Do This in Remembrance

Having just celebrated Easter, it is fresh in our minds how our Lord sacrificed Himself to have a relationship with us. Our God is so loving that He did what no one would do by giving His only son to suffer and die at the hands of His own creation. He could have just wiped us out in an instant and started over. Instead, He proved His love over the ages by sparing a remnant of His people from destruction again and again. He always searched for someone who was righteous, someone who had a heart for Him.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV)

9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him...”

As it turns out, the Father is always looking for us. He found Noah and those with him before the flood. He found Abraham and made a covenant of promise with him. He found Moses on the back side of the desert and spoke to him out of a burning bush. Joshua led His people into the promised land and Rahab, a prostitute, was spared because she feared the Lord and helped the spies. Jesus found Peter, James and John fishing, Matthew collecting taxes and Paul persecuting the Church. All of these enroute to fulfilling His love-blood-covenant with Abraham.

 Genesis 9:9 (NKJV)

9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you,…”

I believe the words “as for Me” are some of the most significant words ever spoken. God  actually committed Himself to this covenant before Abraham responded. He anointed David as King when he was just a shepherd, chose Matthew as a despised tax collector, and Paul while he was murdering His Church. Then He chose each one of us out of our sin and brokenness by shedding His own blood to fulfill this love-blood-covenant in our lives.

Luke 1:72-75 (NKJV)

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers

And to remember His holy covenant,

73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

74 To grant us that we,

Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

Zacharias prophesied over the new-born John that God had brought the fulfillment of the promise through Christ. Jesus prophesied His own sacrifice as He dined with His disciples.

Luke 22:19-20 (NKJV)

19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 

Jesus gave us the Communion Sacrament as a reminder of His sacrifice and what it took to bring us back into relationship with the Father. It is a renewal of our commitment to Him and the Love-Blood-Covenant that He made with us to bring us forgiveness and all the blessings of our relationship. In that covenant we are redeemed from the curse of the Law and set free from slavery to sin and death.

Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Hebrews 10:16-18 (NKJV)
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

It’s not a sacrament to save only for special occasions, nor is it one to be done as a religious habit. It is a recognition that in the broken Body on the cross is found healing for our body, soul and spirit. He purchased our Peace on the cross, Shalom in the Hebrew, which is wholeness in every way, nothing missing, nothing broken.

Isaiah 53:4-5 (AMPC)
4 Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

The Blood was shed to seal the covenant between us. Jesus cut a covenant with the Father for our forgiveness, wiping out forever our past and future shortcomings opening the pathway to intimate relationship with God that we could never hope to achieve. We take part in this covenant by accepting the terms. Our sin for His forgiveness. Our slavery for His freedom. Our pain for His healing. When we take communion, we renew that acceptance and receive all the blessing that comes with our relationship with the Father who loves us and affectionately cares for us.

Psalms 103:2-4 (AMPC)
2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits—
3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

Communion is our opportunity to recognize, and honor Jesus for the sacrifice He made on our behalf. To reverently acknowledge the Blessing of Abraham He has bestowed on us and receive its benefits. It is something we should do often as a demonstration of thankfulness to our Great God, YAHWEH-SHALOM.

Be Blessed!

Choose Life

 

Deuteronomy 30:19 AMPC
¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live

By the time we get to the 30^th chapter of Deuteronomy Moses has gone over much of what God expects and promises to His children. Moses is working his way through the instructions for living a righteous life and what to expect that God will do in return.

In this one verse he calls them to personal accountability. Moses won’t be there much longer to guide them and discipline them as the one who talks to God face to face. They are going to have to become disciplined themselves, holding themselves accountable to living in a way that brings honor to the Father and the Blessing to them.  He poses a simple question. Will you choose Life or Death, Blessing or Cursing?

The question remains the same for us today. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:33 AMPC
³³ But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Today’s world is cluttered by distraction and overloaded with information. Making a decision with too much input is harder than having just a couple of choices. What’s for dinner? We have hamburger, steak, soup… What kind of soup? Chicken Noodle, Chicken with dumplings, Cream of Chicken… And that’s just chicken! Let’s order in. Chinese, Mexican, maybe a salad from that place we like (it’s always Mexican by the way), and that’s just dinner! I find I must remind myself, of what’s most important these days. Seek Him first. Make Him my priority.

Matthew 6:34 AMPC
³⁴ So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

We recently made a purchase we had been planning for over 2 years. We went back and forth, this or that, what works for us and what doesn’t. It became frustrating and time consuming. We finally gave up. We put 1 Peter 5:7 to work.

1 Peter 5:7
⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

“Father, you know what’s best for us. You know what we can afford. You know how to get it to us.” We quit looking. The perfect thing fell into our lap. More than meeting expectations and satisfying the parameters we needed for a good price. I learned a valuable lesson…again.

My Mom always told me, “Trust God with the little things because He cares about what you care about”. I could tell so many stories about finding good parking, or a screw I just dropped. When we give Him a chance to help us, He will. Again, it comes down to our personal choice. Moses said, “Choose Life”. Jesus said, “Choose me first”. He wants to demonstrate His love for us.

Psalms 103:4
…Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Whatever you’re facing today, big or small, choose to focus on Him first. Choose to make Him the priority. Choose to speak His Word over your situation and choose to let Him work on your behalf. You may be facing a serious illness, a financial, job or family issue. In the darkest hour, when we feel hopeless or defeated, He will come through if we choose to focus on Him. I find that when I’m when I’m in that valley, He’s there with me. I just have to choose to acknowledge Him, speak His Word purposely even though I don’t feel it. An amazing thing happens when we choose life in the shadow of death. A miracle happens. Our soul is encouraged and faith rises up. God meets us where we are and leads us to the mountaintop.

Choose Life, speak Life, focus on Him because He is faithful.

Numbers 23:19 NLT
¹⁹ God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

 

A Child is Born

A Child is Born

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given… Isaiah 9:6a

What an amazing Word from the Lord given to the prophet Isaiah to proclaim the coming Lord Jesus. God had us in mind from the very beginning. He taught us over the centuries that we could never measure up to Him, stand before Him or know Him in His fullness. He taught us how to be His family, to be blessed and live in His ways but, He knew we could never be enough. So, He formulated a flawless plan and laid it out for all to see, confirmed it many times and fulfilled it as promised. 

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…. 

 

The shepherds and the Magi “beheld His glory.” His glory in a child. A God-Man, the bridge between fallen mankind and the one true God, maker of the universe. 

Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

 

What an amazing thing it is that we serve a God who loves us so much that he would send His son into the world to take our place. Jesus was the perfect, sinless lamb to be slain in the most brutal way, making a path to know Him intimately. Not because He had to, but because He wanted to. He loves us that much. He loves YOU that much. This was Paul’s prayer for us:

Ephesians 3:17-19
¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

What an amazing God we serve! He formed us, lost us, planned for us, paid for us and accepted us by the blood of His own Son. It is good for us to take some time during this busy season to recognize the love of God and praise Him for His glorious works in our lives. To plan a time and place, with those we love, to give Him the preeminence over all the rest.  To truly make Him the “Reason for the Season.”

Psalms 145:5 KJV
⁵ I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

May God bless you and keep you in His loving arms. Merry Christmas!

Comfort in Difficult Times

It is inevitable that  there will be times we are confronted with disappointment, loss and emotional pain . It is just part of life. Fortunately our Lord is very aware of our griefs and sorrows and He has provided a way to deal with them. 

Isaiah 41:10
¹⁰ Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

 A while back, a friend and former Pastor of mine wrote a book called "Endings and Beginnings". He wrote it 10 years after his wife passed away ending her long struggle with cancer. 

He had a unique way of handling His grief. Instead of stepping back from leading the thousands in his congregation he went to the Word of God. 

Isaiah 40:31
³¹ But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

This was the scripture the Lord gave him.  He latched onto it and began to study. 

He found that one of the meanings of the word "wait" is  to "bind together" or to "gather". So instead of stepping back he found himself in every church service he could, not as a pastor or speaker, but as a member of the Body. Instead of taking a break to mourn he continued in ministry. He gathered together with the Body of Christ and found comfort in the Spirit and in fellowship. The people around him didn't really understand but he found healing for his soul in the Presence of God. 

I think there is a lesson for all of us in that example. I have always admired him for his commitment to the Word of God and obedience to the Spirit.  In a similar situation I hope I would stay as sensitive to the Spirit and allow Him to direct my path just as the prophet Isaiah said. The Presence of God is the healing balm for us body, soul and spirit. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 

God does not want us to go through pain but He made a provision for it because He knew we would. He gave us the Spirit as a comforter and paid the price for our sickness, grief and pain. He gave us peace that passes understanding and, if we allow Him to, He will use our experiences to help others. 

One of the most important things to do when we are struggling is to get outside of ourselves and focus on the job that God gave us. Preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead. When we give comfort to another we are comforted ourselves. When we pray for someone else to be healed we receive healing ourselves and when we speak to a mountain to be moved in someone else's life we receive mountain moving power in our own life. 

Psalms 56:8-9
⁸ You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
⁹ When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me. 

Always be confident that God is with you in challenging times. He collects your tears in a bottle and puts them in His book. Seek Him and you will find Him.

If you would like to read about my friend's experience with grief you can find His book:

Endings and Beginnings by Charles Nieman on Amazon.com 

Praise in All Situations

 

Praise in all situations

This is Habakkuk 3:17-19 in the Complete Jewish Bible

¹⁷ For even if the fig tree doesn't blossom, and no fruit is on the vines, even if the olive tree fails to produce, and the fields yield no food at all,
¹⁸ even if the sheep vanish from the sheep pen,
and there are no cows in the stalls;
¹⁸ still, I will rejoice in ADONAI, I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
 ELOHIM Adonai is my strength! He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stride over my high places.

It seems that Habakkuk was convinced that God was worthy of praise regardless of what was going on around him. If the food supply fails, the sheep vanish and the cows disappear God is still worthy to be praised.

So many things are going on around us that we can get overwhelmed. Wars, persecution, interest rates and then the taxes, “Oh the taxes!” The loss of a loved one can kick our feet right out from under us and sickness makes us tired and unmotivated.  It’s so easy to lose sight of who we are in Christ and who God is in us. We tend to give in to the weakness and fatigue and take a nap instead of pressing into our source.   

This is where a “Sacrifice” is needed. A “Sacrifice of Praise”.

Hebrews 13:15 CJB
¹⁵ Through him, therefore, let us offer God a sacrifice of praise continually. For this is the natural product of lips that acknowledge his name.

In verse 14 it says that we don’t have a home here, we seek one to come. When we become a new creature (2 Cor 5:17) we are no longer of this earth. We live here in our Earth Suit, but we don’t belong here. We are raised up together and seated together with Christ in Heavenly places (Eph 2:6). Praise puts our total focus on Him as we seek Him first and let Him take care of everything else (Matt 6:33). It is a natural outcropping of our relationship with Jesus and is one of the most powerful tools God has given us. The more we use it, the more powerful it becomes. When we pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and grit our teeth to praise Him, just because He is Worthy, great power is released around us.

We enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise (Ps 100). Then He makes us strong and sure-footed like a deer so we can conquer all those high mountains before us. Then Joy comes and the Power of Praise brings Victory. Trouble + Praise = VICTORY!

Here are some scriptures to get you started: Isiah 61:10-11, Ps 34:1-4, 68:3-4, 103:1-5, 118:24, and many more!

So no matter what, PRAISE HIM!