From Thy Bounty

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
                                                           James 1:17




As the end of 2019 is quickly approaching and Thanksgiving day is now upon us, I pause to reflect on the events of this past year. For us, 2019 has been a year that has been extremely difficult for many reasons. In fact, it may have been our most difficult year yet. We have already buried one close family member and just placed another close family member in hospice. Additionally, we have traversed major upheavals in many other areas of our lives. At times, it has felt like there was no security or comfort to be found on this earth. And, then again, maybe that's the very point.

Through it all, I have discovered some of the sweetest blessings that I have ever known. I have experienced firsthand how "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted [and that] He saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). We have witnessed just how tender His daily mercies really can be and that He always provides exactly what we need when we need it. He has shown His love to us at unexpected times and in unexpected ways and through unexpected people, all the while letting us know with certainty that every goodness was showered directly from His loving hands.

We have also seen how when we are weak that He really is strong through us and that His grace is sufficient for whatever we may face in this life (2 Corinthians 12:9-11). On the days when we awoke and doubted the ability to face more unknown circumstances, Jesus clearly filled us with whatever strength, or peace, or joy, that was required. Not once did He ever let us down. He never chastised us for our limitations. Instead, He graciously took us by the hand and gave us clarity in how to handle each task we faced before us.

Additionally, God has brought some extremely precious people to us in the midst of our pain. Whether they came with a smile, or a prayer, or a needed hug, time and again, we have witnessed the genuine hearts of loving people that just happened to be at the exact right place at the exact right time. Are these mere coincidences? Certainly not!

He also showered us with unexpected joys and blessings. He gave us a beautiful new grandson in October that is precious beyond words. There is nothing like a newborn snuggle to eradicate any difficult circumstance that may come our way. Daily, this baby brings a smile to our faces and a joy to our hearts that supersedes every flaming dart hurled in our direction. And, there are too many other blessings that have happened to mention in a short blog.

Through it all, we have realized that the depth of God's bounty is never-ending. None of us will ever exhaust His resources or run out of His supply. He really is the Fountain of Life, the air that we breathe, and the giver of all good things (Acts 17:25). He is kind and generous and loves to care for the children He created and adores.

Merriam-Webster defines bounty as "something that is given generously; liberality in giving; yield, especially of a crop; and a reward, premium, or subsidy". And, daily, God lavishes us from His bounty. Daily, His tender mercies towards us are new (Lamentations 3:23).

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from our experiences this year is that we really are just passing through this earth. This cannot, nor will not, be our permanent home. We have a far more glorious home to look forward to in the presence of our Lord and never again will any of us who are in Christ have to face sorrow, or pain, or loss, or suffering, or death. This truly will be the greatest gift we have ever or will ever receive.

The next important lesson I have learned came from a saying that I saw on a coffee mug. It stated, "Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful." Even in the midst of hard challenges, we still can have eyes to see the beautiful sunrise or the heart to appreciate a gentle touch. There is so much goodness to be found when we realize that we really deserve no good things and yet God gifts us everyday with so many beautiful and perfect gifts.

The third important lesson that I have really learned how to do is to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Granted, I am not giving thanks for all things because some things are really, really hard. However, throughout each day, there are always some things we truly can be thankful for and when we recognize God's sovereign hand in all things, it is much easier to give Him thanks for this.

So, if this Thanksgiving finds you in a place of suffering or mourning, please remember that God is near to you. He loves you beyond anything that you can fathom and He will strengthen you each and every day. If you turn to Him, His grace will give you everything you need. Also remember that daily He showers you with tender mercies and blessings in the midst of your circumstances. While our challenges and circumstances shift and change, God never does change. He is always good and always merciful to us and His bounty never runs dry.

And, if this has been a good year for you, remember that it is from His bounty that you have also been blessed. As the turkey is carved, remember how God created those turkeys for our enjoyment. When you look at the people around your table, remember He has blessed you with both friends and family. And, when you offer Him your Thanksgiving prayer, enumerate each blessing that He has given and give thanks with your whole heart.

Both the good and the difficult are from His bounty. His hand is upon them all. None are ever intended to harm us or hurt us. Instead, they are all given through the loving hands of a loving Father who both sees our potential and our destiny and is determined to equip us to fulfill our callings on this earth and in the life to come. In Christ, there is a joy to come that will instantaneously erase every sorrow in the twinkling of an eye and reveal to us just how generous that our God really is!

So, remember to thank God for His generosity. Remember to thank Him for His goodness. Remember to thank Him for His tender mercies and the abundance of His grace. Remember to thank Him for the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. Thank Him for the strength that the Holy Spirit gives to us each day and that His Bounty continues to flow from now until eternity!


   MAY EACH OF YOU HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING, FILLED WITH THE              
                                         PRESENCE OF JESUS!!!!!!!!!

The Ultimate Garden

                "Look deep into nature... and you will understand everything better."
                                                  Albert Einstein




Once upon a time, in a land far away, stood a garden named Eden that was arrayed in the most glorious fashion. The lilies were white and sparkling and the roses beamed brightly in the deepest of crimson colors. Dew glistened on every flower and tree in such a way that you could almost see yourself in the greenery as the sun reflected off of them in a way that was completely breathtaking. The detail of every plant and piece of fruit looked like it had been crafted by the most skilled of artisans and the backdrop looked like a mosaic of every beautiful color that was ever created. It was a garden that lacked no good thing and there was not a thorn or thistle to be found.

There was a man and a woman who lived in this garden, along with the Artisan that had created every beautiful detail of it. This couple was happy and complete and they also lacked no good thing. The Artisan had given them one stipulation, however, and that was that they were not to eat of one of the trees that the Artisan had named "The tree of good and evil".

Life was perfect in this idyllic place until one day a serpent crawled up to the woman and convinced her that the Artisan was trying to keep them from the best experience of all. The woman believed the serpent and the man did nothing to stop the travesty that was about to occur. She carefully took a bite and then this couple's world came crashing down around them.

The couple was evicted from their beautiful garden and curses began to fill the earth as a result of their rebellion. Work became difficult and thorns and thistles began to sprout up everywhere. When the woman delivered her children, intense pain and agony consumed her body, which was an experience she had never had before. In an instant, their world was filled with darkness and suffering and even death. The beautiful plants and trees that had once lived forever turned brown and decay set in. Their minds reeled as to what they had done and they ran and hid from the Artisan.

Fast forward several hundreds of years. There was a man named Jesus who was the Son of the Artisan and He was standing in a different garden, called Gethsemane. Jesus was in this garden with some of His followers and He began to pray. The scenery that He viewed was rows of olive trees which only served as reminders to Him of the pressing He would imminently  endure. He knew that the pressing would be so great that His very life would soon be taken from Him. His distress was so intense that He began to sweat drops of blood. His blood drops reminded Him of the price that must be paid because of what the first man and woman did within their garden.

Jesus asked His followers to help Him watch and to pray so that they would not fall into temptation. They all fell asleep, however, and Jesus was left alone in the presence of the Artisan. At first, Jesus asked the Artisan to take away His burden but then the Artisan reminded Jesus of a better garden that would one day come as a result of His obedience. When Jesus surrendered His will completely once again to the Artisan, the garden of Gethsemane got even uglier than it was before.

Jesus glanced up to look his betrayer, Judas Iscariot, in the eyes. Judas glanced down but then looked around to the soldiers, Pharisees, high priests and others who had marched in with him to arrest Jesus.
There was an unwanted kiss and a follower of Jesus who fell into temptation by attacking a man named Malchus and many unbelieving hearts as they watched Jesus perform yet another miracle. Jesus was arrested and dragged out of the garden which means "oil press".

That very night, Jesus was interrogated, and beaten, and mocked, and spit upon He was found guilty. After this mock trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus was sentenced to death and handed over to Pontius Pilate the next morning for execution. Pilate acquiesced to the pressure and Jesus was crucified that very day.

John tells us, "At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid" (John 19:41). Both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus' body and prepared it according to Jewish burial customs. Today, in Israel, this place is called the Garden Tomb and is located just outside the old city walls of Jerusalem.

On the third day, Jesus was resurrected and reunited with with His body that is now incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:50-55). This is how Jesus could actually show His wounds to Thomas (John 20:27-28). And, it is also a picture to us as believers of what is also to happen to us when we die. Our spirits will instantly go to heaven to be with the Lord and then when Jesus comes to the earth, we, too, will be reunited with a new incorruptible body that will live forever.

Because Jesus was willing to go to both the garden of Gethsemane and the Garden tomb (death and resurrection), those of us who are in Christ have the perfect garden that we can look forward to. In Paradise, the Artisan (God) will one day restore the perfection of the Garden of Eden but this time it will be even better. It will be just as meticulously crafted for beauty and serenity as the first one was but this time both the Artisan and Jesus will physically dwell among us. Their glory and Spirit will fill the garden of Paradise and no other light will be needed because Their light will radiate throughout the world.

So, today, if you prick your finger on one of this earth's many thorns or thistles or if your body or soul is filled with indescribable pain, remember, there is coming soon a garden that will be devoid of all these things. The Bible tells us that in this garden, the Artisan "will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things [will] have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). This will be the Ultimate Garden, the creme de la creme of God's Masterpiece, and for those of us who are found in Christ, there really will be a happily ever after!


"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will se His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever."
                                                   Revelation 22:1-5

Standing On The Promises

                                                 "Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
                                                  through eternal ages let His praises ring;
                                                  glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
                                                  standing on the promises of God.
           
                                                  Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
                                                  when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
                                                  by the Living Word of God I shall prevail,
                                                  standing on the promises of God.

                                                 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord
                                                 bound to Him eternally by love's strong cord,
                                                 overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword, 
                                                 standing on the promises of God.

                                                 Refrain:
                                                 Standing, standing,
                                                 standing on the promises of God my Savior;
                                                 standing, standing,
                                                 I'm standing on the promises of God.

                                                Standing on the promises I cannot fail,
                                                listening every moment to the Spirit's call
                                                resting in my Savior as my all in all,
                                                standing on the promises of God."

                                                    Standing On The Promises Hymn
                                                            Russell Kelso Carter
                                                                         1886




At the time when Russell Kelso Carter penned this well known hymn, he was also teaching at a military academy in Pennsylvania. Many have said that this military academy affected the lyrics of this hymn and that it is taken from the passage in Ephesians that says, "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place" (Ephesians 6:14) and from the passage in 2 Samuel that says "As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is tried; He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him" (2 Samuel 22:31).

We are first equipped with the armor of God and then it is time to take our stance. In the Christian faith, it is our attitude that determines the stand we take. And, our attitude emerges by our level of faith. If I have doubts in God's Word as to whether He is really on my side or whether He is really fighting my battles, I will be slouch in my stance. If, however, I stand on God's Word and really believe the truth of His Word, I can lean forward in confidence that no matter what the enemy hurls my way it is he that is going down and not me.

This past week I listened to a sermon by David Jeremiah and he was teaching about what to do when life throws you a difficult curve ball (or several of them). He said that we can either get mad at God or we can lay down in discouragement because it looks like evil is winning and will ultimately prevail. Or, we can determine in our hearts that we will be the absolute best student in the midst of our circumstances that we can be.

After hearing this, I have meditated on how to be the best student I can be. A few thoughts came to mind:
               1. I can study what God's Words says about my circumstances
               2. I can write down the promises that God is speaking to my heart
               3. I can declare His Word daily until I see change
               4. I can discard every lie from the enemy that says something contrary to God's Word

Many of us would prefer not to believe that standing on the promises of God is really a battle. And, yet it is. His promises are always right, and good, and true, but we also have an enemy that wants to steal them from us at every turn. Satan salivates at the thought of stealing victories from God's children. He lives to make us as weak and ineffective as he possibly can.

The verse in 2 Samuel (written above) tells us that the very Word of God will be tried. The word tried that is used means "refined like pure gold, with no taint of earthly dross". This means that God's Word is perfect and pure and completely faithful. No matter how much resistance comes against it, it will always remain pure. God knows this to be true and sometimes He allows us to sneak a peek at this truth, as well.

These are the times in our lives that can get somewhat uncomfortable. It is the fork in the road where the truth of God's Word stands face to face with the ugliness of our circumstances. We are being stretched and challenged in our faith and we have to choose which we will believe? Will we believe what we see with our eyes along with the sinister whispers of the evil one, or will we stand on God's Word until the end and believe in the inerrancy of what God has said?

Doubts and fears whirl loudly around us and our deepest desire is to try to maintain some semblance of control in what is happening. And yet, we are not in control. We do not know better than God does, even when His plan involves intense pain and suffering. He is still good, and kind, and merciful. His Word is still true.

Jesus calls us unto Himself so that we can rest. He understands the chaos and turbulence that afflicts our world and He knows that it is only when our ears are leaning upon His chest, listening to His very heartbeat, that we can find the true comfort that we need. It is in His presence that we do not need a military stance or additional protection because we will never find a safer place.

It is in the midst of this world that we do need to be armored up and fighting offensively with the Word of God. May I encourage you today, dear friend, to search in God's Word the promises that pertain to your circumstances and declare them over your life. Hold onto them as a sacred treasure and believe in your heart that even though God's Word may be being tested in your life today, there is zero chance that it will fail if you hold onto your faith. Adjust your stance and look the enemy in his beady little eyes and declare to him that he is already defeated. This is how we stand on the promises of God and shout our victory!!!

         "Faith... involves trusting in the future promises of God and waiting for their fulfillment."
                                                          R. C Sproul

Losing Our Saltiness

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."
                                                      Matthew 5:13




In the land of Judea, there is a place called the Valley of Salt (or Jebel Usdum). In this valley, there is a precipice on this mountain that is made up of salt that is about 12 feet in length that continually has some erosion. When you take a piece of salt from this area, you find that this salt has lost its saltiness because it is continually exposed to the elements of rain, sun, and air. Even though it looks like salt, it has no savor, and more identifies with nature than with the inner part of the rock that is solid and salty.

Interestingly, this is the place in the Bible where David killed 18,000 Ammonites (2 Samuel 8:13) on the south of the Dead Sea. Enemies from all sides had joined forces with the Ammonites, including the Syrians, and the Edomites. And yet, with God, these destructive forces were able to be obliterated. Their enemies from the north, south, east, and west were destroyed and David was able to complete what Saul had failed to do. In this, the Bible tells us that the victory was so outstanding that David even made a name for himself.

Because David believed the promises of God, he was a warrior for the things of God. This means that he fought against everything that opposed God and his precepts, and he fought for the things that were important to God. Not only did David defeat the enemies of Israel, but he also destroyed the idols of gold from the enemies. The vessels of gold, however, were dedicated to God for the temple that Solomon would one day build. In other words, David was able to discern what people and things stood against his God and which people and things were dedicated to Him.

In the Bible, there are many references of salt. It is used to season, and purify, and preserve. It is also used for payment and as an asset of wealth. To share salt with another meant to receive hospitality and sustenance from another. God also required that the Hebrews use salt in their religious ceremonies. It was to be added to every grain offering in every ceremony.Elisha healed the bitter waters of Jericho by adding salt to them. God even made a Salt Covenant with David, meaning that it was a covenant that could never be broken.

There are also negative implications when it comes to salt. Abimilech used salt to ruin the soil of his enemy so that the soil would remain barren. Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt when she disobeyed God's commands and turned around to see what was happening in Sodom and Gommarah.

Symbolically, salt is used in the Bible to signify usefulness, value, purification, fidelity, durability, loyalty, and permanence. As in Abimilech's case, salt is symbolic of retribution. And, in the case of Lot's wife, it is used as a symbol of God's judgment.

A salt that loses its saltiness is a salt that is contaminated with other minerals and therefore causes a blandness or an unpleasant taste. This occurs when we abandon the Gospel and more specifically when we adulterate it with things that are not from God. The apostle, Mark, uses salt to explain how terrible the judgment will be in eternity when we do this (Mark 9:49). And, in the passage above, Jesus tells us that this who contaminate the Gospel are not good for anything except to be trampled underfoot.

My greatest concern for our nation today is not all the ungodliness we see everywhere (although I do hate it). It is not in how divided we are as a people (although I hate that, too). It is not even in how lost we are as a society (really hate). Instead, my greatest concern today is in how the Gospel is being contaminated and down-played as being antiquated and no longer relevant.

Divisive directives are both being added and subtracted from what God has shown us is right in His Word.  We are subverting the purity of the Gospel with perversion and violence and we are now reeling in the wake of these decisions. We now have a whole generation (for the first time) who basically do not know God or even have an understanding of what genuine faith is. In fact, the number of non-believers in the millennial group has quadrupled in the last 30 years.

Many that are within the church do not really know or understand what God's Word says. In today's society especially, attending church once a week will never be enough to sustain us when the trajectory of paganism continues to escalate. We have to be in the Word and we must be equipped to give a defense of what we believe and in Whom we believe.

We must, like David did, believe the promises of God and become a warrior for the things of God. In doing so, it is imperative to know what things we are to fight for and what things we are to fight against. So many are confused and deceived in this area. And this confusion and deception will continue to increase if we are not solidly standing on God's Word alone.

If salt in the Bible symbolizes: usefulness, value, purification, fidelity, durability, loyalty, and permanence, we must ask ourselves if these truths apply to our own lives, as well. If close friends and family were to describe your best attributes, would these words be used to describe your life? If you are unsure, ask three people who are the closest to you. Then, ask God to reveal to you both your strengths and the areas of your life that need to become more salty.

More than ever today, the Church needs savor. Too many in it have become exposed to wind, sun, and rain and can no longer really identify with the inner Rock inside, which is found in the person of Jesus. My prayer is that these dry bones will once again hear the Word of the Lord, receive His breath, and live (Ezekiel 37:4-5). Instead of forever losing our saltiness, we will be revived and become a large, vast army of the Lord prepared and ready to do His bidding!


   *Only God Can Preserve Our Land, And Chances Are That He Will Do It With Salt.*

Lifting The Veil

"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."
                                                    Chuck Swindoll




If we can say nothing else about this life on earth, we must say that it is definitely filled with many surprises. Some surprises are sweet and good and leave our hearts overflowing. Other surprises can be brutal and we are left reeling in our minds and emotions. And the biggest surprise of all is that not one of us really know what a day may bring, whether it is amazing or a mind-blowing kick in the gut. Thankfully, most days fall somewhere in between the two extremes and yet we become more and more cognizant of the outliers that exist around us.

When we consider the spiritual aspect of our lives, it is also true that God can surprise us in a million ways. He can have someone call us out of the blue just to encourage or comfort us. He can instantly answer a prayer that we have been praying. Or, He can wait a very long time to answer a prayer and even say "no" to us for reasons we do not understand. He can even allow evil to prevail for a season in our lives, which takes a massive toll on our hearts, minds, and emotions. It is in these times that we search for answers and a revelation of His presence in our lives in deeper ways than we have previously done.

All of these surprises, both good and bad, are all part of the human journey that make up our lives. And, if we surrender to the work that God is doing within us, we will find that each and every one of them is strengthening us and transforming us more and more into the image of God. Each of these circumstances is allowing God's glory to be revealed through us if we are submitted to His plan.

The most interesting aspect of this to me is that God often does His greatest work in the midst of what seems impossible to us. Truly, it is when He is the most glorified. Think about the Israelites when they were in the wilderness. God literally took care of their clothing, food, and needs for forty years and there were millions of them! To each of them, their situation looked impossible, as is evidenced by the fact that they grumbled and were not allowed to enter the Promised Land. But, actually, this was a lesson that God would use for every subsequent generation as a reminder that He is fully able and competent to deliver us from impossible circumstances.

In fact, many of our impossibilities are actually great doors of opportunities for those of us who genuinely believe. The reason we often fail to believe this is that too often they are disguised by the enemy. Satan takes what we see with our eyes to convince us that this is what is true and there is no other truth involved. This is completely a lie because Jesus is The Truth and whatever He says about our situations is the absolute truth.

This is exactly what happened to Peter when he was in jail (Acts 12:5-17). If we only looked at things in the natural, Peter's circumstances were indeed dire. He was imprisoned by Herod for his faith and awaiting certain death. The prison bars were real. Peter's confinement was real. And, so was Herod's history of persecuting and executing believers. There really wasn't any wiggle room for misinterpreting the facts that surrounded him... But God.

When God decides it is time to change a situation, it is definitely going to change! This is true no matter how determined Herod was to keep Peter in jail. He was so determined, in fact, that Peter was chained to two Roman guards. After all, the last time Herod had imprisoned Peter, he mysteriously escaped his fate and Herod was not about to be humiliated yet again!

Peter was not worried and could rest peacefully because he did know that there were many who were praying for him. Additionally, Peter was praying and no doubt reminding himself of God's great and precious promises that we can find today in the Bible. Also, Jesus had personally told Peter that he would die as an old man and he would be crucified on a Roman cross (John 21:18-19). It was all of these truths that lifted the veil off of Peter's eyes to see The Truth from God's perspective and not be limited only by what he could see. Peter was confident that he would ultimately be delivered, even thought there still were those pesky questions of "how ?" and "when ?".

Obviously even those questions did not keep Peter from sleeping so soundly that when the angel appeared to him, the angel had to strike him on the side just to wake him up. Peter's peace did not come from the fact that he had twice been a prisoner before and had escaped. No, this time was very different from the other times. Before, he had been able to witness to others, but that did not happen this time. This time he was all by himself and had been held captive for quite some time before God stepped in to deliver him. James had just been murdered by Herod, and Peter was no doubt still grieving the loss of his close friend and fellow sojourner.

The angel told Peter to bind his garments with his girdle and to put on his sandals, which Im sure he would have done very quietly so as to not disturb the sleeping guards. The angel freed Peter and led him out of the jail without any fanfare whatsoever. Peter ran to Mary's house where the prayer meeting was being held and despite the fact that his friends were fervently praying for him, they could not believe it was really him. At first, the maid did not even open the door!

This shows how much the disciples and followers of Jesus were also grieving about the loss of James. One of the reasons God performed this miracle in Peter's life was to encourage and strengthen His children. It was not a miracle that was necessarily for the people in the prison as much as it was for God's own people who desperately needed to see a display of His love and power. And, God used Peter's life to breathe new life into His discouraged and unbelieving children.

Peter's "impossibility" became a great door of opportunity that was used to change lives. The same can be true for the "impossible" situations in our lives. It can be true for the loved ones we have been praying for for a very long time. It can be true for people around us who do not know Jesus. It can also be true for other believers that desperately need to see a move of God and for Him to be glorified.

We will never understand all the things that happen in this world because we are not God. However, if we ask God to lift the veil and show us His perspective, He will often do that for us. He may give us a verse of assurance or a promise or the confidence to know that He really is with us in the midst of something difficult. Surprisingly, He loves to meet us in those most difficult times and shine His brightest light. That, sweet friend, is the greatest opportunity and privilege of all!

"Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are- face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of His face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him."
                                                   2 Corinthians 3:16-18


*Please Be In Prayer For Tennessee's Heartbeat Bill Summer Study on Monday and Tuesday!

Lord Of The Armies

"For this is what the Lord said to me: 'As a lion or young lion growls over its prey when a band of shepherds is called out against it, and is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their noise, so the Lord of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Like hovering birds, so the Lord of Armies will protect Jerusalem- by protecting it, He will rescue it, by sparing it, He will deliver it.'"
                                                       Isaiah 31:4-5




There are many different names of God used throughout the Bible so as to give us a better understanding of the different aspects of God's nature and character. Jehovah Sabaoth is one of those names. It literally means the Lord of Hosts or the God of the armies of heaven and is used 251 times in the Old Testament. This name of God gives us a picture of the magnitude of power that God has and the willingness He has to use that power on our behalf.

Sometimes we can lose sight of this fact when we look around and see that evil is rising up around us and sometimes seems to go unchecked. However, there will come a day when God will once and for all conquer the enemy and all its effects in our lives and world (Revelation 19:20). This ultimate victory of God will result in the pinnacle of humanity and it will be epic!

In the interim, it is so important that we remember that God is not only sovereign over all things and beings, but that He is also the ruler of all of heaven's armies which can defeat any and all foes. The first time Jehovah Sabaoth is used in the Bible is when Hannah prayed to God and asked Him to give her a son (1 Samuel 1:3). Hannah did not appeal to God's gentler, kinder nature when she sought His help. Instead, she appealed to the God who commands all the troops in heaven and has a strategy and plan for certain victory. Hannah entreated the ultimate Commander to fight on hero behalf, and God was pleased and honored her request.

This name of God not only reveals His power and victory, but it also speaks of His authority over all things and His purpose in all things. God commands His angels, has power over all demons, and has authority over all things that are both temporal and eternal. Even when we cannot visualize the battle plan or even understand things that are happening behind the scenes, there is so much that God is organizing and commanding that one day when we get to see it all we will be utterly amazed!

In the verses in Isaiah above, God is telling His people not to be afraid of their enemies. He goes on to say that if He is not afraid, then why should we be? Just as lions do not fear a flock of sheep and their shepherds, and eagles do not fear predators when they guard the nest, neither does the Lord of Armies. In one fell swoop, God will rise up and take care of them all, so there is absolutely no reason to fear. We can trust in God and rest in the fact that He will fight our battles and that He already has a plan and a strategy to do so.

The temptation that God's people had yielded to in these verses is that they had trusted in the Egyptians to help them instead of trusting in God. After all, is it not sometimes so much easier to trust in what we can see rather than in the One in whom we cannot see? This is exactly what the Israelites did, and God rebuked them for their lack of faith. We save ourselves much angst and heartache if we first search our own hearts and turn to God in faith. When we obey and surrender to His will alone, He will protect us and fight on our behalf. Not sometimes, but always.

Most people in our culture today don't ever think of things in military terms. While I personally have never served in the military, we have a son and daughter-in-law who both served in the Marine Corps. What I learned through Austin's journey through training and boot camp is that nothing happens in the military by chance. It is organized, structured, disciplined, regimented, and difficult. There is a purpose and plan involved in every aspect of the military. And, to ever become Colonel or a General, much experience and expertise is required.

People in the Old Testament understood these facts. They lived in times and cultures that were inundated by war so military terminology was commonplace to them. During the days of Isaiah, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was defeated and the Southern Kingdom was almost completely destroyed by Assyria. During Jeremiah's time, the Southern Kingdom was destroyed by Babylon. And during Malachi's time, Judah did not even have an army, which left them completely vulnerable and reliant on God's protection.

Is it surprising, then, that Malachi actually uses the name of Jehovah Sabaoth the most frequently? During the times in our lives when we realize that we are without might or resources, the most important thing that we can do is to rely on all the strength and might of the Lord of Armies. It is important to even visualize God as the General in charge over all that is both supernatural and natural and that He is leading the charge. There is a plan in play and we will see victory when we persevere.

We are comforted when we understand that the Lord of the Armies is at work and He is working on our behalf. When opposition mounts and our enemies seem to have the loudest voices, our Commander is still in charge of it all. He has power and authority over it all, and His plans are always good.

Perhaps this is the very comfort that Jesus sought in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53). Oh, God definitely could have rescued Jesus from the cruelty and pain of the cross, but it would have been to every person's detriment and destruction, so He chose not to. Oh, that we could have peace with the times that God chooses not to interfere for a greater purpose and know that He still is The Lord of all the Armies of heaven!


Dear Heavenly Father,

Today I pray that Your will be done in my life- completely, and with total trust and confidence that You are Jehovah Sabaoth. Please help me to surrender fully and obey You in the things that You have placed before me. Please give me peace and assurance that You have it all under control and that You also have legions of angels to do Your bidding and carry this to completion. Your plans are good, and so are You, so I do not have to fear what man can say or do.

Thank you for Your love, Your care, Your protection, and plans for my life. How blessed am I to be called Your child and to be able to walk in the path that You have set before me. Remind me today and always that You are the Lord of all the armies of heaven and there is nothing that ever catches You off-guard or takes You by surprise.

In Jesus' Precious Name, I pray.

The UnNamed Hero

"Nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer, without God's ordering and permission. There is no such thing as 'chance', 'luck' or 'accident' in the Christian's journey through this world. All is arranged and appointed by God. And all things are 'working together' for the believer's good."
                                                             J.C. Ryle




We all have times and seasons in our lives when God is seemingly silent to us.  J. Vernon McGee says that "When God is not at the steering wheel, He is the backseat. He is the coach who calls signals from the bench. He is the unseen rudder on the ship of state. God is the pilot at the wheel during the night watch." In other words, He is always sovereign and providential even when we are not aware of what He is doing behind the scenes.

Recently, Brent and I had the privilege of attending a week long seminary class on the book of Esther. The Professor who taught the course was Mark Yarbrough, who is the Dean of Students at Dallas Theological Seminary. If you ever have the opportunity to take one of his classes (there are free courses on the Seminary's website), please do so. Truly, this was one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had.

Because we were studying the book of Esther, there was much discussion on the sovereignty and providence of God. Since the book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that never mentions the name of God, the reader finds himself (or herself) looking for God behind the scenes and through a series of God-incidences that occur frequently in this story. Before we took this course, it was always my inclination to think that Esther and Mordecai were the heroes, and yet we learned that they absolutely were not.

Professor Yarbrough succinctly pointed out that both Esther and Mordecai had been given opportunities to stand against the wickedness that was occurring in Persia during this time, and yet they did not. Joseph and Daniel were two Biblical examples he gave on people who did take a risk and stand against ungodly cultural norms, but Esther and Mordecai did not. In essence, Mordecai gave Esther to be the king's prostitute, and Esther complied. It is so interesting to see that, as people, we are always yearning to find a hero and, far too often, we settle on a human one.

The real hero in this story is never even named. The real hero was working diligently behind the scenes to save His children from death and destruction. The real hero was orchestrating events with purpose to bring about His desired results. God brought Esther to Susa to live with her uncle Mordecai. Then, He moved on Queen Vashti's heart to refuse to be humiliated and abused by the king, which left an opening for the job title of Queen. Next, He allowed King Xerxes to go to war with Greece for four years, which meant that when the king returned, he was more motivated to find Vashti's replacement. Even though God was quiet, He was also very active and intentional in what He was doing.

As I thought about the fact that God was the unnamed hero in Esther's story, I began to wonder about how many times this has been true in my own life? How many times have I gotten so immersed in circumstances that I did not accurately assess what God was doing behind the scenes? How many times did I forget to name Him as the true hero that he is? How many times in my own immaturity did I not stand against the wicked forces that were relentlessly pursuing me? If I am honest, it is far more than I would like to admit.

The good news is that both Esther and Mordecai did mature in their faith. When their backs were up against a wall, they repented and fasted and prayed. They cried out to God for His help and intervention. They grew up spiritually and stood in the gap for their people. All along, God had known what was inside of Esther and Mordecai and He allowed just enough pressure in their lives to call forth the strength and loyalty that He had placed within them. He partnered with them both to bring about the results that He desired.

Not only did God accomplish his will, but He also brought about a great reversal that is still celebrated to this day. The tall stake that Haman had built to impale Mordecai upon became the same stake that was used to impale Haman. In other words, the very tool that the enemy had planned to use against God's people was instead used for his own demise. It was turned around and used to destroy the one with the evil intentions of his heart.

In similar fashion, the signet ring that had been given to Haman that gave him all authority and power was stripped from his finger and given to Mordecai. God lifted up Mordecai and honored him for his faithfulness. God also placed him in a position of power that was second only to King Xerxes. This story teaches us that one day the enemy of our souls will pay for every one of his transgressions and God's children will be honored for their faithfulness.

We may not see today all that God is doing behind the scenes, but sweet one, believe me when I say that he is actively working. He will leave no detail untouched. He may even allow things that He does not prefer in order to ultimately bring about the things that He does prefer. Today, Jews around the world still celebrate the feast of Purim, which comes from the word Pur.  Haman used the pur as essentially dice that he rolled to determine the date that the Jews would be destroyed. God took the pur that were intended for evil and turned it into the Purim that celebrates the defeat of the Jewish enemies.

God will also do the same for each of us if we trust Him for the outcome of our dilemma. It is what he longs to do for His children. He is a God of great ironies and He shows us this time and again throughout the Bible. This means that what looks like it will inevitably happen will be stayed in the hand of a mighty God. And, what does not seem like it will occur does occur when God is involved. All of this is to show us once more that His timing is perfect and so is His plan.

Each one of us will ultimately be sent out with a story of redemption that we can share with others. Our story will remind others of the covenant faithfulness of our God and the grace that He so willingly lavishes upon us. It will challenge and encourage those around us to believe, even during those seemingly silent seasons of our lives. We will name our true hero as the One, True God that He is and ascribe to Him all the glory that He is due. God never has forgotten a promise, nor does He abandon them. He didn't for Esther and Mordecai and neither will He for us! Worship and thank Him in advance and see what He will do!


             "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
                                                             1 Thessalonians 5:18