Category Archives: Jesus

Into tribulation

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Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep.  He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”  Zechariah 4:1-3

The emblem of Israel contains a Menorah in its center, two olive branches on both sides of the Menorah and at the bottom the label “Israel”.

Chosen by competition in 1949 as the official symbol for the Jewish Nation.  Does anyone believe that the two Jewish men that submitted this image for ratification did so without full knowledge and reflection upon the Book of Zechariah, and the prophetic Word which God had given him for the end times?  The Jewish people understand the Old Testament, thus this symbol is realization of their reliance upon the coming of Messiah.

Review of Zachariah produces rich, spirit filled language for the Church.  We see mention of the Spirit, then of the capstone (Lord Jesus) and the foundation of the Temple, the Rock of Ages.  Apparently Zachariah is speaking of the Trinity.  As Christians we are confronted with the fact that there are also seven lampstands beside the olive branches which are to be filled with oil (the Holy Spirit), this symbol has widely been accepted as the sign for the mystery of the Church.  We are also left with the symbols of the two olive branches anointed to serve the “Lord of all the Earth”.  Here is a question I will bring to the Holy Spirit in prayer, perhaps you may choose to join me; Are the two olive branches that serve the Lord, the first being Israel the native vine and the second being the saints having been grafted in as a wild branch?

I was reminded this week of the enemy’s desperate and relentless attempts at all cost to destroy the Nation of Israel, by a man claiming to be Christian, emphatically denying the promises that God made to that Nation.  I had to remind him that salvation relies upon God’s Faithfulness not our own.  If even one item, discourse or statement uttered by God could be proven incredulous then it all must be so.  If that were the case then our own salvation would always remain in vacillation and doubt.  Praise God that we can be assured of salvation through evidence, presence and sealing of the Holy Spirit.  We either surrender to the absolute Truth of God’s Word or we surrender to this world’s relativistic mantra, there is no middle ground or third position.  Skeptics of God’s Word who are unwilling to investigate the reason for their doubt have simply decided to disbelieve without the requisite declaration.  If you are Christian and you are either in a church that is teaching doctrine other than that which is stated in God’s Word or are choosing to modify God’s Word via your own self-determined edits then you stand in the dangerous position of conflict with God Himself.  He is either the absolute Truth or He is liar, He is either Trustworthy 100% of the time or He is malleable, Jesus is either God or He is a false.  There is no middle ground in what He has said, especially regarding Israel.  God chose this people for His own reasoning and Glory.  Regardless of their behavior it is upon His Promises to them which we must rely.  Therefore what God has said through His own Word and the Prophets regarding Israel’s punishment, reorganization, trials and Divine Protection is entirely reliable, trustworthy and dependable.  Do not stand in opposition to God by declaring some other reality, for God alone is Sovereign.

Settled

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If the Nation of Israel could lose the covenant promises made them by God, then every Christian would be in the chaotic position of unassured salvation.  Each of these is a preposterous idea, as neither is based upon our own performance, worthiness or works.  These are promises made by a Sovereign God to created beings of His choosing.  We did not earn a position of favor within relationship to God, we were given grace, such grace that has been made available to every man and woman.  The Jews were given a promise, and the power of the promise transcends whatever any created being, angel or man, thinks about it.  God will continue to love, direct and deal with the Nation of Israel, just as His Spirit indwells each Christian, guiding, teaching, shaping and directing each of us through sanctification.  God does not depend in any manner upon my opinion of His plan.

Are you prepared for the imminent arrival of Jesus Christ?  It is coming you know, when, none of can be certain, but that is irrelevant.  We are simply to consider it imminent, and in so doing be vigilant in our preparation as if it may very well occur tonight.  What does it mean to be prepared for the arrival of Jesus Christ?  Is it the same thing to each of us, or are there different preparations specific to each individual?  Just as none of us will be made worthy by our own works, each of us has the same level of performance requirements in preparation for God’s Glorious Appearing.  That should not be confused with each person’s purpose or calling.  We must have oil in our lamps, be sealed by the Holy Spirit, committed to following Christ, having written His Word upon our hearts.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

One of us preached and you believed.  It is irrelevant again who it was that planted the seed of God’s Word within the soil of your spirit, the fact remains that someone told you of Christ’s life, death and resurrection and you made decisions based upon your subsequent considered decisions regarding that hearing of the Gospel message.  That is the work of preparation, learning our own testimony, knowing and loving Christ, enough to share His truth with each new person to whom we become acquainted.  Surrendering ourselves to His shaping hand of sanctification through continual and perpetual acknowledgement of and repentance from sin.  Preparing ourselves to spend eternity with a Righteous, Holy God.  Turning and keeping our vision toward heaven, in full knowledge that our blessings, salvation, protection and peace come from God and God alone.  No one may remove my salvation from me just as no one may cancel the promises God has made me through His Word, just as no one may free me from the loving obligation of being found doing the work He has prepared for me to do since before the beginning of the world.

Lord I thank you that there are many things in this life that must ponder, but that does not include Your intentions for my life or my eternity.  I am persuaded, assured, settled to the inevitable and imminent revelation of Your eventual plan for humanity.  I pray that I keep my heart, my mind and my hands to the tools of Your work.  Give me the strength to follow through where my own flesh and will is insufficient.  I love you Lord.  In Jesus’ Name.

What kind of miracle?

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Faith.  A belief that does not require proof, having accepted something as truth without demanding existing evidence.  How did I know that my earthly Father loved me?  I cannot prove it but I seldom questioned that fact.  I just knew.  It is the same way with God, though He has given much less reason to doubt His love than my earthly Dad.  I trust, hope, believe in and “know” that God will show up in my life.  Sure the first few times I trusted took all the faith that I could muster, but now I have “empirical evidence” based upon the thousands of times which God has shown up in my life.  My faith is based on His trustworthiness not my own capacity to accept facts.  I have faith in His Faithfulness, His Word, His Grace, His reliability and Consistency.  My faith is increased each time that His Word washes over me as it is fortified, perfected and encouraged by Truth.

Mustard Seed.  One to two millimeters in diameter, yet capable of producing one of the largest plantings in the garden, a tree in fact.  This demonstrates the potency of even a smidgen of faith, that from the smallest spore a vast sustainable set of branches will eventually ensue.  God had faith enough in me to offer His Life upon a cross with the hope/knowledge that I would someday accept that gift in humility and be filled by life eternal.  I may not know that much about God, but I know Him, and what I do know of Him surrounds great “love”.  A love that would never leave me alone to flounder, incapable, incapacitated, threatened by enemies who hate me for His sake.  I have “faith” in that love to catch me when I jump, fall, stumble or reach for the everlasting in hope and trust.  That seed that He chose to place in the soil of my spirit has grown, watered and fed by His Word and kept safe by the demonstration of His faithfulness.  I wonder what can be done with a pumpkin seed of faith?

Trust.  I don’t always know what God is up to in our lives, but I do know that it feels good to know that we are in relationship.  I know that I am not always going to understand or appreciate the “goodness” of His disciplining Hand in my life,  but I always eventually see that it was meant for the best.  I have zero comprehension why He chose to offer me salvation , but I am overjoyed that He chose to do so.  I trust that His Word is Truth and that His plan is the perfection of mankind, saving us from the self-evoked chaos to which we are otherwise committed.  I simply accept His righteousness on “faith” and wait for the knowledge, justification and belief to show up at a later date.  Trust in God is not chance but opportunity to sustain hope in something more dependable than the universe itself.

I love You Lord.  Can I explain Love, certainly not, but I know that I love You.  How is it that I am fortunate enough to accept factors with faith that I cannot explain or prove, accept and give Love, something I cannot explain or understand and share Hope with those around me with nothing but words/life actions to demonstrate its probability?  He has made me another creature, a man who believes in things that he cannot explain, evidence or demonstrate.  A man who walks a path that he cannot see yet maintains, with absolute surety that it leads to eternity.  A man who weeps at the plight of humanity when by all means he should be disaffected, simply because God loves them so much.  A man who believed in little else but self gratification now accepts the Truth that is God without question.  What kind of miracle is that?

http://youtu.be/DSB_At4H8kA