Calling the Anoited

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office, And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.  Exodus 31:2 KJV

We forget sometimes how the Lord has individually crafted, uniquely for a purpose.  Perhaps the purpose is to serve others, or simply Himself at the appointed time.  Who can guess as His ways are not our ways.  But one thing I have learned is that we are each valuable to He that made us for Himself.  We have been designed for a purpose -- all of our skills, our talents and our abilities.  The Lord continually equips me for the challenges that face me.  Sometimes I go through challenges for the simple reason of learning obedience and deepening my need to be on my knees while other times I have seasons of praise where I'd like to stand and beat the tambourine as I shout to the Lord.  All of these seasons, too, have purpose.  The Lord makes use of all the good and all the bad to turn it to our best when we trust Him.

Have faith my friends in He who uniquely made us to endure all things through His strength.  Lean not on our own understanding.  Take one day - one moment - at a time and remember that He that lives is with you through it all.

The Potter and The Clay

In Jeremiah 18, the Lord brings Jeremiah to view a Potter working and gives him a message:

³ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴ But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

In this passage, the potter reforms something into something else.  I find this image intriguing as the Lord shapes us into new creatures every day.  What I learned through a pottery class was that you cannot be a potter and create a pot unless you understand the purpose for what the object you are creating is intended for and understand its design.  Isn’t that just what the Lord does in regard to us?  He not only shapes us, but understands beforehand why we are being shaped into the vessel or pot as He knows our purpose.  He understands all of our smooth and rough edges and works them out until they are perfectly formed.  If the clay is not smoothed out at least internally, it will crumble.  If the clay is too dry, it will crack.  The Lord continually refines us; working out the bumps and rough places in our character.  The Lord does not intend to see us perish.  

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

As any parent does that loves their child, the Lord Jehovah provides us a warning that His will always triumphs.  If we do not turn from our sinful ways and allow ourselves to be molded and refined, we will find ourselves rebuilt until we are broken.  Even broken pottery can be used for something else.

⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me. ⁶ He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. ⁷ If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, ⁸ and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. ⁹ And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, ¹⁰ and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

¹¹ “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ ¹² But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’”

The way to change a nation is to change our heart and share the Lord’s good news with the world around us in the way the Lord intended for us.  We must allow the Lord to change us and keep us on the narrow road which changes the world around us.  If I understand my purpose is to glorify Him, the choices are easier.  Spending more time at the wheel, I understand the seasons in my life when there is “more water” than other times and when it seems the Lord's fingers are more forcefully remolding the clay.  I am strong for He has made me so.  America, too, is strong - a nation created to freely worship the Lord based solely on free will and in turn we have been freely governed.  I am grateful that in all things, the Lord remains in control.  

We are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

The Promise of Nations

In Genesis 17, the Lord visits Abraham and gives him this message:

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 

God has promised 1) many nations will be created out of Abraham and 2) the land of Canaan.

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 

I have never noticed before how that Abraham laughed before Sarah did.  I realized when reading this that Sarah laughing in Chapter 18 makes me wonder if Abraham shared this revelation from the Lord with Sarah.

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 

God names the son of His covenant Isaac, which means laughter.  

And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 

I love that Abraham loved both of his sons and requested that the Lord bless them both.  God conveys to Abraham that His covenant is with Isaac.  But He also promises that He will make Ishmael a great nation with very large numbers.  Today, Muslims numbers are growing rapidly around the world.

But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Although the Lord gave Ishmael the blessing of a great nation, Isaac is blessed with the covenant which was fulfilled through Jesus Christ.  Isaac produced Judah who God renamed Israel, having twelve tribes.  This one son who was promised a covenant.  This covenant was fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.  John 3

Anyone who believes through faith of and in Jesus Christ that they are redeemed and life a life to become more like Jesus by repenting of their sins and turning away from their former life to become more Christ-like share in this promise.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:4-9

What's in a Name?

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it is explained that once we become saved we are made a new creation.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  This new creation is even given a new name by Jesus:

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”  Revelations 2:17

I have often wondered what my new name would be.  In the Old Testament, Jehovah changed the name of Abram (אבדם) and Sarai (שרי).  I have often found it curious as to why he changed it.  Abram became Abraham (אבדהם) and Sarai became Sarah (שרה).  Notice in both names the character ה was either added to the name or it replaced the character.  In the New Testament, Saul’s name (Samlon) was changed to Paul (Pamlon).

He, Jehovah, completed their name by giving them a part of Himself using almost the same character which looks similar to the symbol for Pi.  This character appears twice in His own name in Hebrew.  Yahweh or Jehovah is spelled in Hebrew as יהוה, which literally translates to “He who causes to exist (or gives life)” or “He who is, who exists.” Yahweh gave Moses at the burning bush “I am” אהוה in Exodus 3:14’s Hebrew or “I am that I am” in the King James.  Jesus also revealed this same revelation to the woman at the well in John 4.

To Martha, Jesus revealed He was the resurrection and the life.  Jesus commended His spirit to the Father after dying on the cross and was raised to life on the third day, appearing to many disciples before ascending into Heaven.  Jesus also raised many from the dead, including Lazarus in John 12:9.  Jesus literally has the power to give life.

In the beginning, Jehovah God said after making a blood sacrifice to clothe Adam and Eve in Genesis 4:23-24:

Behold! The man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil.  And now, lest he put forth his hand and also take from the Tree of Life, and eat, and life forever.  And Jehovah God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground out of which he was taken.  And He drove the man out.  And He caused to dwell the cherubs at the east of the Garden of Eden, and the flaming sword whirling around, to guard the way of the Tree of Life.”

The Tree of Life to live forever.  Jesus provides hope for the saints in Revelations:

• ·         Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (2:7)
• ·         Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (22:14)

Jesus also gives this warning in Revelations:

And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. (Revelations 22:19)

Jesus said of Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” In Revelations, Jesus repeatedly says of Himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (22:13, 21:6, 1:8) 

Jesus is יהוה.  He is Yahweh, Jehovah, Messiah.  Jesus literally is Immanuel, God with us.  He came to show us the way through Himself to bring us back into relationship with God the Father Almighty.  I can see why He describes Himself as “I am” for Jesus is the one who gives us life.  A complete life that is truly living which is achieved only through a relationship based on our personal faith in Him who is.

Facing Our Fears

This passage comes from Matthew 14.

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

This passage in Matthew follows directly after Jesus Christ’s miracle of feeding five thousand through 5 barley loaves and 2 fish.  Jesus recognized that the disciples were tired and had them rest in the boat.  I imagine He, himself, was tired also and went alone to spend time with the only one who could refill His cup.  Jesus went to pray alone.  While He was praying, the wind and the waves kicked up separating himself from His men.

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

The disciples were seeing only what the divine Lord can do and they were afraid.  When we are faced with an issue in our lives which we cannot resolve in our human strength and skills, we call out to the divine.  When He hears our pleas and dips into our lives in such a way that we are reminded that He is Lord, are we afraid?  Or, do we confidently recognize the Lord when He walks in the water of our situation as only He can?

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”

This is a reminder for us all in the difficult situations.  I have often found in my life that the Lord does His best work when it seems we are at the end of ours.  The disciples are at the end of the night, right before the sun breaks the horizon and they are afraid.  He reminds us to take courage and to not be afraid.  All throughout the Bible the Lord reminds all those that follow Him to “don’t be afraid” because He knows there are situations which will arise where we will need to be reminded that He is with us so we can “take courage” and be brave.  The most important sentence in this passage is when Jesus says “It is I.”  Translated differently He says, “It is I AM.”  When we know Jesus is the I AM that I AM – the One who will lead us through our place of captivity to the promised place like He did for Moses and the Egyptians – we have that courage for it reminds us He can do all things for those who believe and have eyes to see and ears to hear.

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Peter recognizes who it is and asks for confirmation.  When we ask for confirmation, He will always draw us further to Himself.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Peter, filled with courage and His eyes and heart affixed on Jesus, steps out of his comfort zone and towards Jesus, effectively walking on water.

³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

When Peter took his eyes of the Lord and onto the situation, He became afraid.  He noticed the wind and the waves and his mind was reminded of his earthly situation.  Fear and disbelief filled his heart and he began to sink.  Right away Peter cried out to the Lord as we all should in our desperate moments.

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Jesus immediately rescued Peter.  He catches him at his point of need.  I love it that this moment still occurs on the water.  Jesus lifts Peter back up and reminds him that we can do when our eyes are on the prize instead of the race.  When Jesus calls us to Him and we keep our focus on Him, we too can walk through our situation and be reminded of the Lord’s work in our lives.

³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

When we witness the Lord rescues us and takes us through the situation to the place of calm and assurance, our hearts instinctively are called to recognize and worship the true Son of God.  This is true for those who are close to us even for a short time, too, as we observe the Lord work in their lives.

³⁴ When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him ³⁶ and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

When we know and recognize Jesus as the true Son of God, we recognize He is the one to heal us in all situations.  And we can faithfully believe that even a small encounter will transform us.

Joy

Joy is restful, whole and a deep sigh.  It’s like jumping into a deep lake and the water engulfs you all over.  Joy fills our whole being and not just our belly.  True joy comes from the Lord.  Joy gives us confidence knowing He will always be with us and never forsake us.  Joy gives us serenity knowing that God will always have our back if we keep moving forward towards Him, continuously praying and calling out to Jesus who deserves all of our faith.  Joy requires us to share quite moments with Him to refresh our cup and rest in the wisdom that He that provides all things and is working towards our greatest good, even when we do not understand and all logic is confounded.  The joy of the Lord is our strength because it is our remembrance that we already have the victory over that which seeks to destroy us.  Joy in the wisdom that God will avenge the righteous from the ungodly’s wickedness so that we, ourselves, can be freed from an angry and bitter heart.  Joy in the wisdom that God will not forget His faithful, even amidst His wrath, for those that call out to Him because He is slow to anger and desires no one to be lost.  Joy of the Lord is grateful to have a Lord who sees all, knows all and never sleeps.  Joy is rejoicing in the knowledge of who the Lord which increases our faith in Him through the endurance of walking through our trials of our lives.  But how do we come to this place of joy?

Joy comes after making peace with the Lord.  It is through the reconciliation that we, in our sinful nature, unworthy of a relationship with God are reconciled when we call out to Him for forgiveness and accept His position as Lord of our lives.  Through the experience of God’s faithfulness and the renewed confidence in our life, our faith in Jesus Christ grows to the point we know He IS who He says He is.  It allows us to confidently look forward to the day we will share in eternal life in gratitude for His sacrifice.  Romans 5:1-11 NLT says (emphasis added):

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by FAITH, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  Because of our FAITH, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character [we become transformed], and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will NOT lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with HIS love.

Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his son while were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son.

Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. 

Jesus prayed this before dying for us, “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you.  Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that we may be ONE as we are one.  While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.  None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.  ‘I am coming to you know, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.’” John 17:11-13

Psalm 92:4 says, "For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your hands have done."  

Psalm 19:8 says, "The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes."

Psalm 28:7 says, "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him."

To know and walk with the Lord is true joy!

Ash

In Genesis 3:19 the Lord God says, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." You see back in Genesis 2:7, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."


The Lord God personally created Adam out of dust and he reminds him that although he personally created out of the dust of the ground, he is mortal and will return back to being dust. I picture the proverbial Mom warning her child with "I brought you into this world, I will take you out." with no intention of actually doing so.

Ash Wednesday is a special day that marks the beginning of Lent. Why Ashes? For one, the marks on our forehead with a cross is to physically remind us that we have been called by God and to repent and humble ourselves before a Holy God. Repeatedly throughout the Bible are references to ashes and sackcloth to humble oneself to God.

When speaking with the Lord, Abraham reminded him he was nothing but dust and ashes. "Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” Genesis 18:27-28 And because he humbled himself, the Lord granted Abraham's desire.

In Esther 4:1-4, Mordecai and all the Jews "put on sackcloth with ashes" and grieved. They cried out to the Lord and the Lord delivered the Jews from the hands of a man who King Xeres put in charge and this man's whole drive in life was to crush the Jews out of existence. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, He hears our cries.

Job, when speaking to his friends and family when he became afflicted reminded them in 13:12 "Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay." And then when Job speaks to the Lord directly in 42:6, Job again humbles himself to the Lord: "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

In Daniel 9:3, Daniel prayed "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes".

Jesus gives this stern warning to the unrepentant in both Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13, "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."

Finally, in 2 Peter 2:6 another warning is given to these that remain unrepentant and do not humble themselves to the Lord, "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly"

This Ash Wednesday, more than giving up something, I pray that you give into the Lord, humbling yourself before him by repenting and relinquishing your ungodly ways, seeking the Lord's strength to overcome that which has an ungodly hold upon you through this Lenten season.

Balm for the Afflicted - Part 2

¹⁵ Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous:  “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things! ¹⁶ The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
   The Lord’s people, who are the righteous, were camped around the Tabernacle.  They defeated everyone to the Promised Land.  When the people went out in the desert, God went before them as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day.  Their enemies were afraid of them by reputation.  Exodus 15:6 says, “Your right hand, LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, LORD, shattered the enemy.”  The Lord does great and mighty things when he is at the center your life.

¹⁷ I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
    John 3:15 says, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  In Luke 2:10, the angels announce to the shepherds upon Jesus’ birth “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”  When the Lord changes your life, the telling of the change is your testimony about how the Lord saves.

¹⁸ The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
    Hebrews 12:5b-7 says “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”  Proverbs 3:11-12 says, “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”  Although His discipline can be extremely painful, it is to our benefit and a privilege as it means we are His and are saved.

¹⁹ Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.  ²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.
    The Tabernacle was surrounded by a gate by which the righteous would enter to offer their sacrifices.  The High Priest was the only one who was able to go into the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant, Father God Almighty, existed.  It was separated by a cloth that was at least 6 inches thick.  When Jesus died on the cross, this cloth split and allowed us to directly enter the Holy of Holies and boldly enter the throne of the Most High.

²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
    Isaiah 60:18 says, “No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.”

²² The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; ²³ the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
     The stone the builders rejected which became the cornerstone is the Church built upon our faith in Jesus Christ.  Acts 4:11-12 says, “Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.””

²⁴ The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.  ²⁵ LORD, save us!  LORD, grant us success!
     Accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior allows us to have a relationship with God the Father again.  This relationship is our salvation which brings us great joy and eternal life with Him.

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.  From the house of the LORD we bless you.
In all four Gospels, the people “took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!’”  This passage identifies Jesus Christ as the King. 

²⁷ The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
    The horns on the altar represent the mercy seat.  The blood of the sacrifices in the Tabernacle was ladled over the mercy seat.  Jesus Christ’s blood shed for our sins is the ultimate sacrifice and provides us mercy.  1 Peter 1:3-4a puts it well:  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade”

²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
   What other God came down to deliver His own?  We exalt the Lord our God for His mercy and love endures forever!

²⁹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
   When we truly understand the gift Jesus gave us, our hearts are filled with gratitude at His great love for us.

Cain and Abel

I never fully understood why Abel's sacrifice was better accepted over Cain's.  But then I read something that made me realize that it was about the Lamb and was to be another prophecy about Jesus and His church.

In Genesis 4:2-8, we learn that Abel was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer.  When they were old enough to bring their own sacrifices, Abel brings the first of his flock and God respects the offering.  Cain brought the fruit of the ground and God did not respect nor acknowledge it.

Why?  I believe the answer is in the chapter before.  Because Adam and Eve sinned, God curses the ground.  Afterwards, God makes a blood sacrifice in order to make Adam and Eve clothes made from skins. "21Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them."

The offering of sacrifices to cover sin was first started in the Garden of Eden.  It was done through the shedding of blood.  Abel understood this and offered a lamb.  Cain offered a sacrifice from the cursed ground.  Abel did it God's way and Cain did it his own way.  After God did not accept the sacrifice, Cain was upset - so much so that he kills his brother in rage.

I want to point out that the sacrifice of a lamb being acceptable to the Lord God as payment of sin is used throughout the Bible.  Jesus Christ is the final "paid in full" payment of sin. John 1:29 says, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Finally, it's a warning to us.  When we do things our own way instead of God's way, we shouldn't expect God to be very pleased.  When we do things in our own strength and will, why do we think God would be pleased?  Unlike Cain, we should humble ourselves and ask God for forgiveness as He is slow to anger and His mercy overflows.

Secondly, if Jesus' blood sacrifice on the cross seems messy and unnecessary, ask God for clarity and His understanding on this matter.  If a blood sacrifice wasn't necessary, then Jesus would not have had to come to pay a price that could not be paid any other way.  The Lamb of God's blood was shed for the payment of our sins.  Jesus, himself, was without sin.  He, himself, was blameless.

Cain's sacrifice was not acceptable and in Cain's refusal to humble himself, He became cursed.  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).  Only by accepting the blood sacrifice and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, shall a person be saved.  Those that want to get to heaven any other way, like Cain, will be cursed.

Further, it warns the Church.  Adam and Eve wore the skins from God's sacrifice.  They were marked under God's care and mercy.  We, too, are marked or sealed when we believe.  Ephesians 1:13 says, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise."  Those that do not believe Jesus is the Lamb of God will hate the true Church of believers just as Jesus, himself, told us the unbelievers would. 

Balm for the Afflicted - Part 1

I read Psalm 118 and was so grateful that God reminded me why I love this Psalm so much that I thought I'd share it with you.

1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: because His mercy endureth forever.
   Our heart can always be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving when we recall the God's goodness in, over and through our lives and those around us. He never gives up on us and His love never fails. His love shows us mercy over and over again.

2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth forever.
  Once we have experienced God’s unfailing mercy and his profound love for us, we want to share it with others. God wants us to share it with others also. We are His chosen people (Israel) called out among others to share the good news.

3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth forever.
  Like Aaron’s rod, our lives bloom and produce fruit through faithing and having a relationship with Him, demonstrating His mercy. “The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. (Numbers 17:8)”

4 Let them who fear the Lord say that His mercy endureth forever.
  Proverbs 9:10 puts it this way: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Those who fear the Lord more than they fear the retribution or gossip of men will know true wisdom, understanding from God’s perspective and His unfailing mercy. Tuck into your heart the remembrance that His ways are not our ways and His mercy will follow you all the days of your life.

5 I called upon the Lord out of distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.
  When you need the Lord, He will be there for you when you call out to Him for His help. There’s no need for us to figure this life out ourselves. We’re not designed to do it alone and we are His creation. When we call upon Him, He will bring us to a place where others can see His working transformation through our situation for His glory.

6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
  Whether this is translated “The Lord is for me” or “The Lord is on my side” the meaning is the same. The Lord watches out for you, protects you and works things out for your best, even when others intend or seek to do you harm. And who is greater than the Lord?

7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
  When the Lord takes your side through tribulation, He doesn’t do it in a secret way. He will do it in such a way that when you overcome (and you will because Jesus did overcome and is the Overcomer) but it will be obvious to those that would want to harm you that God is for you and His mercy prevails upon your life. You are signed, sealed and delivered to He who saved you - simply, you are His. The devil will back away defeated yet again.

8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
  When men give you advice, it’s much wiser to seek the counsel of the Lord. The Lord will never fail you. If the advice of your friends leaves you no peace, it is because God is not in it. God will ask you to go somewhere He will not be. In John 14:2, Jesus himself tells us He prepares a place for us. Think of it this way – you cannot follow someone who is not in the lead.

9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
  It is better to trust in the Lord than our government. Who provides for us? The Lord our God. The government does not prepare a way for us and guarantee us mercy all the days of our lives.

10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will cut them off.
   One only has to look at the story of the Jews to be reminded that God will destroy or cut off a nation that sets upon destroying His chosen people.

11 They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
   When trials or tribulations encircle you on all sides, He will not forget this promise even though you may not see it come to pass. Later, if even only in heaven, it will be confirmed.

12 They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
  The tribulation that encircles you on all sides may sting, hurt and cause your heart to swell over in pain. Those causing this tribulation will not be satisfied with their gain; they will be uncomfortable and may not realize why. God’s will always prevails.

13 Thou has thrust sore at me that I might fail: but the Lord helped me.
    Although I may appear beaten down and keep experiencing tribulation, it will not last for the Lord is on our side. If the Lord is for us, who can stand against us?

14 The Lord is my strength and my song, and is become my salvation.
    The Lord upholds us through ALL of our days including the good, hard, easy and bad days. When we keep faithing in the Lord, trusting Him, He will give us His strength to do all things He has entrusted us. And our trials and tribulations are entrusted for us to overcome by calling out to Him and remembering we are not defeated because Jesus is not defeated. We are His and He is our salvation. Although we may not feel saved – chosen to be His – our life when reviewed as the transformation that it is will show that we are.