Archives for January 2011

Turn your ear to heaven and hear
the noise inside
The sound of angels’ awe
The sound of angels’ songs
And all this for our King!

I know, I have quoted this song before by David Crowder, but every time I hear it I think of Ezekiel 1. Here’s Ezekiel, standing at the Kebar River early in the morning, no doubt spending time before God. Suddenly there is a windstorm from the north of Biblical proportions. Heaven appears like a panoramic HD movie screen with surround sound. I mean heaven takes up the expanse between earth and sky. Imagine standing at the ocean and seeing the horizon. From as far as you can see east to west and north to south is a picture that is in living color with the best acoustics you have ever heard. There’s the throne . . . and the image of God . . . and angels . . . and living creatures and so much movement . . . but it is rhythmic and synchronized and powerful and awesome! Even the movement of the angels’ wings was like “the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army” (Ez. 1:24). That’s how Ezekiel described the sound! There are the colors of glowing metal, burning coals of fire, brilliant lights, and a rainbow! And you know what Ezekiel did? He fell down! Face down! He got more than a glimpse of the heavenlies; he got a motion picture! His frail humanity could not handle it.

When the angels stopped moving, their rushing sounds ceased and a voice spoke above the expanse over their heads! It was the voice of God telling Ezekiel to stand up! He couldn’t! Then the Spirit of God went into him and raised him up! Then Ezekiel could hear and remember all that the Eternal One spoke to him.

Here’s the point — Heaven is filled with the cadences of worship and movement and activity and energy! But God will stop the movement long enough to speak to us so that we can hear Him! Then he will pick us up, put His Spirit into us that we might hear. His always moving, always talking, always working! When we encounter Him, He will let us hear Him speak.

How greatly you accommodate us, Holy One! Thank you!

“Turn your ear to heaven and hear
the noise inside”

The question becomes, “What are the real consequences that He came in the first century?” As I stated, He knew that the moment in which he came was the greatest potential to produce a bride that encompassed as many people as statistically possible. Yeshua is the greatest Analyst! The best Statistician! The A #1 Strategist! And we are included in His strategy! Our birth was not a mistake! He knew that we would be born! He knew that we would go through what we had to go through — good, bad, or ugly — but in His foresight, He knew it! And just imagine, His coming prevented the least amount of evil per capita and brought about the greatest amount of good on this earth!

Some of you may not agree, but think about it! What would the world be without Him? Survival of the Fittest! People doing what is right in their own eyes. And the heart of God grieving!

What does this mean for us? Well, I think the church father Ignatius said it well — “The Glory of God is man fully alive”! But Yeshua said it better, “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). We must live out our destinies — lives teeming with the fullness of the life that comes from God. And when we do, it becomes contagious! People feel, see it, and want it! And we give it!

PRAYER: Yes, Father, your plans for us are good! Help me to grab the zest of life that you intended for me — really, for your own glory! I must live out the purpose of my life for which You came! Thank you for thinking of me and seeing the potential of a life lived in its fullness!

REMEMBER– HE KNOWS OUR NAMES AND HAS ALWAYS KNOWN THEM BEFORE THERE WAS ANY SPECK OF US!

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Here is what is so amazing! God is omniscient! That means he is all knowing; when he moves or works, he does it so that it will yield the greatest results. For example, Yeshua knew that the Samaritan woman would be at the well at a certain hour. So he changed his usual route and took one that was forbidden, just to get to her at that time. He knew that this woman’s conversion would have eternal consequences for the region of Samaria. He knew that she would be one of the greatest evangelists in history and many would be brought to him because of her testimony.

He knew that if He came in the first century that you and I would be born when and where we were born. He knew that His Bride had the greatest opportunity to be the fullest she could ever be if He came when He did.

And to the unbeliever, he knew that His coming in the 1st century meant that you had the greatest chance to hear the Gospel message and to accept him. Amazing!

Father, the more I think of what you have done, the more incredible you become to me. As God, You saw us before we were ever formed. As Father, you came to us when we needed you. As Savior, you died for us! We were in your plan and in your mind! All I can say is that YOU ARE AMAZING! Amen!

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The Bible says “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son . . .” (Gal. 4:4) The time was right! The world was in need of the Savior. What if He had not come in the first century? What if He had come in our day? First of all — I know, I know — none of us would be here (That’s true). But it would be a very different time. The world would have been almost completely pagan with only a few believing Jews still holding on to the belief that a Messiah is coming. There would have been no 12 disciples or Paul to spread the gospel–no Protestant Reformation. Already the time in which Yeshua came was full of political tyranny, social injustice, and religious corruption. Let’s not mention the idolatry! Teraphim — gods — being bought and sold in the marketplace. Yet He came.

I’m reminded of how Adonai would tell the patriarchs not to enter a town b/c it had not reached its peak of iniquity; it was dangerously close to being judged. I think that the world was hovering dangerously close to that peak when Yeshua came. If He had come a year later, or even centuries later, we would have been a people whose sins would have been irreparable — like in the days of Noah. How would we have known Him when He came? I believe God would have suffered a much worse fate in our hands!

Thank you, Yeshua, for coming when you did. You saw us, lured by your strange love, throughout the centuries to come . . . so you came! What an awful time you chose politically . . . but you knew it would be a time that would reap the greatest consequences for evangelism. And still so many need to know about you and be lured also by that compelling, wonderful, amazing love! Help us who are here live out that reason for which you came . . . when you did.

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Introduction
This is it! The final official installment of “Walking with the Father.” My original goal was to record 30 days of interaction with the Father as He spoke to me through nature, people, thoughts, ideas, readings, etc… Thank you for sharing this time with me. As there will be other recordings of Walking with the Father, they will be unofficial. I want to eventually blog on DIARY OF A CLEFT DWELLER and MUSINGS DURING A 21-DAY DANIEL FAST. I do hope you join me as we pursue together the heart of our God.

Day #30 — “Forgiveness”
I know a young man who has given his whole heart to the Kingdom of God. In the ten years I have known him, his whole life pulsates with thoughts of the Kingdom and how to please God. While he was busy pursuing God’s heart, the enemy came in — through a family member — and dealt a jarring blow to his family. (You may begin to pass judgment on him, but I encourage you not to.) Because he wanted to please God, he forgave his friend who was used by the enemy to deal such a devastating blow. But then there were ramifications of the blow that escalated weekly. Here’s the point. We MUST forgive. Our Father commands us to — forgiveness is for us, but the initial moment of forgiveness is not often the sum total of forgiveness in most cases.

For example, I may forgive you for stealing my money. But then I have to forgive you again because your thievery meant that I could not pay my bills . . . which meant my wages may be garnished . . . which meant that my mortgage is not paid . . . which meant that I lost my house, etc… God will take us into new levels of forgiveness every day. You see when Adam sinned — we all sinned — which meant God had to send His Son — His Son had to die . . . and our guilt escalates and He forgives and forgives and forgives us! Let’s ask God for a spirit of forgiveness because the initial act we forgive may bring us to more difficult moments to forgive.

Father, thank you for forgiving us every time we ask you to. Now we ask for the spirit of forgiveness so that we can stay in a constant state of forgiveness. An act today may hurt me in ways I have not imagined. Who knew that Adam’s sin — our sin — would bring the Father such deep levels of pain as shown through the suffering of Yeshua. And we know that if we do not forgive, there is no forgiveness for us. Father, help us to be free by constantly walking in the spirit of forgiveness. Amen.

Consider this video of how one act of wrong escalates:

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Enjoy this video of walking in the joy of forgiveness:

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Day #29 — “Soiled Diapers”

During the fellowship portion of our Tuesday Bible Study, we watched a couple of YouTube videos: the boy praying for revival for the nations (his weeping brought me to tears);

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the praying girl (she prayed for all of SEVEN minutes!!!!);

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and the preaching baby (only God knew what he was saying but we could sense the spirit behind his preaching).

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One of the ladies in our group proceeded to tell the story of a baby whose amazing act she had witnessed. The child, still in diapers, went over to change his own diaper, then went to the pulpit, picked up the mic, and started preaching! I don’t know about them, but for me, that was a rhema (when something has meaning just for you) word! I know of some, who, before they enter into a time of prayer in the morning, have to wash their faces and brush their teeth. Certainly this is not a pre-requisite for prayer, but it does help. What is your routine? Whatever it is, we have to come before God as that baby did — CLEAN! That child removed the thing that soiled him, that impeded his progress. Then he moved forward into ministry. And still . . . a child shall lead us!

Father, it is true that when we come to You, sometimes we are still wearing our soiled diapers. We do not know how to shake free from the weights and sins that so easily beset us. Sometimes we don’t even come to You because the stench of our diapers is so strong and Your holiness deserves so much more. Thank You for not rejecting us and both showing us the way and making the way for us to come clean before You. Help us to be free of the dirty diapers so that we can offer You the worship and lives that bless You! Amen!

APPLICATION: Have you changed your soiled diapers? How would you go about doing that?

INTRODUCTION
I believe that God interacts with His people on a daily basis. He desires to do that. Sure, we should see Him when we open our eyes, or dress ourselves, when we arrive at our destinations safely, and greet our family & friends. Yes, these are miracles we take for granted and we SHOULD give thanks to God for them. However, if at the end of the day, we cannot pinpoint a certain moment where there was a Yeshua-experience just for us, we have missed Him. I am going to start a series in which I detail those Yeshua Moments in my life and I hope you do the same. Let’s practice His presence. Let’s consciously choose to see Him in everything, everywhere! Here’s the point–”The more we focus on what He IS doing, the more of that He will do in our lives. If we focus on what He is NOT doing, He will NOT do anything–and it is not that He is Not doing anything, but that is all that you will see.” So let’s practice the presence of our God for the next 30 days and record them so that our spirits can be alive in Him. Let’s help to build one another’s faith and awaken our spiritual pores to the living Presence of our Abba. Come on! Let’s walk with the Father!

Day #28 — “The Wheat and Tares”

Below is an excerpt of the devotional I read this morning from the book Whispers of the Shepherd by Y.M. Tikkun. It really struck me! The portion is entitled “Wheat and Tares,” and this is our Father talking to his people — the wheat:

Wait upon my call to signal the harvest. I will order my workers to gather the tares into bundles. Soon it will come.

My Comment: How many of us, would like to uproot every bad influence from our lives? How many of us have even tried to pull out the evil! History is rife with examples of the wheat trying to do God’s work as opposed to the work He has assigned for us. The end result is always bad!

Meanwhile, do not defend the wheat in one field by uprooting the wheat with the tares in another field in an attempt to keep the tares from spreading.

My Comment: We may not have been a party to the uprooting, but we have defended those who have. It seemed right! It seemed good! There is a way that seems right to man, but we know the end of that way — destruction.

Instead, defend the wheat with prayer. Prayer is like poison to the tares. In its presence, the tares wither and the wheat thrives.

My Comment: One of our greatest weapons but not so greatly used — Prayer! Pray for the wheat and the wheat will thrive. Even in a perverse society, even during great persecution  . . . if we PRAY for the wheat, we will survive!

PRAYER: I pray for your wheat today, Father, who live in this world but are not of the world! Until Yeshua returns, there will always be bad influences in this world — you have shown us that truth through the parable of the wheat and the tares. Help your wheat not to compromise its values nor seek to pull up the tares when that is not our job! Help us to be examples of Godliness and wait for your call to tend the harvest. Protect your wheat as we live side-by-side with the tares. Thank you, Abba! Amen!

INTRODUCTION
I believe that God interacts with His people on a daily basis. He desires to do that. Sure, we should see Him when we open our eyes, or dress ourselves, when we arrive at our destinations safely, and greet our family & friends. Yes, these are miracles we take for granted and we SHOULD give thanks to God for them. However, if at the end of the day, we cannot pinpoint a certain moment where there was a Yeshua-experience just for us, we have missed Him. I am going to start a series in which I detail those Yeshua Moments in my life and I hope you do the same. Let’s practice His presence. Let’s consciously choose to see Him in everything, everywhere! Here’s the point–”The more we focus on what He IS doing, the more of that He will do in our lives. If we focus on what He is NOT doing, He will NOT do anything–and it is not that He is Not doing anything, but that is all that you will see.” So let’s practice the presence of our God for the next 30 days and record them so that our spirits can be alive in Him. Let’s help to build one another’s faith and awaken our spiritual pores to the living Presence of our Abba. Come on! Let’s walk with the Father!

Day #27 — “Gazing into the Water”

My family and I and some good friends went to see the Broadway musical THE LION KING. Yes, it was spectacular and very moving — the music, the dance, the set, the costumes, and puppetry! All quite fantastic!

You know that very familiar scene where the young lion Simba refuses to return home because of what his involvement in his father’s death? He had lost all sight of his royal destiny because of the shame and guilt he was feeling. He even admitted that he was nothing like his brave father Mufasa. He is told by Rafiki, the seer, to look into the water where he would see his father. He looked into the water and all he saw was himself. Then in his mind, his father spoke to him.

When we get weary or tired or afraid or lose sight of our royal destiny, wouldn’t it be great to look in the mirror and see our Father — not the sniveling little creatures we have a tendency to become. But to look in the mirror and see strength, an overcoming spirit, beauty, and power!

Yes, Father, give us your eyes! After all, we are supposed to look like you! We are to be “a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah” (Eph. 4:13). Let’s gaze into the water of the Word, and as we see Him — Yeshua — let us see ourselves in Him – Overcoming! Beautiful, Powerful, and Royal! Amen!

Day #26 — “Recounting the Day”

I shared with a Bible Study Group that there are some people who will evangelize just to build up their resumes! After all, there are some schools and religious organizations that will require applicants to chronicle how many souls they have won to the Lord or at least how many people they have shared the Gospel with.

For the most part, some in the Bible Study were shocked to think that some regard witnessing as a system of works. I shared with them that works are very important because of the teachings in the book of James. Also, our rewards in heaven will be accrued — not because of how nice we have been — but whether or not we shared the Gospel.

Here’s the bottom line — at the end of the day, in our recollection, we should be able to recount the number of people we have blessed, whether we told them, “God Bless You” or whether it was to share the Gospel message. What about in our prayers at the end of the day if we were to say, “Father, bless that person whom I let take my parking spot today” or “the one who looked really sad.” What if we really walked circumspectly like that and redeemed the times? What if at the end of the day I could do that — not to count the souls touched or saved just for the sake of counting or out of pride or vainglory — but to ask God to bless those whose lives we impacted during the course of the day.

Father, let blessing people be a part of who we are and not what we do. Really, Father. let it not be second nature but OUR nature! Amen.