Forgiving Your Worse Enemy

By Reverend Lonnie C. Crowe

Who is my worst enemy? 

Charles Spurgeon said, “Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.”

More simply put, we are our own worst enemy.  Praise God! We often preach and practice the forgiveness of God in our lives and the necessity of forgiving those who have wounded and betrayed us.  So seldom do we forgive the enemy within.

Many times, even when we have accepted that God has forgiven us, we continue to torture ourselves for our past failures. We must learn to forgive ourselves and to love ourselves in the Lord.  The greatest commandments:  Mark 12:30-31: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." This is the first commandment.  And the second is like this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

Notice, we must forgive ourselves and love ourselves in the Lord before we can forgive and love others.

Give Them All to Jesus By Phil Johnson and Bob Benson, Sr.
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys. Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus And He will turn your sorrows into joy.

 

Standing Fervently

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Eze 22:29-31: The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD. 

Jas 5:16b The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail much. The operative word is “fervently”. 

Are you willing to stand fervently in the gap?

 

Is Your Temple Flourishing in His Glory?

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Ezekiel 10 records one of the most heart wrenching occurrences in scripture.  In a vision, Ezekiel witnessed the departure of the Glory of God from the Temple in Jerusalem.  Because of the vile sins of the people of Judea, what was once the Holy of Holies was no longer a fit place for the Glory to reside.

“Ezekiel 10:  ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. …¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. ¹⁹ While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.”

At the eastern gate, the Glory Cloud rose above the cherubim and into the heavens.

Ezekiel was already in captivity in Babylon when the Temple was destroyed and the Ark of the Covenant was taken.

During the earthy life of our Lord Jesus, the Second Temple was the center of worship, but what few of us realize is that the Holy of Holies in that Temple was an empty room devoid of the Ark of the Covenant and the Glory Cloud. The Glory of God did not return until The New Covenant had been established through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Act 2:1-4: “ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The Glory returned and established His residency in the New Temple, the Church, the Body of Christ.

Paul cautioned the Church in Corinth:  1 Corinthians 3:16-17:  “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which you are.”

Paul also instructed the Church in Ephesus: Eph 4:22-32: “For you ought to put off the old man (according to your way of living before) who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness. Therefore putting away lying, let each man speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the Devil. 

“Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, so that he may have something to give to him who needs. Let not any filthy word go out of your mouth, but if any is good to building up in respect of need, that it may give grace to the ones hearing. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and tumult and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. 

Paul encouraged the Church in Thessalonica:  1Thessilonians 5:16-19:  “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Do not quench the Spirit.”

Remember that only the High Priest of Israel was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem.  Jesus is our High Priest.  Therefore, only His Spirit and His Word should be allowed into the Temple of our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

(All scriptures are from the MKJV.) 

 

Considering the Heavens: Part One

By Reverend Lonnie C. Crowe

At least six different Hebrew words have been translated into English as either heaven or heavens.  Please join me in a study of each of these words. 

The information that follows is from either Raqia: SKY, Expanse – Hebrew Word Lessons (1) or The One New Man Bible (2).

RAQIA (Rakia):

The Hebrew word raqia means to spread out or an expanse.

“Raqia is used to explain the ancient understanding of cosmology- that early Hebrew people believed in a firm dome-like structure that surrounded the world and kept the sky waters out. This was why some versions of the Bible translate raqia as “firmament”. (1)

“This is a reference to the stars, sun, moon and planets: outer space where the various heavenly bodies move in their prescribed orbits and/or maintain relationships in constellations, solar systems, galaxies, etc. Rakia is the part of the heavens that can be seen with the naked eye.” (2)

Scriptures speaking of raqia:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:1)

Then God said, “Let there be an expanse [raqia] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse [ha-raqia], and separated the waters that were below the expanse [la-raqia] from the waters that were above the expanse [la-raqia]; and it was so. God called the expanse [la-raqia] “heaven.” And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (Genesis 1:6-8) (1)

Psalm 19:1

[David:] The heavens tell of the glory of God; and their expanse [ha-raqia] declares the work of His hands.

“For David, the incredible, overwhelming vastness of the sky was a testament to the power and glory of YHWH!” (1)

Job 37:18

 

[Elihu:] “Can you, with Him, spread out [ta-r’qia] the skies strong as a cast metal mirror?”

 

Ezekiel 1:22-26 (see also Ezekiel 10:1-2)

Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse [raqia], like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads. Under the expanse [ha-raqia] their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings. And a voice came from above the expanse [la-raqia] that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings. (1)

“God’s beautiful expansive sky went black with darkness as His chosen, unique Son suffered horribly at the hand of humankind. Yeshua would die on that cross… but He would not stay in His grave. He conquered death and rose up and greeted His followers with a blessing. After a ministry of forty days Yeshua went home to be with His Father. The sky, which darkened at His death, received Him as the Light of the World. He ascended into the heavens and His disciples stood in awe:” (1)

Luke 24:50-51

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 

Jesus ascended through the raqia, and beyond what the people could see.  When He returns, He will come from above, into the raqia where we shall behold Him.(1)

We Shall Behold Him

Dottie Rambo

The sky shall unfold
Preparing His entrance
The stars shall applaud Him
With thunders of praise

The sweet light in His eyes
Shall enhance those awaiting
And we shall behold Him
Then face to face

Oh, we shall behold Him
Yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face in all of His Glory

Oh, we shall behold Him
Yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face our Savior and Lord

And the angels shall sound
The shout of His coming
And the sleeping shall rise from
Their slumbering place

And those who remain shall
We shall be changed in a moment
And we shall behold Him
Then face to face

We shall behold Him
Oh yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face in all of His Glory

We shall behold Him
Oh yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face my Savior and Lord

And we shall behold Him
Our Savior and Lord!
Savior and Lord!

Events of Pentecost

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Colossians 2:16-17 (NKJV) 

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

The Hebrew word for the celebration is“Shavuot” meaning “weeks”.    Pentecost is a Greek word meaning “50 days.”  Pentecost is counted from the day of Passover.  Let us remember that Shavuot/Pentecost is a picture of what is to come and what has already come.  The most important thing is that the feast is one of the Lord’s appointed times and teaches us about Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah.

Leviticus 23:15-16 (NKJV):  “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath (the Passover), from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.” The offering was brought on the second day of Shavuot.

According to the rabbinical tradition, the Lord gave the 10 Commandments to Moses on the Feast of Shavuot.  When we carefully count the days from the Exodus on Passover, it is a logical conclusion.  Part of the Orthodox Jewish celebration of the feast is the reading of the 10 Commandments.  On Shavuot, the Jews remember the events of Mt. Sinai that directed their worship, sanctification and anticipation of the coming Messiah who would deliver them from the slavery of sin just as God had delivered them from the slavery of Egypt.

Pentecost/Shavuot occurs 50 days after Passover, the day when the Lord suffered the agony of the cross for our redemption.  Three days after Passover is the Feast of Fruit Fruits.  The fruits of the barley harvest were then offered to the Lord.  Jesus rose from grave on the Feast of Fruit Fruits as the First Fruits of those who will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:20). 

Pentecost commemorates the first fruits of the wheat harvest. In bringing the first fruits to the Lord, the people were declaring that God is their provision, the source of their strength and that they will be good stewards of the harvest which He has provided.

Fifty days after the crucifixion of our Lord, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)  

The 120 believers gathered in that day became the first fruits of those who are indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  They became the first fruits of the Church triumphant in the overcoming power of our indwelling Holy Spirit.  Pentecost declares that God is the Christian’s provision, the source of our strength and the harvest of souls belongs to Him.

Fifty is a significant number in the Bible.  It is the number of Jubilee.  It is the number of restoration and redemption.  Every fiftieth year was to be a year of Jubilee when debts were forgiven, when the slaves were set free, when lands were returned to their original tribes, when the mercies of God were celebrated.

Pentecost is the eternal celebration of the finished work of the Cross.  Pentecost is the acknowledgment that in the power of the Holy Spirit, believers in Jesus Christ, are forgiven, set free from the power of sin and death and returned to a relationship with the heavenly Father who has created us.  Pentecost is about empowering, redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ who is our Jubilee.

 Embracing the Spirit of Mothering

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

It is ironic that the dominant culture of today embraces mothers and, yet, often diminishes mothering. One who accepts the role of mothering is one who nurtures, protects and sustains not only physical life, but also emotional and spiritual life.   

As with many female figures in the Old Testament, Eve represents the Church, the Bride of Christ.  She is also the first to walk in the spirit of motherhood.  We are familiar with the woman and the fruit, but pay little attention to what happened afterwards.

Genesis 3:9-12 (NKJV) “Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

  Adam blamed God for giving him the woman.

Genesis 3: 13 (NKJV) “And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

The woman discerned the root of the problem—the deception of the serpent.

Even though the woman had been deceived¸ she came to understand the deception of the enemy and call it for what it is.  In the same way, for the Church to walk in the spirit of mothering, we must, male and female both, have the discernment to call out fallacy and deception.  If we condone the deception, we can no longer nurture and protect.

When we step up, God steps in.  Genesis 3:14-15 (NKJV) “So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

When we step up and God steps in, others, including the Adams who blame their troubles on others, will often step up as well.

 Genesis 3:20-21 (NKJV):  “And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.”

In Hebrew, Adam called his wife Chavah which means “life-giver”.   In naming his wife, Adam accepted her destiny as the one who will not only give life to their immediate children, but who will also be the source of eternal life to her generations through the sacrifice her of seed, Jesus Christ.

The Church is called upon not only to evangelize, to call people into new life in Jesus, but also to nurture, protect and disciple that new life.  Establishing a mothering spirit in our churches and in our homes will do much to correct the ills in our society.  No matter how the family is structured, a mothering spirit can prevail.  One does not have to be a female in order to walk in a spirit of mothering. One need only submit to the chavah spirit of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:45 (NKJV): “And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” 

Jesus walked in the chavah spirit.

 

Gomer: The Lord's Relentless Love for the Church
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

    Gomer, the wife of the prophet Hosea, exemplifies the love of the Lord for His Bride, His Church.  Paul understood the richness of that love when he wrote: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)

    Several years ago, Johnny Lee described the world’s fruitless search for love in the song, “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.” While the desire to be loved is universal, the search for it can lead us either into the depths of hell or into the secure love of our Lord.  God is love.  Therefore, it is in His nature, His DNA, to love us.  The story of Gomer in the book of Hosea is the story of God’s unconditional, relentless love for His bride, the Church.

    The first part of the book of Hosea contains three poems which illustrate how God’s people, time after time, prove to be unfaithful to Him.  God uses the story of Hosea the faithful husband and Gomer, his unfaithful wife to show the depth of the husband’s (God’s) love for the wife (the people of God.)

Hosea 1:2-9:  The beginning of Jehovah speaking by Hosea. And Jehovah said to Hosea, Go, take to yourself a wife of adultery and children of adultery. For the land has utterly gone lusting away from Jehovah. 

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, who conceived and bore him a son. And Jehovah said to him, Call his name God Will Sow. For still in a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. And it shall be, at that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. And she conceived again and bore a daughter. And God said to him, Call her name No-mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel. But I will utterly take them away. 

But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. And when she had weaned No-mercy she conceived and bore a son. And He said, Call his name Not-my-people. For you are not My people, and I will not be for you. 

    God commanded Hosea to marry Gomer, a wife of harlotry.  After giving birth to three children whose names describe both the judgment and the redemption of God’s people, Gomer walks away from her marriage and back into her harlotry.  In her unfaithfulness, Gomer moved away from the blessing and security of her marriage into the shame and disgrace of adultery.  What a painful picture of the Christian who has walked away from the blessing of an intimate relationship with God and back into the ways of the world.

    God then commanded Hosea to take Gomer back and restore her as his wife.  The story of Gomer is a story of God’s unconditional love, His tender mercy and grace even in the face of our ingratitude, selfishness and sin.   Our sin separates us from relationship with our Lord, but not even our sin can separate us from His love.  His loving desire is to bring us into a warm relationship with Him where we can rest in His favor.  

    If you have never known the love of God, it is time to move into that relationship.  Acknowledge that your sin has separated you from God.  Romans 3:23 (NKJV) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  Know that God has made a way for you to have a relationship with Him. Romans 6:23 (NKJV) assures us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Accept that Jesus’ death on the cross paid the wages of sin for you. Romans 5:8 (NKJV) “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

    If you, like Gomer, have walked away from your relationship with Jesus Christ, God’s heart is to restore you to Himself.  1 John 1:8-9 (NKJV) “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

    No matter where we have walked in life, the desire of our Bridegroom is to restore us unto Himself.  Just as Gomer was restored to Hosea, each of us can be restored to Jesus Christ.  

“Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!”
--Will L. Thompson