peace, 2020

My word for 2020 was peace.  It was an interesting choice for 2020, especially considering the coronavirus/COVID pandemic.  But it has been much deeper than that.  In June of 2019, Brandi and I participated in an enneagram personality workshop with our church, and I discovered that I was a perfectionist.  To some extent, I already knew this, but with subsequent personality coaching with a lady from our church, I began to realize how my personality type had some strong negative impacts on my self, my wife, and my children.   At the end of February, I had a wonderful Sozo prayer time with John and Celia and prayed through breaking free from workaholism and perfectionism.  Unfortunately, in mid-July, I had a hard conversation with my dad, but the Lord used it to catalyze some deeper investigation into my soul and personality. In mid-September, I had my first experience with prayer in the courts of Heaven, and I felt a breakthrough from the grip of anger. In mid-November, I started counseling, and I have made some good progress on beginning to let go of expecting the world to be perfect.   My counselor has helped me start trying to let others live life on God's terms, not mine.  On a run around Crosbyton last week, I realized that I can give peace away, not because it originates with me, but because I carry the Shepherd.  I think these are progressive steps, like peeling layers of an onion.  I thank the Lord for tilling the soil of my heart to remove these rocks that have been limiting the growth and fruitfulness of His word in my life.  It is also impressive to me how the progress in my own inner peace circles back to allowing more joy (my word for 2019) to flow through me.

The Lord has also been working on my paradigm of parenting, shifting from a perspective of an owner to a steward.  While I do think a biological father has an enormous responsibility and privilege of projecting the character of the Heavenly Father to his children, I am growing in my appreciation of my role as a spiritual brother to my children.  I want to be faithful to shepherd my children toward Christ. As I was reading the prophecy in Malachi 4 about Elijah returning to turn the hearts of parents to their children and visa versa, the thought occurred to me, I want to be intentional to seek revival in our home.

Father, thank you for patiently loving me.  Jesus, thank you for shepherding me, and thank you for being the King of Peace.  Holy Spirit, thank you for growing your fruit of peace in me.  I love you.

Purity is important for spiritual leaders

Purity is not a prerequisite for salvation; otherwise, none of us would be saved.  However, purity is essential for promotion in spiritual leadership.

Zechariah 3:6‭-‬7 NIV

The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

Holiness is not to be confused with purity; holiness is proximity to God.  Jesus made a way for each of us to humbly approach God, without needing to clean ourselves up beforehand. He will direct the purification process after we connect with Him.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your mercy.  Thank you for not requiring me to clean up before I enter your presence.  Thank you for your patient love to continue purifying me.  Father, I want to be an effective spiritual leader.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your firm and gentle guidance. I will follow you. I love you.

Parenting towards the chief end of man

I have been (very slowly) reading Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, and in Chapters 5, he highlighted the incompleteness of several seemingly good parenting goals:

- to be "successful" in life

- to develop special skills

- to be psychologically adjusted (good self esteem)

- to be saved

- to be religious

- to be well-behaved

- to be well-educated

Tripp suggested that the optimal overarching parenting goal is consistent with the chief end of man, that our children "glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (Shorter Catechism).

It seems like this fundamental concept should have been obvious to me before reading this, but this chapter was so clarifying for me.  Throughout my daily interactions with my children, how do I explicitly and implicitly shepherd my children to glorify God and enjoy Him forever?

Father, thank you for helping me consciously evaluate my parenting goals.  I want to be a faithful steward of the children that you have placed in my care.  Please forgive me where I have failed so far, and show your redemptive power in the time ahead.  I love you.

It pleases the King to give us Haman's estate

Esther 8:1‭-‬2 NIV

That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman's estate.

Haman is obviously a type of the satan.

In a trinitarian view: the King could represent the Father; Queen Esther, who risked her life, represents Christ; and Mordecai, who proceeds from both the Father and the Son, represents the Holy Spirit.

In an ecclesiological view: the King could represent Jesus, who is the King of Kings; Queen Esther is a type of the Church, the Bride of Christ; and Mordecai is a type of every disciple, appointed with authority and power to appropriate the resources of the Kingdom to accomplish the righteous will of God.  In the sense of each disciple being part of the type of Queen Esther, we have an ongoing privilege and responsibility to petition the king for deliverance from our enemy (consistent with Jesus's model prayer for the disciples).  In the sense of each disciple being part of the type of Mordecai, we need to boldly leverage our delegated authority and the inexhaustible resources of the Kingdom to overcome the enemy.

It pleases the King to take the resources from the satan and give them to us.

Luke 11:22 NIV

But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

Father, I praise you for being the King.  Jesus, I praise you for being the King.  Thank you for guaranteeing our victory over the satan, sin, and death.  May we boldly step into the identity that you have given us and faithfully advance your mission.  I love you.

Godly mothers are so important

I am reading through 2 Chronicles, and Holy Spirit showed me how the devotion of the mother directly affects the life of the king and the blessing of the nation of Judah.  Generally, the good kings who led the nation to follow Yahweh were raised by faithful mothers from Judah, and most of bad kings who led the nation away from Yahweh were raised by mothers from other nations that did not worship Yahweh.

I think that is why it was so special that God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus.  He wanted someone who would faithfully raise Jesus in the faith.

I am so thankful for Brandi and how she helps me and our children continue to grow in Christ.

Father, thank you so much for blessing me with a life of partnership in the faith with Brandi! Please bless each of my children with a spouse who loves you, is mature in the faith, and is actively growing closer to you their whole life so that my grandchildren and my grandchildren's grandchildren will do the same (if Jesus doesn't return by then).  I love you.

Rejoice and give thanks

Katelyn came in at 3am this morning with some pain in her throat and chest.  I felt like I knew that I should rebuke it, but if so, I wouldn't go back to sleep, but I rebuked it anyway.  (She said that she feels better this morning.)  

I didn't go back to sleep, so I had some extra time to study and meditate.  I watched a sermon by Bill Johnson about healing, and very interestingly, he shared about the Lord waking him up and speaking to him in the middle of the night.  Bill said that the Lord pointed out two things from 1 These. 5:16-18:

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

First, a lifestyle of giving thanks is the key to mental health.  We give thanks to God in all circumstances, including thanking God in advance for things that He has not yet given. 

Second, a lifestyle of rejoicing in the Lord is the key to emotional health.  We rejoice in the goodness of God, no matter what our circumstances are. (And from a sermon from John Piper that I watched last night and this morning, worship and praise is the fulfillment and completion of our joy in Him.) Bill said that joy is such a precious commodity in the economy of Heaven that, for the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross (Heb.12:2). On earth, we have opportunity to give God a sacrifice of praise that includes the fragrances of our questioning, doubts, reaching for more of Him.  In Heaven, we will no longer have opportunity to give a sacrifice of praise in spite of pain and suffering.

Father, thank you for sending your Son.  Jesus, thank you for suffering for me.  Your death and resurrection gives me life and healing.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence.  I want to abide in your presence.  You are so good.  You are the Healer, even when I don't see healing.  May you receive more honor and praise by Christ living through me today.  I love you.

Continuing to build the temple

This is the answer they gave us: "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished.

Ezra 5:11 NIV

We continue to build the temple of which King Jesus laid the foundation - the Church.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. ... Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. ... Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. ...  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:2‭, ‬15‭, ‬21‭, ‬25‭-‬26 NIV

May I be faithful to persist in effort that will remain for all of eternity.  May I not get distracted with civilian affairs.

Father, thank you for the opportunity to join you in your work.  Jesus, thank you for laying the foundation.  Holy Spirit, thank you for encouraging me and guiding me in faithfully building up the church for eternal gains.  I love you.

Yahweh is one and Holy Spirit is humble

When I read this verse a few days ago, I asked Holy Spirit why He wasn't mentioned, too:

1 John 1:3 NIV

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

I think He is teaching me something about the unity of the Holy Trinity.  I often think of Yahweh as "Them", but mysteriously, perhaps it is more like "He-Them".  And perhaps in some passages, the emphasis is more on the "He" aspect.

I think Holy Spirit showed me yesterday that He is there implicitly in the "fellowship".  He makes fellowship possible, and this is probably a heretical thought, but maybe in some ways, He is fellowship.

I think Holy Spirit is also implicitly present in the anointing in 1 John 2:

1 John 2:20‭, ‬27 NIV

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. ... As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Yahweh, I praise you.  You are mysterious and beyond my comprehension.  Holy Spirit, I know that you are present everywhere, even when I don't see you.  I praise you for your humility.  I love you.

When God gives you success, don't let the enemy give you entitlement

David was anointed as the king of Israel by the prophet Samuel (while Saul was still king):

1 Samuel 16:13 NIV

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. ...

David served King Saul for a while, but eventually Saul's fear and jealousy made him crazy, and David escaped.  David demonstrated amazing faith, humility, and patience those years that he was on the run in the wilderness, waiting on Yahweh's timing to fulfill His promise of promotion.

Eventually, King Saul died (1 Sam 31), and David was anointed king of Judah (2 Sam 2) and eventually King over all of Israel (2 Sam 5).  Yahweh granted King David military victories over the Philistines (2 Sam 8) and the Ammonites and Arameans (2 Sam 10).  

When God grants you success, be careful to guard your heart against a mindset of entitlement.  I think you can see entitlement starting to creep in when David had sons from six different women (2 Sam 3), which was explicitly forbidden by Moses in Deuteronomy 17:17.  Then he forced Saul's daughter Michal, to return to him (2 Sam 3:14-15), even though she had been given as wife to another man.  Then David took even more wives and concubines (2 Sam 5:13).  

So, when David probably should have been with his army (2 Sam 11:1), or at least he should have been asleep (v. 2), and he sees a woman bathing, his previous pattern of entitlement made a slippery slope, and he didn't stop himself from several successive failures in a short amount of time. First, he took time to enjoy her beauty (v. 2b). He should have looked away immediately, but I speculate that even if he wasn't consciously aware of it, he felt entitled to survey "his" kingdom from his palace rooftop. A mindset of humility would have had a different train of thought. Second, he allowed his mind to wonder who she was, but he should have taken his thoughts captive. Third, he acted on his curiosity by sending someone to inquire about her (v. 3).  Curiosity killed the cat (and eventually Uriah and a baby). The mind set on the flesh (even fleshly curiosity) is death (Rom 8:6a). Fourth, even though he knew that Bathsheba was the wife of one of his thirty-seven most trusted bodyguards (2 Sam 23:39), he sent messengers to have her brought to him (v. 4), and it wasn't to ask how Uriah was doing.  Fifth, David got Uriah drunk to try to cover up Bathsheba's pregnancy (v. 6-13), but Uriah was an honorable man (v. 11). Sixth, David resorted to premeditated murder (v. 14-15).  I speculate that this last step was still enabled by David's sense of entitlement; pawns are sometimes sacrificed in chess (v. 25).

I don't think the David in the wilderness would have done any of that because he was still humble at that season of his life.

So, how do I stay humble in the midst of God giving me advancement, promotion, and success?

Father, thank you for this warning against a mindset of entitlement.  Jesus, thank you for your example of a completely humble mindset and lifestyle.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence.  I want to be humble and focus on hosting your presence.  I love you.

Even greater things (whatever, anything)

This is one of the most amazing passages in Scripture:

John 14:9‭-‬14 NIV
9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

First, Jesus was simply staying in unity with the Father, and the Father was demonstrating His work through Jesus (v. 10).

Second, like Jesus, the supernatural works that the Father does through us are evidence of our unity with Him (v. 11).  The greatest treasure in all of this is unity with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

Third, Jesus said that we would do even greater things than him (v. 12).  Jesus said it.  That is simply mind-boggling.  Jesus demonstrated the floor, not the ceiling.

Fourth, Jesus will do whatever we ask, for the sake of the Father being glorified in the Son (v. 13).  Anything (v. 14).  He must have known that we would struggle with believing that, because he said it a third time (John 15:7).  And a fourth time (John 15:16).  How many more times does He have to say it before I believe it and actualize it?

If I really understood how deeply the Father loves me, and if I could grasp with my hands the intensity of the joy set before Christ as He endured the cross, and if I could trust the Spirit enough to open my sails and let His unlimited power carry me on unbridled, well then I think I'd be on a good path towards unity with the Holy Trinity.

Father, my current understanding of your love for me is minuscule.  Many orders of magnitude away from being relevant. Father, please help me see past all of the illusions and distractions of this world to accurately behold you.  I want to find you.  And stay with you.  I want to be in unity with you like Jesus demonstrated.  Holy Spirit, please lead me the next step closer.  I love you.

holy and righteous

In our virtual church gathering on Zoom a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about this passage in 1 Peter 1:

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Our conclusion was that our holiness is an artifact of our intimacy with God, not our mitigation of sin.

In my daily Bible reading plan, I have been recently reading some of the prophets in the Old Testament (e.g., Ezekiel) that were informing the Israelites that God was judging them because they were not faithful to Him.  There is quite a bit about them being unrighteous.  So, I have been wondering about the difference between holiness and righteousness.

A quick search of verses that include both words revealed a few interesting passages, especially John the Baptizer's dad's prophecy in Luke 1:

68 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

    in the house of his servant David

...

74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

    and to enable us to serve him without fear

75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Here are a few other interesting combinations:

Acts 3:14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.

Romans 6:19  ... Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

Ephesians 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Revelation 19:8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)

Currently, I am thinking that holiness and righteousness are different in that holiness has more to do with us being set apart for God and righteousness has more to do about our behavior, perhapse related to Jesus's statement to the Samaritan woman at the well about how we worship God in Spirit and in truth.  And it seems to me that holiness promotes righteousness, but not necessarily the other way around.

Father, I love you.  Thank you for allowing me to approach you.  Thank you for making me your son and always welcoming me to come to you.  I want to be holier.  And I want to be more righteous.  I want my lifestyle to honor you.  Jesus, thank you for being our example of holiness and righteousness.  Holy Spirit, you are very good at being holy, so please help me be holier.  And I want to listen to you every moment so that I always do what honors you and never what dishonors you.  I love you.

First experience of operating in the courts of Heaven

(This was drafted Sep 10, but I forgot to post it.)

I finished reading Bill Dennington's book Breaking the Strongholds of Iniquity yesterday.  It has been one of the most helpful books that I have read.  (I recommend reading the last chapter first, because it provides a big picture overview.) It was illuminating to see the Biblical examples of how spiritual court issues were delaying progress on earth, but once the court decision was made, breakthroughs and victory were released.  It was also very helpful to understand how the enemy uses legal accusations of sin, transgression, and generational iniquity to stall us from stepping into what God has for us in Christ.  I was especially encouraged by the testimonies of breakthroughs that he and others have received through operating as priests in the courts of Heaven to receive the inheritance that Christ wants us to use to accomplish His good plans for us.  In several cases, these breakthroughs were so rapid, even in the context of years of spiritual warfare.

This morning, I listened to an audio recording of his testimony of his first experience of operating in the courts of Heaven, and I realized that I was ready to step into that for myself.

So, I got a tortilla and some grape juice, and I knelt in front of the dining room bay window with the morning light shining in. In faith, I knelt before Jesus as the Righteous Judge, and I confessed the iniquity of anger, repented of it, asked Jesus to remove it from my life and the lives of my family, asked Jesus to silence the voices of shame, guilt, condemnation, and accusation, and then thanked Him for the fruit of the Holy Spirit, especially those that are opposite of anger.  And then, one at a time, I repeated the process for lust and then pride/arrogance.  I truly felt release/relief from these issues.  

And then I took the communion elements and thanked Jesus for the healing that I receive from His broken body and the purification and life that I receive from His blood.  

Father, thank you for this revelation and experience in the courts of Heaven! Jesus, thank you for being the Righteous Judge who I can approach without fear.  Holy Spirit, thank you for being my legal advocate and for helping me resolve these cases.  I love you.

Worship Yahweh with gladness

(This was drafted Aug 17, but I forgot to post it.)

Shout for joy to Yahweh, all the earth.  Worship Yahweh with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that Yahweh is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Psalms 100:1‭-‬3 NIV

So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? ... He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3:5‭, ‬14 NIV

Certainly, there is a time and place for solemnity, but it seems to me that walking by faith in the presence and power of the Spirit is more correlated with gladness than solemnity.  And if we live each day actively worshipping God, then there should be much gladness.  

I resolve to teach my children to worship Yahweh with gladness and joyful songs.

Father, I love you! You are so good! I praise you! May my life communicate an overflow of joyful praise so that people around me will taste and see that you are good.  I love you.

Transformative light

The radiance of Christ's glory has power to transform us into His image. 

2 Corinthians 3:17‭-‬18 NIV

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Perhaps, that is why Jesus told Martha that Mary had made the better choice.  The sanctification of our hearts and minds is a process as we submit ourselves to see Him and hear Him (i.e., contemplating His glory).

Romans 12:2a

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

And that is why the enemy tries to keep a veil over the unbelievers' eyes - to keep them from seeing and experiencing the transforming power of the radiance of His glory.

2 Corinthians 4:1‭, ‬3‭-‬4‭, ‬6 NIV

1 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ... 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ... 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.

The radiance of God's glory through Christ is lossless (2 Cor 4:4,6 and Heb 1:3):  

Hebrews 1:3 NIV

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, ...

And to the extent that we "do not distort the word of God", and we "set forth the truth plainly" (2 Cor 4:2), God's glory radiates through our Gospel message.

So, an analogy/metaphor that Holy Spirit gave me this morning: as physical light (i.e., electromagnetic radiation and nuclear radiation) has energy and momentum (i.e., power to affect/transform what it impacts; e.g., visible or UV light, or alpha, beta, or gamma, etc.), and as the fundamental quantum of electromagnetic radiation energy is the photon, so every time we tell the Gospel message of Jesus's love, we are radiating "photons" of Christ's glory into people's minds by way of their ears.  And when we demonstrate His goodness and power through good deeds, we are radiating nuclear radiation by way of their eyes.

And "since through God's mercy we have this ministry" of irradiating the transforming power of Alpha-Omega radiation, "we do not lose heart" because we are fueled by an endless supply of spiritual-nuclear power.  And as nuclear radiation causes a chain reaction, so we are making disciples (spiritual-nuclear radiators) of all nations.

Father, you amaze me! You are so good! Please shine your glory through me today!  May I be faithful to sit in the radiance of the Son today, and may I faithfully irradiate others.  I want to glow with your glory.  Holy Spirit, I commit to follow you today. I love you!

Focus on the flux, not the deficit

As an Enneagram Type One Perfectionist, I tend to be frustrated by the broken or deficient aspects of the world.

I need to come to terms with the reality that, as a disciple of Jesus, I am part of the restoration, but I am neither the Judge nor the Solution.

In gas-liquid mass transfer calculations, the flux (J) is a simple function of the mass transfer coefficient (k) and the concentration deficit from saturation (Csat - Cactual):

J = k (Csat - Cactual)

As a perfectionist, as you see the way things ideally should be if the Heavenly Kingdom reality was fully saturated on the earth, you have to be careful not to focus on the deficit. While the concentration deficit is "the driving force" for flux, focusing on the deficit lends itself towards operating in legalism as a modern Pharisee.

Somehow, I need to embrace the "now and not yet" of the age of grace.

And certainly, I need to focus on the flux side of the equation.  I need to see myself as a liberator and reformer.  Of course, I can't completely ignore the deficit; it is part of who God has made to be.  But I need to  flux that I want to see in the world, not be a herald of the deficit.

So, I need to partner with the Lord to continue increasing the magnitude of my mass transfer coefficient so that I can facilitate a greater flux of His Kingdom.

Father, help me focus on you and your movement, not on the brokenness of this world.  I love you.

Cul-de-sac Ekklesia

I was recently encouraged by a teaching about how Jesus used the Greek word, ἐκκλησία (ekklesia, translated as "church") to describe the gathering/assembly of disciples of Jesus.  

Here is the general definition of the Greek word: "a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly".  Since our home is Heaven, and we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, anywhere we are together on earth, we are an ekklesia.

In Matt 18:20, Jesus said, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

Fundamentally, the family unit is an ekklesia, and Jesus is with us.  I am trying to be more intentional about conciously thinking of Brandi and our kids as an ekklesia (church).

As I was walking up our hill after a run this morning, I realized that our next door neighbors are such an amazing blessing, because their family is an ekklesia and our family is an ekklesia, so our two homes adjacent to each other in the cul-de-sac make an ekklesia of ekklesias! We are an outpost of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus is abiding in our cul-de-sac!

Father, thank you for invading the earth with your Kingdom.  Jesus, we praise you as King!  Thank you for your presence. Holy Spirit, move among us in miraculous power! 

Hebrew words that tranalate to "praise"

As I was reading Psalm 103 this morning, I was curious about the difference between "bless" and "praise", and I found these articles:

https://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2017/10/hebrew-words-for-praise/

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/8-hebrew-words-for-praise-every-christian-needs-to-know.html

It is sad to see that there is actually such a spectrum of specificity that is essentially lost in translation into English.

Heavenly Father, I want to praise you in all the specific ways that Scripture describes.  May my life be vibrant and continuous worship for you.  I love you.

He chose me

1 Peter 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Apostle Peter used the identity that Jesus gave him.  He did not introduce himself as "Simon".  I am a new creation in Christ Jesus.

I am one of God's elect.  He chose me according to His foreknowledge.  He saw me, and he wanted me to be part of His family.  He wanted me to be His son.  It was not by random chance that I am part of the family of faith.

We discussed this passage yesterday in our church gathering, and I don't remember seeing it this way before.  And I suppose that God wanted me to soak on it a bit more since the same passage was in my daily reading this morning.

I want to meditate on this truth throughout the day.  I want to participate in this loving family through bedience and sanctification because of His great love.

Father, thank you for wanting me.  Thank you for choosing me.  Thank you for loving me.  I love you because you first loved me. Holy Spirit, please guide me into a greater appreciation of this incredible truth that the Father wanted me in his family.  Jesus, thank you for making a way for me to be part of your family.  I love you.

Happiness is correlated with joyfulness

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

Psalms 68:3 NIV

I grew up in a church culture that valued solemnity and silence. There is certainly a place for solemnity and silence in disciple's life (e.g., fasting, solitude, etc.), but based on a preponderance of evidence in the Scriptures, I think expressions of joy and happiness are stronger indicators of the presence of Holy Spirit and the zoe life.  Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit, and happiness is correlated with joy.

Father, I want to be a happy and joyful person, not from external hedonistic experiences, but from a spring of living water that flows from within.  Father, please show me your happiness and joy.  I want to be with you and emulate your character.  I love you.

Letting go of anger and frustration

Take delight in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Be still before Yahweh and wait patiently for him ...  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Psalms 37:4, 7‭-‬8 NIV

I had a sozo prayer time with John and Celia that was very impactful for me.  One of the breakthroughs was beginning to let go of perfectionism and being critical.  

Over the past several months, I have been realizing that I need to continue this breakthrough by letting go of anger and being frustrated with inefficient/inconvenient circumstances.

I am resolving to be a happier and more joyful person.  I want the words that I speak, especially to my wife and children, as well as my tone and facial expressions, to be evidently abundant with the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) and completely devoid of the fruit of the flesh.

Father, you are good and kind.  Thank you for giving me the fruit of the Spirit, and thank you for infusing my words and manner of speaking with your character.  I love you.

Seek His Face

Psalms 27:4‭, ‬8‭-‬9‭, ‬13‭-‬14 NIV

One thing I ask from Yahweh, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of Yahweh and to seek him in his temple.  ... My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Yahweh, I will seek.  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. ... I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.  Wait for Yahweh; be strong and take heart and wait for Yahweh.

There are so many distractions in this world; the enchanter either tempts us with immediate gratification of interior substitutes for the goodness of the presence of God or the enchanter threatens us with the fear of pain or loss. 

But the one thing that matters more than all of the rest is fellowship with God.  It is way more than believing that He exists, knowing His name, or even receiving His forgiveness.  Fellowship is about intimate relationship with Him.

Father, I want to seek your face.  I love you, and I know that you are good, but I want to know you so much better than I do now.  I want to be someone you share your heart with, like you do with Jesus. Holy Spirit, lead me to that place.  I love you.

Sometimes His answer is in the resurrection

Psalms 22:1‭, ‬24 NIV

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?  

...

For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

Jesus quoted verse 1 on the cross.  But the Father did not actually forsake His Son.  Verse 24 was fulfilled not in the avoidance of suffering and death but in conquering death by resurrecting Jesus to life.

Perhaps sometimes the Father let's us endure more than what we think we can handle and allows us to experience what we might perceive to be defeat or death because the Father sees beyond that to the point where He answers our prayers in the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:54‭-‬58 NIV

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."  "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Father, thank you for faithfully answering my prayers, even when I feel like you aren't.  You are good, and you give victory to the King.  Thank you for making me a king with Christ.  May your sovereignty over my heart be evident by an increase in the fruit of the Spirit today.  I love you.

Fear the Lord

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Acts 9:31 NIV

I'm reading Paths to power: living in the Spirit's fullness by A.W. Tozer, and one of his introductory points is that faith begins with basic obedience of Jesus's commands.  As I was discussing with Beau and Jude this morning this concept of fearing the Lord, I made the connection that one of the main ways that we show our honor and fear of the Lord is by being careful to obey His teachings. Love God, love others.  Sacrificially.

Father, I want to humble myself and show that I fear you by being so very careful to love selflessly.  Jesus, thank you for your example.  Holy Spirit,  please help me listen to you today as you show me how to take up my cross and follow Jesus today.  I love you. 

Watered by the Word

Blessed is the one ... but whose delight is in the law of [Yahweh], and who meditates on his law day and night.  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Psalms 1:1‭-‬3 NIV

It's not enough to read the Word. I need to soak on it, let it soak into my soul.  Day and night.  Let Holy Spirit saturate my character and thoughts with the Father's character and thoughts.

Father, thank you for sharing yourself with me through your Word, through the Holy Spirit,  and through this time with you.  Please help me spend more and more time each day in conscious awareness of your presence, power, and love.  I love you, and I want to be more like you.

Diffusion of grace

Ruth 2:10 NIV

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?"

Fick's First Law of Diffusion (|J| = D × dC/dx) is the basic principle that the net rate of transport by diffusion (J) is the product of a diffusivity coefficient (D) and the gradient (slope) in concentration (dC/dx ≈ ∆C/∆x).  So, the rate of transport increases as the diffusivity increases and as the distance of separation (∆x) decreases between two different concentrations (∆C). 

Let's consider the diffusive transport of grace. God's grace is multi-spectral, including forgiveness of sin, spiritual power, physical healing, material provision, etc.  With respect to material provision, perhaps God allows us to determine the magnitude of the diffusivity coefficient by our own generosity, while He determines the magnitude of the concentration gradient.  So, when He brings someone of need into close proximity, and I have a generous attitude of freely giving away what I have freely received, grace flows rapidly.  And perhaps one of the greatest tangible demonstrations of God's grace is when we give to foreigners, strangers, and "enemies", because the Father gave Jesus while we were enemies of God.

Leviticus 25:35 NIV

If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.

Deuteronomy 15:10‭-‬11 NIV

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this [Yahweh] your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Father, your grace flows so abundantly to me! I want to honor you by generously passing it along.  You are so rich, and it is such a privilege to share the treasure of Jesus with those around me.  May my material generosity honor you and be a sign of your generosity with multi-spectral grace.  Holy Spirit, I want to be attentive to you today to see who you want me to bless.  I love you.

generosity flux

I finished Jeremiah and Philippians this morning.

I was thinking that generosity is like flux through a vessel.  We are in control of giving away what God has given.  Somehow, God's control of the inlet flux is correlated with our control of the effluent flux.  As we open up the valve and give away more and more, He increases the inlet flux.  And visa versa.

Father, please reshape the desires of my heart to match your desires.  Please increase my generosity, not so that I will get more, but so that more people will experience your goodness and love.  I love you.

Prayer of dedication

Father, I give you the work of my hands. I want to plant what you want me to sow.  I want to cultivate and irrigate what you want to grow.  I trust you to produce the fruit that you want to show.  May the harvest be abundant and your glory flow, so that the richness of your presence others may know.  I love you.

Knowing Yahweh

Jeremiah 9:23‭-‬24 NIV

This is what [Yahweh] says: "Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am [Yahweh], who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares [Yahweh].

The Hebrew word for "know" is "yada", which includes an experiential aspect.

Yahweh is the self-existing one; He is the origin of all existence.  And He delights in kindness, justice, and righteousness.  I want to experience His supernatural goodness in the land of the living.

Father, I want to be humble to know that you are the source of life.  I don't want to think for a second that I can survive on my own.  I want to be aware of my complete dependence on you.  And I want my character to match yours.  Jesus, thank you for modeling that for me.  Holy Spirit, please guide me today.  I love you. 

victory

Our church has been studying the second half of 1 Cor 15 last week and this week, and the repetition of the word "victory" caught my attention:

1 Cor 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55 "Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The Greek word for "victory" in this passage is νῖκος ("nikos", Strong's G3534, which comes from the root word nike), which only appears four times in the New Testament, and I "coincidentally" read the other occurrence earlier last week:

Matt. 12:20 A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.

Matt. 12:20 quotes Isaiah 42:3, but in Isaiah, the last line is "In faithfulness he will bring forth justice", so perhaps from Matthew's perspective, victory and justice are connected.  Yeah, I like justice, too.

When I think of "victory", I think of Romans 16:20: "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. ...", as well as Jesus's statements to the seven churches in Revelations 2-3:

2:7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
2:11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
2:17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
2:26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.
3:5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
3:12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
3:21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

It sounds like a pretty good thing to be "one who is victorious".  The Greek word for "victorious one" is νικάω ("nikao", Strong's G3528) which is sometimes translated as "overcomer" or "conqueror".  But obviously, if it is good to be a conqueror, it is even better to be "more than a conqueror"!

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Yeah, that sounds the best - "hypernikao" - more than a conqueror!  Wait, what does that even mean?  If you are a conqueror, aren't you already at the top of the food chain?  How can you be more than a conqueror?  Well, in the context, the Apostle Paul is telling us that nothing can separate us from the love of God.  No one can accuse us or condemn us.  Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword - not even all of these together - can separate us from the love of God.  And then Paul quotes Psalm 44:22 (Rom. 8:36):

Ps. 44:22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

That doesn't sound like my idea of victory.  It sounds more like a humble and open-handed submission to the mysterious will of God.  The Sons of Korah elude to something like that earlier in the same chapter (Ps. 44); we know that God promises victory for us (Jesus calls it "abundant life" in John 10:10), that the victory comes from Him, that we are involved in the battle, and that we will experience suffering through trials and difficulties but that He redeems these experiences for our good:

3 It was not by their sword that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
    and the light of your face, for you loved them.
4 You are my King and my God,
    who decrees victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back our enemies;
    through your name we trample our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow,
    my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.
8 In God we make our boast all day long,
    and we will praise your name forever.

We know that we will ultimately be victorious over sin and death, but it is not an effortless or painless path to arrive there.  Overcoming the world and the evil one are mentioned several times in 1 John 2-4, and the connection between victory and faith is clearly stated in 1 John 5:

2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Perhaps faith is no more evident than when facing death.

Rev. 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
    by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short."

So, we live open-handedly with our lives, trusting that if the Father ordains for us to demonstrate our faith in the face of death, we will do so with joy because we love Him so much and the Holy Spirit is with us.  And after we have passed through the portal of death from perishable to imperishable and from mortality to immortality, we will join with Christ in mocking death when He casts death into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14).  And we will celebrate for eternity the victory that He has given us as children of God:

Rev. 21:6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Father, thank you for your promise of victory and eternal life.  Jesus, thank you for your promise of abundant life, which includes power over sin and death in this life and the life to come.  Holy Spirit, I put my faith in your goodness, and I want to be obedient and faithful as you lead me to be an overcomer and more than a conqueror through Christ. Holy Spirit, I want to be so sensitive to your presence and leading.  Help me take the next steps of faith today. I love you.

Lovingly discipline your children and lead them to love Yahweh with all of their hearts.

King David was a man after God's own heart.  He didn't live a perfect life, but he loved Yahweh with all of his heart.  Unfortunately, he didn't discipline his sons.  I'm speculating that the situation with Absolom turned into a nasty mess because David didn't process through his own sin to the point that he could rebuke his own son on the same issue.  

So, I'm speculating that there was a similar absence of discipline with Solomon because Solomon took it to a whole new level, (i.e., three orders of magnitude higher with 1000 "wives" who led him astray, 1 Kings 11).  Again, I'm speculating that Rehoboam grew up undisciplined and entitled, because how else could Rehoboam, son of the wisest man on the planet, be such an absolute knucklehead with such a massive ego (1 Kings 12)? 

So, when Jeroboam rebelled and became king of the northern 10 tribes of Israel and led them to worship golden calves at Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 11-12), you can begin to see the spiral down the drain. (Wait, didn't the Israelites already learn that lesson about not worshipping golden calves?  No, apparently not, because it was like a cancer for the rest of Israel/Samaria's history.) Even when Jehu obeyed Yahweh in wiping out all of the descendants and affiliates of Omri, Ahab, Jezebel, and the servants of Baal (2 Kings 9-10), Jehu still did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam of worshiping the golden calves (10:29).

I'm thinking that we need to teach our children to be shepherds.  I think this was an aspect of King David's heart that set him up to be a man after God's own heart.  I think shepherding is key.  And admitting your failures.  So, I need to be transparent with my kids about my failures and figure out how to help my kids take the responsibility of shepherding their own hearts and the hearts of others to love Jesus.

Father, thank you for shepherding me, my wife, and my children.  Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd.  Holy Spirit, please help me be a good shepherd of my wife and children, and help me teach them to be good shepherds like you.  I love you.

and He adds no sorrow with it

Elisha miraculously blessed a woman from Shunem with a son and then restored that son from death to life (2 Kings 4).  Elisha warned the woman of a seven-year famine, so she took her family to the land of the Philistines to avoid the famine (2 Kings 8).  When they returned, she went to appeal to the king to return her land to her, and Elisha's servant Gehazi just so happened to be telling the king about Elisha restoring the boy's life:

2 Kings 8:6 NIV The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."

Holy Spirit reminded me of Proverbs 10:22 (NKJV):

The blessing of [Yahweh] makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.

Father, I believe that you are a good father.  I still don't know how to reconcile what seems to me unnecessary harshness in judgment in the Old Covenant and the book of Revelations, but I trust that you are smarter than me and have a better sense of justice than me, and you can sort all of that out. So, I will praise you and thank you for your goodness to me and the privilege that I have to live in the age of grace.  Jesus, thank you for coming humbly.  I know that you will one day receive the honor and be recognized by all for the authority and power that you do actually have.  Holy Spirit, please show me what my role is here and now to prepare myself, my family, and others for that day.  I love you.

What's in a name?

I've been thinking about the significance of names in the Bible.  For a while, I have been frustrated that God told Moses and all generations thereafter to call Him "Yahweh", but Bible translators call Him "LORD" instead.  I think the enemy tricked them into concealing His name.

Speaking of the enemy, it is ironic to me that he tricked the Bible translators into obscuring God's name with the noun "lord" (from Strong's H113 - adon - which means "master" or "ruler"), while a noun (Strong's H7854 - satan - which means "opponent" or "adversary") was elevated to a proper noun "Satan". I'm not sure we should dignify him with a name; perhaps we could simply refer to him as "the enemy".  On the other hand, he likes to hide in the shadows, so maybe we should call him out "by name".  Alternatively, Beelzebub (Strong's H1176 - lord of flies) or Beelzeboul (Strong's G954 - lord of dung), etc.

Jesus grew up in Nazareth (Matt. 2), so he was called a "Nazarene", which is like "Nazarite" (Strong's H5139 - naziyr - which means a person devoted or consecrated to God).  It seems ironic to me that Jesus's first public miracle was turning water into wine.  

I also wonder if it would be helpful to call Jesus by his Greek (Strong's G2424 - Ἰησοῦς - "ee-ay-sous") or Hebrew (Strong's H3091 - יְהוֹשׁוּעַ - "ye-ho-shoo-a" - which means "Yahweh is salvation") name instead of the English name.

Father, thank you for the privilege of calling you by name.  Jesus, thank you for being personal.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your patience with me.  I love you.

Seeing is not believing

Ecclesiastes 11:7‭-‬8 NIV

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.  However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.

It is sad that King Solomon drifted away from God during his life.  He had a form of godliness but denied its power.

Ten of the twelve Israelites sent out to explore Canaan said that God couldn't give them the land.  They had seen God decimate the Egyptians and drown Pharaoh's army.  They had seen the presence of God as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

King Solomon saw the glory of God inhabit the Temple at the dedication ceremony.

Judas witnessed Jesus's life, ministry, and miracles - firsthand.  He had a front row seat.

Somehow, seeing is not believing.

I want to be one with the fire more as much as I want to see its light.  Seeing is better than not seeing, but seeing is trivial compared to being on fire.

Father, please set more of me on fire.  Jesus, you purchased all of me.  Holy Spirit, consume me.  Bring your fire deeper in my heart, soul, mind, and body.  I love you.

Ecclesiastes - missing something

Ecclesiastes 1-3

Everything is meaningless.  Pleasures are meaningless.  Wisdom and folly are meaningless.  Work is meaningless.

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:24‭-‬26 NIV

He almost got it.  Unfortunately, he was too stuck in the here and now.  He didn't see the opportunity to store up treasures in Heaven.  And he missed the most valuable opportunity of all - to grow in intimacy with God now - which will be cherished forever.

Father, I love you, and I want to grow in intimacy with you now.  Today.  Every day from here on out.  Jesus, thank you for your example of intimacy with the Father.  Holy Spirit, please lead me on.  I love you.

Waiting for Jesus

Our family observed a Messianic Passover Seder meal on Good Friday.  Brandi did a wonderful job preparing everything.  Several things impressed me.  

First, before we even started, Brandi prepared a special seat for Jesus.  (Traditionally, it is for Elijah.)  I truly want Jesus to be honored in our family.  I was really touched seeing that seat at the table.  He is so worthy of our worship!  

Second, as we sat around the table, all dressed up, it was so wonderful to spend time dedicated to teaching our children about the long history of people following God.  I really want to help my children be devoted disciples.

Third, at the end of the Seder, the children go open the front door and check to see if Jesus is there.  For several days, Katelyn kept asking if Jesus was going to come get us and take us to heaven.  She was so excited!  I want to have that kind of expectation of His return, and a longing to be present with Him.

Father, thank you for your kindness and patience with me.  Jesus, thank you for your death and resurrection, and thank you for promising to return for us.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence.  I love you.

Palm Sunday

(This post is a week late.)

Matthew 21:1-17

Honestly, I've always been confused by celebrating on Palm Sunday. (Similarly, I've never understood high school pep rallies, either.) It seems premature.  Why celebrate that people are fickle and Jesus is about to die?  

I think it is interesting that Jesus did not tell the people that their praise was premature.  He didn't tell them, "Please hold your applause until my second coming."  In fact, Jesus said that if they didn't celebrate, even the rocks would cry out!  In fact, the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy says,

"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This past week, I have really been struggling with the "now and the not yet".  Jesus told us to pray for our Father's Kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  It is quite clear that there is no coronavirus in Heaven, and yet, it appears to me that coronavirus is on a rampage.

(Mt. 21:9)   As Jesus entered the city on a donkey, the people shouted "hosanna", which means "save now".  Even though we wait, we know that not only will He save us completely one day, but He is currently in the process of saving us.

(Mt. 21:12-14) Jesus went into the temple, and he healed the blind and the lame.  From the perspective of Isaiah 61, this is one of those messianic mic-drop moments.  How can it be any more clear that Jesus is the Messiah???  And yet, it is simultaneously incredibly anticlimactic.  Instead of donning a crown and overthrowing the Roman government, he leaves the temple only to be crucified five days later.

Maybe the point is that it is never too early to celebrate that Jesus is the Messiah?  Even if we don't see His Kingdom fully manifested, we still celebrate now like it is.  Even if it seems like Coronavirus and other evils are unchecked, we celebrate that Jesus is King, and justice is on its way.  Maybe Palm Sunday is about celebrating in spite of waiting for the day when we will be finally free from sin and death.  Jesus's kingdom is upside-down from this world.  He didn't come riding in on a champion steed or celebrated war-horse; he rode in on a rookie, second-class, blue-collar animal that occasionally balks.

I don't want to make Palm Sunday about Coronavirus, because it's even bigger than that.  There are so many other diseases and unjust causes of death that it is overwhelming to think about.  

But the reality is that Jesus is with us.  Zechariah tells us that our King is victorious, and He is with us.  He is victorious, and He is with us. Those two truths are more important than any battle wins or losses.

(Mt. 21:16) When the religious leaders rebuked Jesus for accepting the praise of the children, Jesus quoted Psalm 8:

"'From the lips of children and infants
    you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"

Childlike faith is characterized by an unswerving commitment, in spite of a lack of understanding.  It does not mean that we check our minds at the door, but it does mean that faith in His goodness and power governs transcends our comprehension.

So, my responses are to (1) enjoy the bowl being empty during this season of quarantine, (2) choose to believe that Jesus is with us through the Holy Spirit and that He loves us, and (3) choose to be a fountain of hope flowing through me into those I influence. 

Father, I believe that you are good and that you are in control.  I don't understand why you are taking so long to stop evil, but I trust you.  Please show me what my role is in revealing the Kingdom of Jesus.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence and power.  I love you.

Invitation to come and dine, come and live

Proverbs 9:1‭-‬6 ESV

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who lacks sense she says, "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight."

What a beautiful picture of the Gospel!  Jesus was slaughtered so that we could share a meal - a very special meal of bread and wine - in fact, though it is simple, the most special meal of all: His own body and blood.  I am not required to clean myself up or figure out all of the mysteries; I only need to leave my foolish ways behind and, from now on, walk with Jesus in life.

Father, thank you for making a way of righteousness, and thank you for making it simple and available to all.  Jesus, thank you for your body and blood, which are life to us.  Holy Spirit, please help me stay with you on the path of life.  I love you.

Not everything that happens is God's will

One of the most important lessons that we can learn from Job is that not everything that happens is God's will.  And this, we should be careful not to blame God for everything that happens.

"He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court.  If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together,  someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.  Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Job 9:32‭-‬35 NIV

Indeed, we do have a mediator, and He has COMPLETELY satisfied the judgement of God.  There is no judgement remaining.  Jesus drank the whole cup to the dregs.

Father, thank you for being a good father.  Jesus, thank you for removing the judgement rod from me.  Holy Spirit, help me see the circumstances of my life from your perspective.  I love you.

Breaking free from workaholism and perfectionism

On Tuesday evening, I had the privilege of praying with John and Celia, who have been trained in sozo inner healing ministry.  From my experience, it is basically guided prayer.

I had two main breakthroughs.  The first was related to my sense of obligation to constantly be working.  By asking Holy Spirit where it came from, He showed me that I associated my importance with being responsible for work duties on the family farm when I was a child.  And this Tuesday evening, I embraced a relationship with the Heavenly Father in which He is proud of me because I am His son, not because of my work productivity.  My main identity is a son, not a worker.  Workers have quotas, but sons have privileges.  John and Celia asked me where I saw the Father (on His throne, etc.), and I saw a man sitting on a couch, so John and Celia encouraged me to sit down next to Him.  He put His arm around me and smiled at me the way I smile at my daughter when she climbs up in my lap for no other reason than to be with me.  The next morning, quite unusually, Katelyn was already awake when I woke up to go downstairs for my meditation time, so she sat with me on the couch as I read and prayed.  I believe that He was confirming what I had seen Tuesday evening.

The second breakthrough was regarding perfectionism, which works its way out as criticism for just about everything.  I asked God where I got the perfectionism mindset, and something Celia said helped me realize that it came from my dad's grandmother who always corrected everyone in grammar and manners.  John and Celia encouraged me to give my whole box of perfectionism to God and ask Him what He wants to give me to replace it.  I felt God say joy, peace, hope, rest, and laughter.  Between turning over being a workaholic and perfectionist, a much lighter life.

And since Lent started on Wednesday, I committed to give up criticism (indefinitely, but really focusing on letting it go this Lent).

Father, thank you for these breakthroughs.  Jesus, thank you for making a way.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your power.  I am excited about my new way of life.  I love you.

Pharaoh's freewill

From what I read, it wasn't until the sixth plague that the Scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh's heart.  For the first five plagues, perhaps Pharaoh exercised his own freewill and chose to harden his heart against Yahweh.

Father, please help me yield to you.  Holy Spirit, help me humble myself to your leadership.  Jesus, I want to honor your lordship.  I love you.

Yahweh told us to call Him by His name (Yahweh)

When Moses approached the burning bush, God called him by name:

Ex. 3:4 When the [Yahweh] saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."

And Moses got a pretty good clue of Who was talking to him:

5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

But after God told Moses to go tell Pharoah to let the Israelites leave Egypt, Moses asked who he should say was sending him, and God replied with a personal name:

13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
14 God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I am has sent me to you.'"
15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, '[Yahweh], the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.'
"This is my name forever,
    the name you shall call me
    from generation to generation.
16 "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, '[Yahweh], the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me ...

Unfortunately, many Bible translators fell into the same trap that the Israelites did, thinking that we should honor God by not speaking His name.  But in verse 15, He EXPLICITLY told us that His name FOREVER is Yahweh, and this is what we SHALL CALL Him from generation to generation.  So, then why did/do Bible translators substitute "the LORD" for the Tetragrammaton, Yahweh?  If we really want to rever and honor God, then shouldn't we obey what He commanded?

Yahweh, thank you for being personal with us.  Thank you for giving us a personal name for us to call you.  Thank you for calling me by name.  Help me be an example for others to see and experience a personal relationship with you.  I love you.

Silence

If anyone had the right to be critical, it was Jesus before He was crucified.  He was falsely accused in an unfair trial.

Isaiah 53:7 NIV

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

It wasn't that Jesus never said anything critical, it was that He was obedient to only speak in harmony with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and He was silent when He was not supposed to speak.

On Sunday, our church prayed for Brandi and me at the end of the gathering.  Celia gave Brandi a word about her mentoring young ladies in the royalty of being soiritual princesses, daughters of the King.  Later, Brandon approached me privately and said that he had a picture of me with a steel plate riveted over my mouth and asked me if that meant anything.  I told him that I have been trying to not be so critical, and that I think I need to be resolved as steel to not speak critical comments that I think.  I had actually set this as one of my goals for the 21 day fast in January, but I didn't do that very well.   So, Brandon challenged me to one week of silence on critical comments.  I believe that this is the first step to breakthrough on changing the way I think.

Father, thank you for your kindness, love, and patience.  Jesus, thank you for your example.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your power.  I love you.

Awareness of the older brother patterns

In Jesus's parable of the prodigal son, the older brother was both critical/judgemental and bitter from a life motivated by duty/obligation.  

I want to be delivered from both of these.

Father, I believe that you want me to walk in freedom.  Jesus, thank you for making a way for freedom.  Holy Spirit, lead me.  I love you.

Sacrifice and breakthrough

I recently heard Bill Johnson say, "Your kids will know what is important to you by what you are willing to sacrifice for."  Later, I was thinking, when my kids stand before the Lord on Judgment Day, will they thank Him for what I sacrificed for.

Brandi and I completed a 21 day Daniel Fast (vegan and no sugar, caffeine, or alcohol) this past Sunday.  We had several days mixed in of fasting from all food.  The longest I went was about 44 hours, fasting all day on a Thursday and breaking fast with Friday dinner.  Brandi fasted all day Saturday and Sunday morning before we ended the fast together with our church in a gathering at our home.

On Sunday, we hosted our church gathering at our home.  We resumed our discussion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, picking up with Chapter 6.  A sister opened up and shared her story, and we prayed over her.  Then we prayed for three more people, one of whom was delivered from some sort of evil affliction and then baptized by the Holy Spirit. It was a breakthrough that we have been praying for and wanting to see for years.  I hope it is a new era of ministry and culture for us.

As I was reflecting on these breakthroughs, I felt like somehow the fasting was related.  Certainly, not that we had somehow earned the breakthrough by fasting, but that by fasting, we had focused our attention on the Lord so that we were more sensitive to His leading and better able to leverage our gifts in partnership with Him.

Father, thank you for these breakthroughs.  Jesus, you are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence and power.  We love you.

Helping the fatherless

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 1:17 NIV

On Sunday, our church met to repair and clean a mobile home for a single-mom with three kids. This house would really help them get back on their feet. They were at the Walmart shooting in August, and our pastor met them through his day-job, following up with the victims.  This was an opportunity to tangibly demonstrate the love of Jesus.  

We had just started fixing a broken floor in the boy's room when I spotted a shiny penny stuck in the corner of the floor and the wall.  At Jill's funeral, we gave everyone a penny as a reminder of Jill's experience finding pennies throughout her cancer treatment, which was a constant reminder to her that God was right there with her.  Jill loved restoration projects, and I felt like, in a way, she was there with us in spirit, smiling over our shoulders as we worked on repairing and decorating the house.  It reminded me of when Brandi and I first joined Paseo.

As I was driving back and forth from the nearest home improvement store, I was thinking about how my mom and dad lived an example of serving people.  I hope my children see the joy of serving.

Father, thank you for the opportunity to serve.  May our lives be lived in honor of Jesus's sacrifice.  Holy Spirit, show us which opportunities you want us to join today.  I love you.

2020 Peace

My one-word focus this year is "peace".  I especially want to grow in peace with myself.

Romans 14:17‭-‬19 NIV

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.  Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Father, thank you for peace with you through Jesus.  Jesus, thank you for being the Prince of Peace.  Holy Spirit, thank you for giving me your fruit of peace.  I love you.

I am a "Hebrew" - "one from beyond"

In General 14:13, Abram was referred to as a "Hebrew" by a fugitive.  I looked up the meaning of the Hebrew word, "Hebrew" (Strong's 5680, עִבְרִי, `Ibriy), and it means, "one from beyond", presumably meaning a person from the other side of the Euphrates river.  A few generations later, the word "Hebrew" was predominantly used by other people referring to the descendants of Israel (Jacob).  This seems to me similar to the term "Christian", first used in Antioch by people referring to followers of Jesus.

I was thinking that "one from beyond" could be metaphorical for "one from Heaven". I am a son of God, a citizen of Heaven.  I am a foreigner here.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:13‭-‬16 NIV

Father, thank you for adopting me as your son.  Jesus, I want to live like you, revealing the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence and power.  I love you.

Lifeblood

In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

Genesis 7:11 NIV

That is an oddly specific date if the flood was only a fable.

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"But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.  "Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

Genesis 9:4‭-‬6 NIV

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. ...

Romans 3:25a NIV

God graciously allowed the innocent lifeblood of Jesus (image of God and very God) to be shed by human hands as an accounting for all of the lifeblood that had ever been unjustly shed.  What an incredible irony! What an amazing love that would motivate such grace!

Father, thank you for your love and grace.  Help me receive your love and grace and be changed by it.  Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice.  Holy Spirit, lead me today in honoring the image of God in every person.  I love you.