The Road to Restoration

"'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says The Lord Almighty."
                                                                                                                          Zechariah 4:6


     Each one of us are on a journey towards complete restoration in Christ. When we are born, we are given diverse families, environments, and gifts. Our lives are unique and uniquely designed for purpose and productivity. Although our world is fallen, we are still privileged to be image bearers of our God. Despite the ironies that abound, God's ultimate goal for each one of us is a consummated and perfect restoration, which reflects His goodness and nature.
     When God restores us we are renewed, revived, and reestablished to a former unimpaired condition. Restitution of all that was lost or taken will be given. We will enter eternity lacking nothing- redeemed, refined, and restored. And, as if this were not enough, God also lavishes us with rewards for the lives we have lived in obedience to Him!
     Restoration is a promise from God given to His children. In order to receive God's promises, He petitions us to ask Him. "Call unto Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3). God's promises lead us to the gospel of Christ, the truth in His Word, and peace to assist us in our journey.
     Unfortunately, we face the stark reality that so much in our world today is broken: broken hearts, broken marriages, broken families, broken dreams, broken finances, broken bodies, broken self-images, broken spirits, broken relationships, broken souls, broken authority, broken vision, and broken destinies. The good news is that God is the Master of restoring all that is broken back to a state of wholeness. It is His specialty, as He is the God of Restoration.
     Not one of us has the ability to restore everything in our lives. Only God does. The caveat seems to occur when we try to do things in our own strength or in the way we think they should be done. It is only in the guidance, power, and timing of the Holy Spirit that brings restoration to all that is broken. The fulfillment occurs over time as we obediently take one right step at a time. Often, our greatest opponents lie within: our flesh, our selfishness, and our narcissism.
     We traverse through many circumstances and obstacles. At times, our paths are narrow and crooked and frought with dangers. There are mountains and valleys and floods and fires. Despite these, God assures us, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." (Isaiah 43:2).
     Because our individual journey takes place in a land that is foreign to us, we are given Jesus as our guide and companion. There is security in knowing we will not traverse one inch without Him. Our Heavenly Father also provides us with a divine backpack that houses every essential we will need: truth, peace, strength, wisdom, and individualized gifts needed for success (sort of like super powers, if you will). God establishes our course and gives us the path to follow. We try to hasten or delay our travels only to recognize the futility. Ultimately, we all understand that God's sovereignty reigns supreme.
     Jesus never lacks compassion for the challenges we face. At times, scripture tells us His heart even breaks for us. He knows there are times we are harassed, helpless, and lost (Matthew 9:36). He understands when no one else is even capable of understanding. He loves us when we are completely unlovable. He can help us when not another human being can. Christ alone is our "ever-present help in trouble".  (Psalm 46:1).
     God takes no pleasure in our pain and suffering. When He does allow pain and suffering in our lives, it will always be used for our benefit if our lives are yielded to Him. God will use painful circumstances to produce godly sorrow  (in us or others) that leads to repentance and restoration in Him. If we persevere in the midst of our trials, He will allow us to become conduits of a His comfort and mercy towards others. God "comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 
( 2 Corinthians 1:4).
     Redemption always precedes restoration because the most important aspect of  restoration is that we first be restored to our Redeemer. As with a bridegroom and a bride, Jesus already said, "I did" and we are to respond to Him with, "I do". The apostle, Paul, tells us that God "has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." ( 2 Corinthians 1:22). Redemption is essential first because sin distorts and disfigures us to such an extent that we cannot even see God's original purpose and design.
     Sanctification follows our salvation. This occurs only through our submission and trust in Christ alone. As we follow Him, we are challenged to dig deeper within our souls so that we can come up higher in our walk with Him. Maturation is two-fold-- both spiritually and emotionally. We can mature spiritually and be bankrupt emotionally, and vice versa. Both must eventually occur to have power in our walk with God.
     When we are mature, spiritually and emotionally, our primary concern will be for the spiritual and emotional well-being of others. The fruit of selfishness is isolation. While there were times Jesus would go to be alone with His Father, those times were transient and were always for the benefit of others. That is God's way.
     Spiritual wholeness requires walking in the Spirit and being led by God. Emotional wholeness requires that we trust ourselves enough to be insightful and make sound choices. One of the biggest recurring mistakes I have made in my life is by assuming that saying "yes" to others was always the most loving and godly thing to do. It is not. Forgiveness does not always demand reconciliation, especially if it is to the detriment of one or both parties.
     While our words and actions should always be mindful of restoration for all people involved, reconciliation is not always God's will. Co-dependence, addictions, and abusive relationships preclude the Lordship of Jesus in our lives. Total freedom and deliverance is the indicator for true reconciliation. We must proactively pursue counsel and resources to obliterate the hindrances that litter our paths.
     If the scenery of your journey looks more like ancient ruins or places long devastated, don't lose heart. God does have a plan. You will find that the view will change when we practice gratitude in lieu of grieving for that which was lost or stolen. We must kick guilt and shame to the curb. We clear the path of self-destructive patterns when we see ourselves the way that God does. Dysfunction is banished when we view it from the vantage of the One who is the way, the truth, and the life. Perfectionism is no longer necessary when we conceptualize there is only One who is truly perfect and His home is not on this earth.
     We do not have to carry all the burdens we do. Our life is a marathon, not a sprint. Let go of every burden you have, whether it is for yourself or someone else. Do not allow others to throw their burdens on you. Entrust every heavy thing into the capable hands of the One who heals and restores. Breathe. Laugh. Enjoy the scenery. Remember who your traveling companion is. No matter where we travel, we are with the best partner in the world! He will make a way where there is no way!


"Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."  (Psalm 119:105).

My kingdom Go!

"I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the Kingdom of Christ."
                                                                                                                               David Livingstone

     One of the things that Jesus wanted to teach His disciples was how to pray. Two forms of The Lord's Prayer are found in the New Testament ( in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke).
Jesus outlines seven petitions- the first three incorporate God and His honor and the last four petitions include our temporal and spiritual needs in this present life.

                                           "Our Father, who art in heaven
                                               Hallowed be thy Name.
                                            Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done
                                            On earth as it is in Heaven.
                                            Give us today our daily bread.
                                            And forgive us our debts,
                                            As we have also forgiven our debtors.
                                            And lead us not into temptation,
                                            But deliver us from the evil one."
                                                                                                  Matthew 6:9-13
   
     The first three petitions seek: God's glory, God's Kingdom, and God's will. When I reflect on God being glorified in all the earth and His will being accomplished, the centrality of the theme of God's Kingdom seems to be inferred. The Gospel of Mark says it this way, "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God."  (Mark 1:14).
     The apostle, Paul, also emphasized kingdom. While he was in Rome, scriptures tell us "Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern The Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." (Acts 28:30-31).
     Jesus also instructed us that kingdom is our first priority when He said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33). Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God's Kingdom. It seems to me that when He declared, "Thy Kingdom come", He also inferred that my kingdom must go!
     A kingdom is defined as the spiritual realm in which God is The King. It implies the eternal kingship of God and the realm in which God's will for our lives is fulfilled. He is the ruler, and we, as His beloved children, are subject to His rule and reign.
     God's Kingdom is a monarchy, which is a form of government in which sovereignty resides within the triune Godhead. In order for God to truly be preimminent in our lives, all other forms of governance must cease. We cannot simply add God into our preexisting kingdoms- we must forsake all else and embrace only Him.
     When we humble ourselves, confess our sins, turn away from our sins by His power, and invite Jesus into our hearts,  we relinquish the authority of our lives to Him and then the Holy Spirit resides within us. The Holy Spirit then leads and guides us, as well as convicts us of the sins we need to confess. Many people view repentance as a negative experience but it is the most empowering tool God has given to us because He removes our sins and replaces them with more of Himself!
     Many believers live on this earth the way the nation of Israel did- that is, with a divided kingdom. Every moment we focus on ourselves, it is impossible to focus on God. A divided kingdom is one that is weak and ineffective, lacking the resources to have great effect or impact. A divided heart is even worse: it is unfaithful, unfruitful, unforgiving, and unfulfilled.

"Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11
"Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty." Hosea 10:2

     Because our culture is saturated with self-centeredness and is a "me" generation, we can miss many of the nuances of our own selfishness. The following are all one hundred and eleven words in our language that have the prefix of self:

self-abasement, self-absorption, self-abuse, self-acceptance, self-advancement, self-analysis, self-assurance, self-assured, self-aware, self- awareness, self-belief, self blanking, self-blood, self boot, self-complacent, self-conceit, self condensation, self-confidence, self-confident, self-congratulation, self-conscious, self-control, self-critical, self-deceit, self-deception, self-declared, self-defense, self-delusion, self-denial, self-deprecating, self-destruct, self-destruction, self-destructive, self-determination, self-distance, self-doubt, self-educated, self-employment, self-esteem, self-evidence, self-evident, self-evidently, self-excitation, self-fertile, self-fertilization, self-flattery, self-fulfilling, self-image, self-immolate, self-immolation, self-importance, self-important, self-imposed, self-improvement, self-incrimination, self-induction, self-indulgence, self-indulgent, self-interest, self-justificatory, self-kill, self-knowledge, self-love, self-made, self-mastery, self-muderer, self-organization, self-perpetuating, self-pity, self-pleasure, self-pollination, self-portrait, self-possession, self-preservation, self-proclaimed, self-promotion, self-realization, self-redress, self-reference, self-referential, self-reliance, self-reliant, self-respect, self-restraint, self-righteous, self-righteously, self- righteousness, self-sabotage, self-sacrifice, selfsame, self-satisfaction, self-satisfied, self secure, self-seeker, self-selection, selfname, self-similarity, self-slaughter, self-soar, selfstanding, self-starter, self-sterile, self-styled, self-suck, self-sufficiency, self-sufficient, self-support, self-talk, self-taught, self-will, self-worth

     Quite a lot of words we have in our language to talk about ourselves! Jesus, on the other hand, lived His life focusing on God's will and meeting the needs of others. His life was the perfect balance of relationship with His Heavenly Father and the extension of God's grace to those around Him who desperately needed it.
     As citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are given the privelage of constant access to The Lord where we can exchange all things concerning self  ( fears, pride, needs, etc.) for the peace and assurance of His will being accomplished in our lives. When we put God first in all things, his Word promises that ALL our needs will be met. We can then focus on the main purpose of each of our lives which is the extension of God's Kingdom. Ultimately, we are all challenged with one question, " To what (or whom) will you give your life?"


"How great are His signs, How mighty His wonders! His Kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."                                                    Daniel 4:3

The Hidden Day

" It is to the glory of God to conceal a matter, but to the glory of kings to search out a matter."
                                                                                                                               Proverbs 25:2

     The days in which we live are no less than fascinating! If you were to open your Bible and place the headlines of the news, side by side, the two are becoming essentially indistinguishable. There are many prophetic signposts that are being fulfilled now on an increasingly frequent trajectory: wars and rumors of wars, persecution of believers, weather careening out of control, sin abounding, rejection of Israel, and for the first time ever the gospel is being preached throughout the world!
     The reason God gave us prophetic signposts was so that we could discern the fact that Jesus will be returning soon to this earth to gather those people who belong to Him. We are barreling closer and closer to the end of this age, which will ultimately climax in the complete chaos of the seven year tribulation and the second coming of Christ.
     Many Biblical scholars, who are far above my pay grade, cannot definitively agree if the rapture will occur before the tribulation, at the mid-point of the tribulation, or at the end of the tribulation which also coincides with the second coming of Christ. However, for several reasons (not the least of which is hope), I believe that Jesus will rapture the Church prior to God's judgment being unleashed upon this earth. As beloved children of God, we are not destined to endure His wrath and judgment. (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
     No one can ever know with certainty when The Lord will return but there are definitive patterns that we can recognize Scripturally and throughout the life of Christ. One pattern is noted in the Jewish Feast days. Christ was crucified on the Feast of Passover, buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and raised on the Feast of Firstfruits. It is reasonable to assume this pattern will continue.
     There are two Scriptures that speak of the rapture that also reference a trumpet sound (1 Corinthians15:51-52 and 1Thessalonians 4:13-18). Because of these references, there are many who believe that Jesus will return for His people on the Feast of Trumpets, which is also called Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). This year, Rosh Hashanah falls on September 25 through September 26th.
     Rosh Hashanah is also called 'the hidden day'  because it is actually celebrated for two days because of the uncertainty about observing this holiday on the correct calendar day. It is the only holiday celebrated for two days in Israel. The reason it is shrouded in uncertainty is because it actually falls on Rosh Chodesh, which is the new moon itself. Therefore, it is completely impossible to know exactly when the New Year begins. According to rabbinic tradition, the two days are observed as one long day (yoma arikhta) to rectify this uncertainty. Within the Feast of Trumpets, God has actually hidden a day!
     Will Jesus return this week? I have no earthly idea! I do know that the night is coming and I do know that God wants us to be prepared. In Matthew, Chapter16, Jesus calls the religious leaders foolish and hypocritical because they cannot even discern the times in which they live. In Matthew, Chapter 24, Jesus teaches the disciples how to tell time...
     In a Matthew, Chapter 25, Jesus differentiates between those believers who are wise and those who are foolish. All Christians would profess to follow Jesus, honor Jesus, and be waiting for His return. Herein, lies the distinction: what we profess with our lips versus the reality in our hearts and lives. The sincere Christians are truly wise in the affairs of their souls and know that true grace is the source of their salvation. Wisdom portends that the light of Christ within us would shine continually before all men, especially as we see that glorious day approaching...
     If we are not intentional and resolute during these times in which we live, we will become careless. Carelessness precipitates spiritual decay. The Bible tells us that many will procrastinate and seek admission into heaven when it is too late and the door is shut. This becomes increasingly easier to do when we witness extreme atrocities on a daily basis. Justification of our disobedience requires no effort whatsoever when we can always point to another whose sin situation is more grave than our own.
     Peter exhorts us,
"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace , without spot and blameless; and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation- as also our beloved brother, Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has also written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall away from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
                                                                                                                                     2 Peter 3:14-18
     The day of The Lord is at hand! Every day that passes hastens us toward the conclusion of God's Kingdom Calendar. Because the time is late, we need to live in the light of His return. We need to intimately know Jesus as both our Lord and our Savior. We need to live our lives with no regrets! We need to become radically obedient! We need to be a light to those who do not know Jesus. We need to minister to our families and our friends. All the while, we need to train our ears to listen for the heavenly blast that originates from God's holy trumpet!!!

                                           HAVE A BLESSED ROSH HASHANAH !!!!!

"No one knows the day or the hour..."          ( Matthew 24:36)

Immeasurably More

"All that looks like reality to us is dependent on God.  There is creation and Creator, nothing more.  And creation gets all it's meaning and purpose from God."
                                                                                                             John Piper


     There are many promises contained within God's Word. As His children, it is imperative that we not only know these promises but that we also believe them and receive them as our own. At times in our lives, we will even have to contend for these promises in the midst of adverse circumstances. It is God's grace that enables us to cling onto these promises when it feels like all of hell is trying to snatch them out of our hearts and minds. It is "from the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. When we are empty, His life rushes in to fill us to the brim." (John 1:16).
     From God's perspective, it is more important what He accomplishes in us than what He will ultimately do through us. Because we are His workmanship, created in Christ to do good works (Ephesians 2:10), who we are will always supersede what we do. When we allow God to do a mighty work within us, He will eventually do a mighty work through us. God can and will do immeasurably more in us and through us than we can ever ask or imagine! This is a promise God has given to His children:

                 " Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, 
                    According to His power that is at work within us, 
                    To Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
                    Forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).

     In order for God to accomplish immeasurably more in our lives, we must realize He will do it by His own ability. Whenever we say, "Now unto me" instead of "Now to Him" we are in big trouble! The fruit of this mindset is to be crushed underneath the weight of it or to continually be puffed up and prideful. Often, what God will do will not look the way we imagined it to look. Carl F. H. Henry describes it like this, " Not your responsibility, but your response to God's ability."
     Twelve years ago, Brent's body was ravaged by rheumatoid arthritis. Pain wreaked havoc every moment of the day and night. Immobility was his companion and worry began to dominate his thoughts. He was taking four medications and his symptoms were worsening. There were days he had to cancel all of his scheduled surgeries because he could not even move his wrists. We fasted and prayed for several months and we believed that God was going to heal him. We sought counsel from specialists and heeded their instruction. We did what we could do and trusted God with what we could not do.
     Healing did not appear in the way we had imagined. One morning, Brent awoke and was violently ill. He had a fever that was above 104 degrees, which is very dangerous for an adult. He was hospitalized for several days and we were all very concerned. His attending physician ordered many tests to ascertain the etymology of this pesky culprit that was causing debilitating symptomatology. All of these circumstances were beyond our comprehension. After all, we prayed and we believed and it appeared that our situation was devolving instead of improving.
     There were, however, things that were far above our level of knowledge and understanding. At this point, we had a choice to make-- would we receive God's grace and continue to trust or would we throw our hands up in frustration? The apostle, Paul, explains this phenomena, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you; that ye, having all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8).
     At the exact time we were contemplating a career change, due to necessity, God's provision swooped in in a most unusual way! We did not know that Brent's diagnosis of mononucleosis would reverse the effects of his rheumatoid arthritis. Physicians told us this was remission, but we declare that God has eliminated his R.A. through deletion! For the past twelve years, Brent has had no recurrence of R.A. or its' debilitating symptoms. God's life rushed into our lives and filled us to the brim!
     Sometimes, we limit our prayers because we don't really understand how good God's heart toward us really is. At other times, we pray faith-filled prayers but fail to understand everything that God wants to accomplish through our circumstances. We minimize God by how we pray when we focus on the here and now. We put God in a box, and it is to our detriment. We need to fully grasp the fact that God's heart for us is to do immeasurably more in our lives than we could ever imagine!
F.F. Bruce says, "It is impossible to ask God for too much. His capacity for giving far exceeds His peoples' capacity for asking or even imagining."
     God's activity defies our boundaries or parameters. God is a God of action and He wants to blow our minds in what He wants to do in us and through us to impact all of eternity. When our trust, faith, and hope are solely in God (and the idols in our lives are obliterated), we will see God move in mighty ways. Examples of faith-filled prayers may be:
          "God, give us the opportunity to do big things for you!"

          "God, do so much more in me than I could ever think or imagine!"

         "Thank you, God, for your indescribable gifts!"   (2 Corinthians 9:15).

     When we are in Christ, His power is at work within us. During this time in our world, God desires to increase His power in all the earth. In order for His power to increase, we must decrease (John 3:30).  As we decrease, God will accomplish what only He can do. When we truly know God and are willing to hand everything over to Him (through obedience), He will multiply His goodness in our lives. Resurrection power is what will manifest as a result of this outpouring. Paul tells us:

     "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to 
     which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His
     incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength
     He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly
     realms, far above rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, 
     not only in the present age but also in the one to come."  (Ephesians 1:18-20).

     We can encounter the grace of God in such a way that we can believe that He will do immeasurably more in and through us by His power. The result of this faith is that God will be glorified through our lives in a significant way that will impact eternity. We want to give our lives to the things that are only possible with God. This is not for us; it is "Now unto Him".
     In a world that grows darker by the day, we each have an opportunity to partner with The Lord so that our lives will become immeasurably more and He will be glorified in the world during an unequivocally wicked generation. God's Word promises that He will be glorified. This begs the question in each one of our lives:  "Will we decrease so that He may increase and reflect His glory through our lives?"


"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of The Lord as the waters cover the sea."
                                                                                                                                      Habakkuk 2:14

Better Than A Superhero

Our family loves superhero movies!  Although the plots are predictable, there is still something thrilling about seeing the evil villain defeated by the winsome, heroic protagonist with powers that exceed those of mere mortals.  With three young grandsons, we are often compelled to see the latest exploits of Captain America and his cohorts.  Jackson, who is eight years old, refers to himself as the Marvel aficionado. Even our fifteen year old daughter, Abbie, has a pair of Marvel shoes that she proudly wears to high school.

From a Biblical perspective, King David may have been viewed by some as a hero of sorts.  After all, he defeated Goliath with a small smooth stone. Known as a righteous King (in the lineage of Christ), an acclaimed warrior, musician, and a poet, David exhibited a combination of many common qualities that aren't necessarily linked to one another.  He was as unique in his gifting as he was in his calling.  And even "God testified concerning him: 'I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" (Acts 13:22)

As King David neared the end of his life he wrote Psalm 18.  It is quite possibly the last Psalm he penned.  This Psalm is known as the Grateful Retrospect, because he chronicles his journey with the Lord with a grateful heart overwhelmed with the marvelous mercies of God.  I would imagine that the last words someone would pen would be the most significant--possibly their own personal epitaph that emphasizes the most significant things they have learned.  

Interestingly, David had penned a very similar song prior to writing Psalm 18.  It is found in 2 Samuel 22, after God delivered David from the hands of his son Absalom, who had tried to kill him.  It is almost impossible to conceive of how heartbreaking it would be for your own child to try to take your life.  Not only had God delivered David from the murderous hands of Absalom, but David had just gotten the horrible news that Absalom had been killed.  This, also, had to be a very reflective moment during an intensely heartbreaking time.

In both Psalm 18 and 2 Samuel 22, David acknowledges particular characteristics of who God is to him.  Love and gratitude flow from David's heart as he is apparently overwhelmed at the goodness of his God. David says:

"I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress , 

and my deliverer; my God, my Rock in 

whom I take refuge, my Shield.

The Horn of my salvation, my high tower.

I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be 

praised.  So shall I be saved from mine enemies."

Psalm 18:1-3

The intense emotion in which David wrote can only be compared to the love and gratitude expressed by a mother who sees and holds her newborn for the very first time.  He recognizes that it is only God that has saved, defended, and delivered him.  David also realizes that his identity in God was more important than every accomplishment in his life.  He addresses himself as a servant and God as the the One who graciously delivered him when he chose to trust and obey.

He describes God as follows:

My Rock

Strength, Security, and Stability

Psalm 19:14 and Psalm 42:9

My Fortress

A high place of defense

1 Samuel 22:4 and 2 Samuel 5:17

My Deliverer

Depicted as a storm that appears like a warrior in a chariot, carried swiftly by a cherub

Genesis 3:24, Exodus 25:18, Ezekiel1

My Shield

God's protection and a symbol of the King

Psalm 3:3, Psalm 28:7 and Deuteronomy 33:29

The Horn of My Salvation

Strength and Messianic connotations

Luke 1:69, Deuteronomy 33:17, 1 Samuel 2:1, 1 Kings 22:11

My Stronghold or My High Tower

Military term of protection

1 Samuel 24:22, 2 Samuel 23:14

My Place of Refuge

Safety and security in the midst of distress

Psalm 19:14, Psalm 31:2-3, Psalm 62:2

Having been exiled to a cave for ten years while King Saul pursued his life may have been the catalyst for David using these military terms.  However, it is truly a song of praise and victory given in response to God in a consistent blend of worship and witness of all that God had done for him.  It is a tribute that honors and glorifies the most important relationship in David's life.  

Seeing God as both a Savior and a Defender, we too should extol Christ as our Savior that has defeated the ultimate villain--He did so on the cross.  There are no villains now nor in our future that are more than what Christ has already defeated.  Yet still, our culture yearns for a Savior.  Almost every movie has both an evil villain and an heroic savior.  That is epitomized in our superhero movies.  The thing I appreciate the most about superhero movies is that virtually every story has an ordinary person that has something extraordinary happen to them that results in a great ending.  (The exception would be the Man of Steel movie in which the hero is born with his powers and is sent here  to save the world.)

Interestingly, two men (Joel Shuster and Jerry Siegel) who were children of Jewish immigrants developed the character of Superman in the late 1930's.  This character was a counterpoint to what was happening in Nazi Germany.  This superhero was created to challenge the Nazi's teaching of racial superiority known as the 'uberman'. 

What I love about the extraordinary coming to ordinary people is that this is God's heart for each one of our lives.  He is determined to reward our obedience and to enlarge the territory He has given to us.  God delighted in David because even though the troubles in David's life continued to increase, David never forgot God's promises to him.  He advanced from a 'tight place' into a 'large place'.  

God also equips us when we are submitted to Him. He prepares us in advance for what He is calling us to do.  God will take whatever time is necessary to prepare His servants:  thirteen years for Joseph, forty years for Moses, and forty years for Joshua.  The lessons David learned in exile helped God to shape him into a great warrior, compassionate leader, and a godly man.  

When the extraordinary meets the ordinary, God is glorified.  When God is glorified the impact is eternal.  When our lives effect eternal significance, we have succeeded in walking in relationship with Christ by receiving love from Him and reciprocating it back to Him.  

John Piper says it like this:  "To love God does not mean to meet His needs, but rather to delight in Him...."  David delighted in God and God delighted in David.  Not because of David's works or because he never sinned but because David believed God's promises and knew who God really was.  When we really know God, we know that He is unequivocally better than a superhero!

A Palindrome

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on it's being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
                                                                                            Charles Dickens
                                                                                           A Tale of Two Cities


     Throughout the book,  A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens masters the motif of doubles. Using the literary device anaphora, he skillfully repeats words and phrases over and over many times to poetically emphasize repetition, as well as to delineate differences between his two main characters and his two main cities. Written in 1859, it is a historical novel that focuses on the years that lead up to the French Revolution and ultimately concludes during the Jacobin Reign of Terror.
     Reflecting on the current times in which we live, it is eerily similar with many parallels and ironies. Because I believe that the Bible holds all wisdom and knowledge for life and our world, I am intrigued to search out deeper meanings for current day events and happenings. Entrenched in a culture that utilizes the Gregorian calendar, I believe we often miss subtle nuances, as well as overt signals that The Lord would have us to know. Most Biblical scholars would agree that it is the Hebrew calendar which offers us the most insight into God and what He is currently doing in the earth.
     The Jewish New Year begins on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 on Rosh Hashanah. This new year, corresponding with our year of 2015, will conclude on September 13, 2015. It is the Hebrew year corresponding with the number 5775, which means it is a palindromic Jewish New Year. A palindromic year is a very rare occurrence.
     A palindrome is a word or a number that can be read identically from left to right and from right to left. There is perfect symmetry and in the case of 5775 there are two sets of doubles in that the numbers in each set are identical. From a Biblical perspective, the number five symbolizes the grace or goodness of God or it symbolizes bondage and works of the flesh. The number seven symbolizes perfection or completion. It is dubbed as God's perfect number. The combination of these numbers emits a sense of joy and hope. The rarity of this palindromic year is further emphasized in the fact that it will not occur again for another one hundred and ten years in the Hebrew year 5885.
     Additionally, there are two other rare occurrences that take place during this year. The first thing is that it is also a Shemitah year. The second thing is that there are four blood moons (lunar eclipses) that occur on Jewish feast days (Passover and Feast of Tabernacles). These three rare occurrences happening simultaneously marks a year of extraordinary occurrences. Because of the palindrome, it also marks a year of doubles (or double doubles).
     The Shemitah is a seven year cycle that began for the Israelites in 1258 BC. Fifteen years after God's chosen people crossed the Jordan river (fourteen years of conquering and dividing the land), the first Shemitah occurred. Every cycle of seven years culminates in a Sabbatical year, which is also called a Shemitah. The word Shemitah literally means, "to release". Deuteronomy 15:12 describes a release of all outstanding debts. It was also a time when the Israelites were to desist from cultivating their land and fields. Whatever produce grew on the land was communal property. This aspect of the Shemitah is known as shmitat karka which literally means, "release of the land".
     Shmitat karka can also be a difficult challenge for those who do not fully trust God. But for those who have fully put their faith in God, it is a time to see His promises fulfilled. Leviticus 25:21-22 shows how God literally commands His blessing for those who trust Him with their whole heart.
     Because of the three rare occurrences in Hebrew year 5775, there are some who believe that this could be the year of Christ's return. In Matthew, Chapter 24, there is a description of the chaotic, turbulent times in the world that precede Christ's return. There will be a colossal showdown between the forces of good and evil that will occur. While I recognize that no man knows the day or hour (Matthew 24:36), we are also admonished to understand the times in which we live.
     Hebrew numbers also correspond with Hebrew letters. The Hebrew letters involved in Hebrew year 5775 are as follows: Hey, Tav, Shin, Ayin, Zayin and Yod. There is Biblical symbolism and meaning for both the numbers and letters that is extremely fascinating. When you put them together like pieces of a puzzle, they give insight into the year ahead.

NUMBERS

5000 -- Full stature; Mature judgement; Glory of God

700 -- Full measure; complete recompense or complete reward

70 --   Universality; Completely accepted or completely rejected

5 --      Goodness and grace; Bondage; Five-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit


LETTERS

Hey (5) - picture of a man with raised arms.

               The divine meaning of this letter is being called into God's purposes. The introduction of
               this letter is found in Genesis 17:5 when a God changed Abram's name to Abraham and in
               Genesis 17:15 when God changed Sarai's name to Sarah.

               The meanings of Hey also include: look, reveal, breath, and behold. There is a particular
               sense of divine breath, revelation, light, and God's creative power. (Genesis 1:3-4) and
               (Psalm 33:6).

Nun (700)- pictograph representing a seed.

               Meanings include: seed, son of, heir, son, continue, faithfulness and promised seed.

               In Aramaic, it has the meaning of fish, which symbolizes Christ and Christians.

Shin (300)- pictograph representing two front teeth.

               Meanings include: sharp, press, eat and two.
           
               Also stands for Shaddai, a name for God. When combined with Ayin, it can instruct us to
               look for the coming of The Lord.

Tav (400)- pictograph of crossed sticks.

               Meanings include: mark, sign, signpost, monument and the Cross of Christ

Ayin (70)- picture of an eye.

               Meanings include: to watch, see, discern, understand and know. Gives the sense of a
               prophetic watch. It also speaks of the will ( good or bad).

Zayin (7)- picture of a sword or mattock.

               It speaks of war and food (even warring for food).

               It represents a crowned man, King of Kings, and returning light of Heaven.

               It speaks of cutting time in seven:
                                        Shabbat (Sabbath)- 7th day
                                        Shauvot- 49th day of Passover
                                        Tishri- 7th month of Jewish calendar
                                        Shemitah- 7th year of rest for the land
                                        Yovel- 49th year
                                        Millennium kingdom- the 7th millennium of human history (week of
                                                                            millenniums)

Yod (10)- picture of an arm with a closed hand, resembling a man who is in prayer.

               This symbol is used in every other character of the Hebrew alphabet.

               It speaks of God's presence in all things.

               The meaning is to work or to worship.

      The Hebrew decade of 577 (0-9) shows a season involving two realms- the natural and the spiritual. In the natural realm, we have kings warring against other kings. In the spiritual realm, there is increased warfare requiring mature warriors to pray and declare God's Word. In this season we must remain focused on the King of Kings and remember that it is in Him we find our victory.
     Considering the doubles, we can see: grace versus judgment, good versus evil, God's presence versus the enemy, and an outpouring of light in the midst of gross darkness. It appears that in this season God is making a distinction between those who are His and those who are not. He is also releasing grace, goodness, miracles, prophetic knowledge, anointing, provision, transformation and restoration.
     Additionally, this is a season of deliverance, redemption, rest and intimacy in Christ. He is providing shelter and refuge in the midst of war. He is delivering hope and joy and peace during tumultuous times. There will also be a release of the Holy Spirit to His people and the Jews.
     According to the meanings and symbolism involved in the Hebrew year 5775, it looks like this next year will not be boring. It appears that the natural realm will continue to clash with the spiritual realm. It also appears that God will be releasing the power of the Holy Spirit in increasing measure. It is a prophetic and an apostolic year. There will be an outpouring of grace that will supercede this season of war. Our battle strategy is three-fold: resting in God, declaring His Word, and trusting Him in the midst of all circumstances.
     We also need to be watchful and mindful of His imminent return while continuing to build His kingdom. It will be a season of overflow and completion. These are exciting times, to be sure, and each one of us has been chosen to be on this earth during "such a time as this".


"Become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the Word of Life."
                                                                                                                Philippians 2:15-16

Hope Conferred

                                               "Hope deferred makes the heart sick."
                                                                  Proverbs 13:12

We live in wicked times!  Around the world there is a human rights disaster of epic proportions that is currently being kept a secret by most of the media outlets.  Christians are being persecuted and martyred in untold numbers.  From the year 2000 to 2010, it is estimated that over one million believers have died for their faith, and this number continues to escalate.

The early church also experienced this grim reality.  Those in the first century church were fed to lions, nailed to crosses, burned at the stake and boiled in tar.  The reason they suffered was because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Today, we have concentration camps in North Korea, Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria, Coptic Christians martyred on crosses in Egypt, Syrian Christians being massacred, not to mention women and children being buried alive or decapitated with their heads then being placed on posts in Iraq.  And there are many other examples.

Jesus described a time that would come to the earth known as 'great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equalled again."  It is quite possible that we are living in the very times that Jesus prophesied long ago.  In the midst of such horrific atrocities, how in the world can we have hope?

In Mark Blitz's book, The Significance of the Blood Moons, he discusses the signs in the heavens that we can identify.  On Passover of 2014, we experienced the first of four blood moons that will occur on Jewish feast days over the next fourteen months.  This signal was to show Israel there would be a war.  The blood moon also symbolizes persecution of Christian believers.

Jonathan Cahn also wrote a book concerning the signs and warnings of the times in which we live named The Harbinger.  He describes nine signs that the prophet Isaiah foretold would occur.  In the United States, we have now experienced the first seven warnings of God's judgment on our nation.  Sign number seven was the Tree of Hope planted at Ground Zero that died early this spring.  He wrote that "when a nation such as this places its hope in its own powers to save itself, then its hope is false.  It's true hope is found only in returning to God.  Without that, the Tree of Hope is a harbinger of the day when its strong cedars come crashing down to the earth."

America's progression to judgment is continuing and possible even accelerating.  As a nation, we are on a fast track of moral collapse and of apostasy from God.  Our ominous warning is that America is quickly approaching a day of judgment.

There are global concerns and there are national concerns.  Additionally, in our personal lives it seems as if we are facing distressing challenges as well.  There are serious illnesses, unwanted fears, concerns about finances, job losses, death, addictions and so many more.  We can try to stir up hope-- but in the midst of earth shattering, heart breaking, knee dropping kinds of moments this can often seem like an impossibility.

If we rely solely on our emotions, we will misunderstand God's patience for a tolerance of sin and evil.  This is not correct.  The generation that takes God's patience for granted will fall under His final wrath and judgment.  Since God's judgment is progressive, it is the tendency of human nature to ignore it or to offer explanations for it.  In the first chapter of Romans, we are told that often God's wrath is revealed through His progressive abandonment of the wicked.

Has God abandoned us?  Or, is He trying mercifully to get our attention?  The purpose for His signs, and even His progressive judgment, is for us to identify the places in our lives that are not fully submitted to Him and to repent and make every crooked place straight.  His patience is for our salvation and our benefit.

In this world, our journey only consists of two paths for us to choose.  Proverbs 12:28 tells us 'there is life in the path of righteousness, but another path leads to death.'  The path of righteousness, including a right relationship with Jesus, is our only hope.

As children of the One True King, Jesus bestows hope upon our lives.  It is a gift given to those who belong to Him.  This gift is not found in mere optimism or in a Pollyanna type of attitude.  It is knowing in the depths of your soul that we are on this earth with a purpose.

We are not called to be religious or even to be  great Christians.  We are called to be great followers of Jesus.  Where He leads, we follow.  What He does, we likewise do.  We are called to put His kingdom and its priorities first in our lives.  God looks for obedience in each of our decisions and actions.

Daily we are called to pick up our cross and to follow Christ.  Each person has their own cross and their own challenges to face.  Our true cross is where our will crosses with the will of Christ.  To whom will we bow our knee?

Day by day.  Step by step.  Decision by decision.  This is how we follow Jesus.  When we follow Him along the path of Peace, we can have confidence that He will supply every provision we need to have strength and victory in our journey.  Our gratitude is what transforms our trials into blessings.  The more time we spend with Him, the more we will be like Him.  This, my sweet friend, is what gives us our hope.

"Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.  This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

                                                                   Romans 5:1-5