Ex 33:11 (NKJV) “So the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”
It is incredible to think that Moses was so close to God, that God considered him a friend. The children of Israel also thought this was incredible too but instead of wanting to imitate Moses and develop a personal friendship with God themselves, they were intimidated by God and admired Moses as someone with powers and abilities beyond the average person. The oneness that God desired with His people, at that time, only existed with Moses.
God was to the children of Israel a mysterious pillar of cloud, it is hard for people to become friends with someone they cannot see, touch or hear. So God, the creator of all things, and the King of the universe, humbled Himself and became a human, an infant, a helpless child. He did this so that He could understand us, and we could understand Him. If God wanted to prove that he desired to be our friend, He could not have done more. He demonstrated his desire to have oneness with us by becoming one of us, Emanuel, “God with us.” He became a man so that we could know Him and understand Him and want to be His friend. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3 (KJV).
The oneness that Christ desires with us is so deep He described it this way, that “they (His followers) all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.” John 17:21 (KJV). The closeness of relationship that exist between Jesus and His Father is to be the same depth of relationship Christ desires with us, and at the same time, the same depth of relationship believers have with one another, “that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” John 17:22-23 (KJV). We as a Church are truly not as close to one another at the amazing level Jesus intends for us to be. But then beyond that, Jesus tells us that when the world sees the oneness we have as Christians, people of this world will be drawn to us. The world is desperately looking for a real connection with people who care, the churches oneness has a purpose, to draw the world to Christ. In this way, our love will prove to the world that God loves them as much as the Father loves the son. And by this “the world will know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” John 17:23 (KJV)
The biggest problem with Christianity today is our tunnel vision, we have a hard time seeing God's bigger picture. It seems like, for most Christians, that we are perfectly content to have a personal relationship with Jesus and then stop there, perfectly satisfied with the little picture. Moderation, when God has so much more in mind for His Church. We complain and are dissatisfied with the fact that the Church doesn’t seem caring and it is so impersonal, and we accept it as the status quo. However, we cannot look to the “church” to change the status quo, because what is the church? – I am the church, change must start with me not with “them.” You may say what can I do? I am just one person, the problems are too big in the church for me to fix? But a fire starts with just one little spark and a storm begins with just one drop of rain.
Making the church more caring and less impersonal begins with one drop of rain – me; and soon there is a puddle – us; then a river – the congregation; then ponds – multiple congregations; and lakes – countries; and eventually oceans – the whole world. Why can't the church be filled with the oneness of Christ and compassion for one another, and for the world? There is no reason it can't, Jesus said, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.” John 10:16 (NIV). Sure, just watch the rivers sweep those other sheep into the flood till the world is consumed. It is a divine strategy.
By God's power we can overcome our lack of imagination, and the Church will become one even as Jesus and the Father are one. Wouldn't it be just like God if something as simple as oneness would be the key to spreading the Gospel to the entire world.
Describe how deep of a friendship you have with God? Compare that to the type of friendship you would like to have with Him? What does the status quo in the church you attend feel like? What are some things you can do to make a difference?
Showing posts with label Yahweh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yahweh. Show all posts
Friday, August 21, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Psalms 84:11
Ps 84:11 (NIV) “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
How does Yahweh Elohiym illustrate the sun towards His people? God illuminates our life’s path showing us the right way to go. He brightens our world, filling in the dark shadows with light. Many people have experienced depression from the lack of sunlight during the wintertime; medical professionals call it seasonal affective disorder. But the sun, like Yahweh, invigorates us with warmth and life, you might say that light is nature’s pep pill that fills us with energy. Experiencing Christ working in our life is like when “The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” Mal 4:2 (NIV)
Yahweh Elohiym is also a shield to protect and defend all those who trust him. God does not promise to give us everything we think we want, but He will not withhold anything that is permanently good. He will give us the means to walk along his paths, but we must do the walking. When we obey Him, He will not hold anything back that will help us serve Him.
What kind of situations have you experienced where you felt restricted, or penned up spiritually like in a stall? Describe times in your spiritual life where you have leaped like a calf released from the stall?
How does Yahweh Elohiym illustrate the sun towards His people? God illuminates our life’s path showing us the right way to go. He brightens our world, filling in the dark shadows with light. Many people have experienced depression from the lack of sunlight during the wintertime; medical professionals call it seasonal affective disorder. But the sun, like Yahweh, invigorates us with warmth and life, you might say that light is nature’s pep pill that fills us with energy. Experiencing Christ working in our life is like when “The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” Mal 4:2 (NIV)
Yahweh Elohiym is also a shield to protect and defend all those who trust him. God does not promise to give us everything we think we want, but He will not withhold anything that is permanently good. He will give us the means to walk along his paths, but we must do the walking. When we obey Him, He will not hold anything back that will help us serve Him.
What kind of situations have you experienced where you felt restricted, or penned up spiritually like in a stall? Describe times in your spiritual life where you have leaped like a calf released from the stall?
Saturday, August 1, 2009
II Chronicles 15:2
2 Chron 15:2 (NIV) “The Lord (Yahweh) is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”
God is with us. At Jesus’ birth the Angles of God announced in Matt 1:23 “and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” If you would look at all the major religions of the world you would find that Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius and Moses all identified themselves as teachers or prophets. None of them were God. Jesus is unique, He is the only leader of a world religion the Christian church, born as a man but has existed before the beginning of time as God. “So you see, God is with us. He is our leader.” 2 Chron 13:12 (NLT.) Jesus is God and He eagerly wants, no craves a relationship with us, we are told that when you “come near to God, He will come near to you.” James 4:8. We have this promise, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer 29:13-14 (NIV.) Jesus Himself has said in Matt 7:7-8 “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” No other god of any other religion has such an intense desire for a loving, personal relationship with us.
What other god loved mankind so intensely, that it would become a man so it could die to restore a right relationship between us and him. Only Jesus, “greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (NIV.) Paul explained, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ Rom 5:6-8 (NIV.)
Jesus said of himself, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15 (NIV.) “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-29 (NIV.)
What are some of the ways you are seeking God? Describe some actions that you think may be a way of forsaking God?
God is with us. At Jesus’ birth the Angles of God announced in Matt 1:23 “and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” If you would look at all the major religions of the world you would find that Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius and Moses all identified themselves as teachers or prophets. None of them were God. Jesus is unique, He is the only leader of a world religion the Christian church, born as a man but has existed before the beginning of time as God. “So you see, God is with us. He is our leader.” 2 Chron 13:12 (NLT.) Jesus is God and He eagerly wants, no craves a relationship with us, we are told that when you “come near to God, He will come near to you.” James 4:8. We have this promise, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer 29:13-14 (NIV.) Jesus Himself has said in Matt 7:7-8 “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” No other god of any other religion has such an intense desire for a loving, personal relationship with us.
What other god loved mankind so intensely, that it would become a man so it could die to restore a right relationship between us and him. Only Jesus, “greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (NIV.) Paul explained, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ Rom 5:6-8 (NIV.)
Jesus said of himself, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15 (NIV.) “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-29 (NIV.)
What are some of the ways you are seeking God? Describe some actions that you think may be a way of forsaking God?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Psalms 1:3
Ps 1:3 (KJV) “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
The question is am I connected? God desires for us, the tree, to be planted by the water of life. Jeremiah 17:13 says that The LORD (YAHWEH) is the spring of living water. Just as Jesus says in John 15:5 NASB “he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” We are totally unable to produce fruit by trying real hard to produce it. However, it is a natural process of a vine connected to a branch to produce fruit automatically without even trying. Likewise a tree planted by the waterside bears a bumper crop year after year. Not because it tries harder than the other trees, but rather because it is connected to a never-ending supply of nourishment.
Jeremiah 2:13 NIV says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. “ This leads me to ask, do I trust in a pit that collects rainwater but cannot hold it? Have I built a religious experience in which to store truth, but it is a cistern that is worthless? I am thinking of a book my friend Shari recommended to me, “Christianish: What If We’re Not Really Following Jesus At All?” by Mark Steele. According to the author, symptoms of Christianish include: the right behavior, but for the wrong reason; going through the motions, but not going through the change; and knowing Christ’s words, but not always applying His truth. I think these are areas I need to focus on in order to vitalize my spiritual life.
But in a real world what are the practical steps I need to take in order to strengthen my spiritual life, and discover the source of living water and to forsake the broken cisterns. First, I need to accept that going to church, knowing the proper catch phrases, and even carrying a Bible isn't what makes me a Christian. I cannot be just going through the motions of what I believe I should do but rather allowing a true relationship with Christ to motivate me and change me. Second, I need to reconsider how I treat other Christians. Am I at times bashing people with the Gospel ("spitting Bible" instead of love). Do I try to make everyone bow to my spiritual rules and regulations and then in the process am I showing off and focusing on myself and what a great Christian I am rather than discipling people to Jesus and being attentive to the needs of others. Third, are there times when I need to learn how not to use Christianity to lecture or bully or berate non-Christians because of their sinful lifestyles. This kind of attitude portrays Christianity as judgmental, mean-spirited, spiteful and closed minded. In attacking society’s behaviors am I depersonalizing individuals by stereotyping them to their actions rather than discovering who they are as unique individuals that Christ died for?
Having a real connection to Christ is the water of life that Jesus offered to the woman at the well. And as His disciples returned looking down their noses at this sinful Samaritan woman, Jesus was trying to teach them to stop drinking from their own broken cisterns.
What does "really" following Christ mean to you? Compare the "water of life" experience with any "broken cistern" experiences you have mistakenly fallen into?
*Originally posted as a comment by Dan on Kingdom Quest Blog on July 17, 2009 4:48 PM
The question is am I connected? God desires for us, the tree, to be planted by the water of life. Jeremiah 17:13 says that The LORD (YAHWEH) is the spring of living water. Just as Jesus says in John 15:5 NASB “he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” We are totally unable to produce fruit by trying real hard to produce it. However, it is a natural process of a vine connected to a branch to produce fruit automatically without even trying. Likewise a tree planted by the waterside bears a bumper crop year after year. Not because it tries harder than the other trees, but rather because it is connected to a never-ending supply of nourishment.
Jeremiah 2:13 NIV says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. “ This leads me to ask, do I trust in a pit that collects rainwater but cannot hold it? Have I built a religious experience in which to store truth, but it is a cistern that is worthless? I am thinking of a book my friend Shari recommended to me, “Christianish: What If We’re Not Really Following Jesus At All?” by Mark Steele. According to the author, symptoms of Christianish include: the right behavior, but for the wrong reason; going through the motions, but not going through the change; and knowing Christ’s words, but not always applying His truth. I think these are areas I need to focus on in order to vitalize my spiritual life.
But in a real world what are the practical steps I need to take in order to strengthen my spiritual life, and discover the source of living water and to forsake the broken cisterns. First, I need to accept that going to church, knowing the proper catch phrases, and even carrying a Bible isn't what makes me a Christian. I cannot be just going through the motions of what I believe I should do but rather allowing a true relationship with Christ to motivate me and change me. Second, I need to reconsider how I treat other Christians. Am I at times bashing people with the Gospel ("spitting Bible" instead of love). Do I try to make everyone bow to my spiritual rules and regulations and then in the process am I showing off and focusing on myself and what a great Christian I am rather than discipling people to Jesus and being attentive to the needs of others. Third, are there times when I need to learn how not to use Christianity to lecture or bully or berate non-Christians because of their sinful lifestyles. This kind of attitude portrays Christianity as judgmental, mean-spirited, spiteful and closed minded. In attacking society’s behaviors am I depersonalizing individuals by stereotyping them to their actions rather than discovering who they are as unique individuals that Christ died for?
Having a real connection to Christ is the water of life that Jesus offered to the woman at the well. And as His disciples returned looking down their noses at this sinful Samaritan woman, Jesus was trying to teach them to stop drinking from their own broken cisterns.
What does "really" following Christ mean to you? Compare the "water of life" experience with any "broken cistern" experiences you have mistakenly fallen into?
*Originally posted as a comment by Dan on Kingdom Quest Blog on July 17, 2009 4:48 PM
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Psalms 5:1-3
Ps 5:1-3 (KJV) “Give ear to my words, O Lord (Yahweh), consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
In Psalms 5 David addresses God by his personal name, Yahweh, in a very intimate way. David requests that Yahweh please pay close attention to his thoughts and prayer. In the Hebrew culture, as a matter of respect, you would always address an individual with authority by their title, like Rabbi, Master or King. But the original translation of “LORD” in this scripture is actually “Yahweh,” God’s name. Only a person who has a close personal relationship with such a person, like a spouse or someone that might be considered their equal would be permitted to call them by their personal name.
But David is not showing disrespect here because he understands that God is eager to be our close friend. Yahweh wants us to have a loving and affectionate relationship with Him. In contrast, those who are afraid to offend God and put Him on a pedestal may have a formal or superficial relationship with Him and never really come to understand the tender relationship God desires to share with us.
Never the less, in the very next sentence David points out Yahweh’s high and exalted position by calling Him “my King and my God.” (NLT) interprets the next line to say “for I pray to no one but you” as recognition that only his God is powerful enough to hear and answer our cries. With confidence, David knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yahweh will hear his voice during his morning devotional time and with total expectation David “looks up” to wait and see how God will answer him.
Psalm 5 is my theme to this blog. I fully expect Yahweh to hear me in my devotional time I spend in this blog, I know He will consider my meditation. But like David, who shared his Psalms with the world. I also wish to open myself up to all who read this post to consider my meditations with me, and I would love to hear your comments, positive or negative, and together we can “look up” and see God in action.
What do you typically do for your devotion time with God? Describe the quality of time you spend with God?
In Psalms 5 David addresses God by his personal name, Yahweh, in a very intimate way. David requests that Yahweh please pay close attention to his thoughts and prayer. In the Hebrew culture, as a matter of respect, you would always address an individual with authority by their title, like Rabbi, Master or King. But the original translation of “LORD” in this scripture is actually “Yahweh,” God’s name. Only a person who has a close personal relationship with such a person, like a spouse or someone that might be considered their equal would be permitted to call them by their personal name.
But David is not showing disrespect here because he understands that God is eager to be our close friend. Yahweh wants us to have a loving and affectionate relationship with Him. In contrast, those who are afraid to offend God and put Him on a pedestal may have a formal or superficial relationship with Him and never really come to understand the tender relationship God desires to share with us.
Never the less, in the very next sentence David points out Yahweh’s high and exalted position by calling Him “my King and my God.” (NLT) interprets the next line to say “for I pray to no one but you” as recognition that only his God is powerful enough to hear and answer our cries. With confidence, David knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yahweh will hear his voice during his morning devotional time and with total expectation David “looks up” to wait and see how God will answer him.
Psalm 5 is my theme to this blog. I fully expect Yahweh to hear me in my devotional time I spend in this blog, I know He will consider my meditation. But like David, who shared his Psalms with the world. I also wish to open myself up to all who read this post to consider my meditations with me, and I would love to hear your comments, positive or negative, and together we can “look up” and see God in action.
What do you typically do for your devotion time with God? Describe the quality of time you spend with God?
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