He has and is doing in our lives. We pray that you have a blessed Thanksgiving. We Thank Our Heavenly Father for the friendship we have with each of you and wanted to remind you of how blessed our family is for God to have blessed us with such loving friends as you. Thank You for being a part of God's glory at work in our lives.
Family Thanksgiving Prayer
"Dear precious Lord,
We bow our heads in heartfelt, thankful prayer;
For all the ways You've blessed our lives
and for Your loving care.
We thank You for the hands
that have prepared this special treat
And pray that You will bless all those
who have no food to eat.
We're thankful for Salvation's plan
and for Your Holy Word;
And pray we'll help to spread
Your love to those who've never heard.
We're thankful for our freedom
and for churches that are near;
Where we can meet to praise Your Name
and worship without fear.
But still our hearts are saddened
by our brothers who aren't free;
Who suffer death and torture
for their Christianity.
We pray You'll give them strength
and courage as their cross they bear;
And let them know God's family
remembers them in prayer.
We thank You for heroic troops
who fight for liberty;
And daily risk their lives
and limbs to keep our country free.
Forgive us of our many sins
and keep us close today;
And bless this food You've given us,
In Jesus Name, we pray.
Amen"--Betty Mings
We bow our heads in heartfelt, thankful prayer;
For all the ways You've blessed our lives
and for Your loving care.
We thank You for the hands
that have prepared this special treat
And pray that You will bless all those
who have no food to eat.
We're thankful for Salvation's plan
and for Your Holy Word;
And pray we'll help to spread
Your love to those who've never heard.
We're thankful for our freedom
and for churches that are near;
Where we can meet to praise Your Name
and worship without fear.
But still our hearts are saddened
by our brothers who aren't free;
Who suffer death and torture
for their Christianity.
We pray You'll give them strength
and courage as their cross they bear;
And let them know God's family
remembers them in prayer.
We thank You for heroic troops
who fight for liberty;
And daily risk their lives
and limbs to keep our country free.
Forgive us of our many sins
and keep us close today;
And bless this food You've given us,
In Jesus Name, we pray.
Amen"--Betty Mings
| A Prayer of Thanksgiving |
| Father of the Ages, Thank You for providing everything we need. Thank You for grandparents who prayed for us before we were born as we pray for the grandchildren of our grandchildren. Thank You for teaching us to love by loving us, for all the love You give and we share. Thank You for surrounding us with the miracle of Your creation, for the heavens and the sparrows. Thank You for laughter and others to laugh with, for service and others to serve with. Thank You for health, sight, hearing, hands to work and hands to hold, holidays and beauty, books and music, children, food, rest, homes, and memories. My my, we are so blessed. Thank you for being here, watching, caring, helping. Glory to Your name! Thank You for who You are.
Serving Our Lord Together, Jay and Michelle Harrison |
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
"Am I Glorifying God on Earth in the Work He has Given Me to Do?"
"Am I Glorifying God on Earth in the Work He has Given Me to Do?"
John 17:4--"I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given me to do."
What Christ says in this verse has greatly penetrated my heart. It has caused me to ask myself some heart probing questions about my life concerning the work God has called me to do. Because of this verse I have been taking inventory and reevaluating my priorities according to God's priorities for my life. This helps me to recognize whether or not my priorities are aligned with Gods or whether they need to be adjusted so that I am fulfilling and obeying His priorities for my life. In the current stage of life that He has put me there are many things that can distract me from obeying God's word and His will for my life, Therefore I must be saturating myself in His word and bathing myself in prayer so that I do not loose focus on what His priorities are for my life.
When I am meditating on God's word and spending time in prayer cultivating my relationship with God my heart and mind will be fixed on Him. When my heart and mind are fixed on God then He will give me the strength to keep my focus on Him and the path of priorities He has given to me in His word that I may glorify Him by finishing the work He has given me to do. When my focus is on God it is an indication that I am trusting His perfect will for my life. When my mind is fixed on Him He has promised me His perfect peace in the midst of my circumstances.
Isaiah 26:[3-4]--"You will keep Him in perfect peace, Whose mind is is stayed on You, Because He trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord is everlasting strength."
If I am needing wisdom to know God's will for my life, whether for my priorities, how to train my children, all decisions whether big or small, He has promised to give me the wisdom I need if I but pray and ask Him for it.
James 1:5--"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to Him."
Is there anything in your life that you are having difficulty in knowing what to do? Are you facing difficulty in making the right decision? Pray and ask God for wisdom and He will give it to you as He has promised. What are the goals in your life? Is your Goal in life to glorify God or self? Are we fulfilling God's priorities for our lives so that when we stand before Him His words to us will be, "Well done thy good and faithful servant."?
At the end of my life my desire is to say as Christ did to God the Father,"I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given me to do."
Am I living my life in light of eternity and the eternal consequences of not living my life to glorify God?
"To have the right priorities a man's focus must not be on the head, but on the heart; not on himself, but on God; not on time but on eternity."--R Lessin
Lord, order my life and steps according to your priorities for my life. Help me to consistently walk with you so that I will have clarity and discernment in the decisions you have given me to make. Lord, in and of myself I cannot live a life that glorifies you so please live through me, love through me and breath through me. My desire is that you be glorified through me in the work you have called me to do. Give me the strength to keep my relationship with you my number one priority and give me a deep passion and longing to know you more.
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Monday, September 18, 2006
Are Our Mouths a Means of Grace or Gossip?
"Are our Mouths a Means of Grace or Gossip?"
Ephesians 4:29--"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."
In this verse Paul is talking to Christians, those that have by the mercy of God been forgiven for their sins and saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. He tells them two things, one of which they should not do any more now that they are new creatures in Christ, and one in which they should be doing. 1. Let no corruption proceed out of their mouths. 2. When they speak it needs to be what is good for the necessary edification of others that it may impart grace to everyone who hears it.
Paul tells us in----Ephesians 4:[22-24]--"That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."----that we are to put off our old former conduct which includes our selfish, self-seeking, uncaring, slandering, lying, anger, bitterness, wrath, clamor and evil speaking. We are also exhorted by Paul to put on the new man, which includes putting on kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness.
I see this in Ephesians 4:[25-28]--"Therefore putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with His neighbor for we are members of one another.”Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down upon your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let Him who stole steal no longer, but rather let Him labor, working with His hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." and then in Ephesians 4:[30-32]--"and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
"Corrupt"--"in the Greek is sap-ros’; which means rotten, that is worthless (literally or morally):-bad, corrupt."--e-Sword
I believe Paul is talking about foul rotten speech that comes out of our mouths. These may include foul language, mean spirited remarks, gossip and anything else that does not edify the person being talked about.
Proverbs 18:21—“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
“Gossip”—“in its noun form means; a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people.” In its verb form means; to wag one’s tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies.”—Word Web
Familiesministries.com puts it this way, “Gossip is to speak in a way which raises questions or doubts about another or their character. Gossip is conversation behind someone’s back, which puts them in bad light.”
We need to be oh so careful of what we say to others and about others for we represent Christ. When corrupt--rotten--things are coming out of our mouths we are shedding bad light on Christ’s character and the character of his people.
When I think of the words foul and rotten, I think of rotten or spoiled fruit. There are several things that can be said of rotten fruit. 1. It doesn’t nourish. 2. It will make you sick if you eat it. 3. It smells bad and makes the whole atmosphere around it unpleasant.
As I think about these characteristics of bad fruit I believe these have application to our lives as Christians. If we are gossiping about others we are not bringing them nourishment. If we have un-confessed sin in our lives (hearts) we cannot minister to those who need it because the fruit we give them will only be rotten. When we use foul language, say mean spirited remarks to others, or gossip about them, we only make others sick. If our words do not bring nourishment they will only make others sick. When we say rotten things to people or about them it makes us smell bad. It also makes people want to distance themselves from us because we are making the atmosphere around us unpleasant to the point of stench.
The word corrupt in the Greek, sap-ros' is used in another place in the New Testament by Jesus in Luke 6:[43-45]—“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasures of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
In verse 45 Christ clearly states that our mouth is not the root of the problem it is our hearts. In other words our mouths have to be cleaned up from the inside out. If the fruit of our mouths are rotten then we need to be evaluating the tree. If the tree (heart) is rotten then the fruit it produces will not be pure, it will be rotten as well. We face a battle of purity in what comes out of our mouths that must be fought in our hearts.
All these things that Paul is pointing out to us as Christians are so important that we must not think lightly about them. And as Christians we should live and speak with grace but Paul is saying all this in chapter four to drive home the real issue at hand which is found in Ephesians 5:1. The key word that gives this away is in the very first word of this verse, “Therefore.”
Ephesians 5:1--“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also loved us and given Himself for us, an offering, and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
The issue is: “Is our intention love?”
We need to be imitators of God by walking in love. Our words need to be pure, edifying, wholesome and righteous so that they reflect Christ’s love and holy character. When our intention is to love one another as Christ has loved us our mouths will be a means of grace and not gossip.
Questions for meditation:
1. When I speak am I speaking to edify others?
2. Is my mouth a means of grace or gossip?
3. Am I meeting a need with the words that are coming out of my mouth?
4. Am I building up the faith of others and imparting grace to those who hear me speaking?
5. Am I glorifying God by walking in love?
6. When I speak is my intention love?
Monday, August 07, 2006
"The Attributes and Character of Our Jehovah"
Psalm 23:[1-6]--"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."
As I have been mediating on this Psalm, I have learned that David is describing some very rich truths about the Lords attributes and character. Which could have been so easily over looked if I had of just read through this Psalm very quickly. It has amazed me how much the Holy Spirit will reveal to me if I will meditate on God's word and seek to cultivate my relationship with God the Father.
I have found that there are at least seven times in scripture when the name Jehovah is connected with another word. Each of these names reveal some aspect of the nature and character of God. I am seeking to study these different names of God in depth to see how they correlate with Psalm 23. It is amazing to me how the Holy Spirit has given David the very words that express to us the names of God, which teach us about His attributes and character.
The Names of God that can be seen in this Psalm has encouraged me and given me a fresh glimpse of God's Glory. These names of God include:
1. Jehovah Rohi--which means, "The Lord Our Shepherd", I see this in Psalm 23:1a--"The Lord is my Shephered"
2. Jehovah Jireh--which means, "The Lord will Provide", I see this in Psalm 23:1b--"...I shall not want"
3. Jehovah Rapha--which means, "The Lord that Healeth", I see this in Psalm 23:3a--"He restores my soul"
4. Jehovah Shalom--which means, "The Lord our Peace", I see this in Psalm 23:3b--"He leads me in the paths of Righteousness"
5. Jehovah Tsidkenu--which means, "The Lord Our Righteousness", I see this in Psalm 23:3b--"He leads me in the paths of Righteousness"
6. Jehovah Shammah--which means, "The Lord is There", I see this in Psalm 23:4b--"I will fear no evil; for You are with me;"
7. Jehovah Nissi--which means, "The Lord Our Banner", I see this in Psalm 23:5a--"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies"
These names for God are found in other passages of scripture through out the Bible. In one of my last journals I studied Jehovah Rohi and now I am seeking to study Jehovah Jireh, which is found in the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis chapter 22. There are some absolutely wounderful truths about how God provided for His servant Abraham in this story, however, they will have to wait until my next journal......
I pray that these attributes of God reveal to you the very Character of our Jehovah. It has encouraged me and revealed to me how great and majestic our God is and how His attributes work together in complete balance with one another to reveal to us His very nature and holy character.
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Friday, July 07, 2006
"The Jehovah is my Rohi"
The Twenty-Third Psalm
Psalm 23:[1-6]--"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."
As I have been seeking to meditate on Psalm 23, the LORD has revealed to me so many wounderful truths about His very character. David describes to us a volume of truth about God's attributes and character in this Psalm. In the first part of verse one David says,"The LORD is my shepherd." Just in this sentence alone David tells us a rich truth about who God is to us. It is obvious and made clear to us in this verse that He is our Shepherd, but David is telling us that God is so much more than just a shepherd. There are two words in this verse--LORD and SHEPHERD--that reveal to us the very nature and character of God. The word LORD is the one word that tells us so much more about God than just Him being our shepherd. The word LORD actually expresses to us who our shepherd is to us, who He wants to be to us, and what He wants to do in our lives.
"LORD"--in the hebrew is Yhovah (Yah-weh); (the) eternal self exsistant or eternal; JEHOVAH, Jewish national name of God: -Jehovah, the Lord."--Strongs Concordance
Jehovah (Yah-weh), is the covenant name for God. The name Jehovah was so sacred and revered by the ancient Jews that they would not even utter His name. They were in such awe of His name that it wasn't spoken out loud, only written. What is amazing to me is how in this psalm David took this sacred name of Jehovah and connected it with the word Shepherd (Rohi).
John 10:14--"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own."
One of the names for God is JEHOVAH--ROHI, which means, "The Lord our Shepherd." When David says, "The Lord is my Shepherd", he is actually saying, "The LORD (Jehovah) is my Shepherd (Rohi)." David is proclaiming that His shepherd is the high and exalted one who has always existed, whose name is holy, who is self-existant and self-sustaining. He's the one who needs nothing and is the possessor of all things and yet he draws near to me and cares for me even though I am weak and lowly. This Jehovah is my shepherd. As long as Jehovah is our shepherd we will lack nothing because everything is in Him. He is the "I AM", and the "I AM", is all we will ever need. Only when we can say, "The Lord is my Shepherd", can we truely say, "I shall not want."
Isaiah 40:[28-29]--"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength."
Isaiah 41:1--"Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am the first; And with the last I am He."
There are other names for God that can be seen in this passage. I have found that there are at least seven times in scripture when the name Jehovah is connected with another word. Each of these names reveal some aspect of the nature and character of God. I am seeking to studying these different names of God in depth to see how they correspond with Psalm 23. It is amazing to me how the Holy Spirit has given David the very words that express to us the names of God, which teach us about His attributes. I am really excited about what I have already learned about the other names for God that are seen in this passage and can't wait to share with you what God is revealing to me about Himself in just these six verses, but it will have to wait until my next journal........
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Sunday, June 04, 2006
The Lord is My Shepherd
The Twenty-Third Psalm
Psalm 23 has been my favorite passage of scripture since I was a child. It was the first passage of scripture that I remember memorizing as a child. It is packed full of wounderful truths about our Shepherd. I have read this passage over and over again and now I see it in a different light. As I started meditating on each verse and their meanings I began to see how God has revealed to us Himself and Christ in this passage.
This is a poetic passage of scripture written by David the shepherd-king. In this Psalm David is singing praises to His Shepherd. I am not sure when he wrote this psalm, some believe he wrote it when he was an older middle aged man because David was old enough to have enemies, he was facing the danger of death, and he experienced prosperity which point him to being an older mature man not just a shepherd boy. Some commentators think he wrote it during the time of Absalom’s rebellion, when King David’s son rebelled against him and tried to take over the kingdom forcing David to flee from his own home. Reguardless of when he wrote it David had been through a great deal in His life. He experienced hardships, pains, and blessings.
Through his praises he is testifying of the Lord's faithfulness throughout his life. David's testimony reveals his intimate relationship with the Lord. As an older man I believe that he reflected back on all he had been through, all that God had done for him, and all that God was to Him and began to picture the relationship that he once had with his sheep when he was a shepherd boy. By remembering how he watched over, defended, pastured, and watered his own sheep he was able to see how much he needed to look to his shepherd to guide, love, protect, and provide for him.
Psalm 23:[1-6]--"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."
The key verse in Psalm 23 is verse one. Psalm 23:1--"The LORD is my SHEPHERD; I shall not want."
The key words are:
"IS"--"means to have the quality of being used with an adjective or a predicate noun."--word web. There are few verbs that do not show action; they simply say something about the subject. The word "Is", is a state of being verb that is in present tense.
''My"--"is a pronoun that means of me or myself."--word web
"Shepherd"--in the greek is raah, which is a primitive root which means, "to tend a flock, that is pasture it; in transitively to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extention to associate with (as a friend):- companion, keep company with, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep), pastor, shepherd."--Strongs Concordance
"For He hears the lambs innocent call. And hears the ewes tender reply. He is watchful while they are in peace. For they know when their shepherd is nigh."--William Blake
John 10:11--"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own."
David uses the word "shepherd" which is a metaphor that describes who the Lord is to us. By using this metaphor we are able to understand the relationship we have with the Lord. It's not just any kind of relationship; it is a personal one. David begins this psalm by speaking in the third person using the words He and His then changes to the second person using the words You and Your. He switches from using the word "he" to using the word "you" denoting a personal relationship with the Lord. I see this in verses [1-3]. First He says in verse one, "The Lord is my shepherd." Then he says in verses [2-3], "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake."
Then David says in verses [4-5]--Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
David goes from talking and singing about God to talking and singing to God. David switches to a more intimate relationship with the Lord--his shepherd--as he begins to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. David is walking in the valley because God is the one that has led him there. I see this connection in verses [3-4]--...He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; "
David knew that the path through the valley of the shadow of death was also the path of righteousness that the Lord was leading him to. When we go through dark times in our lives we don't think God is the one that has led us there or that it is a path of righteousness, but that is exactly what David is saying in this psalm. When we are going through some type of crisis in our life that is when we go from talking about God to talking to God. We should be talking to God all the time not just when we think we need Him. In all reality we as sheep need our shepherd all the time. David also knew that as one of the Lord's sheep he would not lack anything that the Lord thought was good for Him. We are told in Ezekiel 34 that a shepherd lives with His flock and is everything to them. He leads, guides, feeds, protects, and provides for his flock just as God does for us. Because the Lord is our shepherd it should cause us to follow, obey, love, and trust Him just as David did.
Psalm 84:11--"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Monday, May 15, 2006
"God desires and wills for us to grow in love and obedience that we may be found blameless in Holiness at the coming of Jesus Christ"
1 Thessalonians 4:[1-8]--"Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit."
In this passage Paul tells us that God has called us to a life of personal Holiness. He urges and exhorts the Thessalonians to walk and grow in holiness because it is pleasing to God. He's not teaching them a new command but one that they had already recieved from him. Paul urges and exhorts them through the authority of Jesus Christ, not his own authority. This was a command from on high given by Christ to the apostles and then to the Church.
Before Paul exhorts this church to live holy lives that please God he prays for them. He prays that they would abound in love so that their hearts would be blameless in holiness before God at the coming of Christ. In 1 Thessalonians 3:[11-13]--" Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."
I believe this prayer is the main point of this passage because every thing that Paul talks about in chapter 4 points back to his prayer. He expresses to them how they are to abound more and more in their walk with God and in pleasing Him with their lives. Only through growing in sanctification could they be blameless in holiness before God at the coming of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4:1--"Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
The key words in this verse are:
Ought-- in the the greek is dei. Dei means, "necessary (as binding):-behoved, meet, must, need, ought, and should."--Greek Dictionary
Walk--in the greek is peripateo. Peripateo figuratively means "to live, deport oneself, follow:- go, be occupied with, walk (about)."--Greek Dictionary
Walk is a metaphor that Paul uses to teach the church at Thessalonica that their Christian lives should be ones of observable progression. This word "walk" carries with it the idea of movement and progression. Paul was teaching them that they should be moving toward Christlikeness through sanctification. Santification is a life long process. Santification starts at conversion; this found in 1 Corinthians 6:11 and Ephesians 5:26, then it continues through out our Christian life; this is found in Hebrews 2:11 and Hebrews 10:14, and is perfected and completed at the coming of Christ; this is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Paul wanted them to abound more and more in their love for one another, in their faith, and in holiness. Sanctification is the progression of holiness in our lives. It is the will of God that we are sanctified. 1 Thessalonians 4:3a--"It is God's will that you should be sanctified:"
Paul sends Timothy to this church in Thessalonica because he was concerned about their faith. Timothy returned to Paul with Good news about their faith and love for each other. Although Paul was comforted by their faith and love for each other there were still things that they were lacking in their faith. Paul states this in 1 Thessalonians 3:10--"night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?"
There are several things that these people were lacking in their faith. 1. Sexual Immortality. This is found in verse three, four, and five. 2. Work Ethics. This is found in verse Eleven. 3. Their view of Death and the Coming of Christ. This is found in verse thirteen through eighteen.
Paul tells them several things that they needed to do to grow in holiness. 1. Abstain from sexual immortality 2. Control your own bodies in sanctification and honor. Paul also tells them several things they were not to do if they were going to grow in holiness. 1. Don't do what the gentiles do; which was committing adultry and other immoral sexual acts. 2. Don't defraud your Brother in the manner of sexual immorality. 3. Don't to be ignorant of the death of your loved ones that have trusted Christ and of the coming of Christ.
Paul wanted them to remember that as children of God they were to be "set apart" from unbelievers; the gentiles. If they acted in this manner they could not grow in holiness or be set apart from unbelievers. This applies to our lives today. If we belong to God we need to act like we belong to Him. God has set us apart for Himself therefore we must be set apart in our actions as well. How we act reflects God's Holy Character. Holiness is pure distinctive Godly living that is set apart in thought, word, and deed.
"Sanctification is the work of God's free grace whereby we are renewed in the wholeman after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness."--Westminster Catechism
God desires and commands us to be holy. 1 Peter 1:[15-16]--"But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
We can only please God and live lives worthy of God by saying yes to God and no to sin. We must obey this command to grow in love and obedience so that we are found blameless in holiness when Christ returns. We must remain in Christ so that we can grow in righteousness. Apart from Christ and the holy Spirit we cannot obey this command. God created us and has equipped us through the Holy Spirit to grow in holiness and Christlikeness. 1 Thessalonians 4:7--"For God did not call us to uncleanness, but holiness."
We must live a life of personal sacrifice and service to our Savior in order that we may be sanctified. The greatest tribute we can give to God is a godly life. Our sanctification is our highest calling as a Christian, one in which brings great pleasure to God. If we are going to be blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ we must walk in holiness now. We can walk in holiness now by abounding more and more in service to God and by abstaining from sexual immortality by possessing our own bodies in sanctification and honor. Through God's grace we can live a holy life that pleases God. Our lives should be a consistant progression of Christ's likeness. May we consistently exhort one another to walk in holiness.
Questions for meditation:
If Christ came back this very minute would God find you blameless in holiness? Are you abounding more and more towards holiness? Do you live your life in a way that reflects God's Holy Character? How have you responded to God's call to holiness in your life? In how you conduct yourself, do people see Christ's righteousness? Are your thoughts pure? Are your words pure? Are your deeds pure?
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Saturday, April 08, 2006
"When my Faith is Weak I need to Trust God"
Mark 9:[19-24]--"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
A desperate father brings his son to the disciples to be healed. He loves his son, and he is a father who is hurting. He is a man with a son in a hopeless situation. The disciples tried to heal this boy possessed of a demon and had failed. Jesus then says in verse 19--"Bring the boy to me." Everyone present lacked faith that takes possession of demons. The father of the child, the
disciples of Jesus and the scribes lacked this faith. Jesus wholly trusted in the heavenly Father and the disciples didn't, that's why Jesus was the only one present that could heal the boy.
The father cried out for mercy begging Christ to heal his son. "But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" [v. 22] Jesus' response was--"The question is not whether I am able but whether you believe."--Hendriksen
Mark 9:24--"Immediately the boy's father cried out and began saying, "I do believe; help me in my unbelief." What kind of cry was this? It was an "eager, fear-stricken cry" of faith.
Help what does this mean? "Help" is boetheo meaning "to run to the cry" of someone in danger. We hear the cry of a small child and we drop everything and run in the direction of the crying.
He asked for continuous help for his unbelief. "Be constantly helping my unbelief"--Wuest. It was an instant response to the demand of Jesus for full trust in Him. "I am believing. Be constantly helping my weak faith." Hendriksen translates, "Continue moment by moment and day by day to come to my aid, so that I may overcome my unbelief."
C.H. Spurgeon wrote, "As a SIN, UNBELIEF grieves the Spirit of God, but as a WEAKNESS, Unbelief, mourned and confessed, secures the Spirit’s help." As we read this story of UNBELIEF - both the father’s and the disciples’ - Can we not relate to their problem?? Haven’t we all had moments in our lives in which we have said, "Lord, I Believe, but help thou my Unbelief"???
Thank God for the compassion of Jesus. He doesn't just sweep the man aside saying you are faithless. I can not help you. Jesus first met the spiritual need of the father by bringing him to a focused faith.
In Matthew [17:20] "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain,'Move from here to there,' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you". The disciples had faith less than a grain of mustard seed. Christ says, "It only takes a grain of faith."
When my faith is weak or when my faith faulters I need to trust God. I need to ask God to strenghten my faith, then I need to trust Him and believe that He will give me the faith that I need to trust him.
When my faith Faulters it is costly and it will result in me making poor choices. An example of this can be seen in the lives the Israelites. They wandered forty years in the desert because the nation allowed unbelief to overtake their faith.
Their wavering trust made them miss out on the blessings of God. It proved to be costly to their loved ones as well. Which was proven when the Lord punished the Israelites. Numbers 14:33--"Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert." When their faith faultered they began to complain and disobey God. When they did this God became very angry and punished them. Numbers 14:34--"For forty years-one year for each of the forty days you explored the land-you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you." The Lord punished them for their partial obedience.
"Partial obedience is still disobedience, and it leads to mistakes"--Charles Stanley
Their wavering faith and trust in God affected their confidence and joy. They became less willing to take the risks God was asking them to take. Instead of standing firm they found their confidence eroding. Rather than acting in obedience to God they questioned what the Lord told them to do. Their joy diminished because their unwavering faith led them away from God's will.
Because their faith weakened they weren't experiencing the inner peace of God anymore. Their faith became unsteady.
No matter how unsteady our faith is God wants us to draw near so He can strengthen our trust in Him. Hebrews 10:[22-23]--"let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise."
When He draws near we need to give Him all the Glory.
"When there is little faith there is little praying. When there is an abundance of genuine, persevering faith, there is also fervent, unrelenting prayer. If Jesus came back today, would He be appalled by our lack of faith and prayerlessness, or would He be delighted with our faithful of trust in Him?"--William Hendriksen
Lord, I pray that no matter how I feel I will always make the right decisions to believe and obey you. God, please strengthen my faith through your Holy Spirit. Help my faith to remain steady. Lord help me to always recall your faithfulness to me. Thank You for being faithful. Help me to have a believing heart. Help me stay in your word and stay focused on you so that I will keep a believing heart. I want your perfect will for my life. Lord you can do it. I know you can. I have never been disappointed in you. Lord take away my doubts and fears and help me grow in your grace.
Serving our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Thursday, April 06, 2006
"Knowing God Intimately"
2 Peter 1:2--"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,"
I have been reading and rereading 2 Peter and it is amazing what I am learning. I believe this verse is the key verse in this passage. Paul also ends with this same message in 2 Peter 3:18--"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
The key word in both of these passages is "knowledge." The word "knowledge" and "the knowledge of God", suggests a relationship between the person who's doing the knowing and the person who's being known.
I believe the knowledge spoken of here is not just a distant knowledge. It is a knowledge of being united with and having an intimate relationship with God our Father. It's an intimate knowledge. To know God and Christ is to one with them. This kind of relationship is a powerful influence in our life. It completely changes us. We cannot know God intimately without it making a difference in our lives.
John 17:3--"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
Knowing God and growing in the knowledge of God is the key for us recieving the grace and peace we need in our lives. The greater the knowledge and the deeper our knowledge of God is the more grace and peace will be multiplied to us. The more we know God the more peace we will have in the midst of difficult circumstances. Many times we pray, "Lord, deliver me from and change my circumstances." When we pray this way we are putting all the responsibility on God. We pray God give me your grace and peace and then don't do what He has told us to do to recieve it. Our responsiblity is getting to know God. It's not about God changing our circumstances it's about getting to know God more intimately. A failure to know God is at the heart of every problem we have. Knowing God is also the key to every blessing that we recieve from Him. Knowing God is the key to grace, peace, life, godliness, and happiness. The more we know God the more we love Him.
I believe that Peter is implying that there is a lack of the knowledge of God. There are people who have alot of head knowledge about God but they do not know Him.
What does it mean to know God? I believe to know God is more than intellectual knowledge about God. It is having an intimate relationship with God through Christ. It is an intimate knowledge that we have first hand. It is a first hand knowledge of God. It's not just knowing about Him but knowing Him personally!!!
We sacrifice things to God to please Him and to serve Him. But our burnt offerings, the things we sacrifice to God are sacrificed in vain if we do not know Him. God says in Hosea 6:6, that He wants us to know Him and He wants to know us. God doesn't just want us to know the facts about Him He wants us to know Him intimately and personally. Knowing God is more important to Him than what we can sacrifice to Him.
Hosea 6:6--"For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
We must grow in the knowledge of the gospel of the grace of God and the truth of His word. We grow in this knowledge through fervent ceaseless prayer and through meditation on the scripture. The means by which grace and peace are multiplied to us is through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ.
John 1:16--"And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace."
What is the knowledge of God?
The answer is found in the last part of 2 Peter verses 1:1, "Our Savior Jesus Christ" and in verse 2, it says, "Jesus our Lord."
I see two things about Jesus in these verses. 1. Jesus is my Savior. 2. Jesus is my Lord.
The true knowledge of God is that Christ is God, Savior, and Lord. He died on the cross for our sins and rose again the third day. We have recieved a precious gift from God, the gift of salvation, through Christ. Through Christ grace and peace have been given to us by God. When we have a true knowledge of Christ and desire to know Him intimately, it is an indication that true saving faith has taken place in our hearts.
We must grow in the knowledge of God. Our faith is built and strengthened on knowing the truth about God and of Jesus Christ. Our Spiritual growth is rooted in God's word being revealed to us. "God has therein revealed Himself unto us in the face of Jesus Christ. We find Christ; we find the revelation of God in the word of God."--George Mueller
We must grow to understand and believe the truth about God!!! I believe the more we come to know God the happier we become. I pray that we all may abound in God's grace. That God might multiply His peace and grace to us and that we may grow in it.
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
"The Cross: Our Certificate of Debt Paid in Full"
Colossians 2:[13-14]--"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
These verses proclaim the incredible sin-debt that we owe God that we can never repay. We are indebted to God because of our sin nature. We are dead in our trespasses because of our sin nature not; not merely because of the acts of sin that we commit. We are hopelessly, spiritually dead in our sins, therefore God has to make us alive through Christ that we may recieve eternal life. It is only God who initiates and exerts His power to make us alive. We do not have the ability to make ourselves spiritually alive. Without God dragging us to Himself and giving us the desire to come to Christ we would not have come to Him. Our sin nature is for self. It is unnatural for us to come to Christ and want anything besides what's in our own best interest. Therefore, only through God's power, justice, and unfailing love will we ever come to Him.
Circumcision in the Old Testament was an outward sign of the cleansing of sin that came from believing in God. With this in mind I believe that "The uncircumcision of your flesh" in this verse--is an inward sign refering to the cleasing of our hearts. Our hearts need to be cleansed because we have a corrupt nature. Once we come to Christ our hearts are cleansed and sanctified through Him. Henry's commentary says, "An unsanctified heart is called an uncircumcised heart." I believe Paul is saying here that before we come to Christ we are dead in our trespasses because we have unsanctified hearts that have not been regenerated. We have to be given a new nature through believing in Christ's death on the cross and resurrection; only then do we become alive in Him.
Romans 6:[5-6]--"For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."
Through Christ's death he paid the debt for our sins. No one except Christ could pay this debt because only He lived a sinless life. All of us have sinned and cannot keep God's laws therefore we needed Christ to pay the debt for us.Through Christs sacrifice and payment for sins we have been completely forgiven for the debt that we owed God. Our debt has been paid in full.
Romans 3:23--"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
I have done a little research on the customs and commerce of Pauls day. It is interesting to me what Paul says in verse 14, "having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Paul's words here are powerful. He is explaining how debts were handeled in those days. When a person could not repay their debt the lender would write up an itemized certificate of debt. The debtor was required to sign this certificate. It was then posted on the doorposts of the debtors house where everyone could read it. When they paid their debt in full the lender would do one of two things. He would wipe away--by marking through--the certificate or drive a nail through it to cancel out the certificate of debt.
This is what Christ did for us on the cross. God saw our certificate of debt--the sin in our lives--and cancelled out our debt by driving a nail through it and wiping out our debt. Our debt was nailed to the cross. God forgives us and declares us not guilty when we put our faith in Christ. We all owe God a debt that we will never be able to repay for violating His laws, therefore we are sentenced to death. All of our sins were put to Christ's account and nailed to His cross paying the penalty for our sins in our place, satisfying God's justice and wrath. Payment in full had to be made through Christ. When we trust in Christ we are no longer sentenced to death but guaranteed eternal life that we may live forever in God's presence. We must believe that Christ died for our sins but it doesn't end with His death, we must also believe and accept His resurrection. Christ paid our debt but this means nothing apart from His resurrection. His sacrifice means nothing if He didn't have the power to over come the grave. Jesus' resurrection proved that He had the power to make our salvation possible; to remove our sin and the penalty for it. May we always live for the Glory of our risen Lord. Praise God everytime He looks at me He doesn't see my sin but the precious, prefect blood of Christ covering me.
Lord, Thank you for your mercy, power, justice, and for loving me enough to draw me to Yourself. Without you I am nothing. Thank You for the sacrifice of Christ that I may come into your very presence. Thank You for cancelling out my sin-debt by driving the nails through Christ. Thank You for the liberty, hope, and freedom I have in Christ. Christ, thank you for making me to be a partaker of your life, that I may be one with You. Please live your life through me. Thank you for this fresh glimpse of Your glory.
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison
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