The Mysteries of God in the Water
Waters can be calming and healing, but they can be terrible, stormy and destructive—a conduit of testing. They demonstrate both the mercy and severity of God.
“Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.” (Ps 77:19)
We can see the surface of the dichotomy of water reflected in the Bible. He leads me beside the still waters (Ps 23:2), while His throne in heaven is surrounded by water (Ezek. 47:1-12). His son came down to earth as the Living Water (John 4:13-14), while in the day of Noah, the earth was flooded with water. How was it that only one family remained after this tragedy? Wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water (1Pet 3:20).
Others were saved by water. Remember the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea? The miraculous parting of the sea that saved His chosen fell back into place and drowned their enemies. (Ex. 15:4-6)
And when the Israelites became thirsty as they wandered in the wilderness, God miraculously and mysteriously made a fountain from a rock for them to drink from. It pictured Christ, the Living Water, and was a place of testing for them. Would they believe God or not? Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah Selah. (Psa. 81:7).
In Christ’s day, there was a pool of water in Jerusalem that an angel would occasionally stir, and whatever infirm person was first into the pool after the stirring of the water would be healed (John 5:4). But one day Jesus walked by, fastened his eyes on one impotent man who had suffered from some infirmity for 38 years, and simply spoke healing to him, and he was healed (5:9). He was saved by Water of a different kind.
For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (Psa. 36:9)
People who need healing (mental, emotional and physical) turn to all kinds of things for healing and reprieve. Some of those things might work for awhile, but the secret is that healing is with the Lord, and there is no substitute. For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jer. 2:13) Don’t run from the living water. Draw from it. Make no other substitutes.
Now let’s look at the more severe nature of water. It is the stuff of storms—literally and figuratively. While we don’t know why storms come into our lives, often unexpectedly, we know one secret: Jesus is in control of it all. What looms to drown us is simply a walking path for Jesus. (Matt. 14:22-33). He walked on the stormy sea and impressed Peter enough that Peter asked if he could also walk on the water. And he did, until he saw the boisterous wind. He had enough presence of mind to pray “save me,” and Jesus did. But the lesson was O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? The waters were his testing ground.
Remember the mysterious verse we are looking at: Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. (Psa. 77:19) Jesus is equally unaffected with waters, choppy or calm. Once he was asleep in the boat with the disciples during a storm, and they woke him and asked Him to save them or they would perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! (Matt. 8:26-27)
It escaped them, and often us, that God made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in it. (Psa. 146:6) Turbulence to us is finger painting to God. His very voice is associated with the roaring of water. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder. (Rev. 14:2a) No less than five verses describe his voice as like that of many waters.
Hopefully, we’ve caught a glimpse of the mysteries of God in water. There’s one more to think about: There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high. (Psa. 46:4) God’s throne is surrounded by water from which the tree of life grows that we will be able to eat freely from. (Rev. 22:1-2) The mysteries of water will be made plain when we see Him. For now, waters show us the perfect mercies, judgment and testing of God.
Jody
The Secrets of God
Don’t you hate it when everyone around you knows a secret—the same secret—and you don’t? Your mission becomes to find out what everyone else knows so you can be in on it.
But now, what if the one with the secret is God? Are you curious? The truth is, God does have secrets. It raises many questions. Does he intend to keep them secrets, or does He like to share His secrets? Here’s an answer: “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” (Psalm 25:14) “For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.” (Proverbs 3:32)
Just a casual look and you can see that not only does God have secrets, He likes to tell them, but only to certain people—those who fear Him and the righteous, according to these verses.
Those two verses are enough to make me curious. Why does He have secrets? What are they? Who all does He show them to, and who does He hide His secrets from? Where do I find out these secrets? Why would God show them to some people and not to others? Why is it a good idea to find out the secrets?
For some perspective to this discussion of God’s secrets, let’s start here: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33) Whatever I learn of God’s secrets is just a drop in the bucket of the magnitude of what God knows. After all, He’s the creator God with a master plan for everything that happens to everyone that lives. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being…” (Acts 17:28a)
Consider Job, who had everything taken from him—from his family, to his possessions, to his health. The giant secret was why? The whole book is an account of him and his friends trying to figure it out and explain it. His friends often get a bad rap, but one of them said something truly profound: “Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?” (Job 11:7) The answer is no.
It’s worth a read to hear what God said in the end (Job 38-41). In a long discussion of His creation, God divulged a lot of prophesy, though He didn’t answer the simple question of why. But He did reveal secrets. While Job didn’t get the why, he got the bigger picture. We know why from the side discussion between God and Satan in chapter 1 that Job was not privy to. I guess you could say we know the secret that Job didn’t hear. But Job got the wisdom he needed to not question God, but rather to bow to His power and sovereignty.
We may not get the answer to some secrets, but we have access to unimaginable mysteries. Immense curiosity and a humble prayer for wisdom is what it takes to learn them. Do you have that curiosity? If so, you can learn some of the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.
Stay tuned. We will explore secrets and mysteries further. In the meantime, tell me what you think.
Jody
The One Universally Accepted Sin
I almost hate to bring it up, it is so accepted. So I will discuss it in terms of my personal experience. I was sitting in the little room at the doctor’s office for my 9 a.m. routine physical—waiting for the doctor to come in—for 45 minutes! I wondered how she could be that far behind so early, so I stuck my head out the door and asked a nearby nurse for an update, reminding her how long I’d been in there. She felt bad and told me I was next, but did usher me down to the lab for lab work while I waited. When I returned to my little room from the lab, the nurse came in and offered a peace offering. A giant chocolate muffin. Would I like it since I had to wait so long? Yes!
Just then the doctor came in. In our general discussion of my health, I asked her what diet she would recommend, since I’ve put on some weight. We settled on one, and soon she was done with me. On her way out, she looked at that chocolate muffin and asked if I still wanted it. “I sure do!” I had been eyeing it the whole time it sat there. I had part of it in my mouth before I even got out of the little room. I was eating and dropping crumbs all the way out to the car. Then I stood there and ate it all in the parking lot outside my car. I wanted to be sure to stuff the evidence of my indulgence in the parking lot trash bin before heading home.
I was ashamed of myself for the savage way I massacred that chocolate muffin and my inability to casually let it go when the doctor asked if I wanted it (after discussing diets).
When I got home, I continued where I was at in my daily Bible reading. I came to Ezra 8:21 “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.”
That verse said absolutely everything I needed to hear. First, my pastor had announced that shortly we would all begin a 3-week fast. It was up to us what we wanted/needed to fast. To some, it would be some kind of food. To others, perhaps some consuming entertainment or social media. What stood out in that verse was the purpose of the fast. It was to “afflict ourselves before God, to seek of him a right way…”
By now, you can see the sin that no one talks about. It’s gluttony. I couldn’t say no to desserts. Nor could I say no to an open potato chip bag. I couldn’t say no to being among the first in a buffet line. My weight was evidence. It was going higher and higher. I was definately food possessed.
I already knew I needed to go on a diet, but I lacked the motivation, or I would have already done it. But that day, I saw that my need was to fast my appetite for sweets and chips and my savage craving for cravable food and in so doing afflict my flesh. Yes, afflict my flesh. Just say “No!” to my fleshly desires for the sake of my relationship with God and putting Him first. That was a worthy motivation for me. I put it into practice immediately at a party buffet. I made sure I was the last one through that line, and I only took ¼ of what I would have taken and did not touch a chip. From there, it was desserts. I’m still holding a knife to my throat when it comes to cravings. It’s hard sometimes, but I remember that it’s important to afflict my flesh to seek what God wants for me.
Do we need a verse on gluttony? For me, it’s Ezra 8:21. But here are a few others to consider: 1 Cor. 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Proverbs 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. (Why is it that overeating makes us drowsy?)
For me, it’s insatiable food cravings. You may have something else you can’t say no to. That’s what you need to fast for a period in order to seek God.
Tell me what you think.
How to Leave a Lasting Legacy
I’ll bet you expect that I’m going to give a key here that you can use to unlock the possibilities of leaving something lasting behind when you die. I’d like to give you that key, because I, like you, want to make sure that in the end, my life counts for something.
That’s what I was thinking about when I finished reading about King Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29-32. Besides David, he may have been the best king Jerusalem had during the times of the kings. He got the sin out of the city and re-established the annual Passover feast that had been long forsaken. He got God’s wayward chosen nation pointed back in the right direction.
He finally died—with a great reputation that lives today. Now we ask, what was his lasting legacy on earth? His 12-year-old son Manasseh took over as king in his place. Was his child his legacy? A lot of people think their children will continue on what they started. But with his kid, wow. During Manasseh’s 55-year reign, he undid everything his father had done.
He did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.” (2 Chron. 33:1-3)
As if that wasn’t bad enough, “And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger…So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.” (2 Chron. 33:6 & 9)
Now let’s go back to Hezekiah’s legacy. His son wasn’t it. And isn’t this story every Christian parent’s worst nightmare?
So, what is the key to leaving a lasting legacy on earth? First, get rid of the idea it will be your offspring.
Here we go. Isa 40:6-8 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: (7) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. (8) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
You’ve heard it said that the word of God and the people of God last forever, so invest the first into the second. That’s a good key to a lasting legacy.
I’m going to propose another iteration of this. How about doing something that will promote the word of God to generations after you? I just finished reading Fanny Crosby’s biography. She’s the blind poet who lived in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s and wrote thousands of hymns we still sing today. People have always gotten saved from exposure to her hymns. That’s a lasting legacy.
How about putting verses to music and singing them and teaching them to others, and perhaps getting them up on YouTube where they will last? I’ve done that (look on YouTube for Jody Shee).
Writing a Bible study book could be another one. Both my husband (Richmond) and I have done that (“The Book of John” by Richmond Shee and “Ditch Depression Devotional” by Jody Shee).
When I die, my rewards in heaven are one thing, and the subject for a different blog post, but leaving a lasting legacy on earth is something to strive for—because after you die, what will it matter that you ever lived?
Tell me what you think.
Jody Shee
Follow Your Heart (?)
It’s advice we hear all the time… and maybe even give. The question on the table today is, should I follow my heart when I get a great idea or face a big decision?
Every sermon I’ve ever heard regarding this advice has centered on one verse: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer. 17:9)
The wicked-heart factor is why we shouldn’t follow our heart. But there’s another Biblical view to consider. I’ll call it the God’s-providence factor.
Look in the Old Testament at 1 Chron. 17:1-4. King David sat in his gorgeous house thinking outloud in the presence of Nathan the prophet, “I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains.” This was the hatching of his idea to build a house for God… a temple. What an amazing, noble idea. Nathan thought so. “Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.” In essence, Nathan told David to follow his heart on that. David’s temple-building notion was truly brilliant and spiritual. No need to even pray about that one.
But wait. Next 2 verses. “And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in.”
Why not? The rest of chapter 17 explains how at the moment, God was happy with the current tent dwelling. But there would be a temple, and David’s son would build it, “and I will establish his throne forever.” (vs 12)
Oh. David and Nathan forgot that God has a will and a plan, and we have a need to follow that will and plan. We don’t call the shots. Not even noble shots. God has a master plan for the tapestry of our lives for His beautiful glory, and all we see are the threads that surround us right now. Let’s not presume to know what God wants and rush ahead with our brilliant ideas—or advise others to do so.
So here’s a prayer we can pray when we get a great idea or stand on the edge of a choice. It comes from David’s mouth. Let’s pray Scripture back to God: “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.” (Psa. 19:13a) And here’s another, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)
Jody
The Two "H's" God Loves
Since the day I accepted Christ at age 15, I’ve wanted to get closer to God. I’ve wanted to know Him more. After more than 20 years, I discovered that to know God more/better is to get to know His word more/better. Because everything about Him that is important to know, He made sure to tell us in His word. Pretty simple, I know, but it took 20 years to realize that.
Now, what does His word say about being close to Him? I’ve found two keys, and they both start with H. If I can focus on these, I’ll be close to God.
One: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)
Two: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1Peter 1:15-16)
Humble and holy. Humble is simple surrender. Not rearing my ugly self-will, but learning what He wants and yielding to it.
Holy is practical righteousness. I have positional righteousness—that is Christ’s righteousness applied to my account when I received Him as savior and Lord. But holiness is knowing right and doing it.
Combine that humble yieldedness with righteous holiness, and this verse comes to life:
“For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” (Romans 6:19b)
We exchange our prideful, selfish desires for God’s desires. It takes humbling, or yielding ourselves. Then we renew our mind with God’s desires that we find in His word. We choose to desire His will, not our will. It’s a daily transformation that we make ourselves. We purposely surrender, yield and choose to obey… every day:
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Those are the basic, simple things God desires of us. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)
It’s something to think about. Tell me what you think.
Jody
What is Heaven Like?
We wonder what heaven is like. We know for sure the streets are made of gold, and there are many mansions. Somewhere there must be a huge table, because those who know the Lord will participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
But there’s an intangible quality in heaven we can’t miss. Holiness. It’s written about in the prophets, including Revelation. We should be conditioning ourselves to holiness now, because it’s the essence of heaven.
Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: Isa. 63:15a Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven. 2 Chron. 30:27.
Look ahead to eternity future in Rev. 21: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (2) And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev. 21:1-2
The point is, the New Jerusalem and heaven are lined and filled with holiness…the supreme value of God. Any sin is an assault to God’s character, and it will not be in heaven.
Remember when Saul was king of Israel and he did little disobedient things, like offering an offering when that was Prophet Samuel’s job? Then there was the time God, through Samuel, told Saul to kill the enemy Amalek and destroy everything, animals included. Saul decided they should keep the best sheep and oxen rather than destroy them. When confronted by Samuel, Saul lied about his reason for keeping the cattle. He made it sound spiritual. He kept them to sacrifice to God, he said.
But remember, God is holy. Lying lips are an abomination to Him. Here is Samuel’s summary to Saul. And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. (1 Sam. 15:22-23a)
God and everything He stands for is holy, and our old nature bristles at that. Understanding that, let’s not try to get away with compromises and sin. Let’s keep our eyes on God and His character and ask Him to help us. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. (Psalm 19:13)
Jody
The Essence of God
What is God’s throne made of? It has to be made of something, and it must be significant for the God of the universe to sit on it. And while we’re pondering that, just where is His throne? It has to be someplace, and wherever it is, it must be significant to be the place He chooses to reside.
Interestingly, we have the answer to that in the Bible, and even more interesting, the characteristic description of His throne and where it is located are the same.
His throne: God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. (Psalm 47:8)
His location: Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” (Psalm 48:1-2)
His throne is holiness and He is in the City of God in the mountain of His holiness. That mountain is Mount Zion, which is in Jerusalem. This is why we know God is not finished with Israel. He attaches His holiness to that place, and it’s not going away. Look for Mount Zion in Jerusalem to have its place in the prophetic future.
But the point I’ve been making (see previous 2 blog posts) is that God attaches his holiness to things we can see. Another example is the Ark of the Covenant, a picture of His holiness. Remember that? It was made according to strict instructions and was kept in the holy of holies. Inside it were the tablets of the 10 commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded and a keepsake jar of manna.
Remember when Israel’s enemy, the Philistines, stole the ark? They feared it greatly in the presence of Israel and they took it from them. Look what happened when they stole the Holy Ark (it’s called holy in 2 Chron. 35:3). “When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.” (1Samuel 5:2-4)
What would we expect from a holy God whose holy symbol, the ark, was set in a pagan temple next to a pagan god? It was blasphemy to God and He took care of it. He also took care of the people in the cities where the Philistines moved the ark around. They were plagued with emerods. That is hemorrhoids!
Let’s not lose the fact that God is holy. He shows us His holiness and that it is the foundation of who He is. God is a lot of things. He is love, a jealous God, a consuming fire, great, a refuge, our helper, our defense, a sun and shield, etc. But above it all, he is holy. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy. (Psalm 99:9)
Jody
The Beauty of Holiness
God loves and deserves worship. There’s no one greater we can praise for all the awesome delights that surround us in nature, in our relationships and in our experiences. When we walk with God, those blessings abound, and it’s natural to raise our hearts in worship.
To us, worship becomes an experience. To God, worship is His choice adornment. He wants to wear the praises of His people. But not just any praise and worship. He especially responds to those who worship in the beauty of holiness. “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (1Chron. 16:29) Several other verses talk about worshipping God in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2, 96:9)
Notice how that says worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, not for the beauty of holiness. This holiness isn’t God’s holiness; it’s our holiness. It’s what He delights for us to wear when we worship Him. Worship to Him from a set-apart, dedicated, consecrated person is beautiful.
Remember, we have pictures of holiness through the Bible. Aaron, the one consecrated to make offerings to God, had a holy garment he wore to do his priestly service to the Lord. The entire chapter of Exodus 28 describes that garment. God wanted him to wear it. God wants us to wear the beauty of holiness when we worship him. “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
Compare that with the slacking way we may be used to worshipping Him. Is He pleased when we sing and sway with the music in church but our lives are dirty? We enjoy the experience of worship, but to really give Him the glory due his name, we will bring an offering and come before Him and worship Him in the beauty of holiness. He loves purity. In heaven, He will be surrounded with holiness, because no sin will enter His presence. But short of eternity, He deserves worship now that springs from holiness. This garment we see here that He described in 43 verses is beautiful to God. It represents the beauty of holiness. Let's be more mindful of our lives and offer worship to God wearing what He loves and deserves.
Jody
Holiness: The Big Deal
Who wants holiness? It’s not something top of mind, is it? Actually, God wants holiness, and He wants us to want it. Besides the fact that holiness is part of His character, He provides pictures so we completely understand our need, our inadequacy and His provision for our holiness.
The second time the word holiness appears in the Bible, it is part of the 43-verse description of Aaron’s priestly garment in Exodus 28. You probably skimmed over it in your through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan. Before I share the verse, it’s important to understand that the tabernacle and everything associated with it had a bigger purpose than what’s visible on the surface. It was all “made according to pattern,” and if God took the space in the Bible to explain it all in detail, we have to know there are some pictures. That is the case with Aaron’s priestly garment. “And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” (Exodus 28:36) See the picture here of the garment? Look at the turban, and notice the gold rim at the top. It has an inscription, “Holiness to the Lord.” Why is that? The reason comes two verses later in verse 38: “That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord.”
Don’t miss God’s amazing picture. Aaron, the first high priest, is a type of Christ, the ultimate High Priest. God knew that even though He required the Israelites to present offering and gifts, these would not be presented in total purity. Only by intercessor Aaron’s wearing of that “Holiness to the Lord” piece of garment would those gifts be accepted by the Lord.
And that’s the only way we are accepted—by Christ’s holiness. We have none. We try to hallow ourselves and our offerings and efforts for God. But our best efforts and gifts are inadequate, just like the Israelites’. So God made the holy provision to make us acceptable. Jesus Christ. “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6) “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)
What is it about Jesus Christ that makes us acceptable to God through him? His holiness applied to us when we were saved. When Jesus died on the cross, the eternal swap happened—we received His holiness, and He received our sin. We are positionally holy through Christ. Shouldn’t this make us want to be practically holy? We’ll discuss that in a future post.
Jody
Mystery of Holiness Decoded
In my four decades as a Christian, I bet I could count on one hand the number of sermons I’ve heard on the topic of holiness—though the words holy or holiness appear in 587 verses. With that much exposure in the Bible, I became curious. So I cruised through and studied holiness, and it was like a tour through the eternal cosmos. Not only is holiness a major part of God’s personal character, which I expected to see, He attaches His holiness to people and places for a visual snapshot and as a framework from which to demonstrate His holiness on a grander scale. Holiness has its place in eternity past, now and in eternity future.
But on a personal level, holiness is also something we must achieve, and the why is as important as the what and the how. Because God will not allow any unholiness in His presence. Our life is as much about ridding ourselves of unholiness as it is about accomplishing grand plans for God. The sermons I hear are only about the things we are supposed to do, and not so much about the things we are supposed to be—and those things are paramount to God, who said “be ye holy, for I am holy” twice.
I used to have a bumper sticker that said “God is Awesome.” Encased in that awesomeness is holiness. If God was going to describe Himself, holiness would be at the top of His attributes.
Oh wait. God did describe Himself. The first time the word holiness appears in the Bible, it describes God. “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
Bible students know that the first time a word is used in the Bible sets the tone and definition of the word. That being the case, we should brand in our minds that God is glorious in holiness—sacredness and set-apartness.
I concluded from my study that God didn’t want us to think of His holiness as an abstract, ethereal thing that we could only comprehend when we reach heaven. He wants us to see it now, and so in future posts, we will look at the visuals God gave.
In the meantime, here’s a popular song about holiness that is worth a look/listen to set our hearts right.
Jody
The Lord is a God of War?
The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. (Exodus 15:3-4)
It might sound shocking to hear that the Lord is a man of war. He’s better known as a God of love and peace. Do you think it harsh and unloving that He would be associated with war? Whoever thinks that doesn’t know God. We are not the judges of things. He is. And He uses war to judge. The very next verse in this song of Moses from Exodus tells us of the incident of which Moses sang… God’s deliverance of the Israelites from their (God’s people) cruel oppressors. The children of Israel not only escaped their oppressors unscathed and victorious, they plundered the enemy by taking all their jewelry. God fought for them, and God wins His battles royally.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. (Psalm 24:8) The 12 Old Testament history books of Joshua through Esther are filled with battles the Lord fought for His people. It’s enlightening reading that includes war strategy carried out by the providence of God.
As amazing as all those battles are, the granddaddy of them all is yet to come. It will show everything God is and everything man is, and when that one is fought, it’s too late for mankind to change its mind about anything. It’s discussed in the book of Revelation. Before you read it, understand that today is the day of salvation, while you still have today. Prepare your heart before God before this battle happens.
Revelation 19:11-21: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (12) His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (13) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16) And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (17) And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; (18) That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. (19) And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. (20) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (21) And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
A Girl on a Mission
Part of my 2017 personal mission is accomplished. Knowing that this will be a year of transition and change—and I go kicking and screaming through change—I decided my verse for the year would be Phil 4:6-7: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
As you can see, those catchy two words “with thanksgiving” caught my eye. I’m not to be full of care about change. Rather I’m to pray about it with thanksgiving. To do that, I set out to find some poignant verses from Psalms and put them to music and sing them when I start to get anxious. Even before I get anxious. How about if I sing one every day from the very start and never even get anxious? Would that work?
So on January 1, I started to read carefully through the Psalms in my quiet time—scoping out possible song verses. I just finished Psalms and came up with nine of them. That was part of my goal. Now to sing one every day. I haven’t done that as faithfully as I need to… so I’m going to make that my next morning focus.
I will be sharing some of those song verses with the world after I have my next YouTube party. What is that? Take a look. Below are links to awesome, memorable verses a group of us sang from one of my previous YouTube parties. Nothing fancy, for sure. But I hope you find them helpful. Stay tuned for more to come.
Jody
A 2017 Memory Verse
Who has a verse for the year? If you don’t have one yet, it’s not too late to pick out one that you intend to meditate on all year and make it a part of your life.
My verse last year was Phil. 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Phil 4:8) I worked on it all year. Constantly. I hope I’m a different person because of it.
That’s what an annual verse is meant to do. What if each of us took one verse and really believed and practiced it? How different would we be?
I didn’t move too far from Phil 4:8 to come up with my verses for this year: Phil 4:6-7: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)
This means that my goal is to make it through a whole year and not be careful for anything… or not be anxious. But to pray about things instead—with thanksgiving, did you notice the verse says?
Ambitious, I know. I’ve thought on how I’m going to manage to do that in a year that promises to be filled with changes. I’ve decided to praise God more in song. There’s no room for anxiety when you are singing thanks and praise to God. I’ve already gotten started. For 2017, I’m reading/studying through Psalms and putting praise verses to music, so I can sing them to God. Whenever stress comes up, I want to sing. It’s an area in which I fail, and I want that to change, because God is worthy of my constant praise. What if I had 10 or more praise songs put to music and was singing all the time, and thinking about what I was singing—in effect, praying with thanksgiving? That should be an anxiety-buster, and it’s how I want to change my life this year. Who will join me in offering more sacrifices of praise to God this year?
How to Get Sober
I don’t mean sober from alcohol and drugs. The Bible teaches that older women are to teach younger women to be sober. So there’s obviously a need to be sober, and older women apparently have learned the trick.
I just taught a group of women at Kauai Baptist Church how to be sober. First things first: sober means to be moderate, controlled or curbed. The opposite is extreme or out of control emotionally. Sometimes, we as women can lean toward this opposite. What if we didn’t let our minds run rampant, and we controlled our minds instead of listening to every suggestion that popped into our head?
I think the biggest contributor to depression is following the natural way our minds lead us rather than guiding our minds.
I suggest that others do what I did almost 30 years ago, based on the book Do you Hear What You’re Thinking, by Jerry Schmidt. Make “counter cards.” That is, get some 3x5-inch cards, and on the front of each card, write a reoccurring thought that tends to drag you down. Think of as many as you can. Here are three examples:
- No one likes me
- Things are always going to be like this for me
- That person will never change
No need to borrow negative thoughts, but these are a few that definitely could bog a person down emotionally, mentally, spiritually.
Now for the “counter” part. On the back of each card, write some verses that would be better to dwell on instead.
Here are three verses that could work on many negative, depressive thoughts:
- Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Phil. 4:8)
- Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)
- Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: (Jer. 32:17)
Many of our depressive thoughts stem from the fact that we don’t believe God is big enough to change things and/or work on our behalf. Jer. 32:17 is a great verse to counter that.
After you complete the cards, keep them handy, and when one of those plaguing thoughts arises, get the appropriate card, flip it over and review the verses on back. Soon you will automatically replace the bad thought with the true thought. This works, because I’ve done it.
Try it and let me know what you think.
Jody
Double Identity
Have you ever had a dream where you were present in two different roles? I have. One time I was an eagle in a room trying desperately to get off a table to fly out the window while someone was working on me to repair a wound, and I was also the person working on the eagle. Another time I was myself walking out of the grocery store with a carton of eggs, but I was also one of the eggs that jumped out of the carton and bounced across the street. In both dreams, I had the thoughts and feelings of both roles.
I have no explanation for that, but they remind me of what I see in John 10 when Jesus describes who He is. In the book of John overall, Jesus refers to Himself metaphorically in a way you don’t see in the other gospels. A few examples, He says, I am the bread of life; I am the light of the world; I am the true vine.
In John 10, Jesus is two things at the same time. It would seem strange, but not any stranger than my dreams. Let’s meditate on the meaning of His descriptions of Himself: I am the door of the sheep (John 10:7) and a few verses later I am the good shepherd (John 10:11).
First, He is the door of the sheep. He said that twice. In verse 9, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Thanks to Bible-history.com, pictured here is a sheepfold (mentioned in verse 1). The sheep go in and are safe. There’s only one way in… that door. That should interest us, since we know we are sheep. What are the sheep who go through that door safe from? In context, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (verse 10)
So, Jesus is the only way into that safe sheepfold. It kind of reminds me of a similar metaphor in Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
At the same time He’s the door…our only entrance… He’s also the shepherd in the very next verse. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. In fact, in real life, the shepherd sleeps at the doorway so any intruders have to get past him to get to the sheep.
We can rest easy knowing that not only do we have a place, His sheepfold, we have a way into it, only through Him, and we have Him as our guide and protector.
So it’s not too hard to picture Jesus as two things at once. But hang on. In John, Jesus presents Himself as three things at once in another verse: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
There He is again as the way, or the entrance. No one is coming to the Father except by Him. He’s also the truth we must receive to come to the Father. He’s also the life—the source or origin—of the life we need to come to the Father. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 John 5:11-12)
Jesus has many roles. All of them bring out some amazing aspect for us to meditate on and praise Him for.
Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all; He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall. When I am sad, to Him I go, no other one can cheer me so; when I am sad, He makes me glad, He's my friend. (From the song “Jesus is All the World to Me,” by Will Thompson, who lived from 1847-1909)
Jody
Hope in God
Today is Monday, and it’s a beautiful day out today. Let the week begin! But I have an oppressive enemy who wants to bring distress to my soul. He finds some way to cause me to doubt daily where God is. He derails me. He wants to cast me down and toss me around. Satan is an agitator. He wants darkness to flood my soul because he is dark. It happens most days. It takes practically nothing to put me into this spiral.
I don’t think I’m alone. In fact, I know I’m not. Fortunately, one of the writers of the Bible was like me, and he penned his way out of oppression in 5 minutes or less. Want to know what he did? Let’s look at the passage as a whole first, then look at it phrase by phrase.
“I will say unto God my rock, why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (Psa. 42:9-11)
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“I will say unto God my rock, |
Whatever comes out of his mouth next, he sure knows who he’s talking to! Start with acknowledging anything about God you love as you address Him. |
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Why hast thou forgotten me? |
Wow. At least he’s honest with God. |
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Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? |
He gets his mental/emotional bearings. Why am I so down? He knows it’s due to the oppression (distress and pressure) of the enemy. Ah. Yes, we do have an enemy of our soul. Identify him. |
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As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? |
He fully processes what’s happening in his derailed soul. His enemy is turning him into a practical atheist… one who says or acts like there is no God. This obviously can’t go on! |
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Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” |
He takes himself in hand and reminds himself of God. There’s no reason to be cast down and unsettled inside. He encourages himself to hope in God and looks ahead to brighter days of praise. |
David knew how to encourage himself in God (1 Sam. 30:6), and that’s how he did it. We can do it to. Let’s start the habit today. Let’s memorize this passage.
Jody
Notice the Sonshine
Have you seen a beautiful sunrise lately? Whenever I do, I feel like I’m in the midst of unspeakable majesty. And in a way, I am. Besides that it is God’s creation faithfully rising to usher in the day, it is also a type of Jesus Christ. (For more on that, see my previous post.) I get this from comparing scripture with scripture.
Notice: “Their (creation) line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” (Psa. 19:4-5) In fact, the sun is one of the pieces of creation that so obviously speaks of Christ—seen by everyone—that anyone who dies without having trusted Christ will have no excuse for not knowing about Him (see Rom 1:18-21).
Now, back to the awesomeness of that sunrise. Our Psalm passage says it “is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber.” Do you realize that elsewhere in the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the bridegroom, and we, the church, are his bride?
That the sun pictures the Son is probably most obvious here: “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” (Mal 4:2)
I keep getting away from that beautiful sunrise. Let’s ponder that. When the sun comes up, we can turn the lights off in the house. It provides our light and encourages us to get on with our day. A little later, the cat moves to the south window to soak up the warmth of the sun. Its light, warmth and mental/emotional/physical healing powers are a giant lovingkindness from God. He wants you and me to get that. Do you realize that His lovingkindnesses for us are a thing of the morning and of the day—not of the night? Call me crazy, but look.
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust. (Psa. 143:8a)
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. (Psa. 92:1-2)
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. (Psa. 42:8)
In this day and age, and in previous days and ages, the sun has been there with healing and warmth in its wings as a giant lovingkindness from God. Many cultures, present and past, recognize the wonder of the sun, and many worship sun gods. They need to hear and receive the truth of the Son of God.
We enjoy our sun-filled days. But there’s another day coming when warmth and sunshine will not be granted. So don’t take it (or Jesus) for granted now.
Here we go. It’s called “the day of the Lord” or “that day” in the Bible. It’s a horrific picture of judgment. It’s the other side of Jesus we haven’t seen. Here is the most complete reference to it in the Bible. Please notice as you read… it’s a different kind of day than has ever been experienced here—and notice the difference in the sun:
“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.” (Isa. 13:6-13)
It’s the second coming of Jesus. This time not as a savior (pictured by our sun), but as a judge. No more sun/son. Opportunity for grace and lovingkindness over.
To close out today, “He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6:2)
Today is the day of salvation. While you see the sun, there’s still time to meet the Son. Repent of your willful ignorance today and accept Him and what He did for you on the cross. Read your Bible to learn more about it. Start with John 3.
Jody
Step into the Sonshine
The brilliance of God is seen in the types and figures found in the Bible. There are too many to study, but just take a subset of the types and figures seen in creation.
But first, I completely understand that types and figures are not spoken of in most of Christendom. You won’t hear of types in most churches, Bible colleges or Christian radio. I know. I’ve sat through my share of them all, and most messages focus on the single dimension of the verse at hand.
To get to types and figures, you have to compare scripture with scripture. Then you see a third dimension to the Bible, which has likely been missing from your Christian understanding to this point. The only type I ever heard of in my first 20 years as a Christian was that Egypt is a type of the world.
But I digress. I was talking about the brilliance of God seen in types and figures, to start with, in creation, beginning with the sun. It’s a picture of the Son. That one is probably the most obvious of all types. If you read your Bible with that little glimmer of understanding, you’ll see some verses in a new light.
First, when Jesus said “I am the light of the world” in John 8:12, what light do you think he was referring to? A flashlight? Start comparing verses. “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings” (Mal 4:2) Jesus, the Son of God, is called the Sun of Righteousness here. It’s not a misprint! It’s obvious.
Consider things about the sun. It rises. It erases darkness. From earth’s view, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Does any of this remind you of Jesus? Let’s go back to comparing verses:
- Isa 60:1-3 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. (2) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. (3) And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
- John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
- Rev. 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
That morning star. What is it? Jesus, the Sun/Son of God. “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Rev. 22:16).
Oh, but wait. Isn’t there a connection somewhere with Satan as a morning star? In Isa. 14:12, he is called Lucifer, which means light bearer or morning star. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14) But read again the verse above. Jesus said, “I am…the bright and morning star.” So we have the true bright and morning star, and then there’s Satan the deceiver who wants people to follow him.
But back to the brightness of Christ. When He returns, it will be through the Eastern gate in Jerusalem. And when we’re with Him in heaven, “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” (Isa. 60:19-20)
Right now, the sun represents the Son. But someday, the Son will be the actual sun. Do you see the brilliance of God yet?
Jody
Follow the Best Heart
Perhaps the most common piece of advice given to young people when they are on the edge of choosing a job or career is to follow their heart—meaning, “What do you want and feel like doing? Do that.”
I believe that advice misses the mark for believers. Its outcome is highlighted in Ecclesiastes. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecc.11:9)
Does part B of that verse seem a little like cold water thrown on “follow your heart?” Consider the idea of living with eternity in mind. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Heb. 9:27)
Yes, that also pours cold water on contemporary youthful thinking. But let’s continue looking at the voice of spiritual reason. While He made each of us with certain abilities and aptitudes, let’s remember that as believers, He didn’t give us those for our personal fulfillment. They are for His glory. He has gifted us for the edifying of all. God is our creator and in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
We all have the free choice to follow our heart, but let’s remember that when we face God at the end of our lives, the evaluation will not be made on how closely we followed our heart. In fact, His opinion of our heart isn’t positive. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9)
Knowing that I’m going to face God, and knowing what He thinks of this idea of following my heart, it begs the question, what should I follow instead? What should I tell young people as they are making life decisions?
Here’s an idea. Let’s look at ourselves as God does. We are sheep in need of guidance. Fortunately, He is a shepherd. And not just any shepherd. The Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. He cares what we do. In fact, He has a master plan for where we need to be. He says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27) Read John 10. The whole chapter is about this.
Wouldn’t it be radical if we told young people trying to decide what to do with their lives to seek the Shepherd’s heart for what He wants? That’s what’s going to matter at the end of our lives—how well we fulfilled that. Be the voice to young people that leads them to these higher realms. Here are some words of advice to offer:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6)
Pray with young people for God’s wisdom and discernment for them. Counsel them to seek God’s heart. Tell them that the end of their life matters, so start working on it now.
Jody