Names of God: Shamar Yisrael - The Protector of Israel

 

SHAMAR YISRAEL
(pronounced shah-MAR yis-rah-EL)
THE PROTECTOR OF ISRAEL

Psalm 121:4
Behold! The Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Behold simply means, 'listen up!' or 'pay attention!', in order to gain a person's attention that the next words said are heard by the hearer. Sometimes to remind, sometimes to reinforce what has already been said previously.
The Protector of Israel is Almighty God. He is Keeper. He keeps watch over His chosen people. [John 17:12]. As a father protects his children, God protects His people.

    He is Guardian. He guards us on every side. As He guarded His people in the wilderness, He went before them as a pillar of cloud and behind them as a pillar of fire. [Exodus 13:17-22]. Even when the tabernacle was built, and the glory of God was upon it, the cloud by day and the fire in the cloud by night, reinforced God's presence upon every Israelite in the camp. And the tabernacle was not consumed in the fire of God's presence. [Exodus 40:38].

    The Protector of Israel surrounds him, instructs him and guards him 'as the apple of His eye'. [Deuteronomy 32:10]. We are surrounded by the angel of The Lord [Psalm 34:7; Zechariah 2:5]. We are instructed by His voice [Isaiah 48:17]. We are the apple of His eye. We are vulnerable in our humanness and require great care by a loving God. [Psalm 17:8].

    The Protector of Israel is Shepherd over Israel. When the flock begins to scatter, He gathers them back to Himself. At times, He will leave the majority of the flock and go looking for the wanderers, the lost sheep. Even when it is The Lord Who has scattered us for His purposes and will, it is still He Who brings us back to Himself. [Jeremiah 31:10; Deuteronomy 28:64]. Only when we acknowledge Him as Shepherd, does He become our personal Shepherd; The One we follow everywhere because we love His voice. [Psalm 23].

    The Protector of Israel never sleeps or grows weary; never gets drowsy. [Isaiah 40:28; Isaiah 27:3]. It is impossible for mere man to be on guard 24/7, seven days a week, month after month into the years. Yet, our God's strength and protection is beyond time and space. Wherever God is God is awake, alert, and prepared.

    Aren't you glad God is your Protector?

    

The Day of The Lord: The Warning to The Church

 

2 Thessalonians 2:3

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition; 

FALSE PROPHETS & TEACHINGS

    Here is a warning given to God's people. Don't allow yourselves to be deceived by people who say that Christ's coming is almost here or that He has already arrived. Jesus warns us of that in Matthew 24:23; Mark 13:21-23; Luke 21:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:2. 

    Many false Christs have appeared throughout history, drawing people to them with their charismatic ways, convincing them that they are Truthsayers, when in reality, they were merely liars, because they followed the father of lies: Satan who disguises himself as an angel of light, mimicking The Truth but not actually being The Truth. Of some of these past false Messiahs, these are but a few, though some are of the distant past, and some of recent past days, some are still around and many more are yet to claim the title of Messiah and Savior (to their detriment and destruction): 

Bahá'u'lláh (1817–1892) Founder of the Baháʼí Faith, who claimed to fulfill prophecies of Jesus’ Second Coming and other religious figures

Arnold Potter (1804–1872) LDS leader who claimed the spirit of Christ entered Him and called himself "Potter Christ"

Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676)  Jewish mystic who called himself the Jewish Messiah

Ariffin Mohamed (1941-2016) Founder of the banned Sky Kingdom in Malaysia, claiming to be the incarnation of Jesus, Muhammad, Shiva, and Buddha

Jose Luis de Jesús Miranda (1946–2013) : Founder of Growing in Grace, who claimed to be both Jesus Christ returned and the Antichrist

Alvaro Thais (1948-     ) claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ

Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012) Founder of the Unification Church and claimed to be Messiah

Krishna Venta (1911–1958) [claimed to be Christ]

Alan John Miller (1963-   ) & Mary Suzanne Luck (1979-   ) [he claims to be Christ and that his female partner is Mary Magdalene] Founder of Divine Truth

Jim Jones (1931-1978) [claimed to be Messiah]

Adolph Hitler (1889-1945) declared himself to be a German Christian, a church which aligned itself with nazi indoctrination, antisemitism, and racism. He promoted 'nondenominational positive Christianity', which did not follow the (Apostles') creed nor having the confessional (of the Catholic church). 

Charles Manson (1934-2017) his followers referred to him as 'light-bringer' 

    Though millions have died in their sins in following the above mentioned 'prophets', untold numbers will fall, will leave the church and its beliefs, in the days preceding the second prophecy of the man of sin.

    We know that The Day of The Lord which is prophesied to come will not happen until two things happen beforehand. Jude 1:14, 15; Joel 2:31, 32.

THE FALLING AWAY

    First, there will be a falling away. Who is falling away? What are they falling away from? The Word tells us that judgment begins in the house of God, the family of God [1 Peter 4:17]. So, these who are falling away are people who profess Christ but do not live Christ. Their foundation is faulty, and they will fall when persecutions come against them [Matthew 7:26]. 

    They who are falling away have drifted away from The Word of God. They listened to vain philosophies and teachings, following after forbidden idols and images, exchanging their nebulous love for rocky lusts, praying to empty gods: images of stone and wood and gold and sand: whatever men and women put their hands to make for themselves. 

    They who are falling away cannot find their way back to The Lord God until they repent of their wicked ways and fully surrender their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ, The Firm Foundation upon which a Christian builds their faith. 

    While many have behaved in such wickedness throughout the centuries, it was a few here, some there. This prophetic falling away is massive; it is on a global scale that people are falling away from The Truth of The Word of God. They have more than itching ears: they are deliberately stepping, walking, away from God. In fact, many are running from The Word of God because they do not want to stop what they are doing. They like living in sin. They are comfortable in their sins, allowing that dark slop to wash over their minds and fill their hearts. 

THE MAN OF SIN REVEALED

    The second thing that must happen before The Day of The Lord arrives is that Satan will seat himself on the throne in the temple of The Lord in Israel. How will those who remain in the church after the rapture know him? Listen to how he is described.

    Out of this falling away rises the man of sin: the man who not only actively lives sin, but promotes it, as well. He is the son of perdition, knowing he is condemned to destruction, his goal is to destroy as many souls as he can. He is the usurper of God's authority, taking God's throne for himself, he proclaims himself to be God. He is Antichrist, against everything that Christ Is: 

Christ is Redeemer/Antichrist is Destroyer

Christ is Savior/Antichrist is Murderer

Christ is Friend/Antichrist is Enemy

Christ is Son of God/Antichrist is the son of destruction

Christ is Resurrection/Antichrist is death. the grave and hellbound

Christ is Hope/Antichrist is despair, hopelessness 

Christ is The Rock Upon Which Our Faith is Built/Antichrist is faithlessness

Christ is The Chief Cornerstone/Antichrist is sand

Christ is Love/Antichrist is hate

Christ is Light/Antichrist is false light

Christ is The Way/Antichrist is the wrong way

Christ is The Truth/ Antichrist is liar

Christ is The Life/Antichrist is death

Christ is Bread/Antichrist is wormwood

Christ is Water/Antichrist is poisoned tongue

Christ is Conqueror/Antichrist is defeated 

    This Antichrist, the lawless one, who disregards God's Laws and desires God's throne and kingdom for his own, will set up his own laws in direct contradiction to God's laws. And people will listen to him, obey him and follow him directly, instead of how they used to follow him, inadvertently and unknowingly. 

   He will do wonders and miracles that will deceive many into believing that he is the promised Messiah. He will give life where life was not, nor should be. And, having turned their hearts and minds against God and His Word, they will believe to their condemnation and destruction. 

    These two things MUST HAPPEN FIRST before The Day of The Lord takes place. The Day of The Lord is a day of judgment and recompense [Obadiah 1:15]. It is in the valley of decision [Joel 3:14]. It is a day of clouds [Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 2:2]. It is a day that is near [Zephaniah 1:14]. It is a day of destruction [Joel 1L15]. As The Day draws near, The Lord has consecrated His guests, the ones He invited [Zephaniah 1:7]. The Day of The Lord is coming [Joel 2:1]. 

GET READY 

    So I say to you who are not ready to meet The Lord, you better get ready. For times are short for the saints' sake. This is your day of salvation. Believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation from eternal damnation. Study The Word of God and learn to live in Christ as Christ lives in you when you believe. Speak The Name of Jesus. Believe The Name of Jesus for your deliverance from wickedness and unholy living. 

Romans 10:9-10, 13

That if you shall confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

COME TO JESUS - Chris Rice

NO FEAR - Jon Reddick & We The Kingdom

GOD Is Father, Not Mother

 

GOD Is Father, not mother

Knowledge of The Father Comes Through The Father's Son

Matthew 11:27

"All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows The Son except The Father, and no one knows The Father except The Son and those to whom The Son chooses to reveal Him."

John 14:6

Jesus said unto him, "I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life: no man comes to The Father, but by Me."

In The Garden (before His arrest)

Mark 14:36

And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

Heirs With Christ

Romans 8:15

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received The Spirit of Adoption by Whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

We Are Sons and Heirs

Galatians 4:6

And because you are sons, God sent The Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

God is referenced as Father 245 times in The New Testament compared to 15 times in The Old Testament.

More of the nature of a heavenly Father is revealed to us, if we only look--seek--for Him.

The example of prayer given in Matthew 6:9, commonly referred to as The Lord's Prayer, indicates that a believers can call God their Father when they pray. He tells them in Matthew 6:1-4 that they have a heavenly Father who is watching them.

And in verse 6, Jesus tells His disciples to go into a secret room--a room set apart for communing with God--and pray to Him.

Matthew 6:9

"In this manner, therefore, pray:

'Our Father Who is in heaven, Hallowed be (Holy is) Your Name."

But then Jesus warns His disciples on forgiveness. If they who believe and follow Him forgive the people who do them wrong, then their heavenly Father will forgive them their sins. But if they do not forgive these persecutors, then their Father cannot forgive them of their sins. Forgiveness is empowering to the weary soul who belongs to our heavenly Father. (Matthew 6:14-15)

Don't make it obvious you are fasting, either (vs 16). Fast according to how God wants us to fast (vs 17) and He, our heavenly Father, will see our obedience and reward us properly.

Matthew 6:19-24 Neither a collector, nor a hoarder, be. Store treasures in heaven (Proverbs 11:30). Serve God and Him only. Chasing after the things which are not of God is a waste of time and effort. Be generous with what God, our heavenly Father, has given us. But if we withhold that which we have been given, how much greater is the loss for us!

Matthew 6:25-34 tells us that our Father is also our Provider. And that when we seek Him and His kingdom, He will provide everything we need.

Though I have known hunger, and had no $ to purchase food, my children and I formed a circle and prayed that God would provide for us. And He did. Minutes later there was a knocking on the door and a couple of friends had their arms filled with bags of groceries. That's my God, my heavenly Father, at work providing for His children.

Name Change - Part 3 - Sealed

2 Timothy 2:19

Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: 

“The Lord knows those who are His,” and, 

“Everyone who calls on The Name of The Lord

 must turn away from iniquity.”

Revelation 22:4

They will see His face, and His Name will be on their foreheads. 

Revelation 3:12

The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write The Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My New Name.

    In 2 Timothy 2:19 we are sealed with a great seal, a seal bearing two inscriptions: The Lord Knows Who Belongs To Him and Everyone Who Calls On The Name of The Lord Must Turn Away From Iniquity. Two very important statements in being called a Christian. [Matthew 7:22, 23; John 10:14, 27]

    The first part of the great seal states that The Lord Knows Who Belongs To Him. Just because someone says they're a Christian doesn't mean they're a Christian. Their actions belie their words. Even actions done 'in Christ's Name' does not make a person a Christian. It is the second part of the seal that defines Christianity. 

    How does The Lord know who belongs to Him? God knows our hearts and our thoughts. Therefore, He can see our intents and our motives before ever we take action on them. [1 Samuel 16:7; Jeremiah 17:10]. Since we know this to be true, we must guard our hearts and fill our thoughts with those things that honor God. [Proverbs 4:23; Philippians 4:8]. 

THE LORD KNOWS WHO BELONGS TO HIM

    Many are the passages of Scripture that define workers of iniquity. The Book of Proverbs is filled with the wisdom and knowledge of who these workers are and how to avoid being one of them. Workers of iniquity are unrepentant sinners. They are comfortable in their sin and see no reason for changing their ways. [Psalm 5:5; 1 John 3:4; 1 John 2:4; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Matthew 25]. 

    Too many will have attended one church or another, becoming a member of the church denomination, giving their tithes and offerings, serving on the board or teaching in the classrooms. But never giving their hearts and lives to Christ Jesus. Never surrendering fully to God, nor giving Him the honor and glory due Him because He is God. Church attendance does not make us known to God. 

    The Lord is sifting the church, bringing judgment upon the sleepers, who will be chaff in the wind, kindle in the fire. Their 'faith' will dissolve and they will complain to God that they did this or did that in His Name, but He will inform them that He never knew them. Be wheat, not chaff. Be watchful, not sleeping. Know the times in which we live and be ever ready to give a testimony of the gospel and why you believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. [Matthew 3:12; Matthew 25:1-13; Romans 13:11; 2 Timothy 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15].

TURN AWAY FROM INIQUITY

    We guard our hearts when we disallow vain philosophies to enter in. We have set a watch over our hearts when we listen to God's Holy Spirit, Who leads us away from temptations and brings us closer to God, when we maintain a full study life in Christ. We read our Holy Bibles, praying over The Word that God would reveal to us in the passage(s) we are reading, not only Himself, but what He would have us to know. 

    Think: consider, regard, take into account. Now, if we are taking something or someone into account, we are putting some serious thought into what we will do with that something or someone. It is applying deliberate attention to every detail, even the most minute, or what appears to be an irrelevant or obscure detail, and fully laying it out before we make a decision regarding that something or someone. This is how we think on God's Word. 

    What is iniquity? Iniquity is sin. It is disobedience to God's Word and God's Will for us. It is lawlessness. It is evil and wickedness. Iniquity is immorality. It is wrongdoing, misconduct, dishonesty. Iniquity is trespassing. It is corruption. 

    Iniquity takes up residence in both the heart and the mind from birth, through the nature of sin that we are born with. When we reach the age of accountability--knowing what is right and what is wrong and why these things are right and wrong, recognizing truth as truth and lying as lying--then we become accountable to God for how we think and what we believe. 

    When we turn from iniquity, we must turn our hearts and our minds elsewhere. And just where is this 'elsewhere'? In Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of God's Love to us. He is Truth. He is Righteousness. He is The Right Hand of God. He is Love. He is Light. He is Savior. He is Redeemer. He is The Glory of God and so much more. He is The Good Shepherd Who Knows His Sheep. 

    That's how we are known. That's how we are recognized. When Jesus Christ is our Savior, He becomes our Shepherd and we become His fellow workers of righteousness and His sheep. We are His own. We belong to Him now, for we have turned our backs on iniquity. No more are we workers of iniquity, no more are we living lives of sin and immoralities: we are His sheep: we are Christians because we are following our Shepherd now in this new Life He has given us in Himself, instead of following the main worker of iniquity, of lawlessness, Satan. 

    We are sealed with this great seal, a dual seal of Being Known By God and Belonging To Jesus Christ. We are Christians, Light-Bearers in an ever darkening world, and we are here to tell you about the saving grace of God through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. "For there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:12]. 

    Where the blood of God's Lamb Who Takes Away The Sins of The World has been applied, and where the fire of God's Holy Spirit is evident, the seal has been branded on that person. Are you sealed? 

     

    

Name Change-Part 2

 

Daniel 1:6

Now among these were of the children of Judah: 

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

    The Book of Daniel begins with a war and a kidnapping. Not a very auspicious beginning, is it? But we miss a very important point here: The Lord allowed it to happen (verse 2). Sometimes when bad things happen to us, we wonder where God is and why this is happening to us. When instead we should keep our hearts and our eyes on God and respect His will for us, even when our world has been turned upside-down.

    Of all the children of Israel, only four were found to meet the king's requirements for them to be in his court, in his service. Verse 4: unblemished, goodly to look upon, wise, knowledgeable, understanding in science; young men who they would be able to teach their ways and their language to. 

    Young men who would be fed meat and wine for three years, that they might be presentable to the king: Verse 5. And their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel: God is My Judge. Hananiah: The Lord is Gracious. Mishael: Who Is Like God? Azariah: God Has Helped. 

    They were the children of Judah, the people of 'praise to our God'. Though The Spirit may have held their tongues when captured, their hearts continued to glorify God. How could they not? God blesses His people with goodness and adversity. He it is Who makes us ready to walk through the trials and come out on the other side. It is God we praise. 

    And yet, in their captivity, the king tried to change even their identity in God. He gave them new names that represented his god. Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar, which means 'Bel Protects'. Bel is a form of Ba'al which means 'lord, master, owner' and was their god of the storms and god of fertility. Though Daniel had to answer to this name while in captivity, he remained faithful to God throughout. 

    Hananiah was given the name Shadrach, meaning 'Command of Aku'. In the Babylonian culture renaming was common, so as to assimilate strangers and prisoners into their way of life. Yet, Hananiah, too, remained faithful to God. 

    Mishael was given the name Meschach, meaning, 'Who Is Like Aku'. A mocking name meant to insult the name Mishael had been given at birth. A name that changed by one word: from God to god. I believe Mishael was aware of the mockery, yet that only enforced his desire to remain faithful to his God. And he stood strong in his faith. 

    Azariah became Abednego, meaning 'Servant of Nebo', the god of writing and wisdom, prophesy and announcing. Azariah's name change meant nothing to him, yet he, also, had to learn his new name and respond to it. 

    In their faithfulness to their God, they were able to learn not only the language and customs of Babylon, but God put them in a place where they would thrive because of their faith in Him. What the enemy means for our downfall, God will use to raise us up. And raise them up He did. 

    Regardless of the names we are called in the territory of the enemies of God, we choose to remain faithful to our God. We will be called liars for proclaiming The Truth of The Word of God. We will be named Intolerant and Hater. We will be called Divisionist, for division will be evident in our relationships, which will be broken because we will not back down from The Truth. 

    Yet, in the face of all the backlash from those who do know God, nor do some want to know God, we will stand on The Word of God and hold our place in the line of battle. For this type of warfare goes beyond being spoken of vilely, or being attacked physically, even beyond being killed for His Name's sake. This is spiritual warfare and we need to be as prepared as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were. 

    Now is the time to prepare our hearts and our minds to focus on God and God's Word through God's Holy Spirit. Today is the day we strengthen ourselves with The Word of God. We are armed and dangerous underneath this calm exterior. We are not afraid, nor are we alone. Our God is With Us. And our name is Christian. 

Names of God - YHWH ELOHIYM

 

YHWH ELOHIYM

(pronounced yah-way eh-lo-HEEM)

THE LORD HE IS GOD

Deuteronomy 4:39

Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that 
THE LORD HE IS GOD in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

    There is only one God. He is Almighty God, The God of heaven and earth. He is Spirit. God is Omnipresent: He can be everywhere at the same time. God is Omniscient: knows all there is to know. And God is Omnipotent: all powerful. 

    God is in heaven above: all the heavenly places bear His imprint of creativity. No two stars are exactly like. Every planet is singular in structure. We give parts of the known universe names like Nebulae and Ursa Minor and Milky Way. Yet, God has named each one of His creation with names only He knows. 

    God is in His heaven, that far away place above and beyond the skies and outer space. And because He is Omnipresent, that heavenly place where His thrones are is only one area of His permanent residence [Sapphire Throne: Ezekiel 1:26; White Throne of Judgment: Revelation 20:11-15] . God inhabits (dwells within, lives in) the praises of His people [Psalm 22:3]. 

    God is in His tabernacle. The tabernacle of God is both a physical dwellingplace and a spiritual dwellingplace. In the Old Testament the tabernacle was a tent like no other that had to be put together when God's people would settle in one place, then dismantled and carried to the next place, where it would be reassembled and the glory of God would settle into it, filling it completely.

    In John 1:14, the glory of God is seen in Christ Jesus, Who is The Tabernacle of God and it is this Tabernacle of God that is with men [Revelation 21:3]--the people who believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, the people who believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. 

    Those of you who choose not to believe will never know the joy of being loved by God. You will never have an intimate, loving relationship with our heavenly Father. You condemn yourselves to hell and an eternity of torment in the lake of fire. But, you don't have to do that. There's still time to believe. There's still time to repent, to admit you have sinned against God, to turn away from the sins you have committed and turn your hearts and faces to The God of heaven and earth. 

    God is Creator. He created all things, all people for His glory. All the heavens and everything in them. All the earth and everything in it. From a black void to a colorful, peopled, nature-filled wonder. He created me. He created you. And when I turned my back on sin, and turned my face and my heart to my Creator, He created in me a new me through my belief on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ. God wants to create in you a new creation, too. There's still time. 

    God is in His heaven and in His earth. Is He in you, too?

Warrior of The Word - Your Word In My Heart

 

Deuteronomy 11:18

Fix these Words of Mine in your hearts and minds; tie Them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Deuteronomy 6:6

These Words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.

Psalm 37:31

The Law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.

Psalm 40:8

I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart. (both statement of actual fact at that time AND prophetic statement revealed in Christ [Hebrews 10:1-18])

Jeremiah 31:33

“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares The LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 

Romans 7:22

For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.

Psalm 119:16, 24, 47, 92

I will delight myself in Thy Statutes: I will not forget Thy Word. [Testimonies (v24), Commandments (v47), Law (v92)]

    Memories take place in that part of the body that is separate from the flesh and bones frame which is formed with touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight. But there is another part of us that has a heart and a mind which also contain memory. It is our souls and our souls are eternal. Which means that even after these bodies of flesh and bone that die and decay, our soul will continue beyond the grave. 

    Now is the time to strengthen our souls that we may live beyond the grave. We do this when we exercise The Word of God in our hearts by trusting in His Word; by being obedient to His Word. First we take in His Word by hearing It, which causes our faith to grow. It is both Sun and Rain to the Seed of Faith which has been planted in our soul hearts. 

    Secondly, we take in His Word when we read It. Reading our Bibles every day is a privilege, for many are still without a whole Bible or a Bible written in their language. Some have memorized chapters of Scripture because a single page is all they ever had. The Word is precious, and even a small amount can do wonders: For The Word of God is Living and Enduring. The Living Word changes the Seed of Faith within our soul hearts, causing us to grow in Him and He in us. 

    Thirdly, we take in His Word when we dream Him. There are places where His Word is not allowed, yet He reveals Himself to men and women there to bring them into Himself and His kingdom. Dreams which reveal that Jesus Christ is The Messiah, The Only Begotten Son of God, are revelatory dreams, revealing God's great Love for them, filling them with wonder and urgency. 

    The more of God's Law, God's Word, that is in us, the more we want. [Matthew 5:6]

We are never satisfied with just a little bit of godly knowledge: we are always hungry for more. Yet there must be moments of rest, as well. So we rest in The Lord, while our souls digest what we have already taken in. In this we are content. 

    While we are taking in God's Word, Law, Commandments, and Statutes, The Holy Spirit of God is writing these things on our hearts. As The Finger of God wrote on the wall in Daniel 5:5, so, too, does He write on our hearts [Ezekiel 36:26, 27]. The verse in Daniel is both a warning and a promise of destruction [Daniel 5:6-28]. The verses in Ezekiel are a promise for the believer; not just for that time of our salvation, but for our continued walk with God by His Spirit. 

    Fifty days after Christ ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God, God sent His Holy Spirit first to those who were waiting together [Acts 2:1-4], then to all who believed [Acts 2:38, 39; 4:31; 10:44-48; 11:1-18; 13:52; 19:6; Ephesians 5:18; Joel 2:28, 29 (Spirit poured out on all the people who return to The Lord with repentant hearts [Joel 2:12-17]); Isaiah 44:3 (Spirit poured out on seed)].

    We who are alive today are some of the people to whom The Holy Spirit had been promised. We who have repented of our sins, turning our backs on worldly pleasures and giving our minds and hearts to heavenly treasures, are receiving God's Holy Spirit, Who reveals godly wisdom to us through our faith in Jesus Christ. 

    We rise up in prayer to our God and He empowers us to go outward into the world to preach the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. He empowers us to walk upright before The Lord. He empowers us to speak in other languages that we might more readily share, bear witness of, The Testimony we have seen and heard. 

    We are Warriors of The Word and His Word in in our hearts. 

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Sixteen

 

1 Corinthians 13:5

Love is neither rude, nor selfish,

nor provoked; thinks no evil.

    To Love like Christ is to always put the other person first. Even on the cross, He wasn't thinking of Himself, for He asked God His Father to forgive the ones who had put Him there. In their unmitigated refusal to believe, categorically denying that He was The Messiah Who had been prophesied as testified by the prophets, the religious leaders, scribes and the Roman leader in that place took part in a mock trial.

     He was questioned, but gave minimal answers. He was whipped to the point where His back was in shreds. He was pummeled on His face repeatedly by the guards. His beard was pulled out of His face. A crown of thorns was forced into the top of His head, causing the blood to rush down His face and His neck. 

    A scarlet robe was thrown over His shoulders and back. And when the blood dried, they ripped the robe off of His back, which caused the newly formed scabs to open, allowing fresh blood to run down His back and His legs. 

    On that day Love ran red. The Love of God in Christ did not fight back. He raised no hands nor fists in His own defense. The Love of God in Christ did not talk back to His tormenters. He spoke nothing. The Love of God in Christ did not cry out until He was on the cross, until Life was leaving His body. 

    This is our example of how to Love like Christ when being tormented, teased, judged, condemned by the world for our faith in The Name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. 

    Say nothing. Think The Love of God in Christ. For there is no room in the body of Christ for revenge. There is no room to play tit-for-tat games. Nor is there room in this body of which we are a part of  for paybacks. There is no room for offenses; we cannot allow ourselves to be easily provoked, nor should we lose our temper and try to defend ourselves. 

    Speak forgiveness for every little offense and every major offense. Think forgiveness. Think about how much we have been forgiven. And still are being forgiven when we mess up. Because mess up we will. But even then we admit the imperfection to the one we have spoken against (if possible); admit the offense to God and ask forgiveness for it, then try not to do that again (whatever the offense may have been). 

    To Love like Christ is to think of others before yourself. When Jesus sat down at Jacob's well in Samaria, He was tired and needed to rest. But He also knew that the woman He would be speaking with needed to hear His Word and drink His water more than He needed a break and a drink. 

    This Love of God in Christ is for anyone who asks for it. Many people want to go to heaven, but not everyone wants to go through Christ Jesus. That's why we need "to be about The Father's business": telling people about the Love of Christ. That there's only one Way to get to heaven and that's through the blood of Christ which washes away all of our sins when we believe that He died for us, overcame death for us and walked into a new life for us. 

    We need to pray for each other to have more Strength in God through Christ. We need to pray for one another to have a walk so faithful and true that The Love of God in Christ is evident to those who see us, speak to us, follow us, watch us, and hear us. We need to pray that our words are sweet, our attitudes are humble, and our thoughts are focused on the beauty of God's Word. 

"Lord, help us to Love like You. Unselfishly, unconditionally; wisely and compassionately. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, Who helps us to guard our mouths and our hearts, that nothing wicked may enter our hearts and then flow out of our mouths. Lord, if we are going to speak before we think, may our minds and our thoughts always be on You, of You, that The Word given in due time may be Your Word spoken in Your Love to the ones who need to hear It. Thank You for Loving us the Way You Love us. Be our Strength to repel the fiery darts which try to get past our spiritual armor. Be glorified, Lord, by our words and our actions, that Your Name would be praised and Your kingdom increased. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Philippians 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.

    

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Fifteen

 

1 Corinthians 13:4e

Love is not prideful.

    Finishing off this verse in 1 Corinthians is a word that rounds off the previous two words into one word: envy and boastfulness lead to pridefulness. Pridefulness is arrogance. Arrogance in the way we speak to one another, arrogance in our attitudes towards God, arrogance in the way we treat other people and the lands we live on. 

    Pridefulness is the evidence of self-righteousness, of putting one's own desires, its own lusts, above another's. It is the refusal to submit to God's Authority and Ownership of His creation: us. We did not create ourselves, nor can we uncreate ourselves. Our souls are eternal. Though our bodies die and decay, our souls either live or die eternally. 

    Love is humble. Love wears the garment of humility, choosing to reject tradition and following after godly obedience instead.

    1 Peter 5:5, 6

"Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you."

    Submission is the opposite of pride. But submission should not be given to just anyone who demands submission to them, unless we first understand what submission is. After all the word alone catches our attention and gets our emotions wound up. 

    To submit to God is to: Obey God and God's Word. It is to hear The Word of The Lord, and act upon It. It is to make one's self subject to His Authority and Rule. It is to approach the throne of grace with a humble heart, a broken and contrite heart, a repentant heart, a willing heart. 

    To submit to God is to recognize the Love He has for His creation. It is to see and begin to understand just how much our heavenly Father really loves us. John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9, 10; Ephesians 2:1-9; Colossians 1:21, 22; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; Titus 3:4, 5; 1 John 3:16. 

    It is to receive this Love into our hearts and spread this Love into the hearing, the seeing, of the people we interact with. It is to know the Love of God is in Christ Jesus and that this Love needs to be in us, as well. Therefore, let us submit to God in Christ that God's Love will be perfected in us.

    Unless we first submit to God and accept His perfect will for our lives, it will be impossible to submit to any other authority in our lives with the grace that God provides to all who surrender themselves to Him. 

    Pride got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. God created Lucifer in heaven when He was creating His angels. There are passages in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 that describe fallen kings, who failed to submit to God, because of their pride in their accomplishments, who gave not the glory to God but took it upon themselves. Yet in these passages, we see the downfall of Lucifer, Satan, as well. (cf) Revelation 12:7-8, 12.

    Submission to evil and wickedness and unrighteousness will take us away from God and His Word and His Spirit. Choosing to live a life of separation from God's Love is choosing to walk in darkness and destruction. Sin is fun. Everyone says so. Not it isn't. And just who is this Everyone that is referenced? Sin is not fun. Sin's pleasures and enjoyments are only a mask, a disguise that covers the true nature of sin: rebellion against God. 

    "O Lord, You know our hearts and can see what needs fixing and replacing. Please continue to reveal Yourself to us in the areas we need You most. Holy Spirit, make us holy; for without holiness we know we will not see God and live. Make us sheep and not goats. Cleanse us and renew us right now. We surrender how we think (our thoughts), how we speak (what we say) and how we behave (what we do) to the Authority of our heavenly Father. Lead us where we need to be, and help us not go where we should not be. In Jesus' Matchless Name, Amen."