Discipleship Network Forum

     The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:1 that faith, "is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see" (New Living Translation). In other words, it means that we have a belief that in the future events that the Bible says will happen will indeed happen.
     Only with faith from God can we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and is the only One who can save us from our sins; that He died on a cross (Good Friday) taking all of our sins (past, present and future) with Him to the grave; that He arose from the grave three days later (Easter) and ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God; that with Him in control of our lives we can live to the full potential that God, our Father created in us before we were physically born.
     We can't conjure up faith for ourselves because we as humans don't seek God -- God seeks us out, and then gives us the smallest amount of faith needed to believe that Jesus is the Son of God Who takes away the sins we have committed in our lives while we went out own way without Him.
     Faith was explained to me this way. If you lean the chair you are sitting on back against the wall, you do it with the faith that the wall will hold the chair up, that the back legs won't slip out from under you or break due to your weight, and that the chair itself can stand the strain of being used improperly. When you do this with the chair, you don't even think that it is by faith that you do so with confidence, you just "know" that the chair won't fall.
     That's the way it is with Jesus Christ. Faith in Him means that you don't have to think about Him fulfilling His promises to you, you just know with confidence that he will do the things for you that He said He would do. First you must tell Jesus that you want Him in your life and to save you from your sins. Then you must ask Him to come into your life and take control of the things you yourself cannot control or change about yourself, which is everything about your life. You must tell Him that you want Him to be your Lord and Savior, and want Him to take control of your life so that He can show you the right way to live.
     I will let the Word of God, Scripture from the Bible, answer the questions about what it means to have faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ, and why, so that you can make an informed decision as to whether you want to live your life as Jesus asks you to, or whether you want to keep going your own way, relying on yourself, falling in and out of situations that you yourself can never fix and can never get away from.
    Only Jesus Christ can save you from the mistakes you have made and will continue to make in your life. Only He can help you overcome your own sinful nature and all of the things that Satan throws your way.
     The choice is yours and yours alone to make. Jesus will never drag you into something that you don't want. He will never come to you and say, "Love me, or else." All He is saying to you right now is, "I love you more than you can know, and I want to change the things that are wrong with your life and make them all work out for your good and My Glory. I want you to come just as you are, right now, and tell me that you want your life to have meaning. I will send you My Holy Spirit to live inside of your heart and who will guide you into the plans for which I have created you. My Spirit will help you fulfill them and to bring you into the wonderful, spectacular future I have had in place for you to live since before the day you were born. All I as is for you to come."

     The first question you may be asking yourself is, "Why do I need to have faith in Jesus Christ?" Hebrews 11:6 says, "So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that there is a God and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him" (New Living Translation).

 
                     It Is The Only Way I Can Be Right With God
     When Adam and Eve (Who were real people by the way) were in the Garden of Eden, they had a right standing with God; they were without sin, as was Jesus Christ. They had no concept of sin since God created them holy and pure. They had no concept of right or wrong. When God promised them that He would fulfill all of their needs, He was faithful and delivered on His promises. Therefore, Adam and Eve obeyed His every word, and had a very intimate relationship with the God who created and cared for them. They knew that they could trust God with their very lives.
     Then came along Satan (who is also a real person), who, at this time, was already a fallen angel cast out of Heaven for proclaiming that he could could be just like God and could do a better job than God (sound familiar?), who convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God and eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Once they took a bite from its fruit, their relationship was forever stained with sin.
     Then, as today, Satan sets out to destroy our relationship with God, because God would not let him claim God's throne to do his evil desires. We are the same way towards God today: we want to control our own lives, to do what we want without any interference from anybody; especially God Himself whom we believe will take away our evil fun.
     Isaiah 14:13-14 tells the words Satan himself said to God as Satan was in full rebellion against God: "(13)You said to yourself, 'I'll climb to heaven. I'll set my throne over the stars of God. I'll run the assembly of angels that meets on sacred Mount Zaphon. (14)I'll climb to the top of the clouds. I'll take over as King of the Universe'" (The Message). (Oh, how many "I" statements we could add to Satan's list: I can rule my own life better than God; I don't need anyone to tell me what I can or cannot do; I am successful because of my own sweat and perseverance... The list is endless.) Satan believed that he could rule the universe better than God. Since a pure, holy, and just God cannot let evil go unpunished, Satan, and those angels who rebelled with him, were banished from Heaven and were cast down to the Earth.
     So what has Satan been doing for the last six thousand years? As it reads in Job 2:2, "And the Lord said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?' Satan answered the Lord, 'From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.'" In 1 Peter 5:8, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (Emphasis mine/ Both from New International Version.) He has been attempting, and is sometimes successful, in keeping you and me from knowing God intimately. Tempting us through our five senses (Biblically called the "flesh") Satan tries to get us to do wrong things through our own evil desires, which, without Jesus Christ in our lives, we will fall into repeatedly. Therefore, like Adam and Eve, we disobey God's good plans for us just to follow our own evil ways just because we want to. If we just put our faith in God they way we put our faith in everything else, and just as strongly, we would follow God's ways and realize that His ways are truly the right ways. This in turn would please Him immensely the way a child pleases his parents by obeying the house rules, which are put in place for the child's own good and protection.
     All our lives since Adam and Eve, we have followed an evil devil, and have put our faith in him instead of the One who always has good in mind for us. However, when you put your faith in Jesus Christ -- which comes from God if we are really seeking Him -- believing that He exists, and believing that Jesus is who He says He is, that He has done what He said He would do, asking Him into our hearts and putting Him in control of every aspect of our lives, then, only then, can we please God and have a right standing with He who created us, and who had planned out our entire lives thousands of years before we were born. 

                    Only With Faith Can We Believe In Jesus Christ
     Do you know that it takes more faith to believe that your car is going to start in the morning than it does to believe in Jesus Christ? Each and every morning you go out and turn the ignition key and expect the car to start on the first try. So much so that, after a while, you don't even think about it anymore -- you get in, start the car, and go! Now, that requires a great amount of faith to believe in. However, where Jesus Christ is concerned, it only takes a small amount of faith to believe in Him and what He did on the cross.
     In the Bible, Jesus tells His disciples in the Book of Matthew, chapter 17, verse 20, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (New International Version).
    What Jesus is saying to us here is: "If you have even the smallest amount of faith that I died on the cross to take away the sins of the world; was buried and arose again three days later as I said I would; and when you ask me to come into your life, I will come and forgive you for all the sins you have committed past, present, and future. Once you invite me in, you can ask me to move the mountains of guilt and shame out of your life when you begin to follow me and listen to and obey my words found in your Bible. I will do it when you ask in my Name."

     Again, please feel free to ask questions. There are no stupid questions. If I can't answer your question right away then I will tell you the three words many people have so much trouble saying -- I don't know. If I don't know, I will tell you. But I will pray and do whatever I can to get you the answer. You see, your questions help me too. I consider myself a chronic learner. I love to learning all I can about Jesus Christ and God's place in my life. Every time I learn something new that opens my eyes and heart up to God, the more I enjoy my life with Him. Remember, any revelation you may have about God comes from God Himself through His Spirit. Anything I write in this blog about Him comes directly from His revelation into my life. I can tell you from my heart that when God sees that you want to know Him intimately and want to know Him more, He will stop at nothing to give you all of himself in all the smallest details. I haven't learned everything yet, and I won't know everything about God this side of Heaven. As the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:12, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Have a great day!

Are you being a good steward of your small group (or church, ministry, family, business ...)?

I've written about this before in reference to how you are discipling and shepherding the group God has put under your care (1 Peter 5:2). That's vital to leading a healthy small group or anything else. But there's even more to it than that.

How are you using all the gifts and abilities and passions of the people entrusted to you?

Today I went back and looked again at Nehemiah 3, which tells about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's leadership. This whole chapter is a list of all the groups and individuals who worked on the walls and the gates. Nehemiah demonstrated his leadership by his ability to get people involved in the work. We do not know exactly how he "recruited" all these people, but we can see that he inspired them by the meaningfulness of the work. He got a wide variety of people involved: men and women, people of all ages, people who had a variety of skills and experiences. He involved priests and other religious and civic leaders. Nehemiah had a strategy: he had people working specific parts of the wall and gates, often right in front of their own homes. This was wise stewardship of their time, but it also gave them ownership of their parts of the wall.

Nehemiah had a task of building a wall, but his most important responsibility was to build up the people in the process.

If the walls of Jerusalem were that important, how much more significant is the work we do of making disciples of all nations?

Are you using the gifts and abilities and passions of the people in your small group, or are you trying to do all the work yourself?

How are you building up the people in your group, family, ministry, church, business?

See original blog post at http://smallgroupleadership.blogspot.com/2011/02/are-you-building-walls-or-people.html.

Ready for the Road Ahead

            I came across a sad confession the other day as I read through the postings of my friends on Facebook.  A young father wrote of his feelings of failure in this life.  I sensed his feelings were due to that measuring stick we call "The American Dream".   A man is supposed to find himself a good job that pays well and allows him to acquire all the material pleasures of the good life- a home, a car, and of course, a big screen tv.  It is a common feature of life in these United States.  People are valuable if they own things of value. 

            What things are considered valuable today?  The most valuable athlete in the world is Tiger Woods who has amassed $110 million over 13 years through his winnings, endorsements and business ventures.  The most valuable home, owned by Mukesh Ambani, is a $1 billion skyscraper mansion called "Antilla" in Mumbai, India.  The first 6 floors are a parking garage.  The remainder of the 27 story building houses Mukesh, his wife, 3 children and 600 servants.  The most valuable gem is a flawless, blue diamond estimated to be worth $4 million.  The most valuable car (which can still be driven legally on the street) is a Bugatti Veyron.  It costs only $1,700,000.

            The psalmist warns us in Psalm 49 (vv. 16-20) to remember that wealth accumulated on this earth cannot be taken with us when we die.  Our sense of value and accomplishment must be taken from a different criteria than that of the world.  Oddly enough, the story of Cinderella illustrates what the Bible teaches.  Cinderella's father had married a proud and haughty woman, who relegated Cinderella to servitude after he died.  The "wicked" stepmother repeatedly told Cinderella that she was "common" and of little value.  But when the prince enters the story, all that changes.  The extent of the prince's love for Cinderella compels him to search the kingdom high and low until he finds her.  His love demonstrates her value and he goes to great lengths to be reunited with her.

            Jesus told a parable about the same kind of love in Luke 15 (vv.3-7).  A shepherd with a large flock has lost one of his sheep.  Rather than leave it in the wilderness to succumb to the elements, the shepherd searches out the lost sheep and brings the little wanderer back to the fold.   This is a picture of God's love.  He has gone to great lengths in expressing His love for us and demonstrating our value to Him (see Phil. 2:5-8). 

            Perhaps in these times of economic uncertainty it becomes easy to fall prey to calculating our value in terms of our earthly possessions and accomplishments as my friend on Facebook did.  Maybe you have been having similar feelings.  If those doubts should arise, remember, God so loved you, that He sent His Son to save you.   The world and its value system may lead you to believe that you are common.  That is not true!  The prince has traveled throughout the kingdom to find you.  The Shepherd has searched the wilderness to bring you home.  There is no greater value than that.

     Our church lists daily Bible readings on the back of our bulletin for those who want to read the Bible through the year.  The pastor also preaches from one of these passages.  This month we have begun Lamentations, which for many in our congregation, will be the first time they've read it.  The following insert is designed to help them understand Hebrew poetry and to gain some insight on the background of this beautiful book.

     If you've been following the Daily Bible Readings on the back of our bulletin, you may have noticed that we are alternating between Old and New Testament books.  I know when I first began reading the Old Testament some books were easier to understand than others.  I was drawn to books like Genesis, Jonah and Ruth because they contained stories about people that I could relate to.  Books like Deuteronomy, Leviticus and Lamentations were less appealing because they were harder to understand.  Perhaps you have encountered the same feelings.  Don't give up!  Here are some helpful points to take along on your journey through Lamentations*:

     ~ Other Ancient Near East writings lament the destruction of great cities.  But unlike the Bible, these literary pieces attribute the loss of property, loved ones and income to capricious gods who temporarily lost interest in protecting the city.  In contrast, the prophet Jeremiah sees that Judah's disregard of God's Law is what brought about its destruction.  As you read through Lamentations notice how many times Jeremiah links the two.

    ~ Many times we place the Bible on a "spiritual bookshelf" all by itself.  But like many great books, the Bible is literature.  God has chosen to communicate His Word through the conventions of language.  Therefore the Bible contains many genres of writing.  Lamentations is a poetic book.  Hebrew poetry is quite beautiful but sometimes hard to capture in English.  It doesn't rhyme, rather, it builds concept upon concept, image upon image.  So as you're reading, look for repeated ideas and images which are usually repeated in double or triple lines.

    ~ A lament is a specific type of poem.  It reflects on deep, personal suffering as well as spiritual agony.   The prophet Jeremiah probably wrote this lament shortly after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B. C.  Although Jeremiah understands God's justice in carrying out His judgment on Jerusalem, he still mourns the loss of his beloved home.  As you read, notice that Jeremiah might be intensely sorrowful, but he is not hopeless.   He understands that hope lies in God's character alone.

    ~ Jeremiah is not the only person ever to encounter sorrow.   Yet while his beautiful poetry speaks of an event that is foreign to most of us, the depth of his emotion speaks to anyone who has mourned over a tragic loss; a loved one, innocence,  a job, a home, a piece of oneself.  As you read through Jeremiah, keep in mind its immediate context, but let the poetry speak to the loss in your own heart.  Remember, like Jeremiah, that hope lies in the character of God.  He is the One who will console you in your time of sorrow.

*  A great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the books of the Bible is How to Read the Bible Book by Book by Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart, c.2002, Zondervan

“If you make the tree good, its fruit will be good; and if you make a tree bad,

 its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.”

-Matt 12:33

            I never really studied this verse carefully.  I was struck why its says “make the tree…”  How can one make a tree good or bad?  Obviously, the LORD YESHUA was not talking about a tree but alluding to a tree like a person.  If so, He is saying that a third party can influence a person to go bad or good.  Ultimately, you will know who influenced him by his lifestyle.

            What is good and what is bad?  Sounds like such a simple question but you might be surprised how many people today are hazy about the concept of good and bad.  According to the LORD  YESHUA, you will know what is good and what is bad by determining who influenced the character trait in the first place.  The dead giveaway is the fruit of his mouth and his actions.

            In the world, there are only two influencers that really matter.  First, we have the infamous old Serpent popularly known as Satan.  The LORD YESHUA called him the father of all liars and a murderer.  When he speaks, he speaks from his very nature – evil.  He is also known as the Accuser of the brethren.  He imitates the practices of the Kingdom  of GOD and turns it upside down.  In the kingdom of darkness, the citizens are motivated by fear and live in bondage.  They practice deceit and are very clever in devising wicked plans to foster their wickedness.  They claim earth as their own and all its treasures.  Satan even had the audacity to lie to the LORD YESHUA by claiming that all the kingdoms of the world and all its glory belong to him (Matt 4:8,9).  The enemy is very fond of using the Scriptures, adulterate it with a lie; and offer it to people, especially believers, to deceive them to a mutually beneficial relationship.  All who believe the devil will never get any eternal benefit but only temporary.  The devil is especially expert in inflicting pain and calamity, making it look like it was GOD who did it.

            The second influencer and only transformer is the HOLY SPIRIT.  The LORD YESHUA said, “…no one is good except GOD alone!” (Mk 10:18).  The third Person of the GODHEAD will only teach what is good and righteous and perfect.  He is holy and will never lead anyone to anything that will defile them.  Where the SPIRIT is, there is freedom - freedom to do the will of GOD and prosper.  His ways are gentle and meek and He will take us by the hand so we will not stumble and will never let go.  He guides us to walk by faith working through love.  He teaches and reveals the Scriptures to us so that the Word becomes reality in our lives as we practice it.  He highlights the promises of GOD that we need for the day as we meditate on the Scriptures so that we may be partakers of His divine nature through trusting in His faithfulness.  He takes us through trials, providing the strength through hope and joy so that we do not become weary but go from strength to strength.  He teaches us the Truth so that we will be set free to love ADONAI ELOHIM.  He makes us know that “heaven belongs to ADONAI, but the earth He has given to humankind” (Ps 115:16).   BUT most of all, the HOLY SPIRIT points our focus on the only true GOD, YHWH, to whom all the honor, glory and dominion belongs!

            Whose voice do you listen to?  Do you know Him enough to know which spirit or SPIRIT is talking to you?  The LORD YESHUA said, “By their fruit you shall know them.”  When the disciples of John the Baptist asked YESHUA, “Are you the Messiah or shall we look for another one?”  He replied,  “Go and tell John what you hear and see:  the blind received sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them” (Matt 11:3-5).  The badge of Truth always comes with the power of ADONAI ELOHIM to deliver those who are in bondage, physically and spiritually. 

            When you hear the Truth, it shall set you free!

מלאך

I've written in the past that 2010 was a tough year for our family. Bob's dad passed away on February 20 after a year long struggle with congestive heart failure. That was tough on the family. But nothing as tough as the death of Bob's youngest sister Jan, who passed away suddenly on January 21st at the age of 52.

Working through the arrangements and the grief and the details was overwhelming. But when I finally stopped and got still for awhile, I couldn't help but think about my own demise one day. Jan had left specific instructions about everything she wanted as a part of her memorial service. I had never thought about those details. But I have now. And there's just a few things that I care about when that time comes:

1.  I pray my death, whenever and however that happens, will glorify God and point to my Redeemer.

2.  I pray that my death will bear witness to how I led my life through the relationships I had, the lives I was able to touch, and the things I was able to do.

3.  I pray that there can be joy in my going, because I know my final destination.

4.  I pray that at that last day for me, only one thing will resonate from my life:  "In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus. . . . When I come to die, give me Jesus."

Blessings.

Margie Williamson

Community Manager

“You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;

My GOD turns my darkness into light.”

                                                                                                                               -Psalm 18:28

Timeless eternity is GOD’s dimension where His spiritual laws keep perfect order.  When GOD filled the heavens and the earth and spoke into being all material entities, He separated each through ordered orbits and none may transgress the other’s mandate (we call it gravity) without His command..  And the heavenly bodies governed the seasons that ordered darkness and light.  Thus time began.  And physical light and darkness dawned on all creation distinguishing itself from spiritual light and darkness. 

Light and darkness are totally opposite.  ADONAI ELOHIM wraps himself with light and dwells in unapproachable light.  Many ask, “Who can show us any good?”  ADONAI, lift the light of your face over us! (Ps 4:6)  GOD’s light is unapproachable because it is pure and it is a product of His goodness.  Indeed, YESHUA once said that only GOD is good.  Light is a picture of ADONAI’s goodness and generosity because without light there can be no life.  But when Light shines, there is life-giving energy, there is growth; and darkness runs away.

In contrast, darkness is the preferred home of evil.  It is where wickedness hides and lurks, ready to ambush its intended victim.  People who love darkness do evil things in darkness so that their actions won’t be exposed.  But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that their actions are accomplished through GOD (Jn 3:19-21).

Therefore, the earth is inhabited by two kinds of people:  the children of the Light, and the children of darkness.  The former are born of the Light, purified and made good by the washing of the blood of the SON of the Light.  Only in the light of ADONAI do they see light, and they become bearers of His eternal light (Ps 36:9)as they walk in the light of His presence (Ps 89:15).  They are armed with the sword of the Light (Ps 119:130)and weld it with the lightning power of the SPIRIT.

The children of darkness are the unborn.  The dead cannot hear, perceive or feel the things of the spirit.  They have rejected the Light and prefer to dwell in darkness, blinded by the wiles of wickedness.  They hate the light and will do their utmost to expand their domain of darkness so they can forever hide their abominable acts.  They pretend that darkness is as “good” as light by dwelling in a world of deception, imitating the form of light but is devoid of its power.

Soon, there will be a day of reckoning, when YESHUA the Messiah will come to overthrow the sham, they call “kingdom of darkness.”  He will slay His enemies with the sword of His mouth and He and the overcomers of the Light will judge the children of darkness and make them drink from the cup of ADONAI’s wrath.

On that day, the children of the Light will rejoice and praise the King of Kings and worship the SON of the Light who lives forever and ever.  They will rejoice because, finally, the physical realm will be swallowed up and a new earth will be revealed, and the new Jerusalem will come down and ADONAI ELOHIM will dwell with the children of the Light forever.  There will be no more need of any sun or moon, for ADONAI will be their light.  There will be no more need, for ADONAI ELOHIM is all they need.  In Him, by Him, through Him and for Him; all things find their ‘shalom’ in ADONAI!

מלאך

Ready For the Road Ahead

            My sister Diana and I took great delight in designing games for my youngest sister, Kim, when she was little.  One of our favorites was a birthday scavenger hunt where Kim had to figure out clues in order to discover the whereabouts of her presents.  Kim had a great deal of fun searching for those gifts and Diana and I took delight in watching her eyes light up when she figured out a clue and was rewarded with another colorful package.

            This past week I joined an online photography group called the "365 Project".  Photographers of all levels of ability search out pictures that capture their daily routines in a creative and unique way.  The idea is to learn to look at the common, everyday things with a new perspective.  You don't need fancy equipment or a top of the line camera.  All you need is eyes to see.

            The Christian walk requires us to look for God in a similar fashion.  Years ago (1984 to be exact) David and Karen Mains wrote a book called The God Hunt.  In it they encouraged families to search for "God sightings" like Kim searched for her birthday presents those many years ago.  I recently read of a young mom who uses the walk to the school bus with her children as a way to see God at work in the world around them.  They look at the birds and see God's creativity.  They say hello and smile at people they know and see His love.  What a wonderful way to inspire children to recognize that God is with His creation!

            Developing your spiritual eyes is a must on the walk of Christian maturity.   It's a challenge to see life through a spiritual lens, because as adults, we've been conditioned to be concrete and practical.  But if we do not learn to see things from a spiritual perspective, we may end up like the servant of Elisha, who could only see the enemies encircled around his camp (2 Kings 6: 8-17).  It took the prayer of Elisha to open his eyes to the spiritual realm.

            Cultivating your spiritual eyes is not difficult, but it does require that you look beyond the ordinary and the usual.  One day, while I waited for my friend to check out her groceries, I was charged with the task of entertaining her 3 year old daughter.  How do you keep an active toddler in a shopping cart in a busy supermarket?  In a moment of inspiration I began a game of "I Spy".  Cloe loved finding the different colors and objects and I was amazed at her powers of observation!  The same is true in seeing God.  You are more observant than you think!  Seeing God at work does not always mean we will be looking at "supernatural" events in our lives.  More often it is learning to see those everyday events from a new vantage point.  It doesn't take fancy equipment or a top of the line camera to catch sight of God.  All you need is eyes to see.

            Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.  (Psalm 66:5)

Ann H. LeFevre  1/23/2011

Ready For the Road Ahead

            If you've been following the Daily Bible Readings on the back of our bulletin, you may have noticed that we are alternating between Old and New Testament books.  I know when I first began reading the Old Testament some books were easier to understand than others.  I was drawn to books like Genesis, Jonah and Ruth because they contained stories about people that I could relate to.  Books like Deuteronomy, Leviticus and Lamentations were less appealing because they were harder to understand.  Perhaps you have encountered the same feelings.  Don't give up!  Here are some helpful points to take along on your journey through Lamentations*:

            ~ Other Ancient Near East writings lament the destruction of great cities.  But unlike the Bible, these literary pieces attribute the loss of property, loved ones and income to capricious gods who temporarily lost interest in protecting the city.  In contrast, the prophet Jeremiah sees that Judah's disregard of God's Law is what brought about its destruction.  As you read through Lamentations notice how many times Jeremiah links the two.

            ~ Many times we place the Bible on a "spiritual bookshelf" all by itself.  But like many great books, the Bible is literature.  God has chosen to communicate His Word through the conventions of language.  Therefore the Bible contains many genres of writing.  Lamentations is a poetic book.  Hebrew poetry is quite beautiful but sometimes hard to capture in English.  It doesn't rhyme, rather, it builds concept upon concept, image upon image.  So as you're reading, look for repeated ideas and images which are usually repeated in double or triple lines.

            ~ A lament is a specific type of poem.  It reflects on deep, personal suffering as well as spiritual agony.   The prophet Jeremiah probably wrote this lament shortly after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B. C.  Although Jeremiah understands God's justice in carrying out His judgment on Jerusalem, he still mourns the loss of his beloved home.  As you read, notice that Jeremiah might be intensely sorrowful, but he is not hopeless.   He understands that hope lies in God's character alone.

            ~ Jeremiah is not the only person ever to encounter sorrow.   Yet while his beautiful poetry speaks of an event that is foreign to most of us, the depth of his emotion speaks to anyone who has mourned over a tragic loss; a loved one, innocence,  a job, a home, a piece of oneself.  As you read through Jeremiah, keep in mind its immediate context, but let the poetry speak to the loss in your own heart.  Remember, like Jeremiah, that hope lies in the character of God.  He is the One who will console you in your time of sorrow.

Ann LeFevre  1/30/2011

*  A great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the books of the Bible is How to Read the Bible Book by Book by Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart, c.2002, Zondervan

I may be back from Israel but I'm not through chewing over things I heard, saw, and experienced while there. One of those was at an overlook on the south side of Jerusalem, facing the old city and the temple mount. Our guide, Gila, a extremely well-informed, Jew, shared that the Jews believe that it was at that spot on the overlook that Abraham left the donkeys behind and proceeded on foot to climb Mount Moriah with his son Isaac. If you're like me, you've read that passage a hundred times and always struggled with the pain Abraham must have felt as he anticipated the death of his son.

I can imagine some of that pain because I watched my parents go through the death of their first and only son. My brother Lenny was born with Leukemia and a hole in his heart. Back then, either were a death sentence. He lived eleven months to the day, spending most of his time in the hospital. My parents were devastated. It took years for them to come to grips with his loss. I've another friend who's son died suddenly two years ago. They, too, are struggling to move on in his absence.

I don't think we can gloss over the pain that Abraham felt as he and Isaac began that journey. Our guide Gila shared the teaching of a rabbi in Israel who said that Abraham was so full of faith that he knew God would take care of Isaac somehow. Why? Because scripture says that Abraham got up early the next morning to set off for Moriah. For the rabbi, the fact that Abraham arose in the morning was proof that Abraham had slept. Again, for the rabbi, the only way Abraham could sleep that night was by depending on God to make things right.

Sounds great, doesn't it? I thought at the time, "Boy, that'll preach" (or teach in my case). Unfortunately, there's no scriptural evidence that the rabbi's thoughts are accurate. According to several friends who spend time in Hebrew language studies in the Bible, the words used have nothing to do with "sleep." One friend, a biblical scholar, offered the suggestion that maybe the rabbi was basing his comments on oral tradition rather than on biblical facts.

The whole discussion has stayed on my mind since I returned and I can now offer my own interpretation. I can understand the rabbi's teaching––it's easier to accept what Abraham did, actually taking Isaac to the place to be sacrificed, when we can imagine him having been able to sleep because he so trusted God to take the sacrifice away. However, I don't think it's that.

I think Abraham laid away all night, grieving the loss of his son on the next day. I think he rose with a heavy heart early in the morning, knowing that there were things he had to do that weren't going to be easy. I think he made the trip up to Mount Moriah, treasuring ever moment, every second, that he could spend with his beloved son. I think, with all his heart, he wanted not to have to do what he was doing. But he did it anyway. Why? Because God told him to.

There's no doubt in my mind that Abraham acted with complete faith and obedience, even when God's instructions literally ripped his own heart to pieces and made no sense. The point is that Abraham acted. He obeyed. He demonstrated his faith in God. And God honored that.

I've never had to face the pain that Abraham faced, but I've faced difficulties in trying to follow God's will in my life. And in spite of the frustrations or lack of understanding or disappointment, God has honored my obedience. Maybe that's the lesson we can learn from Abraham.

Margie Williamson

Community Manager

I am currently reading 1st Corinthians in the Message paraphrase of the Bible.  Reading chapter 10, this struck me for the first time, "They drank from the Rock, God's fountain for them that stayed with them wherever they were.  And the Rock was Christ."

Now, that being the case, some things about the story of Moses striking the rock to provide water for the Israelites take on new meaning and significance.  The first time, Moses was commanded to strike the rock so water would flow out.  Jesus, our Rock, was struck down to provide us with the living water of redemption and resurrection power.

However, the second time Moses was commanded to speak to the rock to get water.  He was angry at the people because of all their grumbling and complaining, so he struck the rock.  God, in His infinite mercy, knowing the people would perish without water, provided it.  However, he punished Moses severely, telling him he would never enter the Promised Land. 

I always thought that was a little harsh.  After all, it was a rock we were talking about here.  Who talks to rocks?  What would you say to a rock if you did talk to it?  "Hey there rock, could you give me some water?"  It sounds pretty ridiculous, since rocks, by their very nature, don't have water to hand out, especially in a desert.

However, if the Rock was Jesus, in both cases, then what a picture of our relationship to Him!  Jesus was struck once to give us water.  If we feel spiritually dry, there is no reason for us to grumble and complain, like the Israelites, or strike out at Jesus, like Moses.  We have only to speak to the Rock, and He will grant us rivers of living water, springing up to eternal life.

What an affront that was, after all, for Moses to treat Jesus the way he did!  Jesus, the Rock, had already been struck once and for all, to provide water for the people.  To continue using that method, subjecting Christ to further unnecessary abuse, out of anger or, worse, because it had worked once and should work again, is unpardonable!  Moses punishment of not setting foot in the Promised Land is merited when I consider what he did in that light.

So, speak to the Rock.  The Living Water, won through the striking of Jesus at the Cross, is ready and waiting to gush forth and slake your thirst for eternal life.

         And Joshua said unto the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”  (Jos 3:5)

         A new generation of Israelites had been raised and was opposite the Jordan River, about to cross to Jericho. The command of ADONAI was, “Sanctify yourselves…” To enter into the Promise Land, ADONAI wants the people to make themselves ceremonially clean at the very least. The word in Hebrew for sanctify or consecrate is qadash, meaning to be holy and it is presented in the causative form which means to cause yourself to be clean. In the Hebraic mindset, it means to physically wash their bodies with clean water and also wash their clothes before they present themselves before the LORD. In the New Testament, we know that these ceremonial washings were a picture of the cleansing that the blood of the Lamb will bring to those who trust in the Messiah; and secondly, it is a picture of the washing of regeneration that the HOLY SPIRIT will perform to those who obey the Torah of ADONAI

         Why? For the next day, ADONAI will perform miracles in their midst. The Hebrew word qadash comes from the root word qadosh, meaning holy, the primary character of GOD. Thus ADONAI commanded Israel to “Be holy, for I am holy!” In order for ADONAI to work wonders before His people, they must be qualified to stand in His presence. We, ourselves, know that we have to be a holy vessel before we become a vessel of honor. To do the works of GOD, we must have the character of GOD. As Jeremiah said, “…I bear Y our Name, O LORD GOD of Hosts!” (Jer 15:16b)

        And yet, Israel did not conquer Jericho, but ADONAI alone. Jericho was destroyed not by the hand of man but by the word of ADONAI. For GOD does not war with weapons made by men but by His holy Word! GOD fought primarily not because of Israel but because He gave His solemn word to His friend, Abraham. Yes, Israel was precious in His sight, but they were a disobedient lot. But ADONAI ELOHIM gave His Word and His Word cannot be broken!

       Today, we also must learn that our heavenly FATHER honors His holy Word and He is faithful and He will not let His Word fall to the ground. The question is, will we trust His Word?

      The Word of ADONAI is His bond. This is the golden thread that binds our relationship with Him. So meditate on His Word and be cleansed. Use the Word against the enemy because with it, they are a defeated foe. The Truth shall set you free!

מלאך

“May the LORD show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he was often  a comfort to me and was not ashamed of my being in prison.  On the contrary, when he came to Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me.  May the LORD grant it to him to find mercy from ADONAI on that Day.  And you know very well how much he helped me in Ephesus. “(Eph 1:16-17)

                  At Paul’s first defense in Rome, everyone deserted him.  He was left totally alone.  The Christian brothers were ashamed of him.  Everyone in the churches of the province of Asia also turned away from Paul even its prominent leaders.  But the LORD stood by him and gave him the power to proclaim the Gospel before the court of Caesar.  The Gospel could not be chained even though Paul was.

                  There was one person who was not ashamed of Paul.  He travelled all the way from Ephesus and earnestly looked  for Paul among all the prisoners of Rome.  To the jailers, Paul was just another prisoner, but to Onesiphorus, Paul was the elder and itinerant preacher who travelled long and hard from Jerusalem to give him the message of life.  A debt he could never repay.  So he came to Rome purposely to serve the precious elder for the remaining days of his imprisonment.

                  To many of the Pharisees and other Jews, Paul wasted his life but to Onesiphorus, Paul was a light to the Gentiles who were perishing.  At the end of his life, only the closest disciples of Paul stood by him.  All the more, Paul’s martyrdom spurred them to go everywhere where Paul did not so that people may hear of the LORD YESHUA.

                  Paul was never alone, although there may have been times when he became very lonely.  The LORD YESHUA was always with him.  As He promised, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

                  Is your loyalty like the dew of dawn that goes away early?  Everyone has a price.  What is yours?  Like Onesiphorus, my price has already been met at the foot of the Cross.

                  I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine!

      מלאך

              Therefore be very careful how you live — not as unwise but as wise,

              taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

              For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding

              what the Lord's will is. (Eph 5:15-17) 

      Living on the alert means approaching life with eyes wide open to every opportunity and challenge.   The problem is, not every opportunity comes with a label that says “Here I am!”  More often, opportunities hide in the midst of trials.  It takes a persevering and discerning spirit to know the blessing within the experience and an enlightened heart to know the way out while optimizing the challenge.  Bro. Paul advices us to be careful how we live, applying wisdom to every opportunity.  The short-cut is to apply GOD’s wisdom in every situation.

      This is easier said than done.  To read and meditate on the Scriptures is easy but for the Word of GOD to become  alive to your particular situation is another thing.  Before any Christian can expect to be guided closely by the HOLY SPIRIT, he must ask himself, “Do I have any sin that hinders or have I grieved the HOLY SPIRIT in any way?”  If the answer is yes, then repent – repent towards GOD and repent towards the person you have offended.  The Scriptures is a clear guide to GOD’s moral standard.  And GOD, himself, promised to guide the believer through clear directions.  That is, if our spiritual ears are listening to the gentle voice of the HOLY SPIRIT.

      Life is simple, but oftentimes we clutter it with so many concerns that are not really crucial to our spiritual walk.  We tend to worry about too many things.  Too many, “What ifs?” and hypothetical assumptions, which usually come to nothing.  So Bro. Paul says, “Don’t be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the LORD’s will is.” 

      Along the journey, the road is narrow and rough and it leads to winding streets lined with so many flickering lights beckoning the pilgrim’s attention; attempting to waylay the unsuspecting.  Remember, the days are evil; so be very careful!

      A new acquaintance recently told me, “I’m so lonely.  I want to find the right man and get married.”  She mistook marriage as the solution for her loneliness.  I told her, “You need the LORD YESHUA.  Only He can give you significance and security.  Only He can give you total satisfaction.”  She promised to read the Gospel of John and get involved in a Bible study.  There are so many lonely people who are looking for the “cure.”  GOD is calling them but most of them don’t know it.  I believe GOD sent me to make that girl aware of GOD’s call in her life.  I will be praying for her.

      In the end, every person must determine what he/she wants in life.  Do you want a temporary bandaid solution or do you want a permanent one?  To be or not to be, that is the question!

                                                                                                         מלאך

"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:23-24

It's the first day of 2011 and a good time for me to experience new hope in prayer. For quite a while I've been struggling with my faith in prayer. My dilemma is this: How do I pray in believing faith as Jesus told us to do, when the answer depends on someone else's free will? All power is God's, and for some divine purpose, He has given humans, His creation, the power to choose their direction in life. For some reason known only to God, He has chosen to "limit" His power when it comes to our free will. Perhaps it matters so much because He wants our obedience to His perfection to be freely given from a true heart. Often the choosing leads to disaster, exemplified in Eden when the world was new and countless times since by every human who has ever lived, though sometimes the choice brings about glorious results for each and all.

So how do I take Jesus at His word and pray believing that what I pray for will happen, when the one I may be praying for is of a different mind entirely?

Though I've often witnessed the refusal of people (myself included) to submit to His good purpose and suffer for it, I've just this week been allowed the priviledge of watching God move in some way I may never know, to bring about the yielding of someone else's free will to His. How does He do that? Why doesn't He do that all the time? How can He accomplish anything of His plan in eternity by depending on such stubborn, short-sighted, and selfish creatures as we? Is that why He is God?

So some of my conclusions to this seeming enigma are these: The action of my praying changes things. My prayer may not be answered according to my will or even God's will if the free-willed person resists God's influence, but the ultimate outcome will be changed because I have prayed. God will bring good in some way for some one. And, as a side note, God's activity in this situation for which I'm praying may not necessariy bring me relief and comfort - that may depend on me and what peace I choose to find through faith. The focus of God's activity is on the person I've prayed for, which may remain unseen for a long time. That's also the part that faith must play.

I've been praying, thinking about, and learning about prayer very intentionally for the past 25 years and have recently been stalled with doubt about how much it really matters. I'm hopeful that 2011 will mark new horizons of faith in prayer, knowing that there is always something beyond the horizon that I may yet be unable to see.

Ready For the Road Ahead

            On July 5, 1994, my son Christopher and I attended "Game 44" of the World Cup.  Bulgaria was pitted against Mexico and the stadium was completely full.  Over 70, 000 fans gathered to witness the first game to go into overtime, and sudden death in order to determine the winner.  The atmosphere was amazingly electric and we were blessed to watch the shoot out in the front row!

            The World Cup, The Super Bowl, The World Series, The Stanley Cup, and the Olympics all have one thing in common.  They are the premiere game that determines the best of the best in their given sport.   If you've been able to attend one of these championships, you can't help but be captured by the energy of cheering on your favorite team and the instant familiarity you have with the thousands of others who have come to do the same.   It is why many teams in many sports consider their fans to be "the twelfth man".

            The Christian walk can feel like an intense athletic competition.  We are met with opposition, temptation, trials, challenges and obstacles in our daily lives as well as milestones, victories and the satisfaction of a job well-done.  If you've ever tried to face the challenges alone, you know how discouraging and detrimental that can be.  And who wants to celebrate a victory by themselves?  It's so much better to celebrate with others who understand your joy and want to celebrate with you.  Most importantly though, knowing there are others who surround you with encouragement and love, no matter what part of the journey you're on, is like the team whose "twelfth man" cheers them on to victory in spite of the tremendous obstacles they face to win.

            This is the imagery that the author of Hebrews is reminding us of when he writes that we have a "great cloud of witnesses" watching us as we run the race of faith in Hebrews 12:1.   Not only do we have fellow believers here on earth to help us take on the challenges of the race, but we also have those who have gone on before (take a look at chapter 11 if you want to know who some of them are), sitting in the bleachers of heaven, and rooting for us to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:7).

            Have you ever noticed that Paul often closes his letters with greetings from the believers with him to those who will receive it?  Paul is reminding them all that they are in the "faith walk" together and face the same challenges.  The same is true for us.  Whether you are a well-trained athlete or not,  you may be facing a competitor this week.  That adversary could be as simple as managing your time better or as deep as overcoming an addiction.  Remember, you are not alone in this challenge.  There is a "great cloud of witnesses" gathered around you to cheer you on.  Draw on the strength and enthusiasm of your "twelfth man".

Ann H. LeFevre                                                                                                    1/16/2011