Monica gave us a book by Max Lucado last Christmas - A Love Worth Giving. It's a book about God's love. Why is that important? It's important because God is love; it's His very essence. The greatest virtue we can experience is LOVE. When we receive and give God's love, we are most like Him.
Please, get this book out and read it! If anything can really change our lives, it's the love of God. I Corinthians 13 is known as the Love Chapter. Max Lucado graciously cuts the love chapter into bite-sized pieces so that we can eat this delicious meal. Then it will become a part of us and we will be changed as Christ is formed in us..
It's sort of weird to think of Almighty God as humble, yet that is exactly what He is. Humility is the opposite of pride. But what does He have to be humble about? He's the Creator of everything, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. God is love (I Jn 4:8) and love is not proud (I Cor 13:4). Therefore, God is humble. He wants us to be humble, too.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" (Phil. 2:5-8)
Max goes on to say:
"Would you do what Jesus did? He swapped a spotless castle for a grimy stable. He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers. He could hold the universe in His palm but gave it up to float in the womb of a maiden.
If you were God, would you sleep on straw, nurse from a breast, and be clothed in a diaper? I wouldn't, but Christ did. . . . If you knew the tongues you made would mock you, the mouths you made would spit at you, the hands you made would crucify you, would you still make them? Christ did.
He humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary's finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier.
Why? Because that's what love does. It puts the beloved before itself. You soul was more important than his blood. Your eternal life was more important than his earthly life. Your place in heaven was more important to him than his place in heaven, so he gave up his so you could have yours.
. . . Want to love others as God has loved you? Put others before yourself."
I wept when I read these words. The Holy Spirit convicted me of my own selfishness and pride. When school is out, I always look forward to a vacation from responsibilities and demands put on me by others. For a little while I choose to become unavailable. It didn't happen this year, and I have felt very sorry for myself with much whining and complaining. But these beautiful words from the Bible and from Max Lucado have given me a fresh perspective. I repented of my pride and selfishness. As Max eloquently put it, "in a world of upward mobility, choose downward servility." Phil. 2:3 puts it in a nutshell:
Regard one another as more important than yourselves.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Intercession
I'm reading a phenomenal book on intercession called Beyond the Veil by Alice Smith. She is cofounder and executive director of the U.S. Prayer Center in Houston. She states that the person who is prayerless is powerless. Our Father has called us to unite with Him to bring about His purposes and plans on earth. The Lord will entrust the power of His Kingdom to those who abide in Him in the Holy of Holies. (John 15:7 Eph. 6:12)
"Inter" means between and "cedere" means to go. When we intercede, we go between. Between what??? Intercession is going in prayer between what God wants to do on earth and what satan wants to do on earth!!! (Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Matt. 6:10)
The Lord has chosen us as his covenant partners, but if we refuse to participate, He will find another. In Isaiah 59:16 God saw that there was no one to stand in the gap, and He was appalled that there was no one to intervene!! That is a sad truth sometimes. God is a gentleman, so He will never force us to bear a burden, but what rich rewards we will have if we accept His call to prayer!!
David F. Wells, a professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, writes, "What, then, is the nature of petitionary prayers? It is, in essence, rebellion - rebellion against the WORLD in its fallenness, the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is pervasively abnormal. It is . . . the refusal of every agenda, every scheme, every interpretation that is at odds with the norm as originally established by God." Intercession expresses a holy dissatisfaction with the way things are, taking steps necessary to bring God's will through prayer.
Prayer is not about changing God's mind; it's laying hold of His highest willingness, His best, His Kingdom. It's standing in the gap between what is happening and what God wants to happen.
"Speak, for your servant is listening!" (I Sam. 3:10)
"Inter" means between and "cedere" means to go. When we intercede, we go between. Between what??? Intercession is going in prayer between what God wants to do on earth and what satan wants to do on earth!!! (Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Matt. 6:10)
The Lord has chosen us as his covenant partners, but if we refuse to participate, He will find another. In Isaiah 59:16 God saw that there was no one to stand in the gap, and He was appalled that there was no one to intervene!! That is a sad truth sometimes. God is a gentleman, so He will never force us to bear a burden, but what rich rewards we will have if we accept His call to prayer!!
David F. Wells, a professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, writes, "What, then, is the nature of petitionary prayers? It is, in essence, rebellion - rebellion against the WORLD in its fallenness, the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is pervasively abnormal. It is . . . the refusal of every agenda, every scheme, every interpretation that is at odds with the norm as originally established by God." Intercession expresses a holy dissatisfaction with the way things are, taking steps necessary to bring God's will through prayer.
Prayer is not about changing God's mind; it's laying hold of His highest willingness, His best, His Kingdom. It's standing in the gap between what is happening and what God wants to happen.
"Speak, for your servant is listening!" (I Sam. 3:10)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
If My people . . .
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Monday, April 5, 2010
We are in Christ
We know we are now "in Christ" but what does that mean? Actually, the term "in Christ' occurs in the New Covenant (Testament) almost 100 times. You could say it's a recurring theme!
The New Covenant was cut between the Father and the Son. It was NOT cut between you and God or God and me; it was cut between the Father and the Son. Then it was confirmed with each of us as we accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord.
According to Phil. 2:5-11 God the Son came to earth to establish the New Covenant. When the time came for the covenant ceremony, Jesus, as the Passover Lamb, was chosen as the covenant sacrifice. Jesus, being fully God, was selected as the Father's representative. Jesus, being fully man, was chosen also as mankind's representative. As the precious blood of Jesus was shed at the cross, the New Covenant was cut between our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus. That was how Jesus secured all the promises and blessings of the New Covenant.
After He rose from the dead, Jesus entered the heavenly tabernacle and, through His shed blood, He obtained eternal redemption for mankind (Heb. 9:11-12). Then He became the mediator of the New Covenant.
The New Covenant was cut between the Father and the Son. It was NOT cut between you and God or God and me; it was cut between the Father and the Son. Then it was confirmed with each of us as we accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord.
According to Phil. 2:5-11 God the Son came to earth to establish the New Covenant. When the time came for the covenant ceremony, Jesus, as the Passover Lamb, was chosen as the covenant sacrifice. Jesus, being fully God, was selected as the Father's representative. Jesus, being fully man, was chosen also as mankind's representative. As the precious blood of Jesus was shed at the cross, the New Covenant was cut between our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus. That was how Jesus secured all the promises and blessings of the New Covenant.
After He rose from the dead, Jesus entered the heavenly tabernacle and, through His shed blood, He obtained eternal redemption for mankind (Heb. 9:11-12). Then He became the mediator of the New Covenant.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
IN CHRIST - Restoring what Adam lost
In Christ we occupay a new position and all of the promises of God from both the Old and New Testaments belong to us. every promise in the Bible is yes and amen in Christ!
In Genesis 1:26-30 we see that God had initiated a wonderful plan for humans. Man was to be His representative upon the earth, to be His friend, to fellowship with Him, to take dominion over the earth, and to be richly blessed for all eternity.
When the serpent deceived Adam and Eve, they ate of the forbidden fruit, and sin entered the world. As a result, they were cast out of the Garden and God's purposes for mankind were temporarily thwarted. But through His covenants, God is is restoring all that was lost by Adam.
God's original purpose for us:
REPRESENT THE IMAGE OF GOD
Our new position of being in right standing with God is restoring us back into the image of God.
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD FOREVEr
The veil separating man from God was ripped, giving us free access to God's throne, opening the way for an intimate relationsip with Jesus
ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Through the Great Commission, Jesus has given us the authority to advance the kingdom of God and take dominion over the earth.
FREELY ENJOY EVERY BLESSING IN THE GARDEN
We are blessed with every spiritu blessing in heavenly places.
All the covenants find their fulfillment in Christ. Jesus is the sum of all things, fulfilling every covenant and every covenant promise. We are heirs of the promises of God in Christ Jesus - they are our inheritance!!!!! The New Covenant restores eveyrthing that Adam lost.
In Genesis 1:26-30 we see that God had initiated a wonderful plan for humans. Man was to be His representative upon the earth, to be His friend, to fellowship with Him, to take dominion over the earth, and to be richly blessed for all eternity.
When the serpent deceived Adam and Eve, they ate of the forbidden fruit, and sin entered the world. As a result, they were cast out of the Garden and God's purposes for mankind were temporarily thwarted. But through His covenants, God is is restoring all that was lost by Adam.
God's original purpose for us:
REPRESENT THE IMAGE OF GOD
Our new position of being in right standing with God is restoring us back into the image of God.
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD FOREVEr
The veil separating man from God was ripped, giving us free access to God's throne, opening the way for an intimate relationsip with Jesus
ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Through the Great Commission, Jesus has given us the authority to advance the kingdom of God and take dominion over the earth.
FREELY ENJOY EVERY BLESSING IN THE GARDEN
We are blessed with every spiritu blessing in heavenly places.
All the covenants find their fulfillment in Christ. Jesus is the sum of all things, fulfilling every covenant and every covenant promise. We are heirs of the promises of God in Christ Jesus - they are our inheritance!!!!! The New Covenant restores eveyrthing that Adam lost.
Happy Easter!!!
ISAIAH 53
Who believes what we've heard and seen?
Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?
The servant grew up before God - a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about Him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at Him and people turned away.
We looked down on Him, thought He was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains He carried- our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought He brought it on Himself,
that God was punishing Him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to Him, that ripped and tore and crushed Him - our sins!
He took the punishment that made us whole.
Through His bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins,
everything we've done wrong, on Him, on Him.
He was beaten, He was tortured,
but He didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared, He took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and He was led off -
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried Him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man.
Even though He'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.
Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
to crush Him with pain.
The plan was that He give Himself as an offering for sin,
So that he'd see life come from it -
life, life, and more life.
And God's plan will deeply prosper through Him.
Out of terrible travail of soul,
He'll see that it's worth it and be glad He did it.
Through what He experienced,
My Righteous One, My Servant, will make many "righteous ones,"
as He Himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore, I'll reward Him extravagantly -
the best of everything, the highest honors -
Because He looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because He embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on His own shoulders the sin of the many,
He took up the cause of all the black sheep.
Who believes what we've heard and seen?
Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?
The servant grew up before God - a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about Him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at Him and people turned away.
We looked down on Him, thought He was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains He carried- our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought He brought it on Himself,
that God was punishing Him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to Him, that ripped and tore and crushed Him - our sins!
He took the punishment that made us whole.
Through His bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins,
everything we've done wrong, on Him, on Him.
He was beaten, He was tortured,
but He didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared, He took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and He was led off -
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried Him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man.
Even though He'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.
Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
to crush Him with pain.
The plan was that He give Himself as an offering for sin,
So that he'd see life come from it -
life, life, and more life.
And God's plan will deeply prosper through Him.
Out of terrible travail of soul,
He'll see that it's worth it and be glad He did it.
Through what He experienced,
My Righteous One, My Servant, will make many "righteous ones,"
as He Himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore, I'll reward Him extravagantly -
the best of everything, the highest honors -
Because He looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because He embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on His own shoulders the sin of the many,
He took up the cause of all the black sheep.
God is faithful to His covenant people!
"Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments." Deut. 7:9
God is faithful to His covenant. It is important that we have faith in God's faithfulness! Then we can stand on the promises of God in full assurance that He who promised is faithful.
The blood of Jesus was shed to secure the New Covenant. By doing this, God chose to bind Himself legally to His unalterable word and to be faithful to the promised blessings of His covenant with us. God will not violate His oath. He has bound Himself by covenant.
God is the omnipotent, all-powerful God. All of us know He has unlimited strength. The good news is that out of His lovingkindness, God directs His strength toward His covenant partners.
God never wavers and He never changes His mind. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He can be trusted!
How can God care so much for sinful, weak human beings? LOVE is the primary attribute that motivates God to act on our behalf and meet our needs. His lovingkindness is everlasting.
God is faithful to His covenant. It is important that we have faith in God's faithfulness! Then we can stand on the promises of God in full assurance that He who promised is faithful.
The blood of Jesus was shed to secure the New Covenant. By doing this, God chose to bind Himself legally to His unalterable word and to be faithful to the promised blessings of His covenant with us. God will not violate His oath. He has bound Himself by covenant.
God is the omnipotent, all-powerful God. All of us know He has unlimited strength. The good news is that out of His lovingkindness, God directs His strength toward His covenant partners.
God never wavers and He never changes His mind. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He can be trusted!
How can God care so much for sinful, weak human beings? LOVE is the primary attribute that motivates God to act on our behalf and meet our needs. His lovingkindness is everlasting.
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