Welcome to my blog. It is my sincere prayer that these entries will encourage you and enable you to see how valuable you are to Jesus who is the ultimate Jewel. As children of the One True King we have been given riches that supersede our wildest imaginations! Every truth revealed to us through God's Word is more precious than the most fine and rare of gemstones. Blessings to each of you...
Much love,
Julie

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

I Give Thee Thanks



                            When I ponder the magnificence of who You are,
                             It gives me pause and stirs within a deep reflection.
                            Your goodness exceeds the depth of my comprehension,
                            And surpasses all knowledge regarding Your perfection.


                            Beautiful both in who You are and in what You do,
                            Exalted above all things Your hands have created;
                            Enthroned and elevated o'er the heavens and the earth,
                            Encircled by a myriad of angels - captivated.


                            When I ponder the things on the Cross You accomplished,
                            Motivated solely by Your all-consuming love;
                            You removed sin, guilt, God's wrath, and alienation,
                            While You extended grace, becoming my Beloved.


                            You also freed me from curses and captivity,
                            Defeating every foe and abominable power.
                            You died in my place, lifted me up, gave me favor,
                            So that in Your Name wicked oppressors would cower.


                            When I ponder how important You are to me,
                            And all You have sacrificed that I might live with You,
                            There are no amount of words, or songs, or praise
                            That could adequately convey my gratitude.


                            Your presence in my life and fellowshipping with You,
                            Is more meaningful than anything this world has to offer,
                            Worshipping You in reverence and awe brings a light to my soul
                            And a faith that could literally walk on the water.


                            When I ponder the incalculable number of blessings
                            You have graciously and generously poured out to me,
                            I am eternally grateful and beholden to You,
                            Filled with appreciation that wells up immeasurably.


                           You have blessed me with every spiritual blessing,
                           And continue to bless my life in numberless ways;
                           From the very moment I awaken each morning,
                           Til the second I close my eyes at night- offering praise.


                            When I ponder all of this and remember how great Thou art,
                             I realize that there is none other to be found in Your ranks.
                             You are the One who is worthy and holy and honorable;
                             Deserving of adoration- Oh God, I give Thee thanks!



                 "Greater love has no one than this, than He lay down His life for His friends."
                                                                 John 15:13

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Oaks of Righteousness


"They may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
                                                                                                                                       (Isaiah 61:3)



The timing in which this scripture was penned was during Israel's "Year of Jubilee".  This message was given through the prophet, Isaiah, to a broken and hurting people that were left waiting and longing for God's promises to be fulfilled.  God's merciful heart was revealed and His intent was certain- His children would rebuild, repair, and restore the devastation in their land with God's assistance, as well as the abundance of His provision.

Later, Jesus applied this same passage to Himself in the fourth chapter of Luke.  His meaning was also clear- for those of us who are in Christ, we, too, are living in a spiritual "Year of Jubilee".  This means that Jesus has set us free from bondage, our spiritual debt has been paid-in-full, and we are living in the "acceptable year of the Lord".  We are sons and daughters of the King, anointed with the Holy Spirit, and clothed in garments of righteousness.

God was very intentional when He declared to them that they would be called "oaks of righteousness".  The unfortunate part of this was that they did not feel very strong or distinguished.  It was even possible that they questioned if they were even in right standing with God because of the ravages of war they had experienced.  In spite of this, God delivered His merciful message to a people that desperately needed to hear it. He assured them that help was on the way!

In the book of Genesis, we find another story that references oak trees.  This is the story of Abraham and Sarah, who are found nestled among the "oaks of Mamre".  For many years they had waited and longed for the fulfillment of God's promise that they would bear a child.  The more time that lapsed, the harder it was to hold onto God's promise.  At this critical point in their faith journey, at the "oaks of Mamre", God appeared and told them His promise was about to be fulfilled.

Later, in Abraham's story, when God asked him to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, God provides he ram as a substitute.  The Hebrew word ayil can be translated both as "oaks" and as "ram".  In Abraham's story, the ram is evidence of God's provision and mercy.

The word ayil refers to both strength and power.  It can also mean a "pillar", which refers to a strong leader.  The interesting aspect of this meaning is that it is God who brings the strength and power.  In the example of the oak tree, it is something that occurs over a very long period of time.

The more adverse the conditions surrounding an oak tree, the stronger it gets.  It can range in size from the height of a shrub to towering above a hundred feet tall.  Regardless of its' height, it has a root structure that mirrors that which we see.  In other words, if the oak tree is fifty feet tall, its' roots will extend fifty feet into the soil.  This is because it has to go deep to find the water and nutrients it needs to survive.

It typically takes at least twenty years for an oak tree to bear fruit (in the form of an acorn).  In the Torah, God established laws to protect fruit trees and to help them grow.  No one was allowed to eat of them for the first five years and the Israelites were never allowed to cut them down, even in times of war (Deuteronomy 20:19-20).  God, Himself, protects these trees as if they were defenseless people.

Symbolizing life, trees are one of God's magnificent creations that parallel humanity.  They are tall and majestic and strong and their branches reach upward toward heaven.  They have character and provide shelter for many animals and birds.  They are rooted and grounded and cared for by the Master Gardner.

Part of our calling is for us to be "oaks of righteousness".  There will be seasons when God is establishing our root system (which no one else can see).  In these times, we remember how God hid Elijah and Moses and John the Baptist during their times of preparation. This is the tie to really learn who our source of nourishment and sustenance is and how to abide in Him.

There will also be seasons when we are bearing fruit that is not yet ready to be consumed.  It is in this season that we old fast to the promises and exhortations of our God.  As tender fledglings, we focus on Jesus and allow Him to develop our character.  We endure the winds of affliction in order to become more and more transformed into the image of Christ.

When we finally become mature and bear the fruit we were created to bear, we remember that it is solely for His glory and the extension of His Kingdom.  We are the planting of the Lord and the display of His splendor.  Oaks of righteousness are the living representation of the testimony of God's mercy and provision and exist to point others to do the same.

Oaks of righteousness become places of refuge for those who need to be comforted.  They give out what they have first received from Christ.  The Spirit of the Lord rests upon those who give life and truth and love to help others grow into their inheritance in God.  These are those that God calls His "Oaks of Righteousness".


"It is God's work, it is a tree that God has planted.  It could not grow like that if anybody else had planted it.  This man is a man of God's making, his joy is a joy of God's giving."
                                                                                      Charles H. Spurgeon       



Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The Reveal



"And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for Him unto salvation."
                                                                                     (Hebrews 9:27-28)



We are currently living in between two epic events: the first and second Advent of Christ.  While many believers in the Old Testament did not understand that the coming of Christ would occur in two separate events, we are blessed to know that we have one Messiah who fulfills two separate roles.  The purpose of the first Advent was to become the sacrifice for all sins: past, present, and future and to destroy the works of Satan.  The purpose of the second Advent is to award salvation to those who eagerly await it.

The first Advent of Christ is now an historical fact.  When Jesus lived on this earth for thirty-three years, He fulfilled many of the prophecies found in Scripture, but not all of them.  Born as a helpless infant, He entered our world in meekness and humility.  Jesus was rejected by His own (the Jewish people) and He completed His mission as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53).  He became the Savior of sinners and yet the government remained in the hands of men.

At the Cross, Jesus defeated sin, which became our doctrine of atonement.  This is the very heartbeat of Christianity and it literally means "reconciliation [to God]".  Through the atonement that Jesus provided for us, we are: regenerated, redeemed, reconciled, justified, forgiven, and adopted by God.

Additionally, we are told that the first coming of Christ defeated the works of Satan.  The apostle, John, writes, "[But] he who commits sin [who practices evil doing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]" (1 John 3:8).

The second Advent of Christ will be completely different from the first- the Lamb becomes the Lion of Judah.  Our focus shifts from the Cross of Calvary to the Crown of Christ.  Jesus will appear the second time, completely apart from sin, in power and authority.  He will appear in the clouds, with the armies of heaven, to rule and reign forever.

All of the prophecies concerning Christ that have not previously been fulfilled will be fulfilled at His Second Coming.  Our Conquering King will come with the government in His hands and on is shoulder.  This time, He will be received by the Jewish people who will claim Him as their own Messiah.  Instead of coming as the Savior of sinners, Jesus will come as the Judge of sinners.  Jude tells us that Jesus will "execute judgment upon all and will convict all the impious (unholy ones) of all their ungodly deeds" (Jude, v.15).

The second Advent of Christ is referred to as the Glorious Appearing (Titus 2:13).  And, glorious it will be! Jesus will take an upside down world and He will turn it right side up.  It is at this time that everything will be redeemed.  Isaiah tells us that, "[The Lord God says], 'And the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing to Zion; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away'" (Isaiah 51:11).

It is at this time that Satan will be dethroned.  Since the Cross, he has been under the authority of Christ but God allowed him to still be the "god of this age".  He has yet to be chained and thrown into the lake of fire, but his time for that is soon to come!

At Jesus' Second Coming, all curses will be reversed.  In addition to that, all nations will be freed from the bondage of sin and corruption.  When Jesus rules, all of creation will be transformed.

When this world is reborn, Jesus will be the King and we will be a kingdom of priests that reign with Him.  We will have rulership to carry out His commands.  Peace will have its' perfect order throughout the world.  The condition that Christ gives to us is that we endure and not deny Him (2 Timothy 2:12).

In an increasingly hostile environment, this will require intentionality and the power of the Holy Spirit.  As the hostility increases so will the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit because He will never leave us in a position where we are not equipped to do His will and walk in victory.  As we transition into epic times, we have before us the most exciting moments of history ever to be experienced!

We are not to focus on the evil that is advancing, but, rather on what God is doing in the midst of it.  Remember, we all have a date with deity in our future.  Those who have been redeemed by the Lamb will rule and reign with the Lion of Judah.  When this happens, we will no longer have an advocate or defender for us because the evidence is all in.  Heaven does not exist for "good" people or religious people.  Heaven only exists for forgiven people that have a relationship with the One who "died for [all] our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3).

The first Advent of Jesus occurred in an obscure, remote setting.  But, His Second Advent will be Jesus' big Reveal!  He will come with the clouds and "every eye will see Him" (Revelation 1:7). Some will be thrilled and others will lament and mourn at the sight of Him.  The time to be excited is now!  Are you awaiting the ultimate Reveal?


"Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there.  Its' rider was named Faithful and True, for He judges fairly and wages a righteous war.  His eyes were like flames of fire, and on His head were many crowns.  A name was written on Him that no one understood except Himself.  He wore a robe dipped in blood, and is title  was the Word of God.  The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed Him on white horses.  From His mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations.  He will rule them with an iron rod.  He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.  On His robe at His thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords."
                                    (Revelation 10:11-16)


   

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

In The Garden

"And when He came to the place, He said to them, 'Pray that you may not [at all] enter into temptation.'  And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.'  And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him in spirit" (Luke 22:40-43).



The two most important decisions pertaining to all mankind occurred in a garden: the garden of Eden and the garden of Gethsemane.  Both of these gardens illustrate the importance of one decision made.  The decision to sin (made in the garden of Eden) was ill-advised, while the decision to bear that sin (made in the garden of Gethsemane) would forever bring redemption to a broken world.

The consequences of both these decisions continue to manifest in the world around us.  The garden of Eden was the place where: Adam sinned, Adam hid, and the sword of God was drawn.  It was God's mercy that refused to let Adam and Eve live in an unending place of sin and separation from God.

In the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus submitted His will to His Father, we see how love conquers over the depth of man's depravity.  It is here that: Jesus conquers, Jesus boldly presents His body as a sacrifice, and the sword of God is sheathed.  Once again, it is God's love and mercy that bring he eternal provision of a life spent with God.

While it is true that our feet may never tread in the place where the garden of Eden existed or traverse through the olive trees in the garden of Gethsemane, it is also quite likely that our spiritual journeys will include a stop at both of these gardens. Symbolically, our garden of Eden comes when we are presented with the truth of the Gospel and the person of Christ.  We make a decision whether we will choose to follow Jesus, commune with Him, and obey Him.  This is the first step of our journey

Once we have accepted Christ and have walked with Him for awhile, we will quite likely encounter our individual garden of Gethsemane.  The characteristics of this garden will include: feeling overwhelmed, feeling like your life makes no sense, feeling like your problems are too great to bear, and feeling like you cannot go on another day.

While it was God's cup of wrath from which Jesus recoiled, each one of us have places in our hearts and lives that we believe are too big for us to handle.  And, without Christ, they probably are.  This is where a clash of wills can begin.  However, God sees the greater good.  He sees the positive consequences that will occur when we submit to His will and not our own.

When Jesus entered the garden of Gethsemane, eight of his disciples stood at a distance while three disciples (Peter, James, and John) stayed to pray with him.  Even the three closest to Jesus couldn't stay awake to help Him pray... Jesus' anguish began to overwhelm Him, proving that God truly became incarnate. John Calvin writes, "Those who imagine that the Son of God was exempt from human passions do not truly and sincerely acknowledge Him to be a man."  Despite Jesus' profound grief and undisputed humanity, He still did not sin (1 Peter 2:22).

Jesus did not question God's wisdom when He asked for God's cup of wrath to be removed from Him.  Instead, He submitted to God's will while honestly admitting the dread He felt for what was going to happen.  John Calvin also addresses the fact that Jesus trembles in Gethsemane "because He has before His eyes the dreadful tribunal of God, and the Judge himself armed with inconceivable vengeance; and because our sins, the load of which is laid upon Him, presses Him down with their enormous weight."

Today, our gardens of Gethsemane may look very different than Jesus' did.  nd yet, when we face the deep sorrows of: dying loved ones, illnesses, broken marriages, children on dark paths, lost jobs, etc., we are still faced with an anguish that is consuming.  In addition to our own Gethsemanes, we may also be invited in to pray in another persons garden of Gethsemane.

More than likely, this garden is a lonely one.  However, we are never alone.  Hebrews tells us, "This High Priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it" (Hebrews 4:15-16). 

The ultimate triumph that occurred at Calvary was first accomplished among the twisted olive trees in Gethsemane.  The word Gethsemane literally means "olive press".  Just as the olives are completely pressed to make oil, so was Jesus "crushed for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5).

Jesus' submission accomplished great things!  When we surrender to God, we relinquish all our rights to Him. At times we will be pressed and even feel crushed.  As we continue to lay down our will, our dreams, our rights, and our goals, we begin to see that Jesus is a wise and beneficent Lord who desperately longs to bless us!


       "The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender."
                            William Booth, founder of Salvation Army