Extreme Makeover: Soul Edition

For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. ~ Romans 9:3-5


Have you ever heard a pastor speak about the gifts and blessings of God? Every heard them say how God wants to bless your life? Perhaps you’ve done like me. I listen to this message and truly believe it . . . for everyone around me. I look at the people sitting next to me and think to myself, “They deserve that. God will do that for them.” But I look at my own life and doubt that God has this for me as well. For some reason I can believe that His blessings are for everyone except me! Listen to this verse again and see if you notice something:

. . . Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs . . .

Sound familiar? Paul is trying to get his point across. We could choose to live like that. Seeing all the promises as belonging to someone else. But look what he says just a little further down in the passage:

In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. ~ Romans 9:8

You are a child of promise! In Galatians 4 Paul explains that Ishmael and Isaac, Abraham’s sons, represent two covenants. We can picture it as this: Ishmael, a child of a slave, was us before we recognized Christ as our Savior. As soon as we accept Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, we become children of promise, like Isaac.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are his children, then we are heirs – heirs with God and co-heirs with Christ. ~ Romans 8:15-17a

You are a child of God and, as such, receive an inheritance. You can choose whether you will accept it and walk in it. Whether you choose to use the inheritance given to you or to leave it alone, it belongs to you either way. Whether you take it or not, it’s yours!

In Romans 9:3-5, Paul gives us a pretty salient depiction of what we do.  He is very clearly an Israelite.  He was a Pharisee (Acts 23:6)!  And yet he says he could wish he were cut off from the promises the Israelites receive.  But this is just silly!  He is an Israelite, he should receive the promises as such, right?  Well what about you?  Are you a child of promise?  Then it's just as silly for you to say you don't deserve your inheritance or that God won't give it to you! 

The next time you hear a message about the promises and blessings God has for His children, don’t tune it out. Remember that YOU are a child of God, a child of promise. These promises are for you as well. But they will mean nothing to you unless you accept the inheritance you have been given.

It will happen in that in the very place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.” ~Hosea 1:10

Radiance

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.  ~ Exodus 34:29

During worship tonight God reminded me of how He used to speak with Moses in the "tent of meeting" just outside the camp of the Israelites as they traveled in the desert (Exodus 33:7-11).  There are so many ways we can apply this to our own lives.  First of all, God still speaks to us. 

The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  ~ John 10:3

Jesus is the shepherd and we are the sheep.  We are made to recognize and follow His voice!  Notice also in Exodus how Moses goes outside of the camp to meet with and speak to God.  Let's face it - our daily lives are busy, loud, hectic, and stressful.  If the voice of the Lord comes in a gentle whisper as we read in 1 Kings 19:12, how can we possibly hear His voice over the noise of our daily life?  We need to step away, to separate ourselves so we can hear Him.  Jesus did this as well.  There are several times in the New Testament where it tells us Jesus went up a mountain to pray.  He did this in the Garden of Gethsemane the night He is taken away by the Roman soldiers (Matthew 26:36). 

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  ~ Psalm 40:2

The commentary in my Bible says that "slimy pit" literally means "pit of noise!"  He lifts us out of a "pit of noise" so that we can hear Him and stand firm!

Notice also that God is meeting with Moses as they travel through the desert.  This wasn't a fun trip.  Not a nice vacation for them.  It was a hard time.  Moses didn't choose not to go into the tent because things were just too tough to talk to God right now.  He met with and spoke to the Lord despite his circumstances.  Think also of Jesus in the Garden.  He was getting ready to face crucifixion.  He could have easily said, "Well, God's put me in this hard place so why would I want to talk to Him?"  No!  These men of God sought out a place to meet with the Lord.  Every time the camp moved, Moses had to put up the tent again!

My favorite part of this passage about Moses, however, is that his face was radiant after he spoke with the Lord.  Have you ever watched the faces of people after a church service or a time of worship?  If they have truly received something from the Lord, entered into worship with Him, there is something different about them.  They have a peace and a joy that is apparent in their countenance.  Their faces are radiant!  Our faces may not physically glow as Moses' did, but the effect is still the same. 

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.  ~ Psalm 27:4

From the Inside Out

A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God. ~ Romans 2:28-29


God has been really convicting me lately about my motives. Too often I find myself doing things to glorify myself, not God. This may even be “spiritual” things like praying, reading my Bible, sharing my experiences, and more. There is nothing wrong with these acts alone. James says that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). The problem occurs when your motives are tainted. When you are no longer praying, fasting, worshipping, helping others as an outward expression of you love for Christ. When you begin to do these things to glorify yourself, to gain approval from men (Galatians 1:10), you have lost sight of what is important. I think sometimes we do this without realizing it. Have you ever been at a worship service and you raise your hand during a song and then find yourself looking around to see if people saw you do that or wondering how many people noticed? Or perhaps you ask to pray with a friend, but you wait until there are other people around to see you being “spiritual.” As social beings we want to be recognized and admired. We want people to like us. Unfortunately, this can lead to tainted motives in the church. Listen to what Jesus said to the Pharisees about this:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. ~ Matthew 23:25-26

Jesus is explaining that we can’t skip steps. Your outward actions are a reflection of the inside. Matthew 12:34 says, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” If your heart is filled with greed, envy, selfish desire, your life is going to show it. In order for your actions to be pure and pleasing to the Lord, you need to clean the inside of your cup.

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. ~ 1 Chronicles 29:17

At this time David is, in a sense, raising money for the temple his son, Solomon, will build. He and all the people gave “freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord” (1 Chron. 29:9). David recognized that these people gave “willingly and with honest intent.” They gave as an overflow of their love for God. The first time I read this I found myself wondering what integrity really meant. Since this is what God is pleased with in a man’s heart, I wanted to know. The word integrity comes from the Hebrew word tom which means full, perfect, and simplicity. What a wonderful description of what Christ’s sacrifice does for us!

Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him. ~ Romans 4:7-8

We are covered by the perfect, redeeming blood of Christ. Our sins are washed away so that we can be perfect and holy in the eyes of God. He takes your brokenness and gives you wholeness.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. ~ Isaiah 61:1-3

When you look at your motives, if you recognize that God is not in the center of them, don’t despair. He gives you a garment of praise. He turns your ashes into beauty. He binds up your broken heart. Ask him to test you, to try you, to examine your heart (Psalm 26:2). He will reveal to you what needs to change and will help you do that.

Let your external actions be a reflection of who you are inside. A reflection of the beautiful child of God. A reflection of the love you have for Him. Don’t let your faith be a show for others, a ploy to bring yourself glory. Test your heart and ask God to help you fix your motives. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17

Breaking Free

Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good – no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. ~ Philemon 15-16


Philemon is a very interesting book of the Bible. Tucked away between Titus and Hebrews, it’s often looked over. Being only one chapter, the probability of randomly flipping to it is quite small, but man does it have a message! In this letter to Philemon Paul is approaching Philemon on behalf of his new brother in Christ, Onesimus. See, Onesimus was a slave of Philemon who after being “useless” to him, ran away (verse 11). Paul explains that while this man may have been useless to Philemon before, he is now useful to both Philemon and Paul. Despite his desire to keep Onesimus with him, Paul is sending him back to Philemon (verse 12).

As I began writing this entry I was thinking of the message in verses 15 and 16. These verses really spoke to me as I read through the book because they talk about letting go of things in our lives so that God can bring them back to us better than before. Even though I believe this is still a wonderful message and we can take a lot from it, I’m being constantly reminded of how each of us is like Onesimus. Let me explain . . .

You and I were each born as slaves. In John 8:34 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” If you don’t believe you have sinned in your life I have news for you. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Each of us has sinned and has been a slave to sin just as Onesimus was a slave in Philemon’s house. As slaves we were useless. We couldn’t glorify God because we were too bogged down by the sins of our past and present. But, just like Onesimus, we escaped. We found freedom.

In my anguish I cried to the Lord and He answered by setting me free! ~ Psalm 118:5


So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed. ~ John 8:36

In Christ we are given freedom. No longer are you bogged down by the sins of your past. Jesus Christ took your place on the cross. He paid your debt. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 6:23) The law said the punishment for our sins is that we die, but our gracious, heavenly Father rescued us by sending His own Son to take our place. Praise God!

We see this parallel in a smaller version in the story of Onesimus in Philemon. Paul says, “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back.” (Philemon 18-19) This is what Christ did for us. He looked to His Father and said, “Whatever they have done, charge it to me. I’ll pay the price.”

Onesimus was sent back to Philemon as a brother in Christ. Again, like Onesimus, we are no longer slaves, but family. We are children of God.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. ~ Galatians 4:7

Not only are you no longer a slave, you are a child of the Most High! And not only are we children of God, we have a share in His inheritance. We are co-heirs with Christ! And as Beth Moore said, “We have a rich Father!” Praise Him from who all blessings come!

This is a gift. It is not something that is forced on us, but something we can choose whether or not we want to accept. What would you prefer? A life of slavery to sin or breaking free with Christ and accepting the amazing gift He has for you?  Once you are a child of God, the road doesn't end.  Just like any good father, He wants to bless your life in ways you couldn't imagine.  He has so much in store for us, we couldn't even comprehend if He revealed everything.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen.  ~ Ephesians 3:20-21

Do you have a Lazarus?

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. ~Psalm 40:1


Have you ever prayed for something that you really wanted? Prayed that God would heal a family member, soften the heart of a friend, grant you peace? Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Have you ever wondered after praying whether God was truly listening? Whether he heard your prayers? I have done this and still do. We have been raised in a society that tells us we should have everything right now. If we don’t get what we want yesterday, it’s late. This passage tells us that’s the wrong attitude to have.

David says, “I waited patiently.” It doesn’t say that he prayed and after five minutes gave up because he didn’t see what he asked for. There was a waiting period. Sometimes this waiting period allows us to see God’s hand in the circumstances more clearly. Remember Lazarus? In John 11:14-15 Jesus tells his disciples that Lazarus is dead. He says, “And for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.” When first reading this passage you might wonder why Jesus was glad He wasn’t there when he could have prevented the death of His good friend. Just wait! John 11:39 tells us Lazarus has been in the tomb four days by the time Jesus gets there, way past any medical miracles that could have happened. Past the time when any earthly remedy could have helped him. At this time Jesus says, “Lazarus, come out!” At that moment Lazarus came out of the tomb. They had to wait past the time they thought healing could occur so they could see it was by God’s grace and nothing else that Lazarus was healed. For some of us there is a Lazarus in our life – something we think is past the point of no return, something that cannot possibly be fixed by any earthly means. Just wait! Our God is going to use that circumstance to show that all things are possible with Him.

Sometimes this waiting period is meant so that God’s perfect timing is played out. There may be something you desperately want now, but God’s perspective is bigger than ours. This past week as I walked along the beach I was really focused on the patch of sand in front of me. I was looking for the perfect shell. Suddenly, I looked up and not ten feet to my left there sat a sand dollar! God was trying to show me that while I am so focused on this patch of sand in front of me or this certain thing I’m praying for that I don’t recognize the other blessings He has waiting for me. His perspective is much bigger. He knew that I was looking for a pretty shell, but gave me something so much better by providing me with a sand dollar! He knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)! He wants the best for me which includes the best time for me to receive that which He wants to give me.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

I want you to notice also what God does when we wait patiently. It says, “He turned to me and heard my cry.” God doesn’t just listen to my prayer while working on something else. He turns toward me. Have you ever had a conversation with someone that’s not looking at you? You start to wonder if they’re hearing you. If they’re paying attention at all. We don’t have to wonder with God! He turns toward us! He is looking right at us, giving us His full attention! He hears my cries because He is paying attention to what I have to say. He cares for me and asks that I cast my cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7).

A Whole Shell

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ~Romans 8:15-16


I love to pick up shells on the beach. One day this past week I had the chance to take a walk along the beach and was truly excited about what shells I might find. As I walked along and picked up some shells and left others lie where the waves had washed them, I began to understand that we are like these shells. While all of them begin in the same place – the ocean – they are in very different conditions by the time they reach the shore. Some shells are chipped while others are completely shattered. I have yet to find a shell in all my years that was not at least chipped after being tossed around in the ocean.  All the shells have withstood at least some damage, some worse than others.

Look around you. This is the story of mankind. Some have been through situations that have chipped away at them. Then there are others who have faced circumstances that have left them shattered. Perhaps you need only look as far as a mirror to find one of these. But fear not! There is hope:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ~2 Corinthians 5:17

Christ offers to take your broken shell and make it whole once more! In Christ you are made a new creation. Where human hands could only attempt to glue the pieces back together or find similar pieces to fill the gap, God takes that broken shell and completely heals it. No duct tape necessary! Too often we, as humans, try to fix these broken pieces in our lives by filling them with things that will not satisfy. We try to super glue in approval from men to replace a need to be loved. We fill our bodies with foreign substances (alcohol, drugs, etc.) to fulfill a need to feel peace and joy. These are artificial. These are pieces from other shells that have been glued into our lives to make us look whole. But just as a shell that has been glued back together is fragile and full of cracks, so are the lives of those that turn to anything other than God to fill the void in their lives. There is no need for you to accept anything less than what you were meant to be, what you were created to be. You can be a new creation!

Answering the Call

The Lord came and stood there, calling out as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” ~1 Samuel 3:10


I was struck today by the story of Samuel. He was raised in the church, literally, but didn’t recognize the voice of God immediately. Many of us have been raised in the church, but we have a similar problem as Samuel. God called Samuel while he was sleeping. This, in itself, is interesting to me. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” Paul was speaking of death in this passage. There is a difference between a believer and a non-believer’s death. For the believer, death is truly just like being asleep because though our flesh dies, our soul goes on to live forever with Christ. I believe this is the case for Samuel. He was called from sleep, not death. He was a man of God, raised in the church, but he had been asleep. God was calling Samuel to be awakened to come into service for Him.

There are many people in the church today where God is calling your name. He is awakening you for service, to step into more of what He has for you. Notice what happens to Samuel first, though. God calls him four times before Samuel realizes it is God calling him! Each time Samuel is aware that someone is calling his name, but he attributes it to the flesh. He believes the priest, Eli, is calling for him so each time he comes to Eli for direction. Very often we hear the call of God, but we don’t recognize His voice. We believe those thoughts or feelings are our own and since we are oftentimes afraid to step out in action on our thoughts alone, we choose not to heed them.

The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ~John 10:2-3

Jesus is the shepherd and we are the sheep. We will recognize His voice. Samuel, even having been raised in the church, went to Eli three times before Eli realized it was God calling Samuel. As soon as Samuel recognized the voice he was hearing was the Lord’s, he responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Be aware that God is speaking in your life. He is calling your name softly. He has wondrous things He wants to share with you, but you must begin to recognize His voice.

I’ve come to discover that God tends to ask me to do things that I think are just beyond what I’m capable of. This might be talking with someone new at church, witnessing to a friend, praying with an acquaintance, telling a stranger God loves them, or sharing a verse with someone. Whatever it might be, it’s something that is out of my comfort zone. Something that I’m not sure I can do on my own. Guess what . . . that’s the point! God wants to show Himself faithful! When you are obedient in doing what God has asked of you, He meets you where you are and sees you through it.

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. ~ John 14:21

Think of Moses. God told Moses he would take the Israelites out of Egypt. “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” (Exodus 3:11) This was something Moses thought was just not possible, but “all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me!” (Philippians 4:13) And look what he did! He brought the entire nation of Israel out of Egypt! Need more? Look at Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 1:5 God appoints him as “a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah responds, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” God’s encouragement is wonderful:

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord. ~Jeremiah 1:7-8

These men heard the Word of God and obeyed. When we obey His commands he says in John 14:21 that He will show himself to us. He will meet you where you are and show Himself faithful. You will never walk alone. In Exodus 3:12 God tells Moses He will be with him. Jeremiah 1:19 says, “’They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.” Joshua is told several times to be strong and courageous, to not be terrified or discouraged because the Lord would be with him wherever he went (Joshua 1:8). God will do the same for you! When you obey what God has asked you to do He will reward your obedience.

At the church I attend there is a time during worship where anyone in the congregation can share anything they feel God has laid on their hearts. Sometimes this is an image God has given them, a verse, or a testimony. Last week God gave me a message for the church. As I sat waiting to build up the courage to step forward God continued to tell me I needed to share this with everyone. Even though I was scared, I went up to the gentleman that listens to all messages before they are shared with the church. I told him exactly what God had told me. Since it was nearing the end of the worship, I was unable to share with the congregation that morning. I started to wonder if I had misunderstood what God was asking of me. Suddenly He explained that He needed to know if I would obey. He understood I was scared like Joshua was, but He was looking for me to obey despite my fear. I later explained it to a friend that I felt God was taking baby steps with me. The first step was simply having me step forward in a show of obedience with a determination to complete what He asked of me even though I didn’t actually share. Since this time of stepping forward in obedience He has opened the doors of communication. I daily hear the voice of God. He knows that I will obey Him and I know that I can trust Him to give me the strength, wisdom, courage, and capability to do what He asks. Whereas before I responded in much the same way as Jeremiah saying, “I am but a child,” He has shown me that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. I’m not doing any of this on my own.

What is it that God is asking of you? When you step out in obedience, trust me that He will reveal Himself to you. You will not be left to rely on what your flesh can do, but what Christ can do through your flesh!

All Authority

“For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ~Luke 7:8


In this recount a centurion’s servant was “sick and about to die” so he sent some elders of the Jews to ask Jesus to come heal the man. These elders told Jesus the man “deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus began to journey to this man’s home. When he was not far off, the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus that he did “not deserve” to have Jesus come into his house. He tells Jesus, “But say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.” After hearing this Jesus says, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

What did this man say to get that reaction? The first time I read this, and the second and third, I couldn’t figure out why he was mentioning his authority and what that had to do with Jesus’ reaction. During worship last night I began to ask God for wisdom. I was reminded of how Jesus often explained his parables to the disciples and was asking God to do this for me. I know there are many ways to interpret this passage. Many people can get something different out of the same word that is applicable to their lives. God responded to my pleas for understanding and presented me with this picture: the centurion’s authority was limited because he was “a man under authority.” He recognized, however, that Jesus, first of all, had authority to heal his servant, but also recognized that where his authority was limited, Jesus’ authority is not. He says, “I myself am a man under authority” where Jesus is not.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” ~Matthew 28:18 God didn’t stop there. He went on to remind me that I am a co-heir with Christ!

Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ . . .” ~Romans 8:17

Being co-heirs with Christ, we have been given authority as well. As children of God, we have been given power. Power that many of us do not utilize and do not recognize we even have. Look at these verses. Don’t read them in passing just because they’re here, but recognize that these verses are speaking to YOU.

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. ~Matthew 10:1 We are His disciples!

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. ~Mark 16:17-18

“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” ~ Luke 24:49 We will be “clothed in power!”

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ~ Acts 1:8

You have been given power and authority as children of God. Don’t let the enemy tell you otherwise. Step into the fullness of what God has given you!

Building God's House

This is what the Lord Almighty says:  "give careful thought to your ways.  Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the Lord.  ~Haggai 1:7-8

Have you ever gotten to a point in your devotional life where you're not quite sure what to read?  Well, I was there last night.  I had just finished going through the book of Galatians and found myself at a loss of where to go next.  I spent a few minutes in prayer asking God what He would have me read and ended up finding myself in Haggai!  It was one of those moments where I thought, "Are you sure this is it?  If you say so!"  As I started to read God brought the Word to life!  Let me share a little of what He revealed to me in this small book:

Haggai was a prophet sent to rebuke the returned exiles for their delay in rebuilding the temple.  God makes a contrast in this book between building up God's house and building up one's own house.  In today's world we can look at this as God's house being our relationship with Him and our house being our flesh, our sinful nature, and the world.  In verses 7-8 of the first chapter (shown above) God is telling the people to start building up the temple, our relationship with Him, so He can take pleasure in it and be honored. 

"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.  What you brought home, I blew away.  Why?" declares the Lord Almighty.  "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house."  Haggai 1:9

I've come to find in my own experiences that the times I try to build up my own house and leave God's house, my relationship with Him, in ruins, I face hardships.  Things just don't seem to come through like I'm hoping and expecting them to.  This is what the Israelites were facing.  They were neglecting the house of God and, because of that, God says they are only receiving a little of what they expected.  They are not able to receive the fullness of what God has for them because they are neglecting their relationship with Him and are, therefore, unable to accept the blessings He wants to provide them with.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him.  And the people feared the Lord . . . So the Lord stirred up the spirit . . . of the whole remnant of the people.  ~ Haggai 1:12, 14

This is my favorite section!  Notice the order of things here.  First they obey the voice of God and again fear the Lord, THEN He stirs up their spirit!  Lately I've had a few times where I get frustrated because I just don't feel the spirit move in me.  I don't want to love my neighbor.  I don't want to step out in faith to witness to someone.  I don't want to do what I think God is telling me, but as soon as I do it the Spirit is stirred up within me.  Just like my reading Haggai!  I wasn't too thrilled about reading it, but I was obedient and God brought so much out of it!  It takes a step of obedience.  If we always felt the spirit move in us to do as God is telling us things would be so easy!  We would step out all the time, but God asks us to have faith and step out even when we're not "feeling it."  Even God knew it wasn't going to be easy.  In Haggai 2:4 He says, "Be strong, all you people of the land and work.  For I am with you."  Growing your relationship with God takes some work on your part.  You need to be open to listening to Him and obeying what He asks of you.  It takes effort.  When building something you can't sit back and watch the bricks stack themselves - you need to be picking each of them up and putting them in place.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but let me share this with you as well . . .

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.  ~1 Corinthians 3:9

Notice that it says "fellow workers."  We're not the only ones working.  God is working alongside you.  Don't think that it's too much work and give up.  You're not alone. And trust me, it's completely worth it!

'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty.  'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the Lord Almighty  ~Haggai 2:9

The house you are building, this relationship with God, will be greater than anything you have built in the past!  God will grant you a peace that you have not found in building your own house and working towards your own desires. 

. . . "From this day on I will bless you."  ~Haggai 2:19