What does it mean to go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah as was prophesied about John the Baptist? John's father, Zechariah, declared, "And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins." (Luke 1:76-77 - NLT) He certainly had an important call on his life! I think that every Believer has the same call—that we should live our lives to "prepare the way for the Lord," in the spirit of Elijah.
We can read about Elijah's life in the Bible in 1 Kings 17 through 2 Kings 2. Here are some of the highlights of his life:
The prophet Malachi declared, "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers..." (Malachi 4:5-6) The angel of the Lord repeated this prophecy to Zechariah to let him know that his son John would fulfill it. (Luke 1:15-17) And John's life is seen as a standard for all of us to follow. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it." (Matthew 11:11-12) We are in the season of celebrating the break-in of heaven to earth. Jesus came to earth as a seed in his mother's womb. As that seed grew, John the Baptist would prepare the way for Him. Time would show that Jesus is the Lord of the breakthrough. He demonstrated the power and love of His Father in heaven. Many around us are celebrating Christmas but may not comprehend its true meaning. We are those who can and should prepare the way of the Lord through a ministry of power and love that fosters reconciliation between family members and friends. The anointing is upon us: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19) These promises from the Word of God may challenge us, but let us not bring the truth of the Word down to our level of experience. Ask Holy Spirit to bring our experience up to the truth of the Word. Let's claim these promises over our lives and launch out into a lifestyle to "prepare the way of the Lord." The Cape Florida Lighthouse at Key Biscayne, Florida has been preserved along with a house that the light keeper and his family would have lived in. The job description for the "Keeper of the Light" is on the wall of the house. As I read about the duties of the light keepers, I was reminded that they are like the duties of the priests in the temple and the responsibility of those of us who carry the light of God within us.
For the Light Keeper, self-sacrifice, loyalty and dedication to the care of the light and the property around it were of utmost importance. Here are some of the duties of the Keeper of the Light:
Spring flowering trees that are blossoming in October? What is going on? As I look out my bedroom window I see clusters of rosy-colored crabapple blossoms. The tree has been confused by our uncharacteristically warm weather. Spring blooming trees set their flower buds for the following spring in the summer. The extra warmth of our autumn brought those buds into bloom. Now I am seeing both flowers and fruit on the same tree.
Like the crabapple tree, Christians are to blossom and bear fruit. God made it clear to the Israelites that He wants priests who blossom and bear fruit to minister to Him. He instructed Moses to place a staff from the leaders of each tribe in the Tent of Testimony. "The next day Moses entered the Tent of Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds." (Numbers 17:8) This was a confirmation that those in the tribe of Levi were to perform duties in the Tent of Testimony and minister before the Lord. Jesus dealt with the issue of spiritual unfruitfulness while He was walking with the disciples from Bethany to Jerusalem through the cursing of an unproductive fig tree (representing Israel). "The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to find out if it had any fruit. When He reached it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then He said to the tree, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And His disciples heard Him say it." (Mark 11:12-13) God's desire for us to blossom and bear fruit for His Kingdom is talked about in Isaiah 27:6. "In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit." How can we increase our season of bloom and fruit bearing? The crabapple tree blossomed out of season because of the warm environment around it. We must be atmosphere changers! God rewards those who seek Him with all their hearts. (Jeremiah 29:13) Let us ask the Lord to draw us unto Himself. "Take me away with you--let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers." (Song of Solomon 1:4) Let us strengthen our faith. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6-NAS) Let us be diligent in our pursuit of the Lord and watch the flame of love bring us into blossom and increasing fruitfulness. I was not looking forward to a recent visit to the dentist to have a filling replaced, but God turned this visit into an opportunity for me to have a Kingdom discussion with the dental assistant. He told me how important it is to have good oral hygiene and that the health of our mouths can impact the health of every area of our bodies. Holy Spirit quickly showed me how this conversation about the physical body could be applied to the spiritual realm. When I returned home I researched what we had spoken about on "webmd" and "absolutedental.com." The sites confirmed what the dental assistant had said about the importance of oral health. The mouth is called "the gateway to the body," and because of this, "Poor oral health can have negative consequences for the entire body." "Absolutedental.com" says this: "Bacteria from the mouth can easily get into the bloodstream and cause infection and inflammation wherever it spreads...The following health problems can be caused by poor oral health: cardiovascular disease, dementia, respiratory infections, diabetes, pregnancy complications, infertility, erectile dysfunction, cancer, kidney disease and rheumatoid arthritis." Honestly, I was completely surprised by this extensive list. Spiritual good health for our mouths is just as important as physical. What comes out of our mouths will impact all aspects of our being, and that of others, for good or evil. There are over one hundred Scripture verses in the Bible that give us direction on how to use our mouths. The book of James dedicates most of Chapter 3 to the subject of taming the tongue. "The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." (Verses 5-6) "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." (Verses 9-10) As we see, our words have the power to bring life or death to our own souls and to the souls of others. The power of our tongues is confirmed in the fact that we are made in God's image and that with His words, He created the universe. "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth." (Psalm 33:6) Learning that our mouths can be used to bless or to curse, King David asked the Lord for help in controlling it in Psalm 141:3. "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." The book of Proverbs has much to say about what comes out of our mouths. "The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips a snare to their very lives." (Proverbs 18:7) "A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction." (Proverbs 16:23) Matthew wrote, "What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." (Matthew 15:11) Paul understands the ramifications of what comes out of our mouths and how it affects others: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29) Jesus warned about the judgment day and said, "For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37) We must recognize the power we carry to bring about good or poor health in our bodies and souls and those of others. As I have told you before, whatever kingdom we agree with impacts us and those around us in a positive or negative way. The Holy Spirit can and will assist us if we ask Him for help in controlling our mouths. Let this be our prayer: "May the words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14) If I had to select one Scripture that means more for living in the power of Christ than any other, it would be 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. These three verses are packed with wisdom from on high, and if the Body of Christ lived according to them we would be victorious against the forces of evil. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension (claim) that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." The truth is that when we received Jesus Christ as our Savior, He gave us power and authority in His name. We were made in the image of God who used His voice to create the universe. Repeatedly, the book of Genesis tells us, "And God said." Then it describes the results of what God said. For example, "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." (Genesis 1:3) Like God, the words that we say have power and authority to change the world around us. However, we must remember that these changes can be for the good or the bad, because our words are weapons. There are two kingdoms, and everything that comes out of our mouths will agree with one of these kingdoms, either the Kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness. As it says in 2 Corinthians 10:3, we do not wage war like the world does. God has given us a spiritual weapon that is stronger than any physical weapon the world can produce. Ephesians 6:7 tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. This Word comes from the Kingdom of light, and as we speak in agreement with it we have the power to produce life. On the other hand, anything we say that does not agree with the Kingdom of light agrees with the kingdom of darkness and ultimately produces death. Negative words make an agreement with the demonic that give it permission to bring about the consequences of these words. Proverbs 18:21 confirms the power of the spoken word: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (NKJV) We are here on earth on assignment from God, to live our lives like Jesus did. When we are doing this, we live in His power and authority. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us how to maintain them: We must use the words of God, declaring His whole truth, to destroy every argument and claim that does not agree with the complete truth of God. We must not speak in a negative way that agrees with the proclamations of the world. We must believe that all things are possible with Christ and speak in agreement with His Kingdom. Cindy Trimm, former senator, author and dedicated Christian whose goal is to expand the Kingdom of God, has good advice on how to use our Scripture. She says, "Use every thought like an architect uses a blueprint. Think about every detail. Ask God to enlarge your capacity for thinking and imagining." As we allow the Lord to do this, and trust Him to work in our best interest, we will speak positive words that transform us and the world around us and lead us to victory. "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2) This is the word of the Lord to God's people through the prophet Isaiah. The Lord points out the problem and then begins to explain the solution. In the end, He comes as our Savior to offer eternal life with Him. "No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity...The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths...We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows...The Lord looked and was displeased that there was not justice. He saw that there was no one, He was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so His own arm worked salvation for Him, and His own righteousness sustained Him. He put on righteousness as His breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in zeal as in a cloak." (Isaiah 59:4-17)
The Lord's concern for His people is obvious in Isaiah 59. He sees their sin and wants redemption for them. His great love brings Him to the conclusion that they cannot be saved apart from Him. He is ready to go to war against the enemy of their souls. Isaiah completes the prophecy: "'So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,' says the Lord. 'As for me,’ says the Lord, ‘this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My Words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendant's descendants,' says the Lord, 'from this time and forevermore.'" (Isaiah 59:19-21- NKJ) Sin had separated man from God; however, in God's great love and amazing grace, He forged a plan that meant He would have to sacrifice everything. His plan involved the sacrifice of His own Son. Isaiah tells the entire story of the sacrifice in Isaiah 53. Here is what verse 11 and 12 tell us: "After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." We find the declaration of the Lord regarding sin in Isaiah 43:25. "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remember your sins no more." Isaiah gives us a picture of how the Lord's redemption changes the appearance of sin: "...Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18) The prophet Jeremiah also addresses the issue of sin and how the Lord deals with it: "...For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Jeremiah 31:34) The New Testament confirms what is said in the Old and gives us more details. The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah word for word in Hebrews 8:12. Not only did God take our sins, but He gave us something in return. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) In order for us to obtain this righteousness the Lord requires something from us. "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:22-24) Here is the bottom line: "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25) How grateful we should be that a gift that is so magnanimous and eternal was given freely to all who believe. We have been saved from eternal damnation and given a future in the heavenly realms with our Savior. Our future is as bright as the glory of God, and what is waiting for us is beyond our imagination. (I Corinthians 2:9) Today is the first day of the 9th month on the Hebrew calendar. It is significant that our tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving falls within this month--Kislev. The Hebrew letter SAMEKH is a picture of trust, support and coming full circle and is associated with Kislev.
Since Kislev represents security and trust we should be paying attention to our relationship with the Lord and our level of trust in Him. What better way is there to build our trust in the Lord than by giving Him thanks? In his book A Time to Advance, Chuck Pierce says, "God gives us cultural holidays to help us enter our covenant holidays." In celebrating Thanksgiving, we set aside time from our daily routines to give thanks to God for all that He has done. We acknowledge His faithfulness in our lives. As we acknowledge His goodness, we recognize that He is trustworthy, and we can enter a place of rest. Giving thanks to the Lord and praising Him for His faithfulness leads us to peace and is a warfare strategy. As we review the events of the past year, some of us will be reminded of the battles that we fought, and are still fighting. We must embrace the truth that God is in the midst of the battle. As the writer of Hebrews says, "He will never leave or forsake us." He also says, "So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.'" (Hebrews 13:5-6) When Moses summoned Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land he told him to be strong and courageous in order for the people to take their inheritance. Deuteronomy 31:8 records the words of Moses: "The Lord Himself goes before and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged." In Joshua, Chapter 1 we read that God Himself repeats the words of Moses to Joshua. He says, "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses...As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." There is usually a battle involved in anything worth doing. We must fight for our inheritances. This month of Kislev is meant to be one where we develop warfare strategies. Not only is it associated with the tribe of Benjamin--the one gifted with the use of the bow--but also with the constellation Sagittarius (the archer). Even the heavens speak to us about the season we are in and how to live fully in it. As we give thanks to the Lord, we are agreeing with the Kingdom of Heaven in declaring the goodness of God. As we recount His faithfulness, our vision improves, and we will have revelation of the way to battle for our futures. Revelation brings rest and peace. May I suggest that we be bold in our declarations of thanks during this month of Kislev and the season of Thanksgiving. This is an offensive tact that brings us peace and delights the Lord. The disciples traveled by boat from one shore of the Sea of Galilee to another. It is recorded in Scripture several times that they encountered storms as they went across the Sea or Lake. Matthew writes about the time a "furious storm came up on the Lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping." (Matthew 8:24) Did you ever wonder how Jesus carried such peace that He was able to sleep in a storm? Songwriter, musician and contemporary Christian music singer Steven Curtis Chapman found the answer to this question in 2008. In May of that year he and his wife lost their youngest daughter, Maria, in a horrific accident. When interviewed about how he lived through this heart-breaking time, here is what he said: "God, this is what's most true. The pain is true. The questions are real. The grief is real. The anger is real. But what's most real, and what's most true, is that you are God. You're faithful." Chapman went on to give this advice: "Drop your anchor in the promises of God." Indeed, Chapman's season of loss and mourning gave him an entirely new perspective on writing music. He said that proclaiming the truth was what sustained him. He began to write songs highlighting the promises of God. I surmise that as he declared the truth, peace began to flow and reign. Jesus knew the promises of Father God. (Not only this, but He is the promise of God.) He was anchored in the promises of God; this is how He slept through the storm. The prophet Isaiah wrote one of God's promises to Israel: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." (Isaiah 66:12-13) If only Israel would drop their anchor in this promise! The purpose of an anchor is to hold a ship in place. Our spiritual anchors are to function like a physical one--to keep us from drifting away into uncharted territory. The anchor is to keep us from entering the place of anxiety, doubt, fear and unbelief. Dropping the anchor into the promises of God allows us a time of rest during the journey. The writer of Hebrews understood not only what the anchor is made of but how it is to be used. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf..." (Hebrews 6:19-20) Here, the hope and promises of the gospel are compared to an anchor for our souls. Drop your anchor in the promises of God. They will sustain and encourage you and give you peace in the storm.lick here to edit. In order to receive the 10 Commandments from the Lord, Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and stayed there for 40 days. Unfortunately, the Israelites became impatient and turned their backs on God. This affront to God occurred during the 4th month on the Hebrew calendar--Tammuz. Aaron the priest was asked to make an idol to "go before" the people (Exodus 32:1) He instructed them to remove their gold earrings and oversaw the forming of a golden calf which they worshiped.
The sin that was embraced set into motion the most difficult time period on the Jewish calendar where disasters befall the Jewish people year after year during this time frame. It is recorded that on the 17th of Tammuz Moses came down from Mt. Sinai after God told him what the people were doing. Despite all the miraculous encounters with the Lord, the people sinned against Him. Moses was able to convince God not to destroy His people before he came down from the Mountain. God dealt with the sin of the Israelites without completely destroying them. However, the damage was done. A downward spiral that started on the 17th of Tammuz ended with the 9th of Av. This date is infamous for the calamities that have occurred. In some commentaries the Egyptians that accompanied the Israelites out of the land of bondage are blamed for their negative influence. It is suggested that they convinced the Israelites to take part in idol worship. To place blame on the Egyptians is a cop-out as the people of God are the ones who made the ultimate decision. The decision by the Israelites led to the anger of God and Moses toward these people and opened the door for continuing disasters. During the same time frame in Tammuz as the building of the golden calf, the Israelites sent 12 spies into the Promised Land. Even though they saw that the land produced abundant fruit and grain, they allowed their fear of giants in the land to taint their report. Ignoring God's promise to give them the land of Canaan, all but Joshua and Caleb gave a bad report. (Numbers 13) We must understand the lessons of Tammuz to stop any cycles of destruction in our own lives. The two sins committed by the Israelites were this: worshiping idols and giving a negative report. How many of us unwittingly do this? Our lifestyles do not make God the number one priority. Our mouths confess agreement with the kingdom of darkness, opening the door for the demonic to operate in our lives. The lessons of Tammuz are clear. We must love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and with all our souls and with all our strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5) And, we must declare the truth of God's Word. Today we begin the month of Tammuz. Let us make a concerted effort to place God first and to speak in agreement with Him. Psalm 84:5 tells us that blessing comes to those whose strength is in the Lord and who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. Every pilgrimage includes seasons with challenges meant to mature us in our faith and trust in the Lord. An integral part of every journey is times of sacrifice.
Different types of sacrifices are written about in the Old Testament. There was a sacrificial system in place that was meant to teach God's people about His great love and forgiveness. Five different sacrifices are talked about in Scripture: burnt offering, grain offering, fellowship offering, sin offering and guilt offering. All of these sacrifices were pointing God's people toward Christ. Since Jesus became our ultimate sacrifice there is no need for these offerings any longer. However, we are to follow the example that He set for us. "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" (Matthew 16:24) The day of Pentecost occurred on the Jewish pilgrim feast called Shavuot. The Jews came to the temple to celebrate the day that God gave the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. This day was celebrated by bringing God a sacrificial gift according to Deuteronomy 16:9-10. "Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you." When I think about the abundant blessings that God has poured out upon me I wonder how my offering can begin to show my gratitude. And yet God considers obedience as a sacrificial offering. The God-fearing Jews who were in Jerusalem to honor God on Shavuot were sacrificing time and sowing seeds of worship to Him. Their obedience resulted in God's delight in pouring out His supernatural power through the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. The Church calls this day Pentecost. This year the anniversary of Shavuot occurred on Wednesday. Today is what the Church calls Pentecost Sunday. When we consider giving the Lord an appropriate sacrifice we must ask ourselves what kind of relationship we want with Him. If the answer to that question is that we want a more intimate and personal relationship with Him, we must deal with our carnal nature and crucify the flesh. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Galations 5:24 - KJV) If we desire to go all the way with Christ, there is a cross to carry. For me, the story of Abraham and Isaac demonstrates the type of sacrifice that God is looking for. Is it not interesting that God gave Isaac to Abraham in a supernatural way and yet Abraham was required to show his unconditional love for God by sacrificing Isaac? God blesses us with gifts. He is the one who gives us material for sacrifice. We must be willing to lay down those things that separate us from our highest purpose in God. The pain involved in this process is real; He understands. He is the one who did not spare His own Son. How hungry are you for a full revelation of God's love and power? What is God asking you to place on the altar? I want to speak for myself. The blessings God has given to me are lavish and undeniable. He has made me aware of the material for sacrifice that is intertwined in the blessings. There will be pain in my offering. This is characteristic of true sacrifice. I have a choice to make. What I know is this: He is worthy of everything! |
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