Walking in the Spirit of Jabez

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Although his story is told in only two verses in scripture, Jabez’ message is powerful, life altering and filled with world-changing hope.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10:

“Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name [Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain. ”And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested”

I Chronicles 4 lists the descendants of Judah. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob. As Jacob lay dying, he prophesied over each of his 12 sons.  Judah’s prophecy is found in Genesis 49:8-12: “Judah, may your brothers praise you. May your hand be in the neck of your enemies. May your father's sons bow before you. Judah is a lion's whelp. My son, you have gone up from the prey. He stooped, he crouched like a lion; and like a lioness, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. And the obedience of the peoples to him. Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass's colt to the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes shall be sparkling with wine, and his teeth white from milk.”

Judah’s tribe will be victorious over their enemies. The scepter signifies the kings in the line of Judah.  David is the first; Jesus is the last.  The feasting and the wine speak of prosperity.

Jabez was born into the tribe of Judah, the tribe of kings. Both Rahab and Ruth married into the tribe of Judah. David was a descendant of Judah. Joseph, Mary and Jesus were members of the tribe.

In spite of the promises that had been declared over the tribe of Judah, Jabez’ mother saw little hope for her son. He had been born in pain. She expected that pain to continue. Jabez means “he will bring pain and sorrow.”

We must be mindful of what we speak over our children and grandchildren.  Likewise, we need to know who we are in the Lord and not take to heart what the world may say about us as Christians.

Jabez did not let the words of his mother limit his life expectations. He called on the God of Israel not only to bless him, but to bless him INDEED. He asked for a big blessing. He asked God to increase his territory, to increase his sphere of authority, to increase his ministry. Jabez knew that he could not move effectively in his increase without the covering and protection of the Lord. He asked for guidance (God’s hand.) He asked the Lord to keep him from evil. Remember that the Lord Jesus taught us all to pray for the Lord to deliver us from evil.

Jabez’ purpose for his increased territory and for the Lord’s intervention in his life is that he would not cause pain, that he would not walk in the curse that his mother had spoken over him. Jabez wanted to be blessed in order to bless others.

 

We can learn from Jabez.

--No matter what our background might be, no matter what others may have spoken over us, God still has a plan to give us a future and a hope.

Jermiah 29:11-12: “For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you shall call on Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” 

--We cannot walk effectively in blessing without submitting to God’s authority over our lives.

Psalm 37:3-4:  Trust in God, and do good; you shall dwell in the land, and you shall be fed on truth. Delight yourself also in God, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

--Our desire must be a determination to walk away from evil—evil in both thought and action.

James 4:7-8:  Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, double-minded ones. 

--The purpose of our enlarged territory must be to accomplish our calling without purposefully harming others.

We must ask ourselves some pertinent questions.

--Why do I want my domain to be increased?

--Am I willing to forgo my plans and to submit to God’s plans and purposes?

--Am I desirous of walking away from evil thoughts, conversations and actions?

--Can I honestly say that I do not wish pain on others?

God’s purpose is that we shine forth the glory, power, authority and holiness of our Creator.

Isaiah 60:1- 2: Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.”

Because He loves us and wants the best for us, God desires that we walk in the spirit of Jabez.

 

On Being 84

By Rev,Lonnie C. Crowe

Thank you for all the lovely birthday greetings.  I was blessed beyond measure. As I contemplate my 84 years, blessed is certainly the word to describe my life.  In spite of times of trial, overall, my life has been blessed. My greatest blessing is my walk with the Lord, I loved my career as a teacher.  I loved being a pastor.  I love the family God has given me. I love the many wonderful people who have walked with me through the years.

Psalm 84 is my psalm for this year.  (Longing for the courts of the Lord, does not mean that I am longing to die.  It means having a great desire for fellowship with the Lord wherever. Afterall, my body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who dwells in my heart.)

Psalm 84

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you ]Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka (weeping),
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

They Are Watching the City on the Hill 

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

All of creation is watching and waiting for Reformation.

Jesus said of the Church,

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Notice He spoke in the present tense.  We are the light of the world.  We are the city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.  The world is watching us. 

At the same time, we are watching the world.  We are watching the violence, the divisions, the anger, the unforgiveness and the despair. 

And the world, including all of creation, is watching us and waiting for us to step forward and take our places as the sons of God. (Romans 8:19).

The sons of God must stand in unity against the forces of the enemy of our souls.  The turmoil in our culture is manifested in the political, but its roots are in the spiritual.  Only the sons of God can battle in the spiritual realm.

When Jesus went into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of His crucifixion, He didn’t chase out the money changers in Caesar’s court.  He cleansed His own house.  He cleansed the Temple.  Today, Christians are the Temple of God.  We must be busy cleansing the Temple.  Before any political reformation came about in history, it began with a cleansing of the hearts of Christians. 

We cannot experience true brotherhood in the world until we experience true brotherhood in the Church.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Epheseus, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)

The desire of God’s heart is that Christians come together in unity–harmony within the church and harmony among the churches based on salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God. We are not called to be sports teams in competition with one another.  We are called to stand together and to usher in the Kingdom of God—His will done on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweat drops of blood as He prayed for the unity of His followers throughout the ages: "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me” John 17:21-23. 

Psalm 133:1-3 declares the blessing in unity.  “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing: Life forevermore.”

We often preach about loving the sinner and loving our enemies.  We seldom speak of loving other Christians with the agape love that our Father has poured out upon and through us.  The Word tells us that the world will recognize Christians by the love we have for one another: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13: 34-35).

The world is waiting for Christians to love one another.  In that unity is deliverance, freedom and peace. Unbelievers will be drawn to Jesus by the love we have for other believers. (Isaiah 60:1-3).

Oh, Lord God, may the world know us by the love we have for one another, by our unity in the Spirit, by the peace we have within our hearts and with one another.  Amen.

Rise Up O Church of God

By William Pierson Merrill

Rise up O church of God

Have done with lesser things

Give heart and soul

And mind and strength

To serve the King of kings

Rise up O church of God

His kingdom tarries long

Bring in the day of brotherhood

And end the night of wrong

Rise up O church of God

The church for you doth wait

Her strength unequal to her task

Rise up and make her great

Lift high the cross of Christ

Tread where His feet have trod

As brothers of the Son of Man

Rise up O church of God

Prayer for Our Nation

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

As we move on toward the midterm elections and in light of the chaos in our nation and in the world, several major prayer ministries our calling for us to intercede, to stand in the gap for our nation. Remembering that righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34), please join together as we declare the word of the Lord over those in authority over us.

We declare that our governmental leaders will love God and obey His directives for a good life because happy is the one who keeps the law of the Lord. (Proverbs 29:18)

Then our land will be blessed because our leaders will noble and not given to partying and drunkenness. (Ecclesiastes 10:17)

Our authorities will judge with truth. (Proverbs 29:14)

Our leaders will make right decisions because true authority is established in righteousness . (Proverbs 16:12b)

Our politicians will walk in the truth because “the king establishes the land by justice, But he who receives bribes overthrows it.” (Proverbs 29:4 (NKJV).

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. (Proverbs 29:2 (NKJV) .

Intercede, pray, declare and then vote for truth and righteousness.

 

Rise Up, Decently and in Order

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Micah 6:1: “Hear now what the Lord says: "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.”

The Lord is calling His people to rise up and speak truth into the councils of the worldly. However, believers must do more than simply speak against sin and oppression; we must coherently speak for truth, and we must speak for that truth decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40).

In order to plead our case, we must have a case.  It is time for Christians to offer solutions, to make solid, grounded suggestions in writing to influence public policies and to articulate exactly why we stand where we stand.  Every problem that exists is an opportunity to offer a godly solution. We must be proactive in offering solutions.

Our solutions must be presented decently and in order.  Decently and in order means that we must speak and write as the Holy Spirit directs.  (Luke 12:11-12:) "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.''

The Holy Spirit will not lead us to speak out of fear and anger.  He will not suggest that we resort to vitriol, bigotry and name-calling. While the context of Psalm 45:1 is a song of praise to the King, the example is universal. “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.”

We must have a good theme, a message that God wants people to hear and to understand.  Our theme must be well composed. A ready writer is one who has carefully chosen vocabulary and constructed sentences that will fully articulate the theme.

The biblical book of Romans is often considered one of the greatest legal briefs ever written.   Paul wasn’t just sitting at his desk spewing wrath.  He was listening intently to what the Holy Spirit wanted him to write. 

We must also present our solutions in an orderly manner.  Whether it is a board meeting, an open forum or friends meeting for coffee, we must understand protocol. We must follow the necessary procedure for placement on the agenda.  Then we must follow that agenda.  If we are given only 3 minutes to speak, we must organize our thoughts so that we present our arguments articulately within the allotted time frame.   Frankly, that takes thought and rehearsal.

We, like Esther, were born for such a time as this.  Like Esther, as well, we must prepare to meet those issues God has called us to confront.  Remember we are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God.  Paul wrote, “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us”  (2 Corinthians 5: 20).

In our zeal, may we truly represent our King and His Kingdom. When we do that, Isaiah 60:1-3 will unfold in our lives:  “Arise, shine; For your light has come! and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles (unbelievers) shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

1 Corinthians 14: 40.  Let all things be done decently and in order. 

 Just had to share this.

Sometimes It Takes a Mountain

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Sometimes It Takes a Mountain

By Gloria Gaither and Mark Mathes

“Sometimes it takes a mountain

Sometimes a troubled sea

Sometimes it takes a desert

To get a hold of me

Your Love is so much stronger

Then whatever troubles me

Sometimes it takes a mountain

To trust you and believe.”

This song has captivated my heart.  It resonates in my spirit even in my sleep.  It has caused me to meditate on the mountains, the troubled seas and the deserts of life. 

In scripture, mountains often represent difficulties and hardships that must be overcome.  

Jesus assures us, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:22-24.)

Holding onto the promises of God, we discover that those mountains of obstruction in our lives can be removed, most often one layer at a time. 

However, the mountain image is not one-sided.  We often describe those victory moments in our lives as “mountain top” experiences.  Remember the ark rested on Mt. Ararat.  Abraham offered Isaac on Mount Moriah and received the provision of God for salvation.  Later, Solomon built the Temple on that sight.  Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.  Elijah called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel.  Golgotha gave us the ultimate mountain top experience when Jesus cried, “It is finished” and died to pay the price for our sin.

Whether the mountain offers obstruction or deliverance, a mountain top experience opens us to the revelation of God.  God gets a hold of us on the mountain.

On the troubled seas of life, we can either be like Jonah or like the Apostle Paul.  Jonah tried to escape the Lord on the tumultuous sea.    Jonah asked to be thrown overboard in the storm and found himself in an unlikely and uncomfortable place of protection.  God got a hold of him in the belly of the great fish.

God previously had got a hold of Paul on the road to Damascus.  When the tempest arose, Paul prayed and fasted during the storm and received the assurance that though the ship would be lost, all the lives on board would be saved.  When the stormy sea arose, Paul prayed because he knew his Lord.

God's love surrounds us even in the most turbulent times.

Romans 8:38-39:

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor messengers, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,

nor things about to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, that in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Then we come to the desert times when we feel empty, deserted and spiritually lethargic.  During those times, we must remember the Israelites in the wilderness.  God found his people in that desert: "He found them in a wilderness, a wasteland of howling desert. He shielded them, cared for them, guarded them as the apple of his eye" (Deuteronomy 32:10)

When the people of Judah were exiled in Babylon, God told them to return to their homeland.  The desert wilderness that lay between them and Jerusalem became a pathway back to God: "A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!" (Isaiah 40:3.)

We are not deserted in the desert.

What we must learn in difficult times is that His love is stronger than anything that might trouble us.  It is in those seemingly impossible situations that we learn to trust and believe. Sometimes it takes a mountain for us to accept that.