"So all of you, watch yourselves! Don't forget the covenant that the LORD your God made with you by making an idol or an image of any kind or anything the LORD your God forbids, because the LORD your God is an all-consuming fire. He is a passionate God." (Deuteronomy 4:23-24)
He certainly is passionate. The cross is evidence of his passion for me and he desires that I would be just as consumed with him, filled with passion for his heart.
Idol worship looks a bit different these days. No longer are there craftsmen plying their trade with stone and wooden objects meant to adorn the shrines of our home. Today we have idols of our own making. They look kind of like Jesus but not exactly. They are always less than what he is, a forgery of the true God.
For the most part, the followers of Jesus have lost their understanding of the majesty of the King. We call him Lord. We call him King. But somehow we do not obey him as such. There is a level of respect and awe that we must retain in our understanding of majesty. When we desire to obey him from love alone it somehow becomes an optional thing but when that love is added to our understanding of King then new life is breathed into our desire to live a life of obedience.
When we lose our sense of awe in the majesty of Jesus we begin to fashion a lesser image of our Lord. We tweak a little here and there to make our image of him a little more comfortable, a little easier to live with, a little more in line with our way of thinking and feeling. We create our god after our own image, which is a lot easier to live up to in this day and age. But that lesser image is an idol and our Father is not pleased.
If our journey with Jesus in this mission he has called us to is easy and requires no sacrifice on our part, we had better check who or what we are worshiping. Our image of God is foundational to who we become. If that foundation is wrong then all the fruit that springs from it is wrong. Just look around at how much of the Church has adjusted their view of our Lord and how sin has now consumed them. They compromised the truth of God, they lessened his majesty, and now they are doing what they think is best according to the idol they have set in the place of the King. They worship an impostor.
We need to seek again a proper understanding of the majesty of our King, according to the revelation he has given of himself in the Bible,. The Spirit brings us to the deeper places but those deeper places are always revealed in the Word. Seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, not the idol you are creating to make it easier on yourself. Hint, the Kingdom will make you uncomfortable most of the time but will be marked by righteousness, peace and joy.
Showing posts with label journal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journal. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Monday, March 12, 2018
You Have Only Begun To Show Me
Moses was a man who saw a lot. He had almost missed his destiny by trying to respond to his heart's desire in his own strength. Murder was not a vehicle to freedom. Even though he wanted to help his people, Yahweh had a bigger plan. Moses would become Yahweh's friend a chosen instrument to solidify the people into a nation God had chosen to reveal his glory to the world.
Moses got to speak with Yahweh. He represented him to Pharaoh. The great plagues of Yahweh were brought on Egypt through Moses. He had a front row seat for the divided sea, the manna, the quail, the water from rocks, the cloud representing Yahweh's presence, the giving of the Commandments, the meetings on the mountain, the meetings at the tent, the miraculous death of the rebellious, the budding of Aaron's staff, the correction of Miriam and all of the many things I probably left out. Yet, Moses knew there was even more:
You have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. (Deuteronomy 3:24)
Moses wanted Yahweh to change his mind and allow him into the Promised Land because he knew there was a lot more yet to be manifested concerning Yahweh. He had tasted and seen that God is good, and he wanted more. After all he had experienced he wanted even more.
Today, many of God's children hardly know him. When we have experienced so little of our Lord, how can we have so little desire for more of him? Our Father wants us to know him intimately. He wants us to have the same passion for him as he has for us. So why do we limit what we are willing to have revealed to us about him.
One hour in church.
Sing a few songs.
Politely listen.
Pay our tithes.
For most that is all they experience of Father.
Moses saw the miracles, the provision, heard his voice, experienced a portion of his glory, and so much more and yet he wanted to experience even more.
There is something wrong here.
I am praying that Father will call to us. If he doesn't call we can't respond. It is the Father who calls us to the Son, and it is only by the Son that we can come to Father. I am praying that he calls us today so we have an undying hunger for more of him. I don't want to be satisfied. I don't want to sit down. I don't want to stop until there is no more of his air in my lungs. I want to live Moses' reality:
You have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand.
Moses got to speak with Yahweh. He represented him to Pharaoh. The great plagues of Yahweh were brought on Egypt through Moses. He had a front row seat for the divided sea, the manna, the quail, the water from rocks, the cloud representing Yahweh's presence, the giving of the Commandments, the meetings on the mountain, the meetings at the tent, the miraculous death of the rebellious, the budding of Aaron's staff, the correction of Miriam and all of the many things I probably left out. Yet, Moses knew there was even more:
You have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. (Deuteronomy 3:24)
Moses wanted Yahweh to change his mind and allow him into the Promised Land because he knew there was a lot more yet to be manifested concerning Yahweh. He had tasted and seen that God is good, and he wanted more. After all he had experienced he wanted even more.
Today, many of God's children hardly know him. When we have experienced so little of our Lord, how can we have so little desire for more of him? Our Father wants us to know him intimately. He wants us to have the same passion for him as he has for us. So why do we limit what we are willing to have revealed to us about him.
One hour in church.
Sing a few songs.
Politely listen.
Pay our tithes.
For most that is all they experience of Father.
Moses saw the miracles, the provision, heard his voice, experienced a portion of his glory, and so much more and yet he wanted to experience even more.
There is something wrong here.
I am praying that Father will call to us. If he doesn't call we can't respond. It is the Father who calls us to the Son, and it is only by the Son that we can come to Father. I am praying that he calls us today so we have an undying hunger for more of him. I don't want to be satisfied. I don't want to sit down. I don't want to stop until there is no more of his air in my lungs. I want to live Moses' reality:
You have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand.
The Importance Of The Testimony As Demonstrated By Moses
It has been a while since I even attempted blogging for a whole truck load of reasons. I am not in a position to start back. However, I need a platform for journaling scripture I am chewing on. I considered various platforms but I want something that is online for safe keeping and will assist me in keeping my progress organized. It may mean several entries in a day and some contradictory thoughts. But this is a chewing process for my own edification.
Today I was reading through Deuteronomy 3 and 4.
It seems Moses had done some journaling of his own and was in the process of reviewing his recordings with the nation. The purpose was simple: to strengthen them in the Lord. Moses was about to die, Joshua was about to take over and they were about to head into a life of war. They needed to be reminded that God is good, that they are on his side and that everything is possible through him. So Moses reminds them of the many testimonies of God's goodness to them.
This is a great idea for everyone, because we have very short memories. We could be thanking Father for his provision today and tomorrow be filled with fear about provision. We forget the purpose of testimony.
1. Testimony tells us what God is doing.
2. God has no favorites which means a testimony tells us that what he did for one person he wants to do for everyone.
3. Testimony is meant to encourage the Body of Christ and reveal his glory to the lost.
Testimonies can be considered like food stored in the pantry. With a full pantry we can nourish ourselves when needed. With a pantry filled with testimonies we are able to eat well from the Lord, finding new energy and strength to function as "more than overcomers".
Before entering a God-arranged battle, it is good to review our journal of testimonies.
Today I was reading through Deuteronomy 3 and 4.
It seems Moses had done some journaling of his own and was in the process of reviewing his recordings with the nation. The purpose was simple: to strengthen them in the Lord. Moses was about to die, Joshua was about to take over and they were about to head into a life of war. They needed to be reminded that God is good, that they are on his side and that everything is possible through him. So Moses reminds them of the many testimonies of God's goodness to them.
This is a great idea for everyone, because we have very short memories. We could be thanking Father for his provision today and tomorrow be filled with fear about provision. We forget the purpose of testimony.
1. Testimony tells us what God is doing.
2. God has no favorites which means a testimony tells us that what he did for one person he wants to do for everyone.
3. Testimony is meant to encourage the Body of Christ and reveal his glory to the lost.
Testimonies can be considered like food stored in the pantry. With a full pantry we can nourish ourselves when needed. With a pantry filled with testimonies we are able to eat well from the Lord, finding new energy and strength to function as "more than overcomers".
Before entering a God-arranged battle, it is good to review our journal of testimonies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)