Isaiah chapter 9
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined." (2)
Even in the midst of Israel's (and our) darkest days, God has still not abandoned us. When we say 'show me Jesus' we are asking to be blinded by the light. Little can prepare us for the absolute glory of His presence, for there is nothing in this world to compare it to!
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder." (6)
This is how every nation should be run; submitting themselves to the glory of our King, for we should "kiss the Son, lest He be angry" (Psalms 2:11). How many leaders or rulers glorify God in this day and age, let alone come with the mentality that they should be like children, in awe of the Father who leads them every step of the way. I cannot think of one, and Obama is not even close in my book.
"The elder and the honorable, he is the head; the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail; For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed." (15-16).
I can't help but feel this is a prophetic statement to America. I'm sorry to say, but I believe Obama is a wicked man, and Americans will be severely punished for believing so callously in him. Have we forgotten that Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke 6:26)? So many believe that Obama is our hope, or that he somehow parallels MLK jr. As it is now, he has already overturned a ban on funding for abortions, is continuing a Pakistan strike policy, and there has also been issues with coverage with non-white house related press http://www.infowars.com/?p=7296 .
This is not bringing us closer to peace, but driving us from it. We should continue to pray earnestly though, for the prayers of the righteous availeth much.
"For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still." (22)
Despite the evils Israel, America, and well, every other nation have committed, God has not turned from us. Although he punishes the sins of the Fathers to the third and fourth generation, He will not stop being merciful and gracious, slow to wrath, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth! It is my prayer that we not approach God with our own reasoning, but ask for His sight, that we may see how tragic it must be for Him to give everything to us and we ignore Him and run foolishly in the opposite direction. Joe's sermon today was truly powerful, and let that not cease to be our plea before our heavenly father: 'Show me Jesus!'
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Do not remember the sins of my youth
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26).
This has always been one of my favorite verses, for two reasons:
1-I have always felt that I am so distant from people, even some family and friends (which really comes down to a self-centered self-esteem, which needs to be more christ-centered!). This reminds me that God is promising to unify us and take away any feelings of loneliness and insufficiency. And he has; Jesus took away the separation between jews and gentiles, the poor and the rich, the educated and the non-educated. Part of the reason I felt so welcomed at Cornerstone was because I really believe that Christ unifies all of us, regardless of what our backgrounds are. It is my prayer that we don't forget that, and keep our hearts open to brothers and sisters in need.
2-I used to always have such anger and hatred towards some people, and looking back I can't help but be disgusted by how I used to think. Even now I feel at times there is poison in my heart, and I long for God to remove it. I know that the more humble I become, the less room for anger and jealousy there is. However, I don't have the sheer hatred towards people or all consuming jealousy that I once had, and that is something I never want to forget, or take for granted. We need Jesus to consume every shadow in our heart, so darkness has no place left to reside!
This has always been one of my favorite verses, for two reasons:
1-I have always felt that I am so distant from people, even some family and friends (which really comes down to a self-centered self-esteem, which needs to be more christ-centered!). This reminds me that God is promising to unify us and take away any feelings of loneliness and insufficiency. And he has; Jesus took away the separation between jews and gentiles, the poor and the rich, the educated and the non-educated. Part of the reason I felt so welcomed at Cornerstone was because I really believe that Christ unifies all of us, regardless of what our backgrounds are. It is my prayer that we don't forget that, and keep our hearts open to brothers and sisters in need.
2-I used to always have such anger and hatred towards some people, and looking back I can't help but be disgusted by how I used to think. Even now I feel at times there is poison in my heart, and I long for God to remove it. I know that the more humble I become, the less room for anger and jealousy there is. However, I don't have the sheer hatred towards people or all consuming jealousy that I once had, and that is something I never want to forget, or take for granted. We need Jesus to consume every shadow in our heart, so darkness has no place left to reside!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Beware lest any man deceive you, after the traditions of men
Today I am having a rather difficult time adjusting to this new president thing, I just can't get over this feeling that if Obama was really about change, he would have said no to the over-the-top pretentious act that was yesterdays inauguration. It felt like a $150 million honey glazed black hole, with the procession leading us to our figurative destruction. I know that this is not the frame of mind God wants us to have, as Jesus tells us not to worry, for the "end is not by and by", but prayer is needed now more than ever. I'm reminded now why a lot of end time prophecies make many a horror movie or literary series, but rarely lead to salvation. We become so consumed by the terror of it all that we forget the light at the end of the tunnel. I forget who it was who said "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing", but as Christians we should take it to heart. When we are supposed to set the standard for righteousness through Christ Jesus, and do not, then our fate can hardly be argued (but still prayed for!).
For our bible study book this semester, Angeline, Aaron and myself picked out "Discovering your Identity; Find Yourself fully in Christ" by Charles Stanley. He is a southern pastor whose sermons I've always been touched by, and this is just the kind of book I had in mind. One which will hopefully develop the foundation in Christ that each one of our members needs or needs more of, while still giving us individual direction.
"...whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 20:27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave 38 – 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom 39 for many.” (Matthew 20)
This verse sets up a major difference between us and Jesus; while we are so small in our power and abilities we think big, while Jesus, in his infinite wisdom and power, thinks small; namely one heart at a time. This world is always telling us "getting everything you can to find out who you are", while Jesus wants us to give up everything to find our very soul. While our ears may prick up at the use of the word "slave", we are so blind to the fact that we are already slaves to the very things in this world that fade away. Shouldn't we instead be yoked to that which is eternally good for us?
For our bible study book this semester, Angeline, Aaron and myself picked out "Discovering your Identity; Find Yourself fully in Christ" by Charles Stanley. He is a southern pastor whose sermons I've always been touched by, and this is just the kind of book I had in mind. One which will hopefully develop the foundation in Christ that each one of our members needs or needs more of, while still giving us individual direction.
"...whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 20:27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave 38 – 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom 39 for many.” (Matthew 20)
This verse sets up a major difference between us and Jesus; while we are so small in our power and abilities we think big, while Jesus, in his infinite wisdom and power, thinks small; namely one heart at a time. This world is always telling us "getting everything you can to find out who you are", while Jesus wants us to give up everything to find our very soul. While our ears may prick up at the use of the word "slave", we are so blind to the fact that we are already slaves to the very things in this world that fade away. Shouldn't we instead be yoked to that which is eternally good for us?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwells in me and I in him...
Communion part II!:
In communion according to the Talmud (the Jewish old testament), the wine which was given to represent passover was to be mixed with water to prevent it from being too strong for the children. It was known as "the pure blood of the grape". In John 19:34, we find that blood and water came from Jesus' side when he was pierced! Similarly, at the Last Supper Jesus holds up the cup and calls it the "fruit of the vine"(Matthew 26:29). Since Jesus, was conceived through the Holy Spirit, his blood did not come from his earthly parents, but our God in heaven! Thus, His blood is the "pure blood of the grape", untainted by sin.
When Adam was expelled from the garden of good and evil, he was burdened with the curse of thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:18). Christ also, before He was crucified, had a crown of thorns put upon His head. Much like the blows he received across His back can represent our physical healing ("By His Stripes we are Healed" Isaiah 53:5), the crown of thorns can represent our mental and emotional anguish. I don't believe this means that we will not have emotional, physical, or mental setbacks, but we are also told that it is far better to suffer righteously than for evil(I Peter 3:17).
I believe I said previously that the Israelites received manna everyday from heaven (Exodus 16:5). Jesus also says that "I am the living bread which came down from heaven...." (John 6:51). This brings me to my main point: why shouldn't we take communion everyday, or at least more often? My hope is that at least we are able to see that communion is an essential part of our lives, and just as "with the mouth confession is made to salvation" so to is communion to our bodies and mind (not that one has to take it to be saved mind you!).
In communion according to the Talmud (the Jewish old testament), the wine which was given to represent passover was to be mixed with water to prevent it from being too strong for the children. It was known as "the pure blood of the grape". In John 19:34, we find that blood and water came from Jesus' side when he was pierced! Similarly, at the Last Supper Jesus holds up the cup and calls it the "fruit of the vine"(Matthew 26:29). Since Jesus, was conceived through the Holy Spirit, his blood did not come from his earthly parents, but our God in heaven! Thus, His blood is the "pure blood of the grape", untainted by sin.
When Adam was expelled from the garden of good and evil, he was burdened with the curse of thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:18). Christ also, before He was crucified, had a crown of thorns put upon His head. Much like the blows he received across His back can represent our physical healing ("By His Stripes we are Healed" Isaiah 53:5), the crown of thorns can represent our mental and emotional anguish. I don't believe this means that we will not have emotional, physical, or mental setbacks, but we are also told that it is far better to suffer righteously than for evil(I Peter 3:17).
I believe I said previously that the Israelites received manna everyday from heaven (Exodus 16:5). Jesus also says that "I am the living bread which came down from heaven...." (John 6:51). This brings me to my main point: why shouldn't we take communion everyday, or at least more often? My hope is that at least we are able to see that communion is an essential part of our lives, and just as "with the mouth confession is made to salvation" so to is communion to our bodies and mind (not that one has to take it to be saved mind you!).
Monday, January 19, 2009
By His stripes we are Healed
After taking Communion this past Saturday, I believe it is something immensely valuable and worth exploring in deeper detail. The catholic church performs it weekly, while in many Protestant churches it varies, mine took it on the first Sunday of every month. What is most interesting is that nowhere in the Word does it say how often we should take it. We do know two things of great relevance:
1- There is no set time a person should take it (1 Corinthians 11:24-25)
2- You do not need an ordained minister or pastor to give it to you.
Given that information, many decide to take Communion more often, some even daily. While this may sound too much for many people, others swear by it, and claim it has healed them from many physical ailments.
On the night before the Jews began their exodus from Egypt and were to be brought into the promised land, they were given a meal known as Passover. In this meal they were to slay an unblemished lamb and sprinkle its blood on the left, right and top of their doorpost, which would protect their firstborn from death. Likewise, this blood represents the blood of Christ in our hearts, which protects us from death.
The second part of Passover has to do with the eating of the lamb, which was roasted. Many of us take for granted how great it is to have motorized transportation (ahem, Joe’s ride announcement anyone?), but imagine if we had to trek an unknown number of miles with our parents and grandparents…on foot? Now we see that eating of the lamb would have to provide great rejuvenation in order for those people to make their trek across the wilderness. This meat of course represents the body of Christ, which we too should eat often in remembrance of Him who has saved us! I hope to continue on in a little mini-series about communion, so enjoy this holiday, and reflect too on how far this country has come in electing a black president (one thing I can say is uplifting about the election!).
1- There is no set time a person should take it (1 Corinthians 11:24-25)
2- You do not need an ordained minister or pastor to give it to you.
Given that information, many decide to take Communion more often, some even daily. While this may sound too much for many people, others swear by it, and claim it has healed them from many physical ailments.
On the night before the Jews began their exodus from Egypt and were to be brought into the promised land, they were given a meal known as Passover. In this meal they were to slay an unblemished lamb and sprinkle its blood on the left, right and top of their doorpost, which would protect their firstborn from death. Likewise, this blood represents the blood of Christ in our hearts, which protects us from death.
The second part of Passover has to do with the eating of the lamb, which was roasted. Many of us take for granted how great it is to have motorized transportation (ahem, Joe’s ride announcement anyone?), but imagine if we had to trek an unknown number of miles with our parents and grandparents…on foot? Now we see that eating of the lamb would have to provide great rejuvenation in order for those people to make their trek across the wilderness. This meat of course represents the body of Christ, which we too should eat often in remembrance of Him who has saved us! I hope to continue on in a little mini-series about communion, so enjoy this holiday, and reflect too on how far this country has come in electing a black president (one thing I can say is uplifting about the election!).
Sunday, January 18, 2009
By His stripes we are healed
Under Levitical law before the coming of our Savior, the high priest would, on the tenth day of the seventh month, have a day of atonement, known as Yom Kippur. This was a time of national fasting and repentance, whereby two goats were brought before the high priest, both of which were to be identical (Leviticus 23:27). Two red threads were tied around their necks, and one would be offered unto the Lord, while the second would be brought to a mountain called ‘Mount of Azazel’, where it would be pushed off a cliff. There was a red marker which was nailed on the outside of the temple door, and once the goat plummeted to its death, the color supernaturally turned white.
The reason I mention this is because the three markers, the sin offering, the ‘scapegoat’, and the temple door, represent Jesus on the cross along with the two men next to him. Jesus of course represents the goat who was slain on the altar, Barnabas, the criminal who died unrepentant of his sins represents the goat who fell from the mountain, and the thief who called upon Jesus is the marker which turned from red to white. I believe this is what Isaiah is talking about when he says : “ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (1:18).
I plan on writing more about how important communion is to our growing closer to Christ, which is why I write this. I was very enthused to experience in our leader’s meeting yesterday a new humility in us to come before God and ask for guidance from Him. All of creation is longing, and we should be too. How very sad that rocks, trees, dirt, and fish could be longing ‘for His unveiling of power’ more than most of the ~6.3 billion people in this world! Just think, there is purported to be ~42% of America who is Christian; if we brought just one person to Jesus this year it would be double that, 84%! Let us remember how significant that is the next time we feel hopeless!
The reason I mention this is because the three markers, the sin offering, the ‘scapegoat’, and the temple door, represent Jesus on the cross along with the two men next to him. Jesus of course represents the goat who was slain on the altar, Barnabas, the criminal who died unrepentant of his sins represents the goat who fell from the mountain, and the thief who called upon Jesus is the marker which turned from red to white. I believe this is what Isaiah is talking about when he says : “ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (1:18).
I plan on writing more about how important communion is to our growing closer to Christ, which is why I write this. I was very enthused to experience in our leader’s meeting yesterday a new humility in us to come before God and ask for guidance from Him. All of creation is longing, and we should be too. How very sad that rocks, trees, dirt, and fish could be longing ‘for His unveiling of power’ more than most of the ~6.3 billion people in this world! Just think, there is purported to be ~42% of America who is Christian; if we brought just one person to Jesus this year it would be double that, 84%! Let us remember how significant that is the next time we feel hopeless!
Friday, January 16, 2009
...what is the wise thing to do?
Before getting into the word, I have a confession/warning to make. Many times in the past I have viewed this blog as something that should be done as a matter of fact, rather than doing it with the humility necessary to get the most of God's word. I can't say enough what a disservice this is to God. He wants us to come before Him in awe, whether that's reading the word, prayer, or writing in a blog. If you just want to pay lip service, don't be satisfied, because God won't be either. I also must say that there have been times when I felt so great about myself because I had been consistent in writing, as if I somehow was better than anyone else that hasn't been. That too, is a load of a garbage and ignores the great mercy God has shown each and every one that believes and follows Him. This has got to be a time of openness, it sometimes pains me so much that we as leaders are so out of tune with each other that I just want to quit. I think about my church back home, where people pray for one another, take communion, and are just overflowing with praise. I don't believe that any body of Christ is better than another, but in each and every day Jesus should be our hero. I am not asking, but begging for each of you to keep praying that if we are not living for Christ, we are not really living. There is nothing special in any one of us that can make up for Christ not being the center of our lives, so please keep that as your goal, more than anything else. Whew. When the disciples were told to remain in Jerusalem, it was for a reason (Acts 1:8): the Holy Spirit! Not one disciple can we fish for without, it doesn't matter how hard we try.
4:1 Listen, children, 2 to a father’s instruction, 3
and pay attention so that 4 you may gain 5 discernment.
4:2 Because I give 6 you good instruction, 7
do not forsake my teaching.
4:3 When I was a son to my father, 8
a tender only child 9 before my mother,
4:4 he taught me, and he said to me:
“Let your heart lay hold of my words;
keep my commands so that 10 you will live.
4:5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding;
do not forget and do not turn aside from the words I speak. 11
4:6 Do not forsake wisdom, 12 and she will protect you;
love her, and she will guard you.
4:7 Wisdom is supreme 13 – so 14 acquire wisdom,
and whatever you acquire, 15 acquire understanding! 16
4:8 Esteem her highly 17 and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
4:9 She will place a fair 18 garland on your head;
she will bestow 19 a beautiful crown 20 on you.”
Christians too easily forget that wisdom is such commonsense. Many will recall the parable of the hidden treasure, the pearl, or the dragnet (Matthew 13:44-49). Living for Christ really is greater than anything else we could possibly have, and we would have little problem giving them up if we believe it. It is not something that should be torture, because we are gaining something so much greater. I don't believe it is any coincidence either that Solomon chooses to say 4:9 She will place a fair 18 garland on your head;she will bestow 19 a beautiful crown 20 on you.”, for when we accept Christ into our hearts, this 'garland of grace' is exactly what we are bestowed with.
4:1 Listen, children, 2 to a father’s instruction, 3
and pay attention so that 4 you may gain 5 discernment.
4:2 Because I give 6 you good instruction, 7
do not forsake my teaching.
4:3 When I was a son to my father, 8
a tender only child 9 before my mother,
4:4 he taught me, and he said to me:
“Let your heart lay hold of my words;
keep my commands so that 10 you will live.
4:5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding;
do not forget and do not turn aside from the words I speak. 11
4:6 Do not forsake wisdom, 12 and she will protect you;
love her, and she will guard you.
4:7 Wisdom is supreme 13 – so 14 acquire wisdom,
and whatever you acquire, 15 acquire understanding! 16
4:8 Esteem her highly 17 and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
4:9 She will place a fair 18 garland on your head;
she will bestow 19 a beautiful crown 20 on you.”
Christians too easily forget that wisdom is such commonsense. Many will recall the parable of the hidden treasure, the pearl, or the dragnet (Matthew 13:44-49). Living for Christ really is greater than anything else we could possibly have, and we would have little problem giving them up if we believe it. It is not something that should be torture, because we are gaining something so much greater. I don't believe it is any coincidence either that Solomon chooses to say 4:9 She will place a fair 18 garland on your head;she will bestow 19 a beautiful crown 20 on you.”, for when we accept Christ into our hearts, this 'garland of grace' is exactly what we are bestowed with.
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