The Same Love

John 17   20″My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.   24″Father, I desire for those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25″Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”       Coming away from the message on Jesus’ unconditional love on Sunday, I kept thinking about this prayer Jesus prayed at the very end of His first earthly ministry (I say “first” because He WILL b . e back!).  Knowing this was the end of this very important season in His life, we have to realize that Jesus’ words to His Father here are immensely weighty.     This prayer represents His greatest desire (see verse 24).  It is THE thing that He has poured out His life, His heart, His soul for . . . that we would be “with” Him, in every way.    That concept is HUGE.  I invite you to pray through the depths of that. . .   However, I’d like to focus in on the very last sentence: “I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known . . (why?) so that the LOVE You have fore me may be IN THEM.    Why has Jesus made God the Father know to us?   So that the very LOVE of God would be inside of us!    Think about that!  How much do you think Father God loves His Son, Jesus?!?  How much does God love God??  What kind of love do the Father and Son share?  What kind of immense, passionate, uncontainable affection do you think they share?  How perfect is it?  How full of glory could it be?  Could it be the very flavor of Heaven?    Well Jesus purpose was/is that this same love would dwell in US!    And with this love in us (yes, it is!), how shall we then love God?  And, how shall we love those around us?    Oh, that we would possess this heart, and that we would express it to everyone we meet and every one we know!    -Jessie

 

Seek UNTIL you FIND!

 

Proverbs 2
 1 My son, if you accept my words
       and store up my commands within you,  2 turning your ear to wisdom
       and applying your heart to understanding,  3 and if you call out for insight
       and cry aloud for understanding,  4 and if you look for it as for silver
       and search for it as for hidden treasure,  5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
       and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

Luke 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

 

These Scriptures came out in prophetic words last Sunday, so I thought I’d highlight them here. 

 

Clearly the Lord is trying to remind of us of His promise to answer us when we call to Him; that He LIKES to grant us what we ask of Him. 

 

Notice the surety of his promise to give:

-”.. you WILL understand.. and (will) find the knowledge of God” (Prov. 2:5)

-”..it WILL be given”

-”… you WILL find”

-”…  the door WILL be opened”

 

He is a GOOD FATHER who LOVES to give good gifts to His children!  (Luke 7:11)

 

But notice the conditions of His giving –

1.  Accept My Words

2.  Store up My commands within you

3.  turn your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understand

4.  CALL OUT for insight and CRY ALOUD for understanding

5.  look for it (wisdom) as for hidden treasure

6.  ask, seek, knock

 

When you find a treasure hidden in a field, the wisest thing to do is sell everything you have to get it!   

 

When we seek the Lord, sometimes it will “cost” us everything.  But to get the Reality of Him in the end is more than worth it! 

 

Many times we ask the Lord and seek Him for things (and notice here what is most needful to ask for is INSIGHT, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE OF GOD) — but we give up and stop asking before we actually get the answer!  If He promises that the door WILL be opened, then we should never stop knocking UNTIL it actually opens!  How many answered prayers do we miss out on because we didn’t CONTINUE to seek, ask, knock until we FOUND what we were looking for?? 

 

On a personal note, I want to testify that I have been seeing MANY remarkable answers to prayer, specifically prayers that I have prayed CORPORATELY (i.e. with others, in agreement with others).  God is good! 

 

Let’s be those that seek UNTIL we find.  May we grow as people of prayer!!

 

Proverbs 2
 1 My son, if you accept my words
       and store up my commands within you,  2 turning your ear to wisdom
       and applying your heart to understanding,  3 and if you call out for insight
       and cry aloud for understanding,  4 and if you look for it as for silver
       and search for it as for hidden treasure,  5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
       and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

Luke 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

 

These Scriptures came out in prophetic words last Sunday, so I thought I’d highlight them here. 

 

Clearly the Lord is trying to remind of us of His promise to answer us when we call to Him; that He LIKES to grant us what we ask of Him. 

 

Notice the surety of his promise to give:

-”.. you WILL understand.. and (will) find the knowledge of God” (Prov. 2:5)

-”..it WILL be given”

-”… you WILL find”

-”…  the door WILL be opened”

 

He is a GOOD FATHER who LOVES to give good gifts to His children!  (Luke 7:11)

 

But notice the conditions of His giving –

1.  Accept My Words

2.  Store up My commands within you

3.  turn your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understand

4.  CALL OUT for insight and CRY ALOUD for understanding

5.  look for it (wisdom) as for hidden treasure

6.  ask, seek, knock

 

When you find a treasure hidden in a field, the wisest thing to do is sell everything you have to get it!   

 

When we seek the Lord, sometimes it will “cost” us everything.  But to get the Reality of Him in the end is more than worth it! 

 

Many times we ask the Lord and seek Him for things (and notice here what is most needful to ask for is INSIGHT, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE OF GOD) — but we give up and stop asking before we actually get the answer!  If He promises that the door WILL be opened, then we should never stop knocking UNTIL it actually opens!  How many answered prayers do we miss out on because we didn’t CONTINUE to seek, ask, knock until we FOUND what we were looking for?? 

 

On a personal note, I want to testify that I have been seeing MANY remarkable answers to prayer, specifically prayers that I have prayed CORPORATELY (i.e. with others, in agreement with others).  God is good! 

 

Let’s be those that seek UNTIL we find.  May we grow as people of prayer!!

 

Proverbs 2
 1 My son, if you accept my words
       and store up my commands within you,  2 turning your ear to wisdom
       and applying your heart to understanding,  3 and if you call out for insight
       and cry aloud for understanding,  4 and if you look for it as for silver
       and search for it as for hidden treasure,  5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
       and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

Luke 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

 

These Scriptures came out in prophetic words last Sunday, so I thought I’d highlight them here. 

 

Clearly the Lord is trying to remind of us of His promise to answer us when we call to Him; that He LIKES to grant us what we ask of Him. 

 

Notice the surety of his promise to give:

-”.. you WILL understand.. and (will) find the knowledge of God” (Prov. 2:5)

-”..it WILL be given”

-”… you WILL find”

-”…  the door WILL be opened”

 

He is a GOOD FATHER who LOVES to give good gifts to His children!  (Luke 7:11)

 

But notice the conditions of His giving –

1.  Accept My Words

2.  Store up My commands within you

3.  turn your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understand

4.  CALL OUT for insight and CRY ALOUD for understanding

5.  look for it (wisdom) as for hidden treasure

6.  ask, seek, knock

 

When you find a treasure hidden in a field, the wisest thing to do is sell everything you have to get it!   

 

When we seek the Lord, sometimes it will “cost” us everything.  But to get the Reality of Him in the end is more than worth it! 

 

Many times we ask the Lord and seek Him for things (and notice here what is most needful to ask for is INSIGHT, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE OF GOD) — but we give up and stop asking before we actually get the answer!  If He promises that the door WILL be opened, then we should never stop knocking UNTIL it actually opens!  How many answered prayers do we miss out on because we didn’t CONTINUE to seek, ask, knock until we FOUND what we were looking for?? 

 

On a personal note, I want to testify that I have been seeing MANY remarkable answers to prayer, specifically prayers that I have prayed CORPORATELY (i.e. with others, in agreement with others).  God is good! 

 

Let’s be those that seek UNTIL we find.  May we grow as people of prayer!!

 

  

-Jessie 

 

 

Present Power

 

Luke 5:17-26 (New International Version)

Jesus Heals a Paralytic
 17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.

 

18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.  

 

20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”  21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  

 

22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”

 

25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

 

Tom Schroeder shared this Scripture at our prayer meeting yesterday and my heart was stirred, so I thought I would post it for our weekly word.  What an amazing account!  Jesus, with the scrutiny of the religious leaders is teaching AND the power of the Lord was present to heal the sick!  I want to share a few observations and a few questions (without answers) for you to consider. 

 

First, the questions that I’m asking God:  What does it mean that the power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal the sick?  Was this power not ALWAYS with Him?  And, how would one know if the power of the Lord was present in a particular way to heal or not?  What would bring the power of the Lord in such a way?

 

Those questions alone would be a great menu for prayer . . .

 

But, I want to look at the faith of these individuals who became recipients of this power.

 

Surely there were many people in this meeting, and probably many who needed healing, and perhaps many more that got healed than just this man who is highlighted in the story.  Luke, the author, surely highlights this part of the story because it wasn’t normal (then again, what WAS normal when Jesus was around??).  It seems that these guys acted in particular way that made it inevitable that Jesus would answer them and give them what they wanted.  They presumed upon His goodness and power. 

 

It’s as if they said to themselves, “If we can just get right in front of Him.  He WILL heal you!”

 

Here’s what I see as their mindset, and what we could apply to ourselves. 

1. Do whatever it takes… to

2.  Get as close to Jesus as possible

3.  Believing that He WANTED to give them the answer

4.  With no regard to what it would “cost” in terms of energy, reputation, etc.

5.  Not worried about offending others (what did the owner of the house think as they were tearing off the roof?!!) 

6.  Any doubts about, “What if it doesn’t work”, didn’t keep them from trying. 

 

I don’t know about you, but, I’ve been praying and seeking God to be present in such a way among us.  I think these guys set forth a great template for us to follow as we seek to be people who believe AND see in faith.  We must see the LIVING God at work among us.  Let us seek to get as close to Jesus as possible so that His power will be present to heal . . and to save.. and deliver…. and do whatever Jesus does when He is around.    

   

-Jessie 

 

Right but Wrong

 

Right but Wrong

 

Ephesians 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

 

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Romans 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.  

 

I think it’s human nature that we always want to believe that we are right.  And surely in nearly every situation there is one side the is right and one that is wrong, specifically in terms of what’s right before the Lord.  But, consider this:  Do you realize that it’s possible to be “right” about something but, at the same time, be completely wrong?

 

What am I talking about?  Well, you can have the completely right answer, perspective, etc. but in your zealousness to be right and prove your “rightness”, you can be totally unrighteous (righteous = right before God). Consider this:  the Pharisees were very right in many ways in their zealousness for the laws of God.  And, God loves His laws, they were made for our God.  You would think that those who were fully committed to it would be fully pleasing to the Lord, right?  But, as we know, some of Jesus’ strongest words of rebuke were for these guys!  So, what was the issue?  The heart!  They were right but they missed the heart of God in the whole thing!  They dealt harshly with those who “fell short” and lacked love!!   THIS one thing made them completely wrong!!

 

So, what does this mean to us in light of these Scriptures? 

 

God’s not as concerned about us being right as He is that our HEART is right.  The testing question is:  Is God’s love your motivation?  Are you showing love in how you deal with that person/situation?

 

We could move mountains, raise the dead, heal the sick, and die a martyr . . .  but if we have not love, it means NOTHING (see I Corinthians 13).

 

Our goal should always be love.  Love for God and love for others. 

 

Let us remember this in how we deal with our spouses when we disagree.

Let us remember this when our children disobey or disappoint us.

Let us remember this when a brother or sister is in sin. 

Let’s remember this when we don’t see eye to eye.

We should think about this in our politics and our response to leaders.

 

Love covers a multitude of sin.

Love has the power to transform.

 

Let your gentleness be evident to all. Pbilipians 4:5.      

 

 

-Jessie 

 

 

Holy and Dearly Loved

 

Colossians 3:   

The Word of God is so RICH!  I truly is living and active.  When our hearts and spirits are open to it, there is SO much to receive from it!  It transforms us, makes us new, conforms us to the image of Christ, for Christ IS the Living Word!!

 

Let’s take a look at this passage from Colossians 3.

 

1.  We are CHOSEN, HOLY and DEARLY LOVED.  Do you know that this is your identity?

 

-We are CHOSEN.  God saw fit to pick us as the object of His affection.  He loves us!

-As He chosen us, and in the choosing, He has made us HOLY — we are purified, set apart, made for something very beautiful and special.  We have been given His transcendence. 

-We are DEARLY loved.  We are cherished by God, not just “tolerated”.  We are dear to His heart!  Let that blow your mind!  God is in love with you!  Every moment of every day!!

 

How do we respond to this great calling and this great love?

 

2.  We clothe ourselves, i.e., we MAKE A CHOICE, to be:

-compassionate

-kind

-humble

-gentle

-patient

 

These things don’t always come naturally to us.  But, we are called in this identity as God’s people to be LIKE HIM and choose to act as He does.  Obviously, these are fruits of the Holy Spirit in us (see Galatians 5).  In other words, we cannot produce them on our own.  However, since we have the Spirit living in us, we HAVE the ability to be all of these things, but we get to CHOOSE to act according to the Spirit or according to our own nature in every situation.  The Spirit will not overtake us and make us act the way He desires.  We make a choice to choose Him.

 

3.  Bear with one anothers’ weaknesses and forgive whatever grievances you have…

-this is huge.  We are so prone to hold grudges and judge others for their faults.  But, we ALL have fault, we all have lack!  And this is why we all must choose to operate in those fruits of the spirit.  We ALL need a little kindness, don’t we?

 

4. PUT ON Love.

-Again this is a choice.  Love is the very nature of God!  And, we HAVE BEEN GIVEN His nature!  The divine nature lives within us!!

 

5.  Let PEACE rule in your heart.

-Sounds like we get to choose…. hmmm.

We can LET peace rule in us, or we can let something else rule our hearts….

 

6.  BE THANKFUL!!!

in every situation

 

7.  Let the Word dwell in you richly.

 

Tim shared a great message on this last Sunday.  

 

May we put on Christ and bear abundant fruit today. 

 

-Jessie      

 

Running and Waiting

 

Isaiah 40

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
       and complain, O Israel,
       “My way is hidden from the LORD;
       my cause is disregarded by my God”?  

28 Do you not know?
       Have you not heard?
       The LORD is the everlasting God,
       the Creator of the ends of the earth.
       He will not grow tired or weary,
       and his understanding no one can fathom.  

29 He gives strength to the weary
       and increases the power of the weak.  

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
       and young men stumble and fall;  

31 but those who wait on the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint. 

I Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 

 

Hebrews 12:

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

 

How often do we find ourselves in the place of complaining, thinking God is far from us.  We think he has forsaken us.  We think “surely He’s not interested/concerned in my little life”.  As Isaiah quotes, we feel that our “cause has been disregarded” by Him.  Surely God has more important items on His to-do list than our little, insignificant lives . . .surely He gets wearied with our asking and failing . . right? 

 

“Do you not know?  Have you not heard?”  He NEVER gets tired of you!  Your “cause”, your life, are not outside of His thoughts.  He knows and understands COMPLETELY every detail!  And, YES, He CARES!!  Even better still — when you feel weak and weary, HE is the One who wants to give you STRENGTH!   He wants to empower you to keep going!  It’s not a vacation you need, or that one “thing” that you don’t have that you wish you had.  It’ HIM you need! 

 

There’s a race set before us, and we are ALL called to run!  This “race” = the focused determination to make the most of every moment of this life, in light of Eternity.  Every one is on the track ,and we MUST run.  This is not a turkey trot run/walk thing.  It’s not a shotgun sprint, either.  We are called to give our all to run after the Lord, loving Him and serving Him.  No one gets to opt out and walk, thinking, “well, those others are running, I’m not needed”.  But, blasting out of the gate as hard as you possibly can, only to burn out a little way down the road won’t cut it either.

 

We are running to WIN.  And that means a marathon pace; steady, determined, focused, efficient, persevering steps.  We’re not stopping or slowing down until we reach the finish line; i.e. the end of our natural life or the return of Christ (whichever comes first). 

 

However, our spiritual fervor — our passion and desire to serve God — does not come from us.  It comes from God.  As it has been said, “it takes God to love God”.  In our own strength, we tend to run out of steam eventually.  We get tired.  We have weak moments.  But, we’re not called to run this race by our own power.  We are called to be fueled with power from on High.  It’s a supernatural strength that causes us to NEVER grow weak or weary!  And, it’s for EVERYONE, the old, the young, the rich, the poor, the minister, the housewife, the student the doctor, the sales clerk, etc. 

 

The only way we will continue to run AND win is by waiting on the Lord. 

 

Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?  If we’re called to give our all for His sake, what business to we have sitting around “waiting” on the Lord?

 

Well, think of this way:  If you want to get to work, run your errands, visit friends, and do all the things you have to do in life,… you have to actually stop and put gas in your car, right?  Right! 

 

For anyone to live a life pleasing to the Lord and to fulfill His purposes for their life; to make the most of every moment and every opportunity — we must spend time in His Presence — in worship, prayer, Bible study, talking to God, singing to Him, listening to the voice of the Spirit.  There is NO way around it.  Otherwise, your running on fumes and you’ve got no power, though you may look ok on the outside and even go through the motions of life just fine.  You will be accomplishing nothing — perhaps still “on” the track, but going nowhere.     

 

Imagine yourself a waiter at a fine restaurant.  The Father is your guest.  You approach His table and ask what you can get for Him.  And He says, “Have a seat.  Let’s hang out for a while.  I’ve got some great things for you to do, but there’s no way you can do them.  If you spend this time with me, though, you’ll find a miraculous, supernatural deposit on the inside that will enable you to do this impossible!”  Not only that, He pays you really well, and is a good tipper!   I would take a seat if I were you!

 

-Jessie 

 

 

 

Standing in Faith for the Breakthrough of God

Daniel 10 (New Living Translation)

1 In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future-times of war and great hardship.  2 When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. 3 All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.    4 On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, 5 I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. 6 His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.  7 Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. 8 So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.  9 Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.  10 Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. 11 And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.  12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. 14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”    15 While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word. 16 Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. 17 How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.”  18 Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. 19 “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”      As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”  20 He replied, “Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come. 21 Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. . .  

  I’ve posted quite a large portion of Scripture here.  But, I believe it’s worth our attention, in light of the message from last Sunday.  It points out several things in relation to our seeking God and believing for Him to break in (personally, corporately, locally, nationally and/or globally).  Let me try to summarize as simply as possible what this account illustrates, and which is so profound  

 

1. Daniel had heard from the Lord what He was going to do.  

2. Daniel responded to the Word by seeking the Lord in prayer and fasting.  

3. At the very moment Daniel began to seek the Lord, his prayer was heard AND the answer was given.  -God waits for a man or woman (you or me!) to respond to His Word BEFORE He will release the reality of that Word!  Do you know the influence and power you have in Heaven and on Earth through prayer??  

4. Daniel had to remain steadfast in faith while seeing NO answer to his prayer.  -He believed God was able to do all things. -There was a war going on in the spirit, which was initiated and FUELED by Daniel’s intercession and persevering in faith.   

5. After waiting in faith, Daniel has this encounter with the Lord, BUT the breakthrough still has not come!  The war is still going on in the heavenlies!!   

6. The Lord’s message to Daniel was:  “I LOVE YOU!” and then He encouraged Daniel and strengthened him to continue to STAND in faith!   

7. Then the Lord gave Him revelation of the Word that would empower Him to continue to fight until the breakthrough was made manifest (Chapter 11).   

What would the Lord say to US through this??   

 I think it reminds us that He does not lie and that He will do all that He has said He will do, wether through the the Word or prophetic utterance.  BUT, we are called to SEEK HIM faithfully UNTIL we see it and NOT give up.  There is a war going on that is holding back the breakthrough and our stance to continue to BELIEVE and INTERCEDE is what fuels the battle and WILL bring the answer from Heaven to Earth.  

 May we be people of faith AND prayer!   

-Jessie 

 

Things are NOT what they seem

Hebrews 11: 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The Hebrews 11 verse is often quoted, yet, I believe with good reason. It’s so important! It’s also hard to fully understand! So, why shouldn’t we think of it and meditate on it often? We call ourselves people of faith, after all! The 2 Corinthians verse echoes the theme: Living by faith means that life isn’t always as it seems, and we cannot judge by what our eyes see.

These both will serve as a continuation of the message from last Sunday and a lead in to this coming Sunday’s message.

What is faith?

-We are SURE of what we HOPE for — i.e. we don’t have it yet, but we’re convinced of it anyway.

-We are certain of what we don’t see — as the previous, it’s as if we “see” what’s invisible.

Wow. That’s kind of crazy. But, if believing God was as easy as knowing a few concrete facts and required no faith, what kind of God would we be serving?? Not One worthy of being served, in my opinion. To look to the All Powerful One SHOULD lead us to EXPECT the impossible and to believe for the unbelievable, right? Beyond that, without faith it’s IMPOSSIBLE to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Well, we better start looking for ways to exercise our faith, don’t ya think? Life is more fun that way, anyhow.

Faith is the strength that is unseen. It is completely unmoved by outward circumstance. When circumstances beat us, we can actually find ourselves being RENEWED on the inside! Why? Because we see that all things work together for our good as we love the Lord! So, if He allows trouble to come our way, we can REJOICE because we understand that eternal glory is being worked in us. Our current struggles, be they financial, emotional, relational, physical . . . they are TEMPORARY and will soon pass away.

If we can keep our focus on JESUS, the One who is “unseen”, we will not lose heart, for we will “see” that an eternal reward and eternal glory are being gained by NOT giving up! We must continue to believe and not waver! For, in due time, we WILL see the harvest! We will see the answer! God’s name WILL be vindicated, in every way. He WILL receive all honor and power and glory!

You will never regret what you did in faith, even if you were wrong.

You will regret times that you shrank back out of fear.

Lord, increase our faith!

-Jessie

 

Let’s Do It!

 

Hebrews 10:19-25 . . .  since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

 

This short passage is PACKED with strong exhortations, note the use of the phrase, “Let us..” over and over!  In light of the goodness of God shown to us in Christ, we are encouraged to take FULL advantage of the freedom He gives and all that He has accomplished for us. 

 

Let’s take a look:

 

1.  We have confidence to enter the MOST Holy Place

Think about that for a second.  Before Christ, NO ONE would have EVER thought of having CONFIDENCE in going into the Most Holy Place — in the very Presence of God!  The most common reaction would have been fear of death!  No one could stand there!  Only the high priest would go in there, and only ONCE  a year!  Even he was aware of the risk of his life in doing so! 

 

But here we are, by faith in the shed blood of Jesus, not only are we invited to come face to face with God Almighty, we are told to do so BOLDLY, with CONFIDENCE!  We can have ”Full assurance” that we are welcomed and wanted in His presence!  Wow!

 

Why would we linger far off, telling ourselves how unworthy we are?  Of course we’re not worthy!  BUT, HE has made us CLEAN!  Come on in, and “let us draw NEAR” to God!

 

2.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess

-What does it mean to hold “unswervingly”?

To me, it’s the way I grip the steering wheel of my car when it’s pouring rain so hard that I can’t see the road, or when a blizzard has suddenly whited-out the way in front of me.  This is the steadfastness which we should hold on to our hope in Christ.

 

-What is this hope we profess?

Well, in light of the preceding verses, it is that the sacrifice of Jesus’ body, and the shedding of His blood really DO make us clean before God and that we really do have PERMISSION to be in His presence.  He wants us there.

 

In a broader context, our “hope” is that Jesus is King, and He’s coming to reign on the earth, and those who are faithful to Him will rule with Him forever!! 

 

We are to hold onto these truths, and never let them go!  Keep them close to our hearts.  As the Old Testament believers were admonished to “tie them on your wrist and foreheads”, let this hope influence everything we think (forehead- our minds) and do (wrist- the works of our hands). 

 

He who promised is FAITHFUL!

He WILL accomplish all that He has said and His will vindicate all those who have put their hope in His holy Name.  No one whose hope is in the Lord will ever be put to shame!

 

4.  Let us think of many ways to spur one another on . .

Do you ever do this?  Do you think of your fellow Christ-followers and ask yourself, “how can I encourage them?”.  You should!  Often!  Think of what you might say or do to EVERYONE you know, that will encourage them to keep their “hope” and to persevere in Christ.  We need to “prod” one another on to seek the Lord wholeheartedly!  What can you do TODAY or this WEEK to spur on others?  What would have the greatest impact on that one who you know has been having a hard time?  Ask the Lord for wisdom and insight, too (He’s more than happy to give it).  Then, give your energy to bolstering those around you.  The neat thing is, as you do this, you will be encouraged YOURSELF, because we always reap what we sow.

 

5.  Let’s get together – and encourage each other — more and more!

Have you ever thought to yourself, “why are we always having meetings and more meetings?”  or “what’s the point of church?”  I know I have.  Be honest.  Well according to the Writer of Hebrews, we NEED it!  Many people to day will say, “I can ‘do” church on my own, in my room, etc.”  Others will turn on the TV to watch their favorite Christian speaker or get on the Internet to soak up their favorite ministry, and in doing so, feel that they have got their “church fix”.  We are encouraged her to NOT give up on meeting TOGETHER.  Why?  In the context of this passage it would seem to mean that:

 

a.  We are prone to LOSE hope, and meeting with others is key to keeping it.  I can think of many people who feel hopeless, and many of those people, not because they have given up on following Christ, but because they find many reasons not to MEET WITH others. 

 

b.  We need the encouragement that meeting together brings.  It always helps to know you’re not doing this thing alone, right?  At the very least, meeting with others (on Sunday, in a weekly home group, at a prayer meeting) reminds you that we are in this together, we’re not fighting alone, and we’re not believing in vain!  Secondly, if we can learn point #4, and seek to spur one another on, our meetings together with truly fan into flame the passion in our hearts to love Jesus!! 

 

Let us draw near!  We have no reason not to!

   

-Jessie 

 

Weekly Word- Clothed in Splendor

Clothed in Majesty- Psalm 93   Psalm 93  1 The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;        the LORD is robed in majesty        and is armed with strength.        The world is firmly established;        it cannot be moved.     2 Your throne was established long ago;        you are from all eternity.  3 The seas have lifted up, O LORD,        the seas have lifted up their voice;        the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.     4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,        mightier than the breakers of the sea-        the LORD on high is mighty.     5 Your statutes stand firm;        holiness adorns your house        for endless days, O LORD. Diverting from Hebrews this time . . .   . I love this Psalm.  It’s so profound.  It declares the majesty of our God:  mighty, robed in majesty, with His throne firmly established above and beyond everything we know.  Everything that is mighty will pass away, but not Him or His Throne.    And what will stand?  What will last forever?  Look at verse 5.   1.  His “statutes”:  The Word.  What He has said.  It will remain FOREVER!  Can you think of a better reason to give yourself to devouring it, building every part of your life upon it and allow it to transform the way you think (Romans 12:1-2)??  To the extent that we neglect the Word, we are robbing ourselves in Eternity.  All the other stuff will fade away.  Don’t give yourself only to temporary things.      2.  Holiness in His house.  What is the overarching feature of God’s dwelling place?  HOLINESS!  What is holiness?  It is the reflection of His beauty, glory and goodness.  We who belong to Him and are made to dwell with Him, should have a growing love for this holiness.  Please discard the notion that holiness is the harsh obedience and self-denial of any kind of happiness, which some have made it to be.  It is about the highest highs and the most glorious of glories; it is the completely “other than” nature of God.  He is beyond compare and without measure in all of His splendor.  He is holy.  We will dwell with the Holy forever!  So, it is good for us to have a fondness for this holiness.      But, of it?  Well, WE are being built into His dwelling place, where He will live (I Peter 2:4-6)!!  We are the temple where He dwells (I Corinthians 6:14)!  Holiness should become the nature, and the very character that WE wear!  It is His very image being formed in us.  Choose to love holiness today and ask God to form His image in you, that you, as his house, would be “adorned” with holiness.      -Jessie    feel free to leave comments