God's or Ours?

Romans 1:18-25 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Oh, sorry for the lengthy scripture. 

I look at what our society is becoming and this is so evident. So.evident.

We may not quite recognize the wrath of God in the world today. We can believe that some of the devastation on earth is a result of our choosing to push God and His views and commands out of this life. It could be. Recall that it's in time of trial that He hopes people will turn to Him and if He has to bring them on... These things might be happening and we don't know it. I know there will come a day when we know and see God's judgment. 

As an aside, I'm hearing more and more Muslims are turning away from Islam to Christianity. This is amazing...and amazingly good. I listened to a pastor or priest giving a sermon on how Muslims need to understand that their killing other Muslims because of their allegiance to Christ isn't vengeance as they would think. It is a win-win situation because these victims, being in Christ, will be with Christ. 2Corinthians 4:17 says For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory...  In light of eternity, even our life on earth, whether easy or hard, is small. What matters is the end and where we stand with God.

So man, in general, with a relatively small number not represented here, live according to their own lifestyles. They choose to believe their lifestyles and ways are better, that anything goes in this world and care not whether it is acceptable to God. It is pride. The pride of life, as the Bible states. The riches of the world. Nothing to do with God and the even better things He has to offer...even in the midst of a life of trials. 

God has shown us from day one who He is, His power and His majesty. He has shown us throughout the Old Testament what He requires. So if we don't read His Word we will never understand this. If we don't read the whole Bible we believe what we want to believe, even believing the lie that He is a tyrant, unloving, choosing to war, kill and destroy. This was all to show us our fate for not loving, trusting and following Him. And so it goes today. He does not change. What He did in the Old Testament was a form of discipline. Sounds harsh but His demands are just. He did nothing but love His people and they kept falling away. They did not glorify Him, nor were thankful for all the times He saved their sorry lives or provided for them.

So today, what does man do? Just about the same thing. Idols are made to replace God. Jobs, children, cars, homes, money, television, hobbies...anything that would replace time with God. And in another way, lifestyles...choosing to be whatever or whoever we want to be instead of what God created us to be. There will be judgment upon us all, as believers and unbelievers, for the things that have gotten between God and us. But there is still hope, no matter where we are in life or what we believe. He will forgive, if we ask Him to bring change to our hearts.

Have we exchanged the truth for lies? Have we allowed the world view or man's view of how we should live cause us separation from the God who loves us so much? He loves us with our sin but doesn't want us to stay in that place...and as I have said, as He has said, wishes none to perish. Do we look to Him or go about our own ways? ...we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. (Acts 17:29)  It's not about who we think He should be but who He says He IS. 

He is but a call away if we so desire. That call could mean eternal life or eternal death. God's judgment or His wrath? Your choice. He loves you....

Acts 17:24-28 - God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, "For we are also His offspring."

Perfection

Daniel‬ ‭1:3-4 - Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

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The King of Babylon invaded the land of Judah. God allowed this. They had turned away from God. As you can see, this king only wanted unblemished, good looking, gifted, knowledgable people to learn of their ways.

Hmmmm, sounds familiar. Good figure, no handicaps or unusual features. Beauty is of utmost importance. Talented individuals are looked up to, idolized, like sports figures, musicians, artists. Those with higher IQs, having knowledge in science or philosophy are looked up to also. So gifted. And if we're not? Then what? Where does it place us?

What does God look for? 

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1Samuel‬ ‭16:7)

"For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist," says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." ‭(Isaiah‬ ‭66:2‬)

Add to these those characteristics listed in the Beatitudes: poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for righteousness' sake. I am reminded of the scripture which says that God uses the foolish things to confound the wise. 

David was a boy who slew a giant with no more than a sling and a stone. God pared down Gideon's large army to 300 to gain victory over an enemy's army of thousands. Many mocked Noah for building this huge ark for the rain they had never known before and his small family were all that was left of a corrupt world to repopulate. It's all to prove the power of this amazing God. Nothing is impossible with Him. Imperfect men and women became His disciples and followers. He ate with sinners. He changed their lives!

God doesn't need perfection. He needs a person willing to empty himself and learn the things of God. He will perfect us imperfect beings as much as we will allow. That perfection only comes through Jesus Christ. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians‬ ‭1:28‬) If we feel we need to do for God's approval, we are wrong. He wants submission. But this submission is not the way the world thinks of it; it lifts us up to a godly standard, not an earthly one.

We have an amazing God who so wants the best for us. But His ways and His blessings aren't always in ways we think they should. He knows best what each of us needs. Sometimes what we think we want might be the very thing that would hinder our knowing Him more deeply. Lean on His understanding. Trust Him. He's working to perfect us if we have received Him as Lord and Savior.

Hebrews 10:12,14 - But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God... For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

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The Good Land

Joshua 24:20-21,23-24‬ - "If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good." And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD!" "Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.” And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!” 

I had written this particular blog awhile ago but never got around to posting. After yesterday's blog, I thought it appropriate to post now. Perhaps the timing is better!

The foreign gods we are to put away are the things of the world. As Christians we are considered foreigners in this world because when we have received Christ we have a heavenly kingdom to think about. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful [worldly] desires, which wage war against your soul. (‭1Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭11) 

Like I said last time, Adam and Eve were ushered out of the good land. Jesus ushers us back in through His forgiveness of our sins, those sins the two in the garden did not at first have. None of us are good. None of us are free from sin...until we receive Jesus Christ.

Then when God has given us the good land, after receiving Christ, we should want to cling to it because of His goodness. We must be obedient to listen, obey and serve Him. Just as God gave Israel the Promised Land, God gives us our heavenly kingdom. Israel had to follow Him, though. Did they always do it willingly? No...those who struggled most were the older people who had known the life of captivity in Egypt. That complaining is what held them back, caused them to wander forty years in the desert. Plus, they did not make it to the Promised Land. They'd forgotten about all the signs and wonders of God that released them. It was a form of rejection of God. Only the next generation, who had not known captivity, but were steadfast in following God, who daily saw Him at work, entered this Promised Land.  

As God has shown, His judgment fell upon those elder Israelites. (Numbers 14) This will happen to those who do not think God is to be revered today, who choose not to follow Him. The kingdom of heaven is reserved for true followers.

Our lives, once given to God, are fueled by our obedience and His goodness. We must remember this. It is He who urged us into relationship with Him. It is He who gave His only Son to die for our sins. It is He we should be eternally grateful to. Joshua reminded Israel of the goodness He displayed:

“Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed." (Joshua‬ ‭23‬:‭14)  God is the same today as yesterday. 

Joshua also reminded Israel, like God has reminds us, if we are not willing and obedient:

"[If you transgress] the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the 
anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.” (‭Joshua‬ ‭23‬:‭16‬)

Idols??

Leviticus 26:1 - You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.

What is your idol? It doesn't need to be the things listed above although God is warning His people not to bow to any of those things listed. What do you put before God? Your children? Your family? Your job? Your hobbies? Your sports? Your television? Your iPhone or iPad? Your food? The list can go on. 

We can all learn from this, including me. What is the first thing we do when we arise in the morning? What's the first thought? Who's the first thought?

If our first thought is not of God, our gratefulness for yet another day that He has given us, another day to hear from Him, we have idols. He is to be the Lord our God. Tomorrow can be a new day to begin this. 

I was at a memorial service the other day. This woman lived for God in the smallest of details. The pastor said something that really impacted me. He said she was always busy doing something. A neighbor and her children attested to this. Always busy. She always maintained a calm demeanor and peace. She always had a smile on her face. Despite it all, he went on to say, she was never distracted from God. How easy it can be to become distracted from the most important part of our life. 

The pastor admitted he hasn't been able to achieve this. It was as if she just walked side by side with the Lord. If that's the case I know she was praising Him with every step she took. I myself had heard her do that. She may have been a perfect example (though she was not perfect, something she'd confessed to me a couple times!) of one not having made idols for herself. He was the Lord her God. 

She was strengthened by His might and given peace and joy in the midst of troubles. He was her Rock. She was by no means without trials. As the pastor said, He walked with her in the midst of them. (Like the three young men in the fiery furnace.) That is why she was able to withstand them. Nothing came between her and her Savior. What an example. She endured to the end and is no doubt before her Jesus now worshiping Him. [He was to her] the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭13‬) 

Just as He is to be our first thought in the morning, He should be our last thought at the end of the day.

Time to tear down those idols...

Isaiah 44:8 - Do not fear, nor be afraid; have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.

But Through Me

John 14:6 - Jesus said to them, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

I'm stuck! Not really. I was thinking about something in the above scripture. I had to go back to it which was part of a blog a couple posts ago. While that blog was about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life, I really needed to add to this. Good thing it came later. It would have been too much!

I had an impulse to look up the words comes and through. We can believe, as I say often, that we know Jesus. But there is a difference between knowing who He is and knowing Him. Those who understand this...well, they understand it!

Jesus says He is the way, truth and life. Okay. Got it. But He goes on to say, "NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me." I know I've emphasized this before too.

I looked up in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible the meaning of these two words. We understand what these words mean in our everyday life. But if we dig deeper we can see some amazing things for this section of scripture. Maybe this seems dry, but it can also totally open up the meaning.

Come(s): to come from one place to another, used both of persons arriving and of those returning;
to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find;
be established, become known, to come (fall) into or unto;
to go, to follow one.
To come into being, arise, come forth, find. All words denoting an action. We are told to seek God. That means an action like arising and coming forth. Take the first step, come forth from where we are to know God. When we do we become established in Him and become known as His children. We follow Him.

I dug deeper into root words for come. More definitions:
denotes motion or progress;
hence to "come" and arrive at, as well as "to go."
It also primarily signifies "to walk", "take steps."
But here's the one that said it all: always emphasizes the idea of separation, change of place and does not note the external and perceptible motion. Emphasizes separation. We are called out of the world to follow Jesus. I read does not note the external and perceptible motion, as in walking and taking steps, but rather like something that takes place in one's heart.

Further digging:
to leave space (which may be filled or occupied by another),
to make room, give place, yield.
We are to replace the things of this world with the things of God. Become yielded to Him. If Jesus fills our hearts not much else matters. This is what He wants. Devotion to Him...for our well being.

Even more:
to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one's journey; to depart from life;
to follow one, become his adherent.
We pursue Christ and remain on this journey of life with Him. We depart from our old selves, our old lives and follow Him...become, as another definition stated, someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another. The more I dug the better it got! How these words used in this scripture in the original Hebrew open up the meaning. Amazing. Maybe it's just me!?

Knowing Jesus is an internal coming to Him. A heart thing, a change of heart, believing heart, knowing heart. God has done a marvelous job of clarifying His own words! He has given wisdom and understanding to His Son to recite these very words...because Jesus and the Father are one.

So on to the word by. Stand by! Picture these words in your mind. Definitions: through, in, by the means of, by reason or account of, for this reason, just to name a few. There is no other way but by Jesus. He said so Himself. We must be in Christ. That means we must what it says above first...come...seek Him, depart from our old ways, follow Him, pursue the journey with Him as we spread His doctrine, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to heaven. We cannot work our way. It's not about a religion or a denomination. We go to the Father through Jesus Christ alone. He did all the work when He died on the cross. We do it by faith. He is the ONLY Mediator between ourselves and God. Not one other person can do it. It's not about angels or saints or pastors or priests or rabbis. It's about Jesus Christ only.

Anyone, anything else is idolatry...meaning, from Strong's Concordance: image or likeness; whatever represents the form of an object, either real or imaginary; used of the shades of the departed, apparitions, spectres, phantoms of the mind, etc.; image of a heathen god; a false god...external or outward appearance, form, figure, shape. God told us never to worship an idol...or any other man. We are to bow to Him alone...and since He is invisible, to be worshiped in spirit...and in truth.

A lot to take in. We are, simply, to go to the Father through Jesus Christ. No one or anything else. No one gets to the Father any other way but by THE Way, truth and life. We come to Christ in faith, not being able to see Him but knowing Him in our hearts and spirits. We follow Him.

For through Him [Jesus] we both [Jews and Gentiles...meaning all people] have access by one Spirit to the Father. ...in whom we have boldness and access [to the Father] with confidence through faith in Him [Jesus]. (Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 3:12)

Without the Lord

Joshua 24:7,8,10,11- ...He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them...I gave them into your hand...and I destroyed them from before you...So I delivered you out of his hand...I delivered them into your hand.

Joshua was old and about to end his life and leadership role with Israel. They had crossed over the Jordan to secure the land God had promised them. Joshua, like Moses, was reminding the of all God had done for them. What HE did for them. Joshua was also telling them that when they disobeyed God and began to worship other gods instead the LORD's anger would burn against them and they would perish from this land He had given them (Joshua 23). He was prophesying their future.

But for now they were right in God's eyes. He had protected them as they crossed over the Jordan and caused them to win battle after battle to secure their land by giving the enemy into their hands. Perhaps they were good battlers, perhaps not. It was only by God's hand that they won.

When we come to Christ, it is the same way. It is nothing that we do to secure His salvation. We can't be good enough or work hard enough. We come when we have come to the end of some battle in our lives and we allow the Lord to step in. That thing that has kept us from giving our hearts to God was given into His hand. And He has delivered us.

God has spiritually given us: a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant. (Joshua 24:13) This is our spiritual promised land. We did not labor or build or plant. All we had to do was receive what the Lord offered.

And what does the Lord ask in return? Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! (Joshua 24:14) Serve the Lord!

For many this seems old fashioned, for those days, not today. It is not what today's society would believe to be necessary. Days are getting short and it's time to take the Lord seriously. It's time to listen to His words that are timeless. It's time to put two and two together and realize there will be a day when we will have nowhere else to turn but God.

I was watching some of the Boston bombing news. I began to weep for the people in general. For those lost and questioning why these senseless things occur and who would even want to do this. I pray that God intervenes in some miraculous way in the lives of many, if not all, the people injured and their families, and those who viewed the events of the morning. I pray that once again people will begin to look up and not just to man. God can cause good to come out of evil. He can cause people to turn to Him. As long as we turn our backs on God, however, our enemy will strike.

We've had it all too good over the past several decades. Our belief that nothing can happen to us has been damaged. It has changed our attitudes. We keep upping the determination to be stronger and more secure. Reliance on self or government has replaced reliance on God. When they disobeyed God and began to worship other gods instead the LORD's anger would burn against them. Could that be happening? Don't laugh. Our reliance on all the good things we've had can be erased in a moment's notice. Even lives. But if we have stored up the things of heaven we can be content with little more than just enough. If we seek Him first all other things...all other necessary things...will be given to us. But most important is what He provides through His Son Jesus: eternal life. What more could a person want?

Joshua prophesied what would transpire for Israel. It has happened to us too in our attempt to eliminate God and serve the gods of our own choosing.

Joshua 24:15 - And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

What Would You Do?

Daniel 3:4-6 - Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall  be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

This is  in the time of Daniel. The Book of Daniel is prophetic. It shows us what happened in the past will happen in the future for some. It is a warning...and a blessing for those who heed the warning.

Look at the world around us. There are idols everywhere. Sports, entertainment, games, occupations, automobiles, power, politicians, food, alcohol, drugs. Anything that consumes our minds. Anything we spend too much time involved in. Anything that takes our minds off the better things, like God.

Moderation. Balance. These are words that should be associated with our lives. Not obsession...or possession.

If you recall, while Moses was up on a mountaintop with God being given the commandments, the people below were sure something had happened to him. Thinking he would not return Aaron directed them to pool their jewelry and precious gold to build a golden calf image so they could worship. They would bow before it. To this day I can't understand how worshiping the image of an animal would be like worshiping God. It doesn't compute. It is a great lie and these Israelites fell for it.

But isn't that what we do when instead of taking those few minutes of spare time and conversing with God? When the noise of life distracts us.

What has this to do with Nebuchadnezzar's proclamation above? The rest of the story is revealed shortly after. Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, Jews who worshiped God, we're noticed not bowing when all others had. Their allegiance was to One they claimed greater than a manmade god. It was brought to the king's attention and the consequences of their actions adhered to.

The king called them before him and gave them another opportunity to bow before his god. He made sure they realized what the consequences would be asking them, with a sneer no doubt, which of his gods would be able to rescue them from the fiery furnace. They stood their ground and said that their God, if He chose, would deliver them. If not they still would not bow to his.

This clearly angered the king and as he had proclaimed, these three young men were thrown into the center of burning of fiery furnace, one that was made hotter than normal. Three other men were ordered to take them. As they threw the three young men in, the fire consumed their guards, yet Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were not. However, now they bowed down.

Nebuchadnezzar was amazed when he saw four men in the fire, none of whom were consumed. He exclaimed: “Look!” ...  “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:25)  Like the Son of God. Isn't this the Old Testament? Didn't the Son of God appear in the New Testament? Oh, that's right, this is prophetic! This Son of God was His holy angel.

There was a catch in my spirit when I wrote the 4th person seen was an angel. If this is a prophetic book, this was not an angel but a picture of Jesus, of He Who is with us in our greatest times of need if we bow before Him. Later in our Bible study on Daniel-admittedly I did not do my homework, only read Daniel 3 then wrote the blog-the fourth person as Jesus was mentioned and I recalled the catch in my spirit, which I failed to listen to. There you have it!

These three men came out of the fire without singed clothing or hair, not even the stench of smoke. They had been saved and delivered. That's what my God does.

We are all called to bow to one God alone. What does bowing and giving our lives to Jesus do? It saves us. It saves us from an eternal death...in hell. What are we told about those who will not bow? They are thrown into the pit of hell where the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:11). The fire never ceases. The beast is one satan who deceives us daily into believing our idols are good.

Needless to say, Nebuchadnezzar became a believer after that. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ...there is no other God who can deliver like this (Daniel 3:28-29). Blessed be our God for what He has done for us.

We can be comfortable in our conveniences and distractions. Life is Good, as a motto states. What will it take for others to recognize this God I speak of? What disaster of life... illness, addiction, idol, loss, hurt or abandonment...will cause one to think twice about what consumes us? What will it take to cause one to no longer bow before an idol of their own making and bow before the King of kings, Lord of lords, whose promises are sure and whose forgiveness is amazing. Our God is greater and more costly than the "gold" of our idols.

The law of the Lord is perfect...the testimony of the Lord is sure...the statutes of the Lord are right...the commandment of the Lord is pure...the fear of the Lord is clean...the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb...and  in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:7-11)

I Am the LORD

Exodus 12:12 - ...against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

These words stood out this morning. They shouted at me. It sums up who God is and who He should be in our lives. When those words popped off the page I just had to stop and do a quick search to see how many times those exact words were spoken by God Himself. One search listed over 900 times! Some may have been repeated or include times when He was being quoted as saying this but it's still a staggering amount, don't you think? He wants to get our attention.

In our Hebrews Bible study we learned and continue to learn about the sovereignty of God. I am the LORD. We just don't fully understand what this means with our limited human minds. It's by the power of His Spirit we can comprehend...yet it still isn't enough of an understanding I don't think. I think in the days ahead we may be getting a better picture and better understanding. At least we ought to.

I am the LORD. He is all things to all people if He is allowed to be. If He created the world, He certainly will know all of our needs, all of our sins, unfortunately, and all our desires. The desires may not fit into His plan for us, of course, if they are only what we can achieve or all we want to be in this world, apart from Him. That's where a heart change needs to take place so we can be in His will (which might offend some) rather than our own.

I am the LORD...who heals you. I've said it before. The first and foremost healing is through our salvation by faith and faith only in Christ, not our works.  Our works are as filthy rags. But then faith without works is dead, we are told. We don't work for salvation but once we receive this salvation our works are important. They are unto the Lord.

I am the LORD...who brings you out (Exodus 29:46). Out of what? Captivity, like Israel's bondage in Egypt. When we are held captive to our wants and desires, our sins and addictions, we need that healing mentioned above. Salvation in Christ will help us overcome all our captivity. We are set free...and who the Son sets free is free indeed.

I am the LORD...who inflicts judgment (Ezekiel 28:22, 20:44). Oh, no....judgment. Remember He is sovereign and no matter how we live our lives, He will someday judge each one of us, for good or bad, whether professing believers or not. And we will know that He is LORD and every knee will bow and tongue confess He is Lord...to the glory of God.

I am the LORD...your God. When we are in Christ we can know that we know He is our God. He proclaimed this to Israel when He called them His people. Like He was in Israel, we are His people in Christ. We will not be shamed. Joel 2:27 - "...you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced."

I am the LORD...your Redeemer...who knows what is best for you (Isaiah 48:17). Do I really need to say more about this? If He is sovereign and omniscient, He does know what's best for each of us.

I am the LORD...who has made all things...who churns up the sea... (Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 51:15). He holds the stars in the sky and makes the sun and moon to rise and set at the right time...His time. Remember, there is no Mother Nature. He holds all things in His hands and has effortlessly stretched out the heavens Himself, and has knit us together in our mother's wombs. The next time you hear about a tsunami, think of God who controls this phenomenon.

I am the LORD....who is Holy (Leviticus 11:44). Because He is holy, we are to be holy, consecrate ourselves to Him, live for Him, not ourselves. 

I am the LORD....who has given us a code to live by. He asks us to keep His decrees and laws and follow them. That is why the Bible is our guide to all things in life. There were laws in the Old Testament for everyone to follow; in the New Testament we have the Word, Jesus, to follow as an example. Jesus did not replace the Laws God first set out for us. Jesus fulfilled the Laws. The sacrifices of the Old Testament Jesus performed Himself in His own death. 

I am the LORD....your God (Hosea 13:4) again. We are not to worship any other god. We are not to worship our stuff in this world, the saints or even His mother, Mary. Anything we hold up as greater than Jesus is an idol. We are to worship only Him. Hosea 13:4 continues by saying You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior but me. It is only through His death, His sacrifice that we can be reunited with God. No one else can do this. Leviticus 19:3 tells us we are to respect mothers and fathers and I would venture to say that includes all others that we might consider holding higher than Christ Himself. Respect but not worship.

I am the LORD.... If we stand firm in our acknowledgment of God...Christ...others will notice and God will be glorified. That's all that counts. Pharaoh and the Egyptians found that out all too clearly when, through Moses, God displayed His power in the plagues...and led Israel out of their captivity. God can display His power through us also in how we live our lives for Him. 

I wish I could name each and every accounting of who our LORD is. Maybe I will have to continue at some other time. You get the picture.

I am the LORD...period. Do you know this Man? This Man who was and is and is to come? This Man who was before all things were made? This Man who is God, the Father, God, the Son and God, the Holy Spirit, three yet One? This Man who came down from His throne, seated at the right hand of His Father, to live among us that He might be our LORD God? This Man who became our sin so we would not have to live in sin forever? This Man who lives and reigns for all eternity? Does this Man say "I am the LORD" in your life?

Jeremiah 9:24 - But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.

Stumbling Blocks

Zephaniah 1:2-3 - "I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land," says the LORD; I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land," says the LORD.

I was reading in Zephaniah. The words "stumbling blocks" stood out, as if they shouted at me although no one spoke them aloud. I know what stumbling blocks are biblically but I wondered why today these words stood out. I searched because I knew there was another reference to a stumbling block. I was surprised to find several passages. There is no doubt they are a problem and God wants us to know about them...and Him.

There are two forms of stumbling blocks. One kind are those that get in the way of knowing God personally, impediments or obstacles. We're so absorbed by these things. This goes for believers as well as non-believers. We are all at some time or another focused on something else. It can be a hobby, food, television, sport, friends, shopping...anything that comes in the way of God. I'm not saying we aren't to do these things but that they should come after seeking God. 

Ezekiel 7:19 - Silver and gold are stumbling blocks; they cannot save
Isaiah 57:13-14 - Trust in God and the stumbling blocks will be removed
Jude 24-25 - Trust in God and He will keep you from stumbling
1Peter 2:7-8 - Those who trust in God find Him precious; those who do not find Him a stumbling block

I'm suggesting that even that cup of coffee with the morning news before quiet time with the Lord...one can at least arise and have the first thought be of Him..."thank You for yet another day; guide me," instead of "coffee..." A song came to mind as I wandered out of sleep. It's by Sara Groves and it's called "First Song That I Sing." She describes this very thing: "before the dreams have left my head;" before our feet hit the floor; "before I fill my cup." What do we do? We are to praise God, ask for His guidance right off the bat. Acknowledge Him first thing.

Another type of stumbling block appears to be the ones that God lays out before us when we have chosen to reject His ways or have wandered from Him. I think these stumbling blocks are put there that we might turn back to Him, to begin to realize that the things we have found so appealing in our lives have very little meaning. They cannot take the place of God and it is His desire for us to find that out...the hard way, by stumbling.

Romans 9:33 - God brought about a stumbling stone; however, those who choose to believe in Him will not be put to shame

Jeremiah 6:21 - He has been made known and rejected; therefore, stumbling blocks will be laid to cause one to fall

Isaiah 8:14 - God is a safe haven for believers, a stumbling block for non-believers

Jesus was a stumbling block for many. The religious leaders of His day were worried about losing their followers because Jesus' way of teaching was so different. His teaching was not negotiable. It is said He was a rock of offense. Why? He got in the way of all they found so intriguing in their lives. He still is a stumbling block. People tend to like their things and their own way of living. And yet, the very Person so many consider a stumbling block is the One we need the most, the One who can keep us from stumbling, the One who provides all we need. How is it this can be overlooked?

What is important to us? What consumes our thoughts? Do we put God before all else? I know it's not all that easy. It takes practice. I can say Jesus is on my mind a lot, but constantly? No. Would I like Him to be? Definitely. I am reminded of a book called The Practice of God's Presence by Brother Lawrence. I might have to retrieve it again. It spoke of how He managed to do this (although he lived in a monastery!).

If there is something that's causing you to not take a good, hard look at the One who died for your sins, just one morning try thinking of Him before you get your day started. Thank Him for yet another day; ask Him to help you guide your day; ask Him to protect you as you go about your busyness. Keep Him close at hand and in the forefront of your mind and see what a difference a day makes. Let the things of this world not become the stumbling blocks from a God who loves you more than you can imagine.

Jude 1:24-25 - Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.