Not to very long ago I was having a conversation with my friend Andrew. Andrew his wife Kathy and their two sons serve the LORD as a Missionaries in Columbia. http://tinyurl.com/7spacu Ask Andrew about how he ended up in Columbia and he will chuckle and tell you the story of how he “agreed” with God to go to Columbia for two years, that was over 21 years ago. He was the Pastor of a small Baptist Church in Allentown NJ back then, recently married and on fire for God……….
As I was saying, I was having a conversation with Andrew. He had called from Columbia on his Vonage phone service. Vonage is phone provider that allows its users to make and receive unlimited phone calls from all over the world for one small monthly fee. (or so I have been told). I have another friend, Dr. Mark Wilson who teaches in Turkey. http://sevenchurches.org/mark/ He and his wife Dindy spend about 10 months a year in Turkey and two in the US. Mark also has Vonage. I met Mark back in 1978 while we were both attending……………………….
Sooo back to where I started, Andrew called and as you might expect our conversation revolved around the work the LORD is doing in Columbia. The city Andrew is serving in is Medellin. Medellin is a city of around 3 Million people and is considered the most dangerous city in the world. Each year over 3000 people are kidnapped there. I took some time and did a little research about the city and found that about 5,000 people per year are murdered there. That works out to almost two murders for every thousand peo…………...
I’m sorry I got off track again. Andrew was telling me about the GREAT works the LORD is doing in Columbia. He says that they hold a crusade in the Bull Ring, I think they do this monthly. I wasn’t aware there was bull fighting in South America. I somehow thought they only did that in Spain. Apparently, bull fighting is very popular there and the people there enjoy it a great deal.
AHHH! I did it again! I sat down to write an article about the Great work the LORD is doing in Columbia. To tell you about the Great hunger that exists there. To tell you, as Andrew tells me, about a thirst for GOD that the people have, a thirst that I can hardly comprehend. I wanted to explore why the people in Columbia have such a real hunger for GOD while in America many, if not most of us, say we believe, yet live lives testifying to our true complacent attitude. Why?
Perhaps the first four paragraphs above serve to illustrate what may be part of the answer. In America, the USA, we just plain have too much going on to distract us from what is really important. Perhaps I, and I think others as well, have been overly de-sensitized by a constant bombardment of TV shows, the latest cars on the market, who won last night game, the seasons newest fashions, the new iphone, gaming platform or latest software. The morning coffee is enjoyed with the backdrop of the morning news telling me way more then I need to know about last nights televised sports event, some celebrities substance abuse problem and opinions of why President Elect Obama would go to the beach “shirtless”. The list of voices that compete to hold my attention and consume my life is endless, their march - relentless.
I, like most of those who will read this, am an American. My grocery stores are overflowing with row after row of ready made foods. I have credit cards enough to meet my every whim. I complain to no end about the price of gasoline but think nothing of spending $1.35 on a cup of coffee, a bottle of Coke or even a bottle of water. In a moments notice I can buy a ticket and jump on a plane to just about anywhere. If I have a headache- Tylenol is on the shelf. If I’m feeling blue - I should tell my doctor about the pill I saw on TV last night. If I slip on my neighbor’s front porch – I have a lawyer ready to start the civil proceedings. For every desire, need and appetite, real or contrived there is a product packaged and ready.
In short I have it all! I don’t need God, well not today. I’ll attend to religion some other time. After all, the playoffs are on TV tonight.
Two thousand years ago Jesus, speaking of all humanity addressed our cavalier attitude towards God. The “problem” was important enough to have been recorded in three of the four Gospels.
Matthew 19:24, Luke 18:25 and Mark 10:25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Jesus, talking with the Governor of Judea, just hours before his crucifixion, said "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
Pontius Pilate’s response, "What is truth?" could be paraphrased as “I have more important things to think about, so what?” John 18:37- 38.
In no other place and at no other time in history have so many had so much. Conversely, no other people at any time have wanted, no needed, so much.
The answer isn’t new, there are no commercials advertising it, and regardless of the how many credit cards you have you can’t buy it. The answer isn’t free but it is offered to us pre-paid. The answer is called the Gospel, it is The Kingdom of God.
Luke 9:2-6
and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God……….. So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
You decide which is best, a kingdom (government, country, world) of men ------ or a kingdom of God ?
Jesus, speaking of what he will freely give to us said. "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14
Drink up! It’s not an acquired taste. It is what you were created for.
Showing posts with label In Jesus Name. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In Jesus Name. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Monday, September 22, 2008
In Jesus Name
Lately a couple subjects have been on my mind.
1. The Kingdom of God. I expect I’ll be spending a good deal of time on this subject. It seems to me that most believers are waiting for the Kingdom of God to come, when actually The Kingdom is already here.
Matthew 12:28
28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Luke 17:20
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
The phase” in Jesus Name”.
The Bible tells us to pray in Jesus Name. Therefore I tend to end most prayer by saying, “In Jesus Name, Amen”. Surly there is more to praying in His name then just tacking that phrase onto the end of a prayer.
John 14:12-14
12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 16:
23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
So, what does this mean?
Consider the President of The United States. When President George W Bush makes a statement, he is speaking for all of America. This is regardless of your feelings about him the position he takes on a subject or what he is saying. He IS THE President and because he holds that office he speaks for us all and acts with our FULL authority.
OK, OK I know his power is somewhat controlled by the checks and balances of the congress the judiciary and that he is confined to what powers the President is granted by Law. He can only go so far but that is because he is a President and not a King. If he were a King then his word would be undisputable.
In places where there are kings and countries where there were kings the Kings word is reality. Kings expanded their authority, because they couldn’t be everywhere at once, by granting trusted “servants” the “authority” to act on their behalf, “in their name”. Because of this the words of those trusted with the Kings authority now carried the same undisputable power as the King himself. In effect what his trusted servant said were as though spoken by the King himself.
As Christians we serve The King of Kings and have been granted the “right” to ask anything as though The King himself has asked it. We have also been commissioned to speak on His behalf, in His Name.
I have know this to be true for a long time but for some reason I am compelled to now to “own” this truth.
“Lord God, please help us to understand the full meaning and power of living In Your Name. Help us to also come to a full understanding of what it means to be a Son of God as your word says in Galatians 3:26 ““You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”. This I ask In Jesus Name.”
This morning I felt impressed to read the book of Haggai. Not exactly one of the books of the Bible that I am normally drawn to.
It’s only a short couple chapters so I thought it worthwhile to post the entire book that God may use it to speak to your heart as he has mine.
Haggai:
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua [a] son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' "
3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."
And the people feared the LORD.
13 Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD. 14 So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'
6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 8 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 9 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai: 11 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?' " The priests answered, "No."
13 Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled."
14 Then Haggai said, " 'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
15 " 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on —consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. 16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD. 18 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. " 'From this day on I will bless you.' "
20 The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 "Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
23 " 'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty."
1. The Kingdom of God. I expect I’ll be spending a good deal of time on this subject. It seems to me that most believers are waiting for the Kingdom of God to come, when actually The Kingdom is already here.
Matthew 12:28
28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Luke 17:20
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
The phase” in Jesus Name”.
The Bible tells us to pray in Jesus Name. Therefore I tend to end most prayer by saying, “In Jesus Name, Amen”. Surly there is more to praying in His name then just tacking that phrase onto the end of a prayer.
John 14:12-14
12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 16:
23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
So, what does this mean?
Consider the President of The United States. When President George W Bush makes a statement, he is speaking for all of America. This is regardless of your feelings about him the position he takes on a subject or what he is saying. He IS THE President and because he holds that office he speaks for us all and acts with our FULL authority.
OK, OK I know his power is somewhat controlled by the checks and balances of the congress the judiciary and that he is confined to what powers the President is granted by Law. He can only go so far but that is because he is a President and not a King. If he were a King then his word would be undisputable.
In places where there are kings and countries where there were kings the Kings word is reality. Kings expanded their authority, because they couldn’t be everywhere at once, by granting trusted “servants” the “authority” to act on their behalf, “in their name”. Because of this the words of those trusted with the Kings authority now carried the same undisputable power as the King himself. In effect what his trusted servant said were as though spoken by the King himself.
As Christians we serve The King of Kings and have been granted the “right” to ask anything as though The King himself has asked it. We have also been commissioned to speak on His behalf, in His Name.
I have know this to be true for a long time but for some reason I am compelled to now to “own” this truth.
“Lord God, please help us to understand the full meaning and power of living In Your Name. Help us to also come to a full understanding of what it means to be a Son of God as your word says in Galatians 3:26 ““You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”. This I ask In Jesus Name.”
This morning I felt impressed to read the book of Haggai. Not exactly one of the books of the Bible that I am normally drawn to.
It’s only a short couple chapters so I thought it worthwhile to post the entire book that God may use it to speak to your heart as he has mine.
Haggai:
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua [a] son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' "
3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."
And the people feared the LORD.
13 Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD. 14 So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'
6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 8 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 9 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai: 11 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?' " The priests answered, "No."
13 Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled."
14 Then Haggai said, " 'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
15 " 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on —consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. 16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD. 18 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. " 'From this day on I will bless you.' "
20 The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 "Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
23 " 'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty."
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