Psalm 33 comes to mind as I contemplate the events of last weekend. "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the people. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth--He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army, no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in HIs unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." (Psalm 33:8-19)
Prime Minister Netanyahu said it well..."The shooting of Trump is an attack on America and an attack on democracy." Our country got a wakeup call on Saturday, July 13, when a 20-year old man climbed up on a roof and shot Donald Trump as he was making a speech in Butler, PA. Details as to who he is and why he would do this are slim, but his actions have awakened the people of America. My hope is that everyone will contemplate their frailty and open their hearts to the Eternal God who holds our lives in HIs hands. Job said, "He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success." (Job 5:12) After spending time in considerable suffering and complaining to his friends, Job acknowledged that he had been talking over his understanding. Also, after meeting the Sovereign God and realizing that God was with him through it all, his testimony was, "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:2) Several verses in Proverbs agree with Job's testimony. "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." (Proverbs 21:30) None of us can presume on tomorrow or even the next minute as the attempt on Donald Trump's life so visibly shows us. James 4:14 warns, "But you don't have a clue what tomorrow may bring, for fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes!" (TPT) The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that God makes everything fit together in its timing. He says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Chapter 8, Verse 6 says, "For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter." The life of Donald Trump has been spared by our Sovereign God. Dutch Sheets articulates the perspective of many: "If Trump ever questioned God's hand and destiny on him, he should now be fully assured of it." President Trump himself recognizes the protection of God and the mandate that he must move forward. He wrote a social media post that says, "Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. We will Fear Not, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness...In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win. I truly love our country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin." What should our response be in light of the events of July 13? May I suggest that we live every day as if it were our last. The Psalmist reminds us that our days are numbered. (Psalm 90:12) We must use every opportunity to love and encourage those around us and to nurture our relationship with the Lord. Let us also pray for protection over, wisdom to infuse, and fear of the Lord to overtake those who are running for office and who have a call on their lives to lead America into the future. Another quote from Donald Trump should be kept in mind. "None of us knows God's plan, or where life's adventure will take us. But if the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on Earth is a gift from God.” We should not live in the past but learn from it! This is the clear message from the month of Tammuz, the fourth on the Hebrew calendar. There is wisdom in looking to the past so that we can discern what God is trying to teach us. One of the reasons I keep tuned in to the Hebrew calendar is that it gives me direction each month on how to live my life for victory. The prophet Hosea warns us: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6) When we are aware of the patterns of the Biblical calendar we are prepared for battle and poised for victory.
The Jews have a day of fasting on the 17th of Tammuz. This marks the day when the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem in 70 AD. There is another fast that occurs on the 9th of Av, the fifth month, because both Temples were destroyed (in different years) on the same day. We need to be on guard during the month of Tammuz as our spiritual enemies want to repeat history. They will be pushing to entice us into destroying our spiritual temples and our walk with the Lord. Chuck Pierce of Glory of Zion Ministries calls this month "The Filmstrip Month." Our lives tell a story as we learn the pattern from the past and look at the "slides" of events that have occurred and are linked together. We can also learn from the Israelites, as they are the people who are the "root" of our Christian faith. (Romans 11:17, 18) It was during Tammuz that the Israelites were waiting for Moses to return from his meeting with God on Mt. Sinai. They became impatient and looked for immediate gratification and comfort. In their desire they did not remember their past when God freed them from the bondage of Egypt with plunder, led them through the wilderness, and provided for their every need with water, manna, and quail. He even gave them victory over the Amalekites who attacked them. Psalm 78:42 puts it this way: "They did not remember His power—the day He redeemed them from the oppressor." The children of Israel chose to worship an idol, a golden calf that they crafted, instead of God. Idolatry always leads to destruction and desolation. Our enemy, the devil, want us to repeat the pattern of idol worship and places before us a plethora of ways to shift our focus from the worship of the One True God. We must be on guard, especially during this month. Each month of the Hebrew calendar is associated with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. Tammuz is connected with the eighth letter of this alphabet. It is called "Chet" and looks like a doorway. The letter means "life" or "wisdom." It is significant that the Lord Jesus became a doorway for us. He led us from sin and death and into a life of peace with God. Here is what Jesus said about himself: "...Most assuredly, I say to you, ' I am the door of the sheep...I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." (John 10:7, 9 – NKJV) It is only as we worship the one true God that we will find the door to peace. All of us could make some adjustments in our lives to move toward God's direction. This is the time to look at what has happened in the past so that we can chart the course for the future. We must investigate the trials, battles, and blessings. We must recall prophetic words of direction for our lives. Our life's story is not complete. The way to walk in the right direction is to dedicate ourselves to worshiping the Lord so that we do not develop a "golden calf." We must guard our mouths making sure that the words coming out of it agree with the Kingdom of Light. God wants us to shine this month as Moses did when he entered the Lord's presence. (Exodus 34:29-35) Let us stay on the ancient path and walk in the good way so that we find rest for our souls. (Jeremiah 6:16) Friends of ours who are missionaries in Kenya had to be particular about the way they built the foundation of their home. It sits on the Rift Valley on land where the earth's tectonic plates move apart or rift. The rift is approximately 5,950 km long and runs through eastern Africa up to the Red Sea and into Western Asia. The tectonic plates are constantly in motion, shifting against each other in the fault zones. Since the foundation is the lowest part of a building, it interacts with the soil and transmits the load of the structure to the soil below. Homes built in the Rift Valley need a deep foundation that is reinforced with extra rebar. Some have expansion joints (springs that function as shock absorbers).
The Bible records the words of Jesus about wise and foolish builders in Luke 6. He was talking to the crowds of people, sharing with them about how to live godly lives. He told them, "Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against the house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. (Jesus) But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." (Verses 47-49- NKJV) As Christians we must also establish a sturdy foundation to endure the shakings of our age, the attacks from the demonic realm, and the trials that come our way. We started building our foundations when we professed faith in the Lord Jesus. We must be continually adding to our faith through standing firm in our belief that God who "calls us is faithful, and He will to it." (1 Thessalonians 5:24) Isaiah 28:16 and 17 have words of encouragement for us. If we embrace these verses they will help to build our faith foundations. "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line. This verse introduces the word “trust." It is our faith in the Lord that helps us to trust in Him. Isaiah 33:6 ushers in another aspect of foundation building. "He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure." The fear of the Lord means we are in awe of Him and that we have a deep reverence and respect for Him. There are many benefits to having the fear of the Lord. Here are a few: "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love." (Psalm 33:18) "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them." (Psalm 34:7) "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." (Psalm 111:10) "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him." (Psalm 128:1) "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." (Proverbs 1:7) "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death." (Proverbs 14:27) "The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble." (Proverbs 19:23) To add strength to our foundations we must be in The Word daily, infusing ourselves with His truth. I believe that as we walk out His Word, the quakes and shakings will not make an impact on our foundations, and we will be able to stand through trials and temptations. It would be faith-building for us to meditate on 1 Peter 1:3-7 this week. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." Let this truth be a shield and fortification for our faith foundations. "You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." So said Martin Luther King, Jr. When I read this quote I thought about Bowman's Tower in Washington Crossing, PA. In 1929, the construction of the tower was begun on a site that may have been the lookout for George Washington before he and his troops crossed the Delaware River on Christmas eve in 1776 to march to Trenton and surprise the British army. When the tower was completed in 1931 as a commemoration of the American Revolution, it was a 125' tall stone tower with a 24-foot squared base and a spiral staircase of 124 steps. The tight spiral of the stairs requires one to keep climbing to see more stairs. The climb is arduous but certainly worth doing as there is a fourteen-mile view of the surrounding landscape and River that is breathtaking. A point of interest is that 28,300 seedlings were planted around the Tower after its completion to reforest the hill upon which it was built.
Taking the first step in any endeavor is the hardest part of getting started. For those who believe in the kingship of Jesus there is an element of trust involved in stepping out in obedience to what God desires. Psalm 9:10 puts everything into perspective. "Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 62:8 is similar. "Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." Proverbs 16:20 gives further insight. "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord." Once trust is established, a journey begins that is accomplished one step at a time. Each step takes more courage and determination but also increases revelation. We must remember that the Lord has a path for us to walk. He does not leave us without assistance. In his discourse to his friends, Job asks a question: "Does He not see my ways and count my every step?" (Job 31:4) Job's friend, Elihu answers this question when he declares, "His eyes are on the ways of men; He sees their every step." We are completely dependent upon the Lord to direct our steps. Proverbs 20:24 explains our journey. "It is the Lord who directs your life, for each step you take is ordained by God to bring you closer to your destiny. So much of your life, then remains a mystery!" This verse from The Passion Translation comes with a footnote. The Aramaic of the last part of this verse reads, "So what man is capable of ordering his ways?" Great question!! "What man is capable of ordering his way?" We are totally dependent upon the Lord to set our course and direct our paths. One of the ways in which He helps us is through His Word. The Psalmist says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105) As we ready ourselves to take the next step toward our destinies, let us remember Proverbs 3:5, 6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." In addition, I would encourage you to pray a daily prayer that I believe will help us take our next steps. "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life." (Psalm 143:8) God calls them festivals or feasts. They are explained to us in the book of Leviticus, Chapter 23. Three times a year, Jewish men were commanded to go to Jerusalem to give an offering to the Lord. Passover or Pesach, Pentecost or Shavuot, and Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot are called "Pilgrim Feasts" because of the requirement for men to present themselves before God. All three of these feasts have to do with harvests and honoring God's provision, The feasts, in Hebrew, are called Moedim, which means "Appointed Times."
At sunset next Tuesday, the celebration of Shavuot will take place. Beginning on the day of Firstfruits or the day Jesus was resurrected and the day the firstfruits of the barley harvest were brought to the synagogue, Jews began to count: "Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord." (Leviticus 23:16, 17) We can read about the expansion and fullness of Shavuot in Acts, Chapter 2. What happened in the upper room in Jerusalem reenacted what happened on Mount Sinai. Some of you may be asking why we should be celebrating Shavuot next week when the Church did so on Sunday, May 19. This is because the Church's traditional celebration of the resurrection of Jesus follows the Greek calendar instead of the Hebrew one. Their fifty-day count started much earlier than the one that started the second day of Passover. Since I grew up in a traditional church and understand the difference between the two calendars, I choose to remember both dates and believe all Christians should do likewise. On the Hebrew calendar, Shavuot falls on the sixth day of the third month of Sivan. Initially, Shavuot was a celebration of the wheat harvest. Added to it was the remembrance of this time when Moses received the two tablets with the laws of God written on them. Two is a significant number during this festival. Two loaves of bread with leaven in them are waved before God as an offering and can have several meanings. They could represent the two tablets of Torah containing the ten commandments. We could also conclude that they refer to two gifts--the gift of the law and that of The Holy Spirit. (Ruach Kadosh). Others believe that the two loaves are symbols of Jew and Gentile as the one new man written about in Ephesians 2:15. This reminds us that God fulfilled His covenant with Abraham to bless all nations through him. (Genesis 12:3) Since leaven symbolizes sinful humanity, we are reminded that the Body of Christ or The Church is made up of sinners but redeemed by the Lord. God selected the day when the people in Israel would be gathered to celebrate the wheat harvest to pour out HIs Spirit. Acts 2:1 says, "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place." The description of this continues in Acts 2:2-4. "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violet wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." This is a picture of what happened on Mount Sinai. "Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire." (Exodus 19:18) When Moses came down from the mountain, he saw the Israelites worshiping a golden calf that they built. Three thousand people died on that day because of their sin. However, on the day when the Holy Spirit was released, three thousand Jews became believers in Yeshua. Redemption has always been God's plan. Shavuot has been compared to a wedding for it was on this day that the Jews became "The Bride of Messiah." The Spirit of God wrote the law on the hearts of His people as Jeremiah 31:33 prophesies. The law of love became a priority. As we remember how God empowers His people during this season of Shavuot/Pentecost, let us thank Him for the harvest, recommit ourselves to His Word, and celebrate the gift of His presence through the Holy Spirit. Two places in the Bible talk about the leaves of fruit trees being for healing. One is Ezekiel 47:12 and the other is Revelation 22:2. I thought about these verses as I read a story by Will Dunham in the Sunday, May 5, 2024, newspaper, Bucks County Courier Times and Phillyburbs.com. He wrote a story about a male Sumatran orangutan named Rakus who lives in a protected rainforest in Indonesia. Rakus got into a fight with another male orangutan in June 2022, and sustained an injury below his right eye. What amazed the scientists is that he looked for and found a plant known for its "pain-relieving properties and for supporting wound healing due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antioxidant qualities."
We are told that 'the orangutan chewed the plant's leaves to produce a liquid that Rakus repeatedly smeared on the wound and then applied the chewed-up plant material directly to the injury, much like a wound plaster administered by doctors...Rakus also ate the plant, an evergreen vine commonly called Akar Kuning--scientific name Fibraurea tinctoria..." An evolutionary biologist and author of the study said, "To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of active wound treatment with a plant species with medical properties by a wild animal." The report says, "His behavior appeared to be intentional. He selectively treated his facial wound on his right flange with the plant juice, and no other body parts. The behavior was repeated several times, not only plant juice but later also more-solid plant material was applied until the wound was fully covered. The entire process took a considerable amount of time." The wound closed within five days. Scientists surmise that Rakus learned this behavior from other orangutans in his birth area. This plant, found in Southeast Asia, is used in traditional medicine to treat conditions such as malaria. They go on to explain that "orangutans have high cognitive abilities, in particular in the area of physical cognition. They are known to be excellent problem solvers. Wild orangutans acquire their skill sets via observational social learning, and skills get passed on from generation to generation." Ezekiel 47:12 tells us, "Along the banks of the river, every kind of fruit tree will flourish. And their leaves will never wither, and abundant fruit will always be on their branches. Each month they will bear a fresh crop of fruit because this life-giving water comes from inside the sanctuary, and their fruit will be good to eat, and the leaves will bring healing." (TPT) Revelation 22:1-2 confirms this Scripture. "Then the angel showed me the river of water of life, flowing with water as clear as crystal, continuously pouring out from the throne of God and the Lamb. The river was flowing in the middle of the street of the city, and on either side of the river was the Tree of Life, with its twelve kinds of ripe fruit according to each month of the year. The leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations." (TPT) God takes care of every need that we have and has compassion for every creature He created. Isn't it amazing that this orangutan had the intelligence to find a plant that produced leaves for the healing of his wound? We too have healing tools within our grasp. When we need healing, we must claim the Word of God that says, "By His wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24) Then, be willing to wait for God's perfect timing for the manifestation of His promises." On Friday, at noon, we contemplated what Jesus did for us on the cross. His death was gruesome! The most horrible form of execution is crucifixion. It came after a scourging that opened every pain cell in the person's body. Naked, Jesus was nailed to the crossbeam of the cross. The cross was raised up and positioned so that Jesus could look down at those who mocked and insulted Him. Death was slow and agonizing. It came about through the loss of blood circulation followed by coronary failure or through the collapse of the lungs, causing suffocation. For six hours Jesus’ body suffered this torture.
Jesus knew what was to come while he walked the earth. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He got real with Father God. "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) He prayed again. "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done." (Matthew 26:42) Scripture records that He prayed a third time. "So, He left them (the disciples) and prayed a third time, saying the same thing." (Matthew 26:44) The worst part of the agony that Jesus would have to endure was His alienation from God after He took our sins upon Himself when He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) Before Christ's death and resurrection our sins separated us from God. This separation is a form of death that we cannot change alone. Because Jesus is the Son of God and never sinned, only He can be the bridge that reconnects us to Father God. Our penalty should have been death, but Jesus offered His life for ours. He redeemed us from the curse that is produced through sin by becoming a curse for us. (Galatians 3:13) He took on Himself all our sin--past, present, and future. Because of this, all our wrong doings are forgiven, and we are reconciled to God. How do we know that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was acceptable to God? It was His resurrection from the dead that lets us know we are forgiven and redeemed. In Romans 4 we are told that Abraham was credited with righteousness because he believed God. "The words 'It was credited to him,' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness for us who believed in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and also raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:23-25) This is why we rejoice and give praise for this resurrection today. I am interested in how the earth responded to the death and resurrection of Jesus. At both events, there was an earthquake that was so violent that “the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.” (Matthew 27:51 – NKJV) The Creator of the world took charge and prepared the earth for a new day. It was the third day, the day set aside for Jesus to rise from the dead. Since the Bible says we were crucified with Him and raised with Him, we should live the rest of our lives in the power of this truth. We now live in newness of life. (Romans 6:4-5, Colossians 2:11-12) Hallelujah! The Church calls today Palm Sunday in remembrance of how the Jews spread their garments and palm branches on the road before Jesus as He entered Jerusalem riding on a colt. The day that he entered the city was one on which God's followers brought their lambs to the Temple to be inspected by the priests. The law was clear: "The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect..." (Exodus 12:5) Those lambs were to be sacrificed for the celebration of Passover on the 14th day of Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew calendar.
The prophet Zechariah had told of the day when Jesus would enter Jerusalem as a hero. "Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9) As the people waved their palm branches, they demonstrated their belief that Jesus was the Messiah. But they were expecting a different kind of king, one who would overthrow the Romans and lead them in a military victory. The Kingdom of Christ looked unlike what the children of Israel expected. The crowd of people had seen how Jesus brought Lazarus to life from the tomb. Certain a Rabbi who could raise someone from the dead could overcome a Roman army! Jesus wept over Jerusalem for the way they misunderstood His mission. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you. How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you; you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Luke 13:34-35) At a final Seder meal, when Jesus was betrayed, He washed His disciples’ feet and then spoke His last words to them. His teaching focused on preparing them for the time when He would physically depart from the world. He wanted them to understand how to follow the Holy Spirit. They would not be able to see, hear, or touch their new Leader as they did Jesus. He tells the disciples, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever--The Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17) I have learned from Rick Renner's book, Paid in Full, that in Greek, the word "another" that appears in John 14:16 is "allos," which means "one of the very same kind and character." When He walked on earth, Jesus was the image of our Father. And now, Holy Spirit was to be the representation of Jesus. The message that was spoken to the disciples can still be applied to our lives today. Just as they had to learn to communicate with the Holy Spirit, so do we. Let's be comforted by the truth that Holy Spirit is "one of the very same kind" as Jesus. He is waiting to empower us in every endeavor of our lives. Holy Spirit is so important that Jesus told His disciples, "...It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you." (John 14:7) May we experience His empowerment as we enter Holy Week and for the rest of our days In a spiritual warfare battle, the tongue is the most critical weapon. Scripture tells us, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." (Proverbs 18:21 - NKJV) When we face situations that defy the will of God, we must speak God's truth to overcome the forces of the enemy. I can think of no better example than when Jesus identified Himself to the Roman soldiers who came to arrest Him. Rich Renner writes about this in his book titled, Paid in Full.
The first time God identified Himself He was speaking to Moses on Mount Horeb or Sinai. "God replied to Moses, 'I Am Who I Am.'" (Exodus 3:14 - NLT) By using the name "I Am," God was describing His eternal power and unchanging character. He identified Himself as the ever-existing God. Jesus was to use these words several times, and they are record in the book of John. In John 8 we read of an encounter that Jesus had with the religious leaders. They ask Him a pointed question in verse 53. "'Who do you think you are?' Jesus replies, 'Your Father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; He saw it and was glad.'" (Verse 56) They responded, "You are not yet 50 years old, and you have seen Abraham!" (Verse 57) Jesus blows them away with His response: "Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!" (Verse 58) The leaders picked up stones to stone Jesus, but He slipped away because His time to die had not yet come. "I Am" is the Greek words "Ego Eimi." John recorded several statements of who God made Him to be: "I am the bread of life." (6:35) "I am the light of the world." (8:12) "I am the gate for the sheep." (10:7) "I am the good Shepherd." (10:11) "I am the resurrection and the life." (11:25) "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (14:6) "I am the vine and my Father is the gardener." (15:1) Each of these images gives us a partial picture of who Jesus is. At The Last Supper, Jesus was speaking to His disciples and said, "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am." (John 13:19) After this statement, He tells the disciples that one of them will betray Him. Jesus was to identify Himself this way again when Judas came to betray Him with a band of Roman soldiers. The disciples were with Jesus in the olive grove called Gethsemane when He was confronted by the armed soldiers. Judas greeted Him with a kiss, which was to be the sign that He was the one to be taken away. The story continued: "Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, 'Who is it you want?' 'Jesus of Nazareth,' they replied. 'I Am,' Jesus said...When Jesus said, 'I Am,' they drew back and fell to the ground." (John 18:4-5) The words Jesus spoke were "Ego Eimi," "I Am," the very words that God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. The soldiers were to learn that by a mere word, Jesus could overpower them. Jesus made it clear to them that He could not be taken by force. After this, He willingly surrendered to the troops as they were picking themselves up from the ground. Jesus is for us The Great "I Am." His promises come with power. The problems we face can be knocked to the ground, like the soldiers, through the mighty promises of God. We must boldly affirm who we are in Christ. Speaking the truth of God's Word brings the Lord's power and authority into every situation. How blessed we are to have founding Fathers whose prayers helped establish America. Since our President’s Day celebration just passed, I thought it would be fitting to honor our first president, George Washington. Breaking Christian News did so by quoting from Eddie Hyatt's book, 1726: The Year that Defined America. Hyatt is an historian, Bible teacher, and revivalist who has tracked America's leaders and recorded their sayings as they pertain to God and the Bible. He floats the theory that the only reason the American troops were able to defeat the British was because of prayer. Washington was given a seemingly impossible task to challenge the British militia with his band of rag-tag soldiers. In his book, Hyatt says "Washington knew his only hope lay in a profound conviction in the hearts and daily actions of all his men that what they did, they did for God, and under God's protection." (Hyatt, pg. 114)
The American soldiers were united around the altar of prayer daily. In fact, Washington issued an order stating that each day would begin with prayer led by the officers. Again, I quote Hyatt: "Every soldier was to observe a punctual attendance of Divine services, to implore the blessing of Heaven upon the means for our safety and public defense." Apparently, Washington was insistent that every soldier attend daily prayer but also, they were forbidden the following: profanity, swearing, gambling, and drunkenness. His rational for this is written about by Hyatt: "We can have little hope of the blessing of Heaven on our arms if we insult Him by our impiety and folly. Every officer and man will endeavor so as to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier." When Washington and his men had their long, cold, tiring winter at Valley Forge, they were visited by Rev. Henry Muhlenberg, the pastor of a nearby Lutheran Church. Muhlenberg noted that Washington "admonished" his men "to fear God." He goes on: "This gentleman does not belong to the so-called world of society, for he respects God's Word, believes in the atonement through Christ, and bears himself in humility and gentleness. It appears that the Lord God has singularly, yea marvelously, preserved him from harm in the midst of countless peril...and hath hitherto graciously held him in His hand as His chosen vessel." (Hyatt, pg. 115) Visitors to Washington's camps confirmed that he made a habit of going into the woods for a time of prayer with the Almighty. It would be good for us to remember that not only did Washington and his troops pray, but when the Continental Congress opened, each of their sessions started with prayer. In addition, proclamations for national days of repentance, and prayer, and fasting were regularly issued. It is God alone who brought victory to the American Troops and brought about the surrender of British General Cornwallis on October 19, 1783. What an example we have to follow through George Washington! How has America fallen so far from the vision of our founding fathers? There are times, when I pray for others, that I point out the following: "You can tell the greatness of the call on their lives by the fierceness of the attack on them." This is true of America, and that God placed a call on our nation to be an example to all the world of what a godly nation should look like. Because of this call, the forces of darkness have targeted us for destruction, and waged a campaign to destroy us. We are in a battle for the very call on our lives. This battle can only be won as we return to God's call on our nation and our godly foundations. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 admonishes us, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." If George Washington won the Revolutionary War through prayer, the Christian community can win the war against the darkness and be reestablished as a saved nation. Let us keep praying for our nation, as prayer is the weapon of our warfare that will transform the world. |
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