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Servant, Chosen, Beloved *Your Name Here*

Readings:

Genesis 31

Matthew 12

Psalms 9

Matthew 12:18-21 NLT
“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.”

This passage in Matthew speaks to the prophecy in Isaiah about the Messiah, so to only make it about ourselves would not be a perfect application. We MUST realize that this is first and foremost about Jesus Christ, Jeshua Hamaschiach, our Lord and Savior. And only when this is clearly about Him, and when we realize that He walks with us,  and that the Holy Spirit lives in and through us — can we safely and humbly examine our life to see how our life is also the life of a chosen, beloved servant of the Lord.

What is it to be a servant of the Lord, to be chosen? To be beloved and pleasing to the Lord?

Be filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
Proclaim justice to the world, but not by fighting or shouting or raising our voice to be unable to ignore in public — but so gentle that we do not crush the brokenhearted or put out the flame of hope. Our lives will demonstrate that Christ is victorious and that their hopes for justice will be fulfilled.

Those who are truly servants and messengers of the One true God are not making a name for ourselves or putting ourselves on display — yet we do not hide the light we have been given either.

We do not cower or refuse to deliver this good news to the world and to the nations. He makes it so. Amen.

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Apples and Trees

Readings:

Genesis 29

Genesis 30

Matthew 11

Psalms 9

Isn’t it interesting how Jacob the deceiver becomes Jacob the deceived (when he is given Leah first instead of Rachel). And how Abraham’s sleeping with Sarah’s maid is multiplied in how Jacob ends up with two wives and both their maids.

I’m reminded that the example we set for our children is important for their lives. It seems that the enemy knows what temptations are most familiar and attractive to our family.

Watching TV with my daughter and wife recently,  I heard JJ and his father Groff  on “Outer Banks” laugh about “apples and trees” — alluding to that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I’m reminded that “apples and trees” are a good reminder for all of us sinners since Adam.

What generational curses will be broken in us that our children will not suffer or which will be compounded?

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Want good outcomes?

Readings:

Genesis 24

Matthew 9

Psalms 8

The story of Jacob’s servant going to find Isaac a wife reminds me of the power of a humble prayer. The servant didn’t pray so that God would do something amazing that would make the servant look good for picking a good wife for his master. No, the servant was concerned that on his own, he might make a foolish decision.

Isn’t it so true that the proud that “know what should be done” and who listen to no one else,  and who definitely don’t ask God are usually do not produce the best outcomes. For example,  a CEO of a ruthless haircare insurance company might know what is best for making himself and those around him rich — by taking advantage of people and not providing the services that they have paid for, but instead keeping more of the money that is fair or just. Yet, his wife and children have no husband anymore, the reputation of his company is that they are murderers, and those he profited fear that the people might rise up and kill then as well. Imagine being rich but living in fear that the people will rise up and murder you,  or having nightmares about all those souls who have died because you denied them care, that is a poor way to live no matter how much money one might have.

But this servant was wise. He asked for counsel from his master. And he asked for help from God. What a great example for us to follow!

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Lord, Open our Eyes

Readings:

Genesis 21

Genesis 22

Genesis 23

Matthew 8

Matthew 9

As I read about God opening the eyes of Hagar at the well in Genesis 21:

Genesis 21:19 NLT
Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.

I am reminded of the fact that the Samaritan woman at the well was Jesus’s first evangelist — the first in the gospel of John to recognize Jesus as Messiah and actively spread the good news about Him to her community. She would have been a marginalized outsider in her community,  in parallel to Hagar who was cast out by Sarah and Abraham’s community.

Both of these women were considered outcasts from the “Jewish” community,  yet these are the women God spoke to directly, and through whom God would grow another community.

As I read about Abraham offering Isaac his son,  I am reminded of how this parallels Christ the son on the cross — and how it parallels the life of the believer. We must die to ourselves daily,  and we mystery gave the refining fires of the trials that we will face as followers of Christ walking through this foreign land.

The Lord has provided the sacrifice (Christ), and he also teaches us to be like Isaac and to be like Jesus, trusting our Father in Heaven to not harm us — even when it may look in the moment like they might slay us. It will sound weird, but I love those moments in my life where I have faced what looked like the end, that seemed as if God had written my ending — yet He makes a way where there was no way. Those moments are intense and not fun in the moment — but how wonderfully they grow our faith and our testimony!

As I read Matthew 8

Matthew 8:27 NLT
The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”

I thought to myself “Who is this man?” — shouldn’t they know by now? They have been walking with Him as his disciples for some time now! But I wonder how often we are in the presence of true,  powerful men and women of God — yet never recognize it because of their humility? We probably expect someone to look powerful with a title and position and plenty of followers so much that we might miss the miracles that follow these believers because they walk with God. We may not see so many of their prayers being answered because they do not pay publicly and loudly like the ones who want to be seen. We may not realize when just the shadow of their presence (which was truly the presence of the Holy Spirit of God) changes the atmosphere and demons scatter and flee from the light. I wonder how many times I have been unaware whole sitting amongst truly powerful ambassadors of Christ because my eyes weren’t adjusted to seeing true riches and true treasures and true power!

And isn’t this the right heart and mind of every Christ follower– not that we would see ourselves as great or powerful — but that we would know our need for our Lord and Savior:

Matthew 9:13 NLT
Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

It is the humble that He protects and the proud that He opposes:

Psalms 7:10 NLT
God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.

And those with renewed hearts and minds — those walking with their guide, comforter and teacher — those bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, against this there is no law, and there is no fear of God’s being just even as He is merciful. It is the wicked man that fears the law because he breaks it, not the godly man. And for the wicked man, trying to keep the law can’t save him — because he can’t keep it, and even if he kept the letter of the law, he can’t comprehend the meaning and purpose of the law is to lead him to God (not to just measure his own filthiest).

The law is a mirror to see that we are filthy. If you look in a mirror from far away, but the closer you get and the more you look into the mirror, you will see that you are dirty. But the mirror does not clean you, and neither does trying to keep the letter of the law. Because if your heart is filthy, you only need to look close enough into the mirror and you will see that your life is filthy in some way as well (no matter how hard you might try to hide it, or to look clean, or to justify your filth).

So are we washed by the Blood of the Lamb, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk as a new creation?

If so, we can walk upright and praise God for being just — because He has adjust been merciful:

Psalms 7:17 NLT
I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

But if we cannot praise a just God, is it because we have not truly repented of our sin,  have we clung tightly to some sin that we’ve refused to hand over to God? Are we foolishly presuming upon the kindness and mercy of God and expecting that He will not be Holy, righteous, and just?

Hebrews 10:20-31 NLT
By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Lord, open our eyes in your mercy, reveal yourself to us, teach us, guide us, and mold us, so that we can do the good works you have irritated for us. Do not let us get puffed up by the work that you do through us, but let us be humbled that you use someone even like me. Heal our hearts to be like yours, our lives to bear the fruit of your presence, and help us to walk upright and straight so that we love and abide in your justice and your holiness and your righteousness. We cannot get there without your mercy, nor can we take your mercy for granted and love a flawed “idea of mercy” while we love wickedness and sin instead of You. Amen.

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What a Friend we have in Jesus

Readings:

Genesis 17

Genesis 18

Matthew 6

Matthew 7

Proverbs 1

I’m reminded that the Lord is active and at work, that His blessings can come as a child, as healing, as correction, and even as destruction.

I am reminded that all of the Law and the prophets hang on what the world might call “being a good friend and offering friendship to all” — treating others as we would have them test us, loving others and loving God. So how have we been doing as we travel through this foreign land on our way home, my friends? How living have we been in our homes, and in the workplace, and amongst the believers, and amongst the unbelievers?

Like the blind man whose sight was restored and he saw the Lord face to face and celebrated, may we see you clearly with our hearts and minds when we study your Word, our God and our friend. Teach us and overcome us with your spirit, your nature, your wisdom, and your compassion. You are a good good fatherand a wonderful friend, oh Lord our Rock, our shelter, our Redeemer, and the one who sees us. Amen.

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Be Perfect as God is Perfect: Love Your Enemies

Readings:

Genesis 14

Genesis 15

Genesis 16

Matthew 5

Matthew 6

Psalms 6

Love your enemies — not just your friends and those who treat you well. This is the emphasis of Jesus’s sermon on the mount when He says,

Matthew 5:48 NLT
But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

It’s easy for us to be offensive and petty when we are offended. In fact,  that is probably our default — “you hurt me, so I’ll hurt you” seems to be how our pride and our flesh screams out for what it thinks is “justice”.

But God has a different way. And it isn’t to be a spineless coward either. Mercy and loving our enemy is strength under control. We may have the strength, the ability, the opportunity,  and even the self justified motive for why we might destroy our enemies, but we are told to love them — and to leave Vengeance to the Lord.

Romans 12:19 NLT
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

This advice in the New Testament builds upon what we see in the Old Testament:

Psalms 94:1 NLT
O Lord, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!

Leviticus 19:18 NLT
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

The New Testament goes beyond loving your fellow kinsman and neighbor even to living your enemy. And isn’t this how Good loves us?

Romans 5:6-11 NLT
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

And such a call is beyond the weakness of our flesh and pride. So Lord God our Redeemer and our strength,  you must do this in us and through us. Since this is who you would have us be. Help us to not resist your Holy Spirit and to willingly die to ourselves and be raised to life in you today.  Amen.

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How different holiness “looks” than we might expect

Readings:

Genesis 11

Genesis 12

Genesis 13

Matthew 5

Psalms 5

Man, how many things we take for granted these days. Imagine a world so corrupt that a faithful and righteous man who walks with God chooses to offer up his wife to a ruler as if she is his sister so that he would not be killed — and God, knowing Abram’s heart and the whole situation brings curses onto the rulers house and blessings through this wickedness onto Abram and his wife. In a world where laws and attempts at justice for all are at least the appearance that most people and nations want to project — this story can seem confusing and uncomfortable, right?

But imagine how much closer our sin is to what Abram did here — in fact, how much closer our best acts are to what Abram did here — than they are to the holiness of God. In fact, our best works are filthy rags. We can easily be distracted if we’re looking for Abram, ourselves, or anyone else to be the hero figure in these stories. No, we are all fallen, we have all fallen short, we are all in great need of Christ.

And, I love the “don’t go to the altar of you have unsettled problems with someone”. Some of the most valuable missed Sunday church services or “walk outs” in the middle of a church service have been when I’ve remembered this very verse — and choose to fear God more than fearing man.

Those moments when you know that any attempts at actual prayer time in the presence of God are going to be hindered, and instead of “looking like a good church goer” you’d rather “look like a heathen but walk as the church we are called to actually be”.

It’s funny how many times doing the things that God actually calls us to do won’t earn us any honor or respect in the eyes of people around us — and it shouldn’t anyways, if it’s really Him doing work through us.

And what about those times when we are hurting and grieving so deeply that the one that we have a problem with is God — and we’re faced with the Rock that we need to fall down upon, but it feels in some way that the rock might crush us.

This path is narrow, but it’s still so much better than when I stray or when I was blind and lost. Thank you Jesus!

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God has a plan and a promise, will we follow or oppose?

Readings:

Genesis 7

Genesis 8

Genesis 9

Matthew 4

Proverbs 1

What a contrast we see between what is good and what is evil, between what is foolish and what is wise!

God made a wise plan and Noah followed it, and God made a Noahic covenant. And after having meat today, I’m especially appreciative of this covenant!

This made me consider the various covenants tonight.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Edenic-covenant.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/Adamic-covenant.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/Noahic-covenant.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahamic-covenant.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/Palestinian-covenant.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/Mosaic-covenant.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/Davidic-covenant.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/new-covenant.html

Note: Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism camps arguments on “Israel” as:

  • the genetic descendants of Abraham
  • the political nation
  • the physical Holy land
  • the Church as “true Israel”

confuse me.

If anyone can clear up the distinctions, I’m interested.

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Drawing Close

Readings:

Genesis 4

Genesis 5

Genesis 6

Genesis 8

Genesis 9

Genesis 10

Genesis 11

Matthew 2

Matthew 3

Psalm 3

Matthew 3:10 NLT
Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

Good fruit is quite different than a religious/pious life or a life focused on less sin. Paul encourages us in Romans 7:24-25 that starts out “O wretched man that I am…” and in 1 Tomothy 1:15 where he proclaims “I am chief among sinners”.

The Way is not just about turning away from sin that hands is and others, it is about living close with God. We see this distinction about both Enosh and Noah who walked with God. We too are called to walk with God, to personally seek and know Him. He is not just our Lord, not just our Savior, not just Father God, but He is also our Friend.

It is this walk with Him that produces fruit that others around us get to enjoy — not works of our own hands, but supernatural nourishment provide to others by the Holy Spirit working through us.

Like Peter’s shadow healing the sick in Acts 5:14-16 and “miracles following those who believe” mentioned in Mark 16:17-20 — God uses those He loves and that love Him to be a blessing to those around us — just as He models in Israel to be a blessing to the nations (Gen 12, Gen 18:18, Gen 22:18, Jer 4:2, Zech 8:12).

Isn’t it so much more amazing that God does work through us to bear fruit than just some demand that we be good enough to earn or prove our worth and value to Him? Being in His presence changes us, and He is responsible for the good works He prepared for us in advance, and even for our salvation, so that none of us should boast our get puffed up in religious pride.

What a wonderful, awesome, amazing God we serve, and know, and love. Amen.

And what about when it “feels” like a curse more than a blessing? What if we are hungry for nourishment ourselves, hurting, grieving, suffering?

He is the God that both builds up and tears down — and in all of it there is purpose. Jeremiah 1:10, Jeremiah 31:28, and Jeremiah 45:4

I love the song “Though you Slay Me” by Shane and Shane, and especially love the Son excerpt from John Piper where he voices the spirit of Job 13:15 that even in our suffering and pain, God is renewing us day by day (as 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 teaches).

John Piper says, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

So if we are in this current moment of grief, of suffering, of trial. of discipline, or “whatever does not feel good in the moment”, we can seek to understand in the perspective of eternity, not just feelings in a moment.

In fact, in these times, we are drawn to find our comfort in Him and not the things of this world.

Thank you Jesus!

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HaShem – the Name

In my last study notes, I was looking at the various names we see given, received and used for God by various individuals. This was initiated because of the difference in the names Hagar and Abraham had for God in Genesis chapters 16 & 17. But now we come to chapter 18, and we see the tetragammon יְהֹוָה in use to describe God in this chapter.

What is quite interesting about the tetragammon יְהֹוָה is that while modern Christian Bibles will simply translate it as LORD, this particular proper name for God is a bit unique. The original Hebrew for this proper name of God was just consonants — and didn’t even include vowels to help one understand from its being written how it might be properly pronounced.

And some Jewish translations wouldn’t even write or speak the tetragammon יְהֹוָה, for fear of violating the third commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain. They might use the word HaShem השם‎ instead as a less formal description, which simply means “the Name”. Common substitutions in Hebrew for this proper name are Adonai (“My Lord”) or Elohim (literally “gods” but treated as singular when meaning “God”) in prayer, or HaShem (“The Name”) in everyday speech.

You can get an idea of the use of HaShem from this Jewish translation to English that you might compare side by side with your own English translation that probably uses LORD: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/bereishit-genesis-chapter-18

While there is plenty of public disagreement today over whether יְהֹוָה should be pronounced “Yahweh” or “Jehovah” (or many other variations) — the original people given this name were so respectful of it that they hesitated to even consider writing or saying it. This is something that I fear many of us today might overlook or not rightly understand today — that deep awe and reverence towards the proper use and handling of the name of God. (In a world filled with “MF this” and “GD that” commonly tolerated in public, on television, and all over the Internet — it may be best that we don’t hear the tetragammon יְהֹוָה being dropped in pop music just to gain some notoriety and make a little more money.)

We will find all kinds of names in the Bible for God if we keep looking. And if you look to each person and their need, you will see God’s unique and personal name associated with them and their stories. And while it is good to know someone else’s story and get introduced to God through their faith secondhand — I would say that there is a greater value in knowing personally and closely the intimate and personal name that your betrothed would share with you firsthand.

There is no argument that the world is given only one name by which salvation is given, and only one name above all names — Jesus:

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9‭-‬11 NLT

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”
Acts 4:12 AMP

But the world knows my wife by her name Mandee and me by my name Harold — but when we are away from the world and together in private, we have our pet names — we have our close, personal nicknames. Even with our close friends, we have our names for each other that are closer and more personal than our formal names.

When you rest in the Lord, when you spend sweet time in the garden with your teacher and your comforter, what sweet and personal name do you have for the Lord and who He is for you personally?

If you don’t know Him that close and personally yet, you can. Just slow down, step away from the staterooms and temptations of this world to draw close to Him, to seek Him. He is here with you, very close and not far away. May you know Him and He know you — that changes everything. Amen.