Serendipitous Intervention Page 40

We’ve all made mistakes and harbor regrets.  This means different things to each of us.  Within our regrets we see the worst of ourselves. Because of this, we sometimes deem ourselves as unworthy and we title ourselves the same! We may relive and rehash our disappointments and then stay close to what we have purposely classified ourselves because we believe we deserve it.  Such is the business of regret!  In doing so we unwittingly starve our souls of the one thing that it deserves -forgiveness...and within that an ability to begin again…to change!

A Mistake is, in itself, a definition of a misdeed -not a defining of who we are as a person...yet many of us internally overlook this truth!  Some are forced to live under the weight of our mistakes due to the legal repercussions of our choices.  Some of us live under its weight to self-punish.  With these and other reasons, we struggle with our mistakes- for they usually bring such toil.  

There is one thing powerful enough to free us from the bonds of our mistakes; unfortunately, we humans would rather struggle and search the world for another way to rectify our missteps. However, most times there is only one way out and that is through the power of forgiveness!  It’s amazing to me that forgiveness has so much sway. It is literally a legal tool called probation; a financial tool called a write-off; a relational tool called recommitment; a parental tool called unconditional love; a compassionate tool called mercy and a spiritual tool called salvation.  Forgiveness releases us; it frees us.  Forgiveness saves us from a moral, emotional death and as Christians we believe it is a spiritual mechanism that saves us from an eternal death.  Scripture says….

“For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

 We all know that here on earth sin presses in and never release us- for we are chronically pursued by a restless heart-that is wicked above all else.  There will never be away around sin and selfishness…and avoidance of this truth is irrational.  Therefore, something more spiritual will have to reign.  Even those of us that are not necessarily “religious” use the invisible tool of forgiveness to maintain relationships with others.  This is the same concept Christians use to stay in the will of God. You see, there must be a way to reconcile our sinful hearts and find some peace.  Forgiveness is the way, yet mortal man did not have the ability to accomplish this- so God, Himself had to come to earth to set an example.  He did so through the body and teachings of Jesus, Christ. The truth that we need to be saved from our own wickedness is morally obvious, yet it gets clouded in this immoral world!  Forgiveness brings the exact clarity we need!

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret,
 but worldly sorrow brings death.”

2 Corinthians 7: 10

When we find that we can’t stand the weight of our mistakes any longer...and when we feel that the person we’ve become is simply not what we were meant to be...a mental and spiritual door appears before us. With this juxtaposition, change has just placed itself on the horizon and presented us an alternative to our current existence.   Frequently, it takes more time than necessary to arrive at this doorway leading to change...but it will present itself sooner or later....because through the conscious mind the Holy Spirit has a way of bringing things that are not....into being.  The world of psychology may call it mind-over-matter and others may simply title it serendipity, but I call it divine intervention.  No matter what you deem it....it will eventually arrive and will not delay for that is how God works.

There is a scripture that I love that speaks of this exact serendipitous intervention:  

 “For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

Habakkuk 2:3

This seems like a tongue twister...or a mystery to be solved.  To me it is a form of power- the power of the written word.  The writer is stating with certainty that the appointed time will arrive and will not delay.  

The act of forgiveness may linger unused but will arrive in our lives when we graciously surrender ourselves to it.  Either way, it has an appointed time and will ultimately end our suffering.  It is our choice if forgiveness lingers...or comes without delay.    We can wait in the realm of bitterness till its nasty affects leave us resentful and rotten...yet sooner or later forgiveness will present itself as the merciful option for all involved.  We will either surrender and forgive or doom ourselves to this bitterness and its canny ability to consume us to the very end.  

Truly you are aware that the ability to forgive is held within you.  There is something in us that stirs this hope.   IT is my belief that God placed it there, as a gift.  This blessed and merciful gift is there for us to give without hesitation and without being asked-to others and most importantly to ourselves.  To do so, we may have to push past the reputation we’ve created for ourselves and find our integrity.

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory

 and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. 

After he had provided purification for sins,

 he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Hebrews 1: 3

Song Recommendation:

Changed
By:  Rascal Flatts

This writing is about forgiveness between us humans.  The gift of forgiveness is the basis of Christianity and is the example we use in our pursuit to forgive.  The ultimate act of forgiveness was exhibited when Jesus died on a cross like a criminal to pay a debt.  The debt he paid was not His own…. but ours; mine and yours!  When a crime is committed a punishment ensues.  Sin is the crime and a mortal body is the punishment.  As a Christian we believe that Jesus died on the cross as a final punishment to our criminally sinful nature and He rose again on the 3^rd day as an indication that He defeated sin and death.  We have a spiritual victory over human nature and an eternal promise through our belief in Christ.  In other words, We are a spiritual being with an eternal destiny.  Let's not miss it!

What a Privilege Page 39

Scripture says in Luke 10 verse 23:

“Then he turned to his disciples and said privately,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I tell you that many prophets
 and kings wanted to see what you see
but did not see it,
and to hear but did not hear it.”

One of my favorite topics to write about is that of the unseen.  That spiritual side of life-which is invisible and therefore could be misunderstood, over-looked, taken for granted, forgotten about… or specifically ignored.  What is so interesting about the scripture above is that Jesus is speaking privately with his disciples about the opposite of this.  Metaphorically speaking, He opened up the ancient pages of the Old Testament and shared with the disciples something extremely profound; that they had been given the historic and prophetic opportunity to see and hear something that kings and men through the ages had been studying about, teaching about, prophesying about, spiritually wondering about and literally waiting on!  

 I can’t imagine the tone in which Jesus spoke these words but I know the tone in which I read them; with a powerful wonderment, with a whispered astonishment, with a deep sense of truth! I could go on and on about how steeped in honor this verse of scripture is but just re-read it yourself in the light of the ages and in the light of the fact that Jesus was standing before them as the fulfillment of prophesy, The Messiah, and marvel at the reality that we also have the privilege of peering back in time with the use of our Bible and clearly see what the disciples were living out. 

We have not physically met Jesus Christ but we can physically read the Bible and research where its text comes from.   There are ancient manuscripts that have been proven historically accurate from the Christian and non-Christian community that we may use for our own study and conclusion.  Using Luke 10:23 as a reference we can assist Christ in making His case by asking the following:  At this point in time, who is the most influential figure in history?   World History and the literary world hold the answer to this and it is Jesus Christ, himself!  His life and testimony has influenced the world since his birth.  Below are just a few ways Jesus’ life has influenced us all.  Think about this:

“Even people who are not Christian or even religious are influenced
in big and small ways by Christ.  They divide history into the time before and after his birth, BC and AD.  Sunday is a worldwide holiday, not as many believe,
 because it is the day of the Sabbath (which is Saturday)
but because it was traditionally held to be the day of Christ’s resurrection.
 The history of the West, indeed of the world,
is incomprehensible without Christ, and would be unimaginably different
had he not lived.”1

We know as a U.S. citizen that our country would be vastly different had it not been founded on the Christian principles on which it stands, or teeters, as it may!  U.S. History has plenty of documents that can be used to verify this truth!  Our country is one thing- the entire world something larger, to be sure.  With the risk of being redundant, why in the world, would we divide the literal “history of time” with the Life (BC) and death (AD) of Jesus Christ?  Influence?  Indeed! 

 Here’s another thought-provoking question:  Do we have to see everything first-hand to believe that it is true?  The answer to this question comes from common sense!   “We don’t have to witness every event firsthand in order to believe the event actually occurred.  In fact, it would be physically impossible to do so.  We believe the testimony of others if they are trustworthy individuals, and especially if their testimony is corroborated by other data.  This is exactly the case with the testimony of the New Testament writers.”2 

This is where this writing steps into my favorite locale-that of the “unseen”.  It is human nature to want visual verification regarding certain things.  However, there are times when we must go on the verifiable word of others using trust.  In the case of Christianity, we are going to have to believe the corroborated testimony of the disciples and writers living in the 1^st century A.D.   

As an interesting tie-in and a blessing of encouragement, Jesus said this:

“Because you have seen me, you have believed;  

blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:29

Jesus was fully aware that some people would need a visual…. but He was also aware that there would be those of us, through the centuries, who would have no other choice but to go on faith and with this in mind, He spoke these words:  “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  We have nothing but manuscripts and our faith to take the message of Christ into the next generation and for doing so we receive the blessings of tenacity, hope, strength and favor-the spoken favor of Christ himself as stated in John 20:29

 Back to our scripture in Luke 10: 23- the disciples were standing present with Christ.  Through Jesus’ own words we see that they neither realized the full ramifications of Christ’s life nor the impact of his current statement until later.  Then, they set out to change the world and indeed they did.  Jesus was speaking to the disciples that day and just as intended His words also speak to us.  He would say the same thing today as He did then:

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see”!
Luke 10:23

Song Recommendation:

Glorious Day

By:  Casting Crowns

1-Dinesh D’Souza; What’s So Great About Christianity, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 2008

2-Norman L. Geisler & Frank Turek; I Don’t have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, Crossway/Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 2004

Hiding The Reality of God Page 38

My goal in each of these blog pages is to share how God reveals Himself to us-how He works in our lives on this side of heaven.  I write a lot about how it’s difficult for us humans to spiritually lift the veil that impedes our view of the heavenly place where God dwells.  I do so because I too have an issue even finding that veil…much less peaking behind it.

 I search as if I’m hunting for hidden treasure when seeking God’s voice because it’s not audible; and when seeking God’s hand-because His physical work usually appears to simply be irony; and when seeking God’s grace-because this shameful world doesn’t want its inhabitants to know that grace is available and forgiveness is allowed.  The ruling authorities here, whether it is the “spiritual forces in heavenly realms” or the human beings that act as political advocates for sin don’t want God’s gifts of mercy and grace to be received-in fact they don’t want us to believe that God exists at all.  With this said, there are too many mental obstacles for the material man to move into the spiritual realm:  shame, oppression, disappointment, unbelief, the pain of sorrow, the skepticism of life on earth, the atmosphere of hostility toward belief in an eternal God.  On and on we find that God’s existence, much less His presence, is blocked; politically, socially, mentally….spiritually. 

With the world as it is, we Christians seem to want to blend in; to hide the fact that we believe in a living God who created the universe and all material things.  We allow the world of science, sin and politics to have their way.  We must not kid ourselves any longer; the “forces that be” want to silence the faithful and we assist in hiding the reality of God and in diminishing the authenticity of holy manuscripts when we sit back and watch as anything and everything is taken advantage of-particularly moral boundaries and Christian ethics.  Ever think of it that way?

The God-created conscious mind, that science cannot explain, fails to have a conscience when we silence the voice of God by blending in and gagging ourselves. Scripture tells us to “come out and be separate” because we have nothing in common with this world (II Corinthians 6:14-17).   To be separate means to be distinct, clear, apparent, or conspicuous.  We are also told, in the Bible, to speak boldly….but we are doing nothing of the kind.  Politics has seeped into the Christian community and has influenced us instead of us being the  Light of Influence.  Political Correctness is now on The Throne and it appears that all of mankind worships there and follows its decrees. 

As Christians we are taught, by none less that Jesus himself, that we are salt and light to this world (Matthew 5:13-14).  What does that mean?  Exactly what it says:  we are a salt or a “preservative” for this dying world….and we are light or a revealing source of life that puts a “spot-light” on truth, including moral truth.  I admit this with remorse, but, shame on us!  It seems the light of the tolerant, liberals and atheists shines brighter than that of God’s people!  I’m not saying that those who follow the path of tolerance are bad people.  But, if we know God’s Word then we know there is a catch.  Scripture teaches that even Satan masquerades as an Angel of Light  (II Corinthians 11:14).  This means that even though something looks “good” in the light of what we humans deem as “good” it may be disguised to deceive and mislead.

 Indeed, this happens all the time. There’s a sales tactic that describes this to a “T” and is aptly named Bait and Switch.  There are political activists that work in Washington D.C. that base their entire agenda on this premise.  One prime example in the political world of budgeting is known as “pork”.   This is a “tactic” in which our elected officials literally hide (or add in) money for their special projects into a bill that would otherwise be good for our country…but in reality is NOT because it is full of unnecessary spending.  Then when other colleagues vote against the bill because of the hidden funding they are ostracized for not supporting the original intent of the bill.  For example the original bill for financial support of Hurricane Sandy victims was full of pork and didn’t pass, to the demise those in need. Talk about masquerading as an Angel of Light!!!  

You may be wondering why I’ve stepped into the realm of politics.   The reason politics and the Demise of God are linked is because our lawmakers set the course of our lifestyles via the laws they pass.  The more lawmakers use tolerance to form our laws the more we move away from God’s laws and with that- Man rules himself and has effectively removed God from His Throne.  This fact delights many in this great land because they have moved away from God and have been blinded to truth.  (See Romans 1: 28-32)

Moving back from politics to us personally I’d like to ask those people out there who are “tolerant” so as to be “kind” a question:  Is moral and absolute truth able to change for the simple purpose of being “kind”?  We can be compassionate without changing our beliefs.  Jesus never wavered or changed His teachings in order to blend in or align Himself with the politics of the day….nor should we!  In fact, if we are trying to follow Jesus’ teachings and model His character we would never change our beliefs so that we “don’t offend” anyone! 

Here is some straight-forward reasoning for all of us:  Truth is truth- and that never changes.  Right and wrong do have distinct meanings and their definition cannot change to fit the desires of society.  Desperately I surmise that if we allow this to continue to take place then social degeneration will unweave the human tapestry till we’re a tattered mess of unjust, unfit, fugitives who have deserted morals and truth for our own selfish desires or lack of concern.  What then????

Scriptural References:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
 against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:12

“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” 
II Corinthians 11:14

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.
 Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

1 Corinthians 15:38

Song Recommendation:
You Reign
BY:  MercyMe

Deep Calling Deep Page 37

In stillness, have you ever sat in the Holy Chamber we call the Sanctuary and felt that something other than your own emotions were present?  During times like these our hearts are doing something contrary to its normal physical function and it will press into the spiritual realm in order to feel and sense God.  It takes the ability to truly transcend earth’s distractions to spiritually draw open the veil that separates this world with the other -and momentarily step into the spiritual. 

During this time God’s holiness stirs us in a distinct way…and He draws close to us with an overwhelming feeling that is indescribable.    God may graciously pierce our hearts till our pain is released to get our attention.  Or, He may even allow our hearts to burst inside our chest so that everything we’ve held in confidence flows out through merciful tears.  This is the closest we get to our Lord and His compassion on this side of heaven—a brief moment of deep calling deep; the God of all the ages touching His creation!

 During this summit with our spiritual God we become overwhelmed and allow emotions to pour forth ….and then we pull ourselves back together knowing we’ve just  glimpsed the presence of Almighty God.  My question on behalf of all humanity is this:  “Why the brevity, Lord?”  This spiritual encounter with God’s presence is too brief a time to spend in the midst of holiness. There are so many times I need more than just a few moments of deep peace and reconciliation.   It’s as if heaven’s doors had opened to pour forth graciousness and love and then….it’s politely closed again. 

I pondered why the Lord conceals Himself from us?  Wouldn’t it be easier to just let us see Him!  But, instead, we’re left within the realm of earth’s constraints and the spiritual side of things remains a mystery.  He knows we struggle with evil, pain and loss and that the earth and its inhabitants are in great need ….yet there is silence.  We studied this in another blog writing….but scripture says that there such a thing as Holy Silence. 

“The Lord is in His holy Temple
Let the earth be silent before Him.”
Habakkuk 2:20

Still my question persists:  Why the barrier between this physical world and the spiritual realm?  My only answer is that the saga of this age must be played out as written.  We actually have authentic prophesy in Revelations that lets us know that, indeed, there will be a final curtain call and a showdown more spectacular than  anything the earth has ever seen….and when all is said and done this earth will be no more.  I mean, don’t you find that world news is, at this very moment, setting the stage?   It’s obvious that humanity has its part to play.  The premise, via scripture and world politics, indicates that evil will not give up its domain too easily.  World History has already documented that evil requires a great deal of drama to conquer.  Scripture prophetically confirms and concludes this in the Book of Revelations!  It seems that it will take the demise of the earth and the end of the age for man to admit there is a God!

Alas and along these lines, I read a great analogy and it goes something like this:  Just as Shakespeare is not a character in his own play ….neither is God a visible character within the daily lives of humanity.  He is our author and creator but He is not visible because He operates from a different realm.  We must trust the author and finisher of our faith and what is written in our holy text… then in conclusion believe that God exists.  The narrative we must get over is the fact that we cannot see God from within our world- but with one huge exception; by intellectually admitting that creation had a creator.  We then go forth on faith and trust that our astute God will allow our world to spin on and our roles to play out as written- due to His expert authorship and ultimate dominion over Planet Earth!

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
 who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
 Hebrews 12: 1-2

Song Recommendation:

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
BY:  Chris Tomlin

Breath of Heaven Page 36

Breath of Heaven

Several years ago I was reading a book about the different names of God.  Jehovah Jirah is one of my favorites- It means ‘The Lord our Provider’.  We can call upon God using very specific names and therefore draw closer to Him in a more intimate way.  We reveal our heart’s greatest needs when we appeal to God by calling upon Him in a very specific way.   Here are a few of God’s names:

El Elyon:  El Ely-OWN- God most high, creator and possessor of all things. (The boss)
El Shaddai:  El Shad DA –All sufficient, all powerful, keeper of promises
Jehovah Rophi:  RO fee- the Healer
Jehovah Makkeh:   MA keh-The God who smites
Jehoah Nissi:  NEE see- the lord our Banner, the intercessor
Jehovah Tsebaioth:  Se baw OT – The lord of Hosts
Jehovah Shalom:  Shaw LOME – the Lord of Peace
Jehovah Tsidkenu:  Sid KAY noo- the Lord our Righteousness
Jehovah Shammah:  SHAW mah- the Lord is there; I see Christ in that person
Jehovah Rohi:  RO he- The Lord My shepard;  His very near and eternal presence
His name is Immanuel:  God with us; Jesus
His name is Forgiveness:  God who pardons
His name is Intercessor:  the God who maintains our peace

*A name I recently discovered is Jehovah Elohim: The God who can create something out of nothing.  With everything going on in my life…this is quickly becoming one of my favorites. 

Anyway…during the time that I was studying about God’s names I prayed and asked God to reveal one of His names to me; one that would give me a deeper understanding as to who He was in my life.  I wanted God to reveal something specific about my relationship with Him and His with me.  Soon after this prayer I started hearing and reading God’s names in various places…but the first one that came to me was Breath of Heaven.   This descriptive was an answered prayer…and it was a WOW moment- particularly because it was such a beautifully poetic name.

 Different ways of understanding this revelation of God started coming to my mind. One is the precious smell of my own children’s breath.  When I’m snuggling close with them and they turn to speak to me I feel the warmth of their breath-this makes me want to pull them closer and hold them tighter. This closeness brings the warmth of their breath into my very soul.  It’s life…literally their life touching mine.  To be that physically close there has to be a true love and desire to be that close.  When you say Breath of Heaven it is FULL of meaning.  It speaks of God’s life-force, His words….God as an intimate being.  It reminds me that He literally breathed life into all living things: 

"The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,

and the man became a living being."

Genesis 2:7

God wants to have a close relationship with us!  He created life and He is our very breath. As a Christian we should draw close to our Creator-not hold Him at a distance because we don’t know or understand how to have a relationship with him.  One obvious way to begin a relationship with God is to take the time to be astounded at His creation.  When you put some thought into the power and vastness of the universe, the placement of earth as it hurdles through space….does this not give you pause?  Surely we can say “El Elyon, you are amazing”.  Allow this to be your starting point.  God will draw close to you when you draw close to Him (James 4:8).  Allow the Creator of the Universe to have a relationship with you - for though He created vastness of space and time He is also an intimate God who created us for the distinct purpose of having a relationship with Him!  Open yourself up to the spiritual truth that there is a God in heaven that literally is the Breath of all things.  Fill your lungs with the truth of this.  Breath it all in.  

RvH 

Song Recommendation:
Your Great Name
BY:  Natalie Grant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PasbQx0VilQ