Yahweh-Sabaoth

   “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45)

iworship Yahweh-Sabaoth

Facing the Philistine army, the Israelites were terrified and demoralized as each day, the giant Goliath hurled insults at them and their God. He challenged them to find a champion who would fight him—winner take all. No one dared to confront Goliath. But then David, a small shepherd boy, stepped forward. He would fight Goliath in the name of Jehovah-Sabaoth. David was confident that “the Lord of hosts” would conquer the giant and deliver Israel from the Philistines. He shot a stone from his sling and Goliath came crashing down.
Bright, B. (2000). God : Knowing him by his names (24). Orlando, FL: NewLife Publications.

  igive thanks to Yahweh-Sabaoth

 “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)  Thank Yahweh-Sabaoth that our salvation is beautifully worked by His "Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."  It is from Him, through Him and to Him...to God be the glory!

ipraise Yahweh-Sabaoth

In Isaiah chapter 6, seraphim were positioned around the throne, together crying “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” Isaiah’s reaction was one of awe, humility and repentance. Beholding Yahweh-Sabaoth in heaven, the prophet cried, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips”.  The glorious truth we learn in John 12:41is that the One Isaiah saw on the throne was Jesus!  Beholding Yahweh Isaiah immediately became aware of the vast gap that exists between any human being and God. We are in His image, yet God remains inscrutably different from and greater than us.  All of the worlds religions reflect mans efforts to reach God...the glorious truth of Christianity is that God put on a breathtaking display that HE DID IT ALL in the person of Jesus Christ.  As Jesus died on the cross He said it is finished, He completed the work the Father sent Him to do.  When your Heavenly Father looks at you He sees the righteousness of His only Begotten.  Jesus was rejected so that we could be wonderfully accepted by our Abba, our Father.  Come to the Father through Jesus!
ipray to Yahweh-Sabaoth

“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7)     “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)  “For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13)

Each name that God the Father gives us, His children reveals more of who He is to us, to His children.  It is breath taking that the Great "I AM" want us, His children to know Him intimately!  HE is Yahweh, Jireh, Nissi, Sabaoth and much much more!  When you behold HIM, if you behold Him there is only one response...WORSHIP!  One beautiful aspect to this is that to WORSHIP is not received like a command but a response the same way that Isaiah responded to seeing Jesus on HIS throne high and lifted up.  Worship the King in all HIS glory!

Pursuing HIM together!

Matt Chandler Impersonates Mark Driscoll

  Several months ago I ran across this clip from Matt Chandler impersonating Mark Driscoll.  The point he was making was to Pastors and Preachers, but it applies to all of God's children.  Chandler simply points out for individuals to fulfill their God given ministry and not try to copy someone else.

We read in 1 Peter that:

 “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10–11)  

The Psalms are filled with references to waiting on God.  “But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.” (Psalm 38:15)  What does this have to do with fulfilling your personal ministry?  Most people are not willing to do the hard work of seeking God through prayer and then waiting for His answer!  Listening is a part of a healthy prayer life, it is a vital part of the secret prayer life that Jesus called us to.  Eugene Peterson noted that, "if we pray without listening, we pray out of context."  Prayer and seeking our Heavenly Father in prayer is glorious, but it is also hard work.  Remember we have an enemy, he passionately want to cut off our communications with the Father.

It is in doing the hard work in prayer, seeking God's face in prayer and then listening for His still small voice that we receive our directions and instructions in ministry.  It is here that we learn how to deploy the gifts God has given us.

   “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;” (Romans 12:4–6)  

Because each of us has "gifts that differ according to the grace given to us," then it is imperative that each of us receives our instructions directly from our Heavenly Father.  He longs for each of us to have an intimate relationship with Him.  He invites, He calls, He desires for each of us to come to Him and enjoy Him.  Be who God created you to be...no one can do that better than you.
 Pursuing Him together, listening to His voice, longing to fulfill His calling on my life!
m

Knowing Yahweh

Why should we pursue Yahweh?  Why should we want to know HIM?
There is the negative side to the answer and a glorious side to the answer.  Consider the words of the prophet Hosea.

“My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.” (Hosea 4:6)

“They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Longing after idols has made them foolish. They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting their God.” (Hosea 4:12)

In Hosea 6 God tells us what He desires, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” The NIV puts it this way..."For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, andacknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."  Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6  and in Matt 9:13 Jesus tells them to "Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Another time Jesus is questioned about breaking the Sabbath in Matt 12:7, and HE gives them the same answer... And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
 What is the positive side?  What is the most glorious good that comes from pursuing HIM?  Is it adoption, forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption, justification, sanctification...all of these are infinitely glorious, but they are a means to something or someone else!  Ponder the words of David in the Psalms,  “Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”” (Psalm 27:7–8)  God the Father invites David to seek His face, meaning seek His presence.  Now listen to Jesus High Priestly prayer in John 17,  “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)

““I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” (John 17:6)  

“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” (Colossians 3:10)  “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)  Is the glorious side that we are given adoption, forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption, justification, and sanctification in HIM?  It is through these that we are able to behold the Lamb of God, to look unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith...it is through these that we behold HIM and become like HIM.  One Pastor puts it like this, "beholding is becoming."  Gaze upon His glorious face through His Word, through knowing HIM by HIS glorious names.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10)
I found this video on Youtube that puts the names of God with one of my favorite songs by Third Day, Show Me Your Glory.  I pray that you will be blessed as you pursue Him through HIS names.
Pursuing HIM together!
m

Yahweh-Nissi

“The Lord is my banner” (Exod. 17:15). Moses named the place Yahweh-Nissi after the victory over the Amalekites. The name of God was considered a banner under which Israel could rally for victory.  Yahweh-Nissi was the battle cry!

 “After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-nissi  (which means “the Lord is my banner”).” (Exodus 17:14–15)

 iWorship Yahweh-Nissi
Moses could not have imagined that Yahweh-Nissi was a shadow of...and pointed to the fact that Yahweh would take on flesh and actually be the banner lifted up on the Cross!  Isaiah foretold of a day when “the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious” (Isa. 11:10).  God's promise through Isaiah is now fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the banner for God's children who run to Him from from every nation, tongue and tribe.  He is “the Root of Jesse” the son of David and the Son of God and HE is more than worthy of our worship!  God's written Word does not say that Jesus has a banner; it says that he is the banner. It is by looking to Jesus that we are saved. Jesus said, “the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15).

iGive thanks to Yahweh-Nissi
Give thanks to the King of kings and LORD of Lords, the one who delivered you from sin, death and Satan and ultimately will deliver you to His Father and our Father!     “and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 1:5–6)

iPray to Yahweh-Nissi for your needs and others
Hezekiah takes his prayer before the Lord, showing Him the threatening letter of the Rabshakeh of Assyria. The cry is desperate and direct: ‘Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know’ that you alone, O Lord are God’ (2 Kings. 19:19).  In Exodus 17 We see the focus is on Moses hands being lifted as a banner.  How can it be something so simple as lifted hands to Yahweh.  I believe it reflects a child-like faith, a desperate dependence on the Lord’s deliverance. It also shows Yahweh's commitment to his people.  Yahweh-nissi: the Lord is the lifted banner of his people; his raised hand provides their deliverance.  Yahweh-Nissi hears and responds to the cries of His children.  “The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”” (Psalm 91:14–16, NLT)

 iPraise Yahweh-Nissi in song

Pursuing Him through His Names!  Falling in love with Yahweh-Nissi!

“You have raised a banner for those who honor You—a rallying point in the face of attack” (Psa. 60:4).

   “Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name.” (Psalm 119:132)  

Yahweh-Jireh

Yahweh-Jireh “The Lord will provide” (Gen. 22:14). This was the name given to the place where God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in the place of Isaac. “Abraham named the place ‘The LORD Will Provide’ ” Isaac was a child of promise, through whom God promised to bless Abraham and multiply his descendants. Yet when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham walked by faith and set out to do what God had commanded him.  God intervened and provided a ram for the sacrifice, a substitute for Abraham's son. Abraham named that place Yahweh-Jireh.

iWorship Yahweh-Jireh!

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the same God who knows your circumstances, who orchestrated your circumstance to transform you to the image of HIS Son.  Like Abraham, we must come to a place where we are willing to place everything into God’s hands, knowing that He is Yahweh-Jireh.  When we worship and obey HIM He reveals Himself to us in His precious Word and we become like Him!  (See 2 Cor. 3:17-18)

iGive thanks to Yahweh-Jireh!

Our tendency is to look to Yahweh-Jireh, the one who provides, to provide for our physical needs.  However, if you look at the context of Yahweh's provision, it was a substitute that He provided.  To Abraham's delight Yahweh provided a substitute for Isaac.  We know that what happened on Moriah points us to the ultimate substitute, Jesus! “Since God did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?” (Rom. 8:32).  God indeed provides all things for His children, but the first and most radical provision is making us His adopted children through the sacrifice of His only Begotten!

iPray the promises of Yahweh-Jireh for me and my family & others.

   “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13)  

Prayerfully thank Him for: 

His provision of spiritual deliverance from sin, death and Satan, that Him for salvation, being your substitute.

His adopting us as His children, "heirs and joint heirs with Christ."  (Rom 8:17)

His provision for your physical needs.  "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” (Mat. 6:31–33).

“My God will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Phi. 4:19).

In the Pursuit of God Tozer makes the following observation concerning Abraham following his encounter with Yahweh-Jireh.  

"After that bitter and blessed experience I think the words `my' and `mine' never had again the same meaning for Abraham. The sense of possession which they connote was gone from his heart. things had been cast out forever.They had now become external to the man. His inner heart was free from them. The world said, `Abraham is rich,' but the aged patriarch only smiled. He could not explain it to them, but he knew that he owned nothing, that his real treasures were inward and eternal."

The video is clips from "The Life of Abraham" portraying his trip to Moriah with Isaac set to a song by Andrew Peterson called "Holy is the LORD."  Place yourself in Abraham's shoes and then consider your own circumstances and consider how God is calling you to follow Him in obedience.

Pursuing Him through His Names!  Falling in love with Yahweh-Jireh!

   ...those who love his name shall dwell in it. (Psalm 69:36)  

I AM

“Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”” (Exodus 3:13–14)

The most common name for God in the scriptures is never translated into English.  Any time you see the word LORD in all caps it represents HIS name.  The name is YHWH and is pronounced something like Yahweh.  When Moses asked God His name that he could tell the people Yahweh is the name that He gave.  “I AM WHO I AM,” “I AM has sent me to you.”  Yahweh is used in the scriptures over 6,000 times.

What I am about to write is going to sound like an exaggeration but I promise that it is not!  The meaning packed in those four little Hebrew letters is inscrutable, it is inexhaustible, it is beyond full understanding!  The glorious new is that while we cannot exhaust it’s meaning, now or in eternity, there is much we can understand.

I believe that Tozer lands a devastating blow to our flesh in possibly the first step in the journey to know HIM more intimately when he writes:

Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly. We insist upon trying to modify Him and to bring Him nearer to our own image. The flesh whimpers against the rigor of God's inexorable sentence and begs like Agag for a little mercy, a little indulgence of its carnal ways. It is no use. We can get a right start only by accepting God as He is and learning to love Him for what He is. As we go on to know Him better we shall find it a source of unspeakable joy that God is just what He is. Some of the most rapturous moments we know will be those we spend in reverent admiration of the Godhead. In those holy moments the very thought of change in Him will be too painful to endure.  Tozer

Let the average man be put to the proof on the question of who is above, and his true position will be exposed. Let him be forced into making a choice between God and money, between God and men, between God and personal ambition, God and self, God and human love, and God will take second place every time. Those other things will be exalted above. However the man may protest, the proof is in the choices he makes day after day throughout his life.  Tozer 

As A young man God gave me a very simple prayer…LORD I want to know you as you are, not as I want you to be!  Through the years, one by one, God has identified those things in my life and heart that I love more than Him and as HE has been gracious to allow me to see them and to repent and turn to Him with a child like faith.  

Pursuing Him together!
m

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.” (Psalm 5:11)

Adopted! What does that mean?

 In the same way when a husband and a wife adopt a child all of their resources are available to their child. when God adopts His children through Jesus Christ we become His heirs and joint heirs with Christ.  Gloriously insane I know!  The Holman Bible dictionary puts it as succinctly as I have found.

The concept of adoption finds its fullest expression in the NT. In Paul’s thought it carries various implications. In Rom. 9:4, adoption refers to Israel’s unique relationship to Yahweh; in Rom. 8:23, adoption has connotations for future bodily resurrection; and in Rom. 8:15, adoption refers to becoming children of God.

Thus, as God’s children, the Holy Spirit (1) bears witness in the hearts of believers that they are “God’s children” (Rom. 8:16 HCSB); (2) works in the hearts of believers, making possible intimacy with God as Father (Gal. 4:6); and (3) provides personal direction as believers “walk … according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4 HCSB).

Paul contrasts the unique relationship conferred upon the believer through God’s adoptive work to that of the slave who lives, works, and relates in fear (Rom. 8:15). Those adopted by God into His family are “heirs of God” and “joint heirs” with Christ, receiving all the blessings, benefits, and privileges attained by the sacrifice of the Son of God (Rom. 8:17).

Although primarily developed in Paul, certain aspects of adoption are found in other places in the NT. Adoption is implicit in Jesus’ teaching concerning God as Father (Matt. 5:16; 6:9; Luke 12:32). The conferral of family benefits upon an adoptee is an expression of the Living Word’s authority (John 1:12) and is in keeping with His mission to bring “many sons to glory” (Heb. 2:10 HCSB). Thus, Jesus is not ashamed to call believers “brothers” (Heb. 2:11).Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., Butler, T. C., & Latta, B. (2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (29). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

 Now this may sound absurd, but you could spend a life-time seeking to truly understand what it means to be adopted by our Heavenly Father...I'm not exaggerating!  My question for you and me is ARE WE LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF OUR PAST OR OUR FUTURE?  Are we living like children of the King of kings or are we living like salves...slaves to our own sins, idols and passions?  If you truly are a child of God and His Spirit dwells within you and you seek to walk according to the Spirit...you have everything you need to walk by faith and walk in victory in Christ.
Oh Father in Heaven, fill us with your Holy Spirit and enable us to live in the light of our future, in the light of who we are in Christ...for your glory and our joy in You!
In Jesus name, Amen
Pursuing Him together!
m

Adopted: We have His Name

Throughout the Psalms the name of the LORD is so often the object strong affections of love, trust, praise and hope.  In Deuteronomy 12 God’s name refers to His presence.  “Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.” (Deuteronomy 12:5)  In His names He reveals Himself to His people, but much more than that His Name promises His presence with His people.  Remember Paul's words in 2 Corinthians, “And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16)
In Psalm 138 we read:

   “I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings. I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else. On the day I called, You answered me; You increased strength within me.” (Psalm 138:1–3, HCSB)  

We are His temple, the temple of Yahweh!  We are the dwelling place of Jesus!  Read Isaiah 6 and John 12:41 and SEE who dwells within and with you!  Isaiah saw the LORD, he saw Yahweh high and lifted up...and John tells us that it was Jesus that he saw.
When His people, His adopted children exalt His Name and His Word above every thing else we are most blessed, most alive and filled with a super abounding JOY!
Pursuing HIM together!

Adopted!

If we are willing to slow down enough, stop, and listen to God's precious Word it will take your breath away!  The fact that those (you and me) that deserve eternal death, eternal separation from God are offered a way to NOT go to hell, but beyond that are adopted as HIS children...WOW!  I'm sorry but my vocabulary, any vocabulary fails here...this is stunning, mind blowing and yes, breath taking...eternally breath taking!  Ponder this for a moment...most would plead for mercy when faced with being cast into eternal damnation and they would be grateful if they received mercy.  Please let the impact of this next thought penetrate your heart and soul...would you in a billion or trillion years ever thought to ask the sovereign God of the universe, creator, sustainer and maker of all things to send HIS only Son to die in your place?  Let me think...NOT!

In Romans Paul uses the following argument.  “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32)  What is everything else?  Himself!  Paul tells us earlier in Romans that God gives us HIS Spirit...For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:5)  The fact that HE comes to dwell within us is amazing enough...but adoption!  “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”” (Romans 8:15)  

Jesus taught us to pray...our Father in Heaven, our Father, our Father...Hallowed be thy Name!  HE call HIS children to enjoy an amazing and breath taking intimate relationship with HIM for HIS glory and our JOY in HIM.

Pursuing HIM together!

What is the Impossible that you need God to do?

This past Christmas season I walked my family through the Advent wreath.  Each week lighting an additional candle culminating with the lighting of the center candle representing the arrival of Jesus on Christmas eve.  It was a sweet time as everyone participated in putting together the brief devotionals.  As I was searching for tools to help make this a more meaningful time of worship for our family I ran across this ministry and video.  There were several good video devotionals from 24-7 but this one is special.

A simple question is posed by Lyndall Bywater..."what is the impossible you need God to do?"  She recounts the story of John the Baptist sending his disciples to Jesus asking "are you the one."  John finding himself in prison was most likely dismayed at his circumstances.  I can only imagine that John was dismayed, discouraged, confused, crying out in his heart..."God, what are you doing?  Did I miss something?  Where are you?"

   “John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’ ”  Matt 11:2-6

What is the impossible that you need God to do?  What are the impossible circumstances that you find yourself in where you desperately need God?  Where do you desperately need hope?  What about those God has placed around you...how is God inviting you to pray for HIM to do the impossible in their lives?  In Psalm 9:10 the Psalmist says, “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

Occupy Jesus

Remember the last time you were in a public place and saw someone that you knew and you know that they saw you, but they did not acknowledge your presence? They had the audacity to act like you were not even there! After leaving you were quickly on the phone calling your spouse or a close friend to tell them of the terrible injustice that had been thrust upon you! Why, they did not even acknowledge my existence...well, hmm, well, I NEVER!
The only thing that I know to say is..."well you should some time." I apologize for that little outburst.
I have to confess that every time something like that happens to me...my heart and mind go to Hosea 6:6!  “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” The NIV puts it this way..."For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."


After Jesus called Matthew the tax collector to follow HIM the religious leaders questioned the disciples, wondering why Jesus would associate with sinners...Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6. In Matt 9:13 Jesus tells them to "Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Another time Jesus is questioned about breaking the Sabbath in Matt 12:7, and HE gives them the same answer...7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.


Since God gave us this Word in Hosea 6:6 and God the Son repeated it twice I believe that this is worthy of our prayerful meditation. Jesus points out that God is looking for a love for God and for people...the two greatest commandments. HE wants our love over our service or sacrifice...HE knows if our heart is right in love, in powerful affections, and in devotion to God that service and sacrifice will pour from the overflow of the surrendered life in Christ!  HE also knows that the service and sacrifice that pours out of the surrendered life in Christ will be radical, life-changing, and life-transforming.
Consider, if you a mere creature feel slighted when you are not acknowledged...HOW GREAT IS THE INJUSTICE WHEN CREATURES DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRESENCE OF THEIR CREATOR? There is great guilt for every image bearer of the Triune God. I believe that Romans 1:20 makes that clear..."For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

“My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.” (Hosea 4:6)

“They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Longing after idols has made them foolish. They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting their God.” (Hosea 4:12)

We begin with knowing HIM, pursuing HIM, seeking HIM, hungering and thirsting for righteousness and then out of that intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father He sends us out in sacrificial service.  We know Him because the Lamb of God took away our sins and we are sent out into the world by the Lion of the Tribe of Judah with the boldness of a lion (Pro. 28:1).

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10)

Seeking to occupy HIM together!

m

The Pursuit of God

I am rereading Tozer’s beautiful little book The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine.  Tozer was blessed with a gift of communicating penetrating truths in a concise and crystal clear way.  In his first chapter he writes, “Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.  He waits to be wanted.”  This aligns with what God teaches us through the prophet Jeremiah.  “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)  Throughout the NT Jesus invites us to “come,” “come follow me,” “the Spirit and the Bride say come.”  Tozer closes chapter one with a prayer that resonates with my soul…I pray that it will penetrate yours.

 O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, `Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus' name, Amen.

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)

The Pursuit of God is available online free at:

http://www.theboc.com/freestuff/awtozer/books/the_pursuit_of_god/index.html

Follow Me on Facebook and Twitter

If Jesus had a facebook page how many fans would He have? If you do a quick search on facebook you will quickly find that he does or at least there is one with his name on it, Jesus Daily, has 8,267,484 fans. If Jesus had a Twitter account how many “followers” would He have on Twitter? You may recall Jesus words in Matt 4:19…“Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”” Paul said something similar in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” I know this is not talking about social media. I was very slow to warm up to the social media craze thinking that this was simply some type of fad. Clearly it is not a fad. So what do you do with it? John Piper commented on this in 2009.

I see two kinds of response to social Internet media like blogging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and others.
One says: These media tend to shorten attention spans, weaken discursive reasoning, lure people away from Scripture and prayer, disembody relationships, feed the fires of narcissism, cater to the craving for attention, fill the world with drivel, shrink the soul’s capacity for greatness, and make us second-handers who comment on life when we ought to be living it. So boycott them and write books (not blogs) about the problem.
The other response says: Yes, there is truth in all of that, but instead of boycotting, try to fill these media with as much provocative, reasonable, Bible-saturated, prayerful, relational, Christ-exalting, truth-driven, serious, creative pointers to true greatness as you can.

Piper and his leadership team opted for the second response. I have been on facebook and twitter for a few years and initially was very surprised at the comments that I would receive both on facebook and twitter and at Church…people thanking me for the “words of encouragement.” When all I was doing was simply posting scriptures!
So the power of God’s precious Word is not limited by the medium that it is transmitted through! Remember Isaiah 55:11? “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Social media is not good or evil, anymore than radio, TV, print, or the internet, like these others it is simply a medium where people communicate.
So I use facebook praying that others may encounter the only one face that matters for eternity! Over and over in God’s book people are encouraged to seek HIS face! You see there is only one true facebook. “When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”” (Psalm 27:8) “This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah” (Psalm 24:6) “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” (Psalm 105:4) I will close with my favorite verse in God’s book…“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) Gaze upon HIS glorious face captured for us in HIS precious book…HIS “facebook” is life-changing, and transforming. So if you are prompted to share HIS facebook on facebook then share!
pursuing HIM together!
m

Enter into the JOY of your Master

Enter the JOY of your Master!

   “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:21)  

When most followers of Christ are asked what they want to hear when they see Jesus, there is one primary answer..."well done, good and faithful servant."  You will hear this over and over if you ask.  I do long to hear those words from our LORD, but I must confess that the words that really get me excited are those that follow.  "Enter into the joy of your master."  I'm not sure, but I believe that this joy of Jesus is going to be glorious beyond our wildest thoughts.  You may recall Paul's words in 1 Corinthians, “ as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Oh my, I don't think we have a clue how intensely glorious this JOY will be!  Your sweetest, most glorious moments hear on earth (those glorious moments with family, new baby, grand baby etc.) are merely a sniff, a tiny drop on the tip of your tongue, a taste of the glorious intensity of the intra-trinitarian joy you and I will experience in HIS presence for all eternity.
Pursuing HIM together!
m

What is the Emmaus Road?

What is the Emmaus Road?  Literally it is a road leading to a small village about 7 miles from Jerusalem in Judea.  “That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:13)  The incident is simple and yet breathtaking!  We simply see two despondent disciples walking along a road following the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  As they are walking Jesus appears and begins to walk with them and ask them questions and then something glorious happens that still happens today! 

 Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?"  (Luke 24:17-19)

 After these two explained the recent events to this stranger Jesus begins to interpret the scriptures to His two followers.

 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself... And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”  (Luke 24:25-32)

What is the Emmaus road?  For me it represents the invitation from Jesus to “Come” and follow him, to pursue him, to be taught by him and to delight in him!  In The Pursuit of God, Tozer makes the following observation, “To have found God and still pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too easily satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.”  We have been created in His image, therefore we have the capacity to know Him and once redeemed and filled with the Holy Spirit we have the capacity, ability and power to know Him intimately!

What is the Emmaus road for me?  It is hearing the LORD’s voice and invitation to “come” and then following His voice.  In John chapter 10 Jesus says,“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me.”  David responding to the LORD in Psalm 27 writes, “My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”” (Psalm 27:8)  Finally, we see Jesus beautiful invitation to those in the Church, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation 3:20)

God longs for His adopted children to pursue Him, He desires us to press into His presence and live our whole lives in His midst.  Once you get on the road to Emmaus and your heart begins to burn in the presence of the King of kings a strange thing happens…indeed you want more, Tozer was right about the paradox of love.  Something else wonderful happens, once your heart is set ablaze for the glory of the LORD you run to others and cry “taste and see that the LORD is good.”

Pursuing Him together!

m

What do the Velveteen Rabbit and Job have in common?

What does it mean to be “real?” What does the word “real” mean? A quick look at a dictionary will give the following definition, “not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory : GENUINE 〈real gold〉 also : being precisely what the name implies.” Merriam-Webster
C. S. Lewis makes the following observation about reality or what is real:

"Reality, in fact, is usually something you could not have guessed. That is one of the reasons I believe Christianity. It is a religion you could not have guessed. If it offered us just the kind of universe we had always expected, I should feel we were making it up. But, in fact, it is not the sort of thing anyone would have made up. It has just that queer twist about it that real things have. So let us leave behind all these boys' philosophies--these over simple answers. The problem is not simple and the answer is not going to be simple either."

Lewis is so right! If you try to rationally look at the Good news we proclaim it really does sounds insane, as Lewis puts it, “something you could not have guessed.” Just consider this one thing. You and I would plead with God to save us from an eternal hell, but would you ever…ever have thought to ask Him to save you by sending His Son to die a horrific death in your place? It just not something you would ask the Sovereign of the Universe. All throughout scripture we see God working and moving…unfolding the story of Redemption…in unexpected ways. HIS STORY IS REAL!
So the Story is real, but what about us, what about the people in the Story…are they real? I recently watched and read parts of the Velveteen Rabbit with my kids. There is an amazing conversation that sheds some light on this topic. What does the Velveteen Rabbit, or more precisely, the Skin Horse have to say about becoming real? Let’s take a look.

"Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.' Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit. Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.' Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,' he asked, 'or bit by bit?'
It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

What does this have to do with becoming real? What does this have to do with Abraham, Job, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph? Randy Alcorn makes brings clarity when he said, “We make a huge mistake of thinking that God is simply preparing a place for us, without preparing us for that place. God is preparing us to rule righteously as servant kings over the world He has for us.” Did you catch that? Jesus tells us in John 14:1-3 that HE is preparing a place for us in heaven and I believe Alcorn is right and that the message of Romans 8:28 and the book of Job is that God is preparing us for that place!
Romans 8:18, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.” Paul says almost the same thing in 2 Cor. 4:17, “This light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” You don’t have to wonder what Paul considered light and momentary affliction, he tells us in 2 Cor. 11: imprisonments, beatings, near death, lashes, stoned, shipwrecked, toil, hardship, sleepless nights, etc.
So the sufferings of this present time, this light and momentary affliction IS PREPARING for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. John 14 is absolutely true, Jesus is preparing a place for us, but God’s Word clearly reveals that HE is preparing us for that place and the work we will do in that place.
You see we think that our circumstances are our biggest problems, what was Jacobs biggest problem? His character flaws! Joseph was a man of integrity throughout and yet I believe that his sufferings prepared him for heaven. Our circumstances are not our biggest problems…our biggest problem is our own character flaws, or lack of integrity etc. So our “suffering is preparing for us an eternal weight or glory,” but it’s not only because of character flaws. As we saw with Job and Jacob not every suffering is because of disobedience. We see this most beautifully in our LORD.
In Hebrews 5:8 the author makes one of those UNEXPECTED statements! “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” Wait a minute, God Incarnate LEARNED?

Though always without sin (4:15; 7:26) and thus always obedient, Jesus nevertheless acquired knowledge and experience by living as a human being (cf. Luke 2:40, 52), and he especially came to know firsthand what it cost to maintain obedience in the midst of suffering (see notes on Heb. 2:9; 2:10; 2:18; 4:15). As Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52), successive temptations were no doubt more difficult to deal with (cf. Luke 4:12), and as he obeyed his Father in the face of each temptation, he “learned obedience,” so that his human moral ability was strengthened. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2368). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The pattern is amazing to me! Do you see the progression in the life of the Son of God? It reaches its pinnacle at Gethsemane and in the Cross, we see this in Philippians 2:8 “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus did not become real, HE always was and always will be real! HE did open the door, His flesh being torn opened the way for us to become “real.” Reflect on the stories throughout God's Word…you see this pattern over and over. Abraham, Job, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph became “real.”
John Newton said it well in a song titled “I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow,” “These inward trials I employ From self and pride to set thee free; And break thy schemes of earthly joy, That thou mayst seek thy all in Me.”
Remember the words of the Skin Horse, 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
Romans 8:15–17 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Loving HIM, pursuing HIM, becoming “real” together!
Mark