Fearful times: If you're a Christian, should you be afraid?

Psalms 98:2-3, 7, 9 KJV

The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. ... for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

The world is in an uproar as the enemy rolls across countries demanding conversion at the threat of losing ones life.

Just my humble opinion - and...it's easy for me to say because I am not, at this moment, facing the enemy ready to cut my head off - we must focus on the Salvation of our God in the face of this fearful demonstration of hatred towards all things Christian.

I cannot predict what I might do if my faith in Jesus Christ is challenged to the point of death. However, I believe it must be true that one can train for such a day. The human mind can be trained how to respond in such a crisis.

Maybe that's why the psalmist ask us to "Be still and know that I am God."  I love Psalm 46. The words of this psalm are the words I write on my heart in training for this or any other fearful challenge that I may face.

Psalm 46 King James Version (KJV)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.King James Version (KJV)

Does this mental crisis training - building trust in Almighty God - really work? Let me direct you to a story of three young men that faced the directive, "convert or die." The story is in the Bible, book of Daniel, chapter three.

Then an herald cried aloud, "To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 

That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 

 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace..." (convert or die).

Well somebody got really ticked that the Jewish boys didn't bow when they heard the music and told Nebuchadnezzar!

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?"  

 One more chance boys...

"Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?  

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

These boys didn't even have to think about their answer

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

King Nebuchadnezzar was shocked to see that not only did these three boys survive the fire, but they walked around it in with a fourth person - the Son of God! 

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort."

You got that right, O King Nebuchadnezzar - There is no other God that can deliver after this sort!

With the stories of our Christian brothers and sisters that have died for their faith I am sad for the paid they may have endured by "yielding their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God" but I applaud and rejoice that each one is now in the presence of THE KING of kings.

Let me submit to you dear reader, it is by faith that any of us can make this stand, whether we live or die at such a challenge. Walking by faith is that training that comes by hearing the Word, and hearing, and hearing and hearing the Word.

 The author of the book of Hebrew (chapter 11) tells us that the heroes of the faith both lived and died - by faith.

And what shall I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 

Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions, 

Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts. 

[Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life. 

Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. 

They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated— 

[Men] of whom the world was not worthy—roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth. 

And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised...

There are those that say this evil is coming to a neighborhood near us. This is what I will train for - this is what I will live by...

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 KJV) 

Live or die I will echo the words of those three Hebrew boys in Daniel chapter 3:

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Do not fear. Train to walk in Faith.

Jesus Christ, The Author and Finisher of My Faith

"Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. " Hebrews 12:2 - Amplified Version

This is the place to start - with Jesus Christ. This challenge to walk by faith, to please God, because without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) - must begin the Jesus Christ. 

This life is filled with distractions that compete for my attention. Since 2003 I have been a single mom, raising three amazing children. I think you might agree that this task of parenting and proving alone without a husband is a best a challenge. Don't get me wrong, I'm not whining so that you'll feel sorry for me. These last eleven years have taught me that God is faithful. I write this with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. God has been so good to me and my children. 

The distractions. They seem to be legit. Providing for my children has seemed to be an all consuming task. I'm in sales and, in my opinion, I'm good at it as long as I believe in the product. But after the divorce something changed in side. The pain and grief of the marriage and love that came to an end was brick wall distraction. It would have been easy to put my eyes on my pain or the seemingly insurmountable task of providing for my children. 

The distractions. My children had their own emotions to deal with after their family fell apart. How could we do this to them? Whose side should they be on? There had to be someone right and someone wrong. They were angry at me and their dad. They were angry at the rest of the world for not understanding the pain that they were in. They acted out. Each one in a different way.

Distractions and reasons to lose faith, right? This is just my story. It's not unlike many other women and children. There are other stories. What's yours? 

Here is what I can tell you about looking away from these distractions - not ignoring them in denial, but not allowing them to consume me - and instead, looking to Jesus as the source of my faith. I can tell you that we - my children and I - have successfully come through this hard time with the most amazing outcome.

During my darkest hours I reminded myself of all the times that Jesus had rescued me. I reminded myself that my oldest son, who almost died at birth because of a hole in his lung, was miraculously healed and came home from the hospital 8 days after he was born. This month my son who almost died will be 21 years old. I reminded myself of the many times that Jesus provided financial miracles to pay the rent, the utilities, buy food and clothes. 

I made a conscious choice to take my eyes off of the distractions and put my the eyes of my inner person on the facts of how big and mighty the God that I serve - this God who promised "I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]" (Hebrews 13:5). 

My life is not without distractions even now, but I see a beautiful outcome. My children are young adults. They are strong and kind because of all that they came through. They've learned compassion for others that are struggling. They've learned that God never left us. Whenever they face a challenge they come to me and ask me to agree with them in prayer.  (Matthew 18:19–20)

This week I am starting a new Bible Study by Marilyn Hickey called, "Seeing Jesus: Bible Encounter Study Guide". This study takes the student through all the books of the Bible to find references, symbols, and prophesies of Jesus Christ, our redeemer - The Author and Finisher of My Faith. 

What distractions are competing for your attention? What will you choose to do to cause you to "fix your attention" on Jesus Christ?

Walk by faith my dear friend. You will not be disappointed!

---

30 Meditations on Jesus - eBook By Marilyn Hickey / Whitaker House

God's Word - The Bible - is Alive and Active

Newton's Cradle

I've been giving lots of thought to my last post on Monday is for Memorizing The Word - The Living and Active Word. I wanted to more fully comprehend the concept that the Word that God speaks is "alive and full of power".

I would like you to think with me about what this phrase from scripture (Hebrews 4:12) means, because as my pastor says, we as Western Christians are "lazy". We read the words of scripture and say, "oh those are nice words, oooo, ahhhh" and then we go on our merry way without very much of an impact. The Holy Spirit has been prompting me to meditate the scripture as a whole, to dig to understand the meaning of the individuals words and context. The applied energy of study brings in the transforming power of God's Word.

This world that we live in - that is the earth on which we inhabit - exists and operates based on laws. These laws were created and established for the efficient operation of our existence by God. By examining the laws that God, himself, created and established we are able to get a fuller understanding of God and His activity on this planet.

To better understand the concept that the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power (Hebrews 4:12) I decided to look at science. As I mentioned in my last post one of the first thoughts that come to mind is that there is movement. Something, or someone that is alive has movement. One definition of life that I found is the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth (movement & multiplying energy), reproduction, functional activity (movement), and continual change (movement) preceding death. The movement of something that is alive is intrinsic - that is the energy of motion is the very essence of life.

If we look at Newton's Laws of Motion it might help us understand the life changing energy contained in these words "the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power."

Newton's First Law of Motion states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force.Objects will remain in their state of motion unless a force acts to change the motion. The influences which cause changes in the motion of objects are forces. A force may be defined as any influence which tends to change the motion of an object. The state of motion of an object is defined by its velocity - the speed with a direction.

So using Newton's Law of Motion let me rewrite the phrase "the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power" - the Word that God speaks is a force in a state of motion which can be defined by it's velocity - it's speed with a direction. The force of the Word that God speaks contains the potential energy to change the energy - the speed and direction - of our life.

We as humans are also alive. We are at our core of existence are filled with the same life, or "aliveness" - the energy of motion that is the very essence of life that comes from God our creator. Scriptures says that we are created in the image of God. Another way of saying that would be to say that we are created in the "essence" of God. We are not only in the form or construct of God, but we embody an extract of his divine nature in our earthly bodies. This is called our spirit.

Our spirit is alive and the life of our spirit is of the same essence as the Word of God - that which comes out of the Living Eternal God.

There's more, so much more. Hopefully this makes sense. Meditate on this, God's Word - The Bible -  is alive and active. The Holy Scripture is a force of energy that is in a state of motion - velocity - speed with direction. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the power of this simple concept.

More on this in my next post.

Monday is for Memorizing The Word - Formula for Spiritual Success

"God's instructions to Joshua preparatory to entering the promised land to fight the good fight of faith in order to possess his promised possessions remains a proven "formula for spiritual success" for saints today who like Joshua have been set apart that we might become experiential possessors of our positional possession of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

As the Lord Jesus Christ calls me to digging deeper into the Holy Scripture and hide more of God's Word in my heart it has become increasingly alive and obvious to me that  for any effort I have previously put into knowing God and his ways - I have barely scratched the surface of it's rich treasures. The more I dig into the Word of God the more I understand that I have ignorantly underestimated it's worth and it's power for my life. All the answers I seek are in God's Word, The Bible. Not only does it contain the answers to my every need (I Timothy 4:8, 2 Peter 1:3) but it contains the power to will (desire) and to do (Philippians 2:13) the instructions to fulfill the promise - and in keeping of them there is great reward (Psalms 19:11).

My memory selection that I am working on is Psalms 119. I chose this chapter because of it's focus on the value of God's Living Word.

1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
8 I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!

I'm starting with the first section which is the first eight verses. It is my desire to not only work at committing these words to my memory but to also meditate the words, the meaning and implication of the words.

The word that stands out is "blessed". Who are the blessed? Those whose way is blameless, who walk in the way of the Lord. The blessing is what I seek so therefore I must be blameless. As  New Testament Believer I am the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. But this cannot be achieved without the transformation of both hearing and doing God's Word (James 1:22-25).

God's Word is relevant for whatever you are facing, whatever I am facing. The answers to living a blessed life are in God's Word. There is so much more to the Christian Walk - power for every day living - when one studies and abides in God's Holy Word.

Training in Godliness

I Timothy 4: 7-8 Amplified - But refuse and avoid irreverent legends (profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers' tales) and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them. Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit]. For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.

As I sit here at my computer with fingers poised over the key board, a rush of thoughts and images rush through my mind. Where do I begin? I refuse to live another day in powerlessness. I cannot go on stuck in mediocre. It's time to make the commitment to live like I believe the Word of God to be Alive and Active.

A truth that we cannot escape that that we are shaped by our thoughts. Our thoughts are fed by the focus of our attention. We become what we feed our attention. I live in the United States of America where my friends, family, neighbors and I all spend countless hours absorbing information. Advertising, music, movies, news & commentaries on the news, we are exposed to a daily tidal wave of information and opinion all day long. For myself and most of the people I know, seeking to know the will of God is a minuscule fraction of my day. There is something definitely wrong with that picture.

It is time to walk away from a life of distraction and commit to a life of devotion. I expect things to change.

I ask myself this question, can I qualify as "godly" by the amount of time I spend in training and developing in godliness? Is the activity of a student of the Word only for pastors & preachers, or is that the characteristic of a mere follower of Christ?

I Peter 1:2-4

May grace (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal,  precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).
By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

Reading these verses in the Amplified Version really helps me to see what I might miss. God's favor, perfect well being, freedom from fears, agitating passions and moral conflicts - doesn't that sound like the solution we're all searching for? This state of being is multiplied to me in the full, personal, precise and correct knowledge of God and of Jesus my Lord. And did you catch that we've been offered the opportunity to become sharers or partakers of the divine nature?!! All of this  is mine, is yours in the knowledge of God and of Jesus, his son. 

He (God) has bestowed (to present as a gift or an honor) His precious and exceedingly great promises - so that we might escape the moral decay - rottenness and corruption that is in this world. 

What are the disciplines of the godly?  

2 Peter 1:5-9

For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),
And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),
And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.
For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.

In the context godliness begins with the knowledge of God and diligence to the divine promises. We are to employ every effort - most of us exert very little effort with regard to any godly discipline described in this list. I don't see "going to church " anywhere on this list. Don't get me wrong - I do believe we are to come together as believers for worship and the sharing of the Word. For many "believers" going to church is the only effort they put forth towards developing "godliness".

I am called to 

• exercise my faith to develop virtue.
• develop knowledge
• develop self control
• develop steadfastness
• and in steadfastness comes godliness
• the fruit of godliness is brotherly affection and Christian love.

These are the qualities that will keep me from being unfruitful. But if I lack these qualities I am blind and shortsighted. 

I repent, Lord, I have been blind and shortsighted.

I woke up this morning with this yearning in my heart, "Lord, do not let me be unfruitful!" 

John 15:2-5 

Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.
You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].
Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.
I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Other excellent blog posts on Training in Godliness:

• The Profit of Godly Discipline - P.G. Matthew - I liked Matthew's sermon from I Corinthians 9:24-27. "Run in such a way as to get the prize." 
• "The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards" - a book review - Lisa G. Burgess - Thank you Lisa for sharing this book review. I like the quote Lisa shared from the author of this biography on Edward's spiritual life. "These diverse disciplines—Bible study, theological reading, meditation, prayer, and singing—worked hand in hand, the one supporting the other, in Edwards’ pursuit of holiness. These religious duties helped Edwards maintain a vibrant communion with God. His theology led to doxology. " ~ STEPHEN J. LAWSON
• Saw this quote -  "Men, time is the chrysalis of eternity - there is no other time but the present. We all go through times in our lives when we have little time for our families - it is part of the natural rhythm of life. But excessive 'busyness' must not be by choice - as it so often is. We must be aware of packing our schedules by saying 'yes' to things which mean saying 'no' to our families. Now is the time to take time..."  R. Kent Hughes, The Disciplines of a Godly Man

Too Small God?

I borrowed this illustration - out of context - because it is such a great word picture:

Sin will always appears as a trifle to those whose view of God is small. If you were to discover a little boy pulling the legs off of a grasshopper, you would think it strange and perhaps a little bizarre. If the same little boy were pulling the legs off of a frog, that would be a bit more disturbing. If it were a bird, you would probably scold him and inform his parents. If it were a puppy, that would be too shocking to tolerate. You would intervene. If it were a little baby, it would be so reprehensible and tragic that you would risk you own life to protect the baby. What's the difference in each of these scenarios? The sin is the same (pulling the limbs off). The only difference is the one sinned against (from a grasshopper to a baby). The more noble and valuable the creature, the more heinous and reprehensible the sin. And so it is with God.

If God were a grasshopper, then to sin against Him wouldn't be such a big deal and eternal punishment wouldn't be necessary. But God isn't a grasshopper, He's the most precious, valuable, beautiful being in the universe. His glory and worth are infinite and eternal. Thus to sin against an infinitely glorious being is an infinitely heinous offense that is worthy of an infinitely heinous punishment.

We don't take sin seriously because we don't take God seriously. We have so imbibed of the banality of our God-belittling spirit of the age that our sins hardly trouble us at all. Our sin seems small because we regard God as small. And thus the penalty of hell--eternal conscious suffering under the wrath of God--always seems like an overreaction on God's part. If we knew God better, we wouldn't think like that.

Denny Burke's original post can be viewed here --> http://www.dennyburk.com/rob-bell-outs-himself/ - again I am using his illustration to make a point that has a different focus than Mr. Burke's topic.

Another thing happens when we minimize God and trivialize sin - the enemy has the opportunity to magnify the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches so they appear to be larger than our perception of God. We meditate on our sickness, our lack in finances, feelings of rejection, lonliness and low self esteem. We listen to the lies of the enemy that God is far off and we cultivate feelings that God couldn't possibly love us or is not willing to hear & answer our prayers.

When God is "big" in our thinking, the thought of him not meeting our needs or answering our prayes should be shocking. The trouble is that we expect God to only live up to the failed expectations of those around us who walk in unbelief. We don't pray with confidence for healing because we know of some wonderful saint of God that died in sickness when they prayed for healing. We don't understand what went wrong so we bring down our expectations of God and say that it was not God's will to heal - but when we say this we actually call God a liar. Ouch! Yes, because He reprents Himself as "I am the Lord that heals thee". Some how there is more we need to know about how to appropriate the fullness of who God wants to be known as among men.

We have all been here - when circumstances seem so much bigger than we are and even so much bigger than hope in God to come to our rescue.

When Jesus walked this earth as the Son of God, Scripture notes a couple of times where he was astonished by Faith...great Faith & lack of Faith. He was astounded, first at the lack of belief in his hometown (critical astonishment) and second at the faith of the Capernaum centurion (admiration). And note, Jesus could perfom only a few miracles in his own home town - because of their lack of faith.

No one is immune to bouts of unfaithfulness, and we all must be on guard against thoughts of magnifying our circumstances and minimizing God. Consider the unbelief of men in scripture:

• Abraham (Gen. 17:7), 
• Moses (Num. 11:21; 20:12), 
• The Disciples of Christ (Mt. 17:19,20; Lk. 24:11), 
• Zacharias the father of John the Baptist (Lk. 1:20). 

Each in their own fit of weakness turned their back on the Lord for a time.

The scripture calls us to “Be still, and know that I am God” in Psalms 46:10. As I meditate this verse and read what other men of God have had to say about this, I sense the Lord calling me to stop all of my efforts that are self directed, to stop all of the thinking that "worries" over the circumstances, the facts of what troubles us in our life -- and instead, replace the worry and anxious thoughts with how big our God, how mighty our God, how good, loving & willing our God is to save us and supernaturally turn the circumstances for our good.

In scripture it is always God's will to heal, guide, prosper and save his own people. When we contimplate all that scripture says that He is, and all that scripture says that he can do... we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our Testimony. We do not overcome by meditating the circumstance - we overcome by our spoken testimony of God's Faithfulness & His Word.

Preparation for whatever comes your way today is to take the magnifier off of yourself, & your circumstances and magnify your almighty God. It is always a good time to "Be Still and know that He is God" on a regular basis.

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that you would know God's love that surpasses knowledge -that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. A BIG, BIG God.

Selah - Pause and think of this...

‎"Begin to worship God for who He is. Resist the urge to draw Him into your circumstances. Instead, let Him draw you into a place of majesty." ~ Graham Cook

Identity Crisis?

God is who He says He is.

Thank you Agape House Fellowship

In my original post here at the Faith Project Blog I described the foundational statements for the Faith Project:

• God is who He says He is
• God can do what He says He can do
• I am who God says I am
• I can do all things through Christ
• The Word of God is alive & active in me

There is a stirring in me that this is important. I believe the Holy Spirit is saying that the deeper discovery of each of the above statements is critically important.

It seems that the culture of the Christian Church and it's members are suffering from a very serious identity crisis. I say this carefully and not with self-righteous criticism. At this point I include myself in this crisis. Let's define this thing that I am calling an identity crisis.

Identity is whatever makes an entity definable and recognizable, in terms of possessing a set of qualities or characteristics that distinguish it from other entities (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Identity, First published Wed Dec 15, 2004; substantive revision Sun Oct 1, 2006).

Crisis is defined as a crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point; a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined. Further crisis is defined as a condition of instability or danger, as in social, economic,political, or international affairs, leading to a decisive change. In the life of an individual, crisis defines a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life. In health, the point in the course of a serious disease at which a decisive change occurs, leading either to recovery or to death (Dictionary.com).

Looking at these two definitions as it relates to the statement, "God is who He says He is" brings me to tears. 

The crisis, the turning point that we face which the trend of all future events, for better or worse, will be determined is understanding the definable and recognizable set of qualities and characteristics that distinguishes our God, our Jehovah from all other entities.

Our knowledge and comprehension of the Almighty God, for most of us, so shallow it's not enough to build our own identity on. When we know who He is we understand who we are. You and I are created in the the image of God.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27 KJV

The understanding of God by the Christian Culture as a whole is at best ambiguous. If our understanding of God is ambiguous it is no wonder we struggle to define ourselves or we define ourselves inappropriately. Outside of an identity in Christ the identity we represent ourselves to be in this world is a facade and impossible to stand the test of time and eternity.

On understanding the concept of identity, the German philosopher, Georg Hegel is quoted,

"Identity is the identity of identity and non-identity." 

When we come to understand the identity of God we also must come to the understanding of who He is not. Grasping this important concept is the crisis point - all future events - individually and collectively are defined by this and this alone.

Okay, let me make this street level. I'll make it personal. Because I don't know, really know and spend time focusing on the attributes of God I believe him to be at best uninvolved and detached  from me and my world. My vision and expectation of God are solely based on what I know about him - or don't know about him. Since I am created in the image of God I am, by nature, the "same as" or similar to God my creator. when my understanding of that which I am "the same as or similar to" is vague, I am unclearly defined. But, by nature I am created with an identity that must be realized.

The temptation that Eve gave in to when she ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was to "be like God." Did she not understand that she was made in His image and already "like God"? The one bite that she took was the first step to seeking her identity outside of God. Humanity continues to do this everyday.

Because I don't know really know and understand the identity of God I seek my identity outside of God, facing life in a false sense of identity which is like the foolish man who built his house on sand.

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. Matthew 7:26-27

The key to a solid powerful identity is in getting to know and understand God and who He is. God reveals himself to me, and you, in His Name. The Name of the Lord is not just a label. The Name of the Lord is an identifier, revealing the definable and recognizable set of qualities and characteristics that distinguish our God, our Jehovah from all other entities.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25

Join me in discovering who God says that He is.

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Lord, I Want To Know You, Kay Arthur Series By Random House, Inc When the car won't start we call a mechanic. Likewise, when the bathroom overflows we call a plumber. Yet, when we are in the midst of a spiritual struggle we often fail to call upon God's provision, comfort and strength. In this insightful study of God's names, Kay will teach you how to call upon the names of God so that you can connect with your: Protector in times of vulnerability, Healer in times of illness, and Provider in times of financial drought. Learn how to call upon specific names of the Lord who can provide for your every need. Seventeen chapters

Captivated

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
"Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything."

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Psalms 46

The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Take a long loving look at me, your High God...

The strength you seek for your day, your life, this moment... is in that look.

Your God is who He says He is. Who does God say that He is?

Your God can do what He says He can do. What does God say that He can and will do?

Hold your Bible in your hands. You hold in your hands the infallible, sacred and protected written Word of the Almighty God.

All day, every day we are all bombarded with news of wars and rumors of wars, failed governments and leaders of men who have gone back on their promises. Where do you take your counsel? Where do you find your refuge?

Whose voice are you listening to? What has the focus of your attention?

God is calling to you now...

"Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything."

Who is God?

Thank you Hyde Park Methodist

Wow, that is too big of a question to even try to answer here or anywhere.

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians at Rome wrote this:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Romans 11:33 ESV

God is not unsearchable as if to say we should not spend the rest of our lives trying to get to the depths of understanding. Paul was declaring that we would never run out of discovery in searching out and delighting in the wisdom and knowledge of God.

Inscrutable - now that's a funny word! I had to look it up because I wasn't quite sure what it meant. Here is what Dictionary.com had to say:

Inscrutable - Impossible to understand or interpret; impenetrable; mysterious.

This word is not meant to be a stop sign. God is impossible to understand - but this does not mean that we should not study to understand everything we can about God.

Paul's exclamation of the mysterious God is your invitation to jump in, there is NO bottom!

So, why should we plumb the depths of who God is? Why take the time to know him and understand him? Isn't the study of who God is the job of the pastor or Sunday school teacher?

No, in fact if you don't take the time to discover the mystery of God, you can't please him.

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. Hebrews 11:6 AMP

If you possess faith you please God and if you don't possess faith you do not please God. It's that simple. It is impossible to have faith in God without knowing about Him.

In one of my earlier posts I mentioned that in Christ's hometown he could perform no mighty miracles because of the unbelief of the people in that community. Look at your own life? Is it characterized by miracles? I mean real miracles.

Look - see what Jesus himself said about the miraculous and believers:

And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages;

They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. Mark 16:17-18 Amp

What signs follow you, what signs follow me? Do these signs, that Jesus spoke of as he ascended to heaven to be seated at the right hand of God, follow us?

Most of us battle with demons rather than drive them out, we speak of doubt, defeat and worry rather than speak in new languages. And while most of us wouldn't dream of picking up a serpent we do drink deadly drinks daily - and it destroys us. We do not seek to lay hands on the sick for their recovery - We ARE the sick!

So, who is God?

He is who he says he is. Whenever we experience less of God than everything he says is, and everything he says he can do, it is our faith walk that must come into question, not the faithfulness of God.

I know. This makes me uncomfortable too.

What can be done about this huge discrepancy between what the Word of God and our experience?

Is "Hospitality" a fruit of the Spirit?

Awesome Contest at the Reluctant Entertainer

The fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 doesn't list hospitality as one of the fruits - but I can imagine that one who is hospitable may have the fruit of the Spirit.

For me - I am at best an anxious host. I squirm when people say, "Can I just stop by your house?" I could tell you a story about how having people to my home makes me pull out my "I am not good enough, and neither is my house" badge. However, the Holy Spirit has been gently "provoking me to love and good works" to grow in the area of hospitality.

One of the blogs I have been reading to prepare me for the big step of moving out of my comfort zone to be obedient to the Holy Spirit is Reluctant Entertainer, written by Sandy Coughlin. I want to introduce you to the beautiful blog written with grace and wisdom for the most reluctant entertainer among us (ME!).

Sandy and a couple other partners, who I know you will LOVE, are having a fabulous contest going and I want you to be a part of it. If you win I want to celebrate with you!

The Holy Spirit is teaching me that being hospitable has everything to do with my Faith Project. Some of Jesus greatest ministry happened as he sat down to break bread or share a meal. Hospitality is a significant way to touch people with the heart and hands of Christ our redeemer.

Princess Diaries - Walk by Faith

I just love watching the movie "Princess Diaries". Last night it was aired on the Hallmark Channel and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch it. Today in church I heard the Lord talking to me about the movie.

The transformation of Mia Thermopolis, played by Anne Hathaway, as she becomes who she is by heritage is stunning. She doesn't know it yet but she is the granddaughter of Queen Clarisse Renaldi and next heir in line to the throne of Genovia. As far as she knows, Mia is just an awkward teenager growing up in San Francisco. When her grandmother comes to America to retrieve her so that she can take her rightful place as princess, Mia's response is "Shut up!"

Watch this short clip as Mia's true identity is revealed to her by her grandmother.

About half way through this clip is the "Shut up!" scene. "...You got the wrong girl. I never lead anybody. Not at Brownies, Not at Campfire Girls. Um...Queen Clarisse, my expectation in life is to be invisible, and I'm good at it." The queen encourages her that she can indeed teach Mia to be a proper princess.

It's not a perfect analogy but I see Queen Clarisse as the Holy Spirit who is the one sent to remain with us after Christ ascended after his resurrection to teach us and remind us of all things. The Holy Spirit's job is to teach us to be a Royal Priesthood.

If you doubt your heritage just keep reading. In Ephesians 2:1-10 we are told that we are raised up with Christ and seated with him in heavenly realms.

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 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. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephsians 2:1-10

This clip ends with a powerful statement that the Lord has replayed in my mind over and over.

Queen Clarisse Renaldi: Helen, if Amelia refuses to accept the throne, then Genovia will cease to exist as we know it.
Helen Thermopolis: So the future of your country is in the hands my 15-year-old?

Some would argue that since God is sovereign He doesn't need us to accomplish His purposes on this earth, but I believe that it is because He is sovereign that somehow he has chosen mankind to accomplish His purposes on this earth. We are called to be "ministers of reconciliation".

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NIV

He has committed to us, to you, to me the message of reconciliation, as though God were making his appeal through us.

It's not enough to "click on the 'I Agree' button" to salvation and not take the time to understand what we are entitled to in our covenant, our inheritance, by faith. We need to know this not only for ourselves but as ambassadors of our heavenly kingdom.

In the movie, Princess Diaries, Mia is completely made over from head to toe, educated in matters of diplomacy, royal table manners, how to walk, talk, even how to royal wave! She was a princess by birth but she needed to be educated on how to carry herself in every circumstance as a princess.

We are royal priesthood. The Bible is our manual for royalty training, it is also the royal document to all that we have inherited by new birth. We are living far beneath our heritage...I am living below my heritage.

In the statement of faith that is the premise for this blog the third and fourth statement is "I am who God says I am" and "I can do all things through Christ." Can I just challenge you to join me to discover what God's Word says about this?

Mia, the princess of Genovia, went from life as an awkward teenager to abundant life as the royal Princess of Genovia - which she had been all along. The difference was revelation. When Grandma Queen Clarisse Renaldi revealed who she was -- the news changed everything.

You are His Masterpiece, His Workmanship, created for good works in Christ Jesus. Will you accept the challenge and live like royalty and act as ambassador for Christ? It might be better then you've ever imagined. Join me as we discuss & discover what God's Word has to say about your calling in to Royalty.

When Jesus Can Perform No Miracle

photo: Thank you Midway Baptist Church

Mark 6:1-6 NIV

1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Faith, or lack of faith, caused Jesus to be amazed, or marvel. (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10).

If I have faith, where are the miracles?

The one and only time that Jesus could not (see in verse 5 where it says He could not do any miracles) is in the passage above. The only condition described for this phenomenon was the lack of faith among his own towns people.

Hebrews 11: 6 tell us that "Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God." I argue, but YES, I do have faith. Okay then, where is the evidence of the greater things that Jesus promised to believers?

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Almost with out fail whenever I talk with someone about supernatural, miraculous healing such as the healing activity that characterized the ministry of Jesus, I am told that, "It's not always God's will to heal?" Really? When, in scripture, was it not God's will to heal?

When true faith is present, supernatural things happen...every time. And without this kind of faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.

I love this quote that I saw when I was researching for today's blog post:

Faith isn’t about size. Jesus said if you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move mountains. Jesus was saying that faith doesn’t come in small, medium, or large sizes. Faith is either present or absent. If it’s absent, your life is full of limitations, and you are stuck in Nowhere Land. If it’s present, you can move mountains. Real Power Maxing Out on God's Love

I'm just saying that I'm looking at my own life and saying that I know I have a form of godliness - but there is no "faith evidence". Not according to scripture. Not according to Jesus.

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:22-25 NIV

I cannot think of a time when I have done any thing that even resembles the moving a mountain. Don't get me wrong - I am blessed beyond measure. God is so good to me and I truly have seen God work in my life - but I am operating way below my potential for what God has for me. I know it! I believe that God knows it and is calling me to know and walk in this truth.

The above verse is in the context of Jesus cursing the fig tree. Jesus response to Peter, when Peter noticed the tree was dried up and dead 24 hours later, seems to indicate that Peter and the other disciples should be able to do this too.

As I wrestle with this thought, testing my own faith, I ask, "Do I have the kind of faith that pleases God?" "Do I have the kind of faith that makes Jesus marvel as the centurion of Matthew 8:5-13, or the Syrophoenician woman of Matthew 15:21-28?

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Again - whenever the miraculous was not present God's will was never in question it was the faith of the disciples. I know, that makes me uncomfortable too.

It only takes faith as tiny as that of a mustard seed to move an entire mountain. In fact, with faith that tiny "nothing will be impossible" to us. Nothing.

This has become a burning desire to have and build the faith that pleases God. The faith that preaches and teaches the good news of the Gospel - the power of God unto salvation. A faith that compels my family, my friends and neighbors to say, "Tell me about this God that you serve. I want to know him too."

The kind of faith that Jesus speaks of when he says I can do what he did while he as on this earth, and greater things.

In an effort to distance ourselves as not being a "seeker of signs & wonders" we have distanced ourselves from the signature of our Savior. When Jesus preached the Gospel, people were healed and set free...and their sins were forgiven them.

Stop by the blog tomorrow and discover what does the Princess Diaries movie have to do with walking by Faith.