Becoming a Mighty Army of the Lord: Part 2

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

2 Timothy 2: 1-3

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”.

In the wilderness of Sinai, He changed a generation that had been born of fearful people operating in a slave mentality. He changed the children of those people who had often desired to be dependent upon their oppressors. He changed that new generation into a conquering powerhouse.

He can do the same for us.

We must battle dressed in the Whole Armor of God

Eph 6:10-12: Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14 Therefore stand, having your loins girded about with truth,

John 8:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Truth is protection. Truth is power. Truth is predicated on the Word of God. When we walk in the truth of the Word, we experience the freedom of God. When we walk in the lie of worldly philosophies, we experience the bondage of the enemy’s lies.

Eph 6:14b “and having on the breastplate of righteousness.”

A physical breastplate will protect the heart and lungs, the vital organs of the body. A spiritual breastplate will protect the vital organs of the spirit.

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

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God.

With our lungs we breathe air to function in the world. With the Holy Spirit within us, we breathe the breath of life to function in righteousness in the spiritual realm and the worldly realm. Now go do the right thing.

Ephesians 6:15 “and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”

We must be prepared to walk in peace. Walking in the truth and in righteousness prepares us to walk in peace.

1 Peter 3:10-11 “For he that wants to love life and to see good days, let him restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile. Let him turn aside from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Perfect yourselves; encourage yourselves; mind the same thing; be at peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Graham Cooke has written, “Peace isn’t something you create through stress management or positive thinking. It is already yours in Christ, waiting to be accessed. The Father doesn’t give you peace as a reward for handling life well or having everything figure out. His peace is available in the chaos, in the uncertainty, in the middle of the storm—because its flows from His character, not your circumstances.

“Peace isn’t the absence of problems—it’s the presence of God’s perspective in every problem. When you see from His elevated view, circumstances lose their power to steal your calm.”

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Faith is proactive protection.

Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith, too, is predicated on the word of God. Abraham knew that Isaac would come down from the mountain of sacrifice because he knew that God would fulfill His word that Isaac was the son of promise, the conduit though with the blessing of Abraham would flow through all the generations.

David had been anointed to become the next king of Israel. He wasn’t king yet. He knew that God would fulfill that promise, so Goliath was the one who had to die.

Faith is believing that God is Who He say He is and God will do what He says He will do.

Ephesians 6:17a And take the helmet of salvation.

In both Greek and Hebrew, salvation means rescue, deliverance, help, victory, and the well-being that comes from obedience to God. It is more than a get out of hell free card.

Romans 12:2 teaches that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. The helmet pictures the need for us to not only allowing God to renew our minds, but also the need for us to take charge of and control our minds and our thoughts.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

Proverbs 23:7 for as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.

When we think of those things, when we hold these ideals in our heart, what is in our heart will guide us in the issues of our life.

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

Ephesians 6:17b and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Psalm 119:11-16 I have hidden Your Word in my heart, so that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Jehovah; teach me Your Precepts. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will think on Your Commandments and have respect to Your ways. I will delight myself in Your Precepts; I will not forget Your Word."

When David fled from Saul, outlaws and other outcasts of society joined him as he hid in the caves of the En Gedi wilderness. With the Holy Spirit to anoint, guide and empower him, David became a warrior king, a man after God’s own heart and the sweet singer of Israel. David was both a man of war and a man of worship. Members of his army have been immortalized in Scripture as the “mighty men of Israel.” (2 Samuel 23)

“Israel” means “one who is triumphant with God” or “one who prevails with God.” Are you willing to be trained for the spiritual warfare of today, to find safety in the promises of the armor of God and to be a mighty warrior who prevails because of a relationship with our Lord Who will, in the fullness of time, return leading the army of heaven.

God is Who He say He is and God will do what He says He will do.

In God’s army, all believers have a part.

 Becoming a Mighty Army of the Lord (Part 1)

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

2 Timothy 2: 1-3

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”.

Remember this old Sunday School song?

“God's got an army we’re marching through the land

Deliverance in our songs and healing in our hands

Everlasting joy and gladness in our hearts

And in God’s army, I've got a part.”

Our times are perilous, but God has an both a heavenly army and an earthly army. Our Commander-in-Chief has issued a call for us to join Him. Yet, many Christians are sitting on their blessed assurance, fearfully complaining as they await the coming rapture.

The rapture is coming. It is coming in God’s timing. Jesus told His followers in Acts 1:7: "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

This is not a season to wrap ourselves in the rapture. It is a time to go to war. It is the mission of the Church, the earthly army of the Lord, to be about our Father’s business until our Lord returns. Our mission is to preach the good news of deliverance, healing and everlasting joy that comes through a covenant relationship with God that has been purchased and sealed by Calvary.

It is a time to decree Psalm 144:1-2: “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle, my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge.”

Paul describes the battle we are facing in Ephesians 6:12-13: “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

This is an evil day. Are you ready and willing to withstand?

Eph 5:15-20: See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

How are you speaking to yourself?

God is training His army today just as He has done in the past. In the wilderness of Sinai, He changed a generation that had been born of fearful people operating in a slave mentality. He changed the children of those people who had often desired to be dependent upon their oppressors. He changed that new generation into a conquering powerhouse.

He can do the same for us.

 Huldah:  The Prophetic Bride of Christ

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Several biblical symbols represent the church. Among them is the church's calling as the holy, radiant, spotless Bride of Christ, the Lamb of God. Many times women in scripture picture the attributes of the church as that Bride.  Such is the history of Huldah.

We read the context of her story in 2 Chronicles 34.  Huldah the prophetess lived in Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah, who was one of only a few God honoring kings of Judah.  He took action against the pagan worship in Judah.  However, during this time, the Torah, the Book of the Law, had been hidden and forgotten for many years. The high priest, Hilkiah, found a copy and brought it to King Josiah.

When the scroll was read, King Josiah realized the depth of Judah’s apostasy and the circumstances of that apostasy. In grief and repentance, the king tore his clothing.  With a broken spirit, he called Hilkiah and other officers of the court. He sent his advisers to Huldah the prophetess, asking for a word from the Lord.

2 Chronicles 34:22-28:  “And Hilkiah, and those of the king, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the robes. (And she lived in Jerusalem in the second part.) And they spoke to her about this. And she answered them, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Tell the man who sent you to me, So says Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil on this place and upon its people, all the curses that are written in the Book which they have read before the king of Judah, because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense to other gods, so that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. And My wrath shall be poured out on this place and shall not be quenched. And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, so shall you say to him, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel whose words you have heard, Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before your God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and humbled yourself before Me, and tore your garments and wept before Me, I have even heard also, says Jehovah. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, nor shall your eyes see all the evil which I will bring on this place and upon its people. And they brought the king word again.” 

Huldah the prophetess gave the king’s men a message from God: disaster would strike the nation because they had forgotten God and instead had worshiped idols . But God had a different message for Josiah. Despite the absence of the Law, King Josiah had honored God by getting rid of idol worship in Judah and Jerusalem. While Josiah’s actions were admirable, it was his humility and repentance that brought God’s blessing into his life.  As a result of Josiah’s grieving over the wickedness of the people of Judah, the destruction of Judah would not occur during Josiah’s lifetime. Josiah repented, but the people of Judah did not.

We are to be the Huldahs of hope in our world. Our humble, obedient spirits bring peace and refreshing into our lives.

When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

John H. Sammis

 

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

 

 It All Began in the Beginning

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

When we seek for deeper truth in the Word of God, we must begin our search from the point of the foundation. That foundation is in the book of Genesis. Genesis is more than the beginning book. It is the book of the beginning. Genesis is both the literal description of the beginning and a prophetic road map directing us in our spiritual journey to understanding the Word Who spoke the universe into being, to understanding and accepting the Word Who became flesh and dwelt among us, to understanding and walking in the faith knowledge that He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning”: In Hebrew, the word translated “the beginning” is “B’reshiyth”, pronounced “Bee ray-sheeth.” It means “beginning, chiefest, principal thing, the head of.”

“In the beginning God”: in other words, God is both the beginning and the most important. He is the head of, the foundation. He is Alpha. It means that He has foresight and planned each step. It means that creation is not random. We can stand on that premise because He is unchanging. (Malachi 3:6a: “6. "For I am the Lord, I do not change.)

The Hebrew word used for God in Genesis 1 is Elohim which is a plural noun that requires a singular verb to show that Elohim is the majestic plural including His incarnate body and His spirit —Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The filter through which we all interrupt the world around us rests on the foundation on which we have chosen to stand. Whether we realize it or not, that foundation, for all of us, is our concept of God. The atheist interprets data based on the belief that God does not exist and everything is random. The agnostic interprets data through a filter of doubt and uncertainty. The deist has a vague concept of an impersonal God that many today refer to as the Universe. The gods of Islam, Hinduism and other religions are impersonal and offer no redemption.

According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the Christian’s filter is the understanding that our chief purpose is to know God and to enjoy Him. If we are to enjoy Him, our foundational knowledge, our filter, must include the understanding that He is good.

The foundation that we must stand on in order to glean deeper truth from scripture is that God is B’reshiyth, that He is the same yesterday, today and forever more (Hebrews 13:8) and that He is good (Psalm 25:8: Good and upright is the Lord).

Two other scriptures that have become stones in my foundational concept of God are:

Jeremiah 29: 11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

John 10: 10. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

This is the day the Lord has made. I choose to rejoice and be glad in it.

 The Minor Prophets, Messengers for Today:  Haggai

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The Lord spoke to the prophet Haggai after the Jews had returned from their exile in Persia.  The people of God had been diligent in rebuilding their own homes and lives, but had neglected the Temple and the worship of the Lord.

Haggai 1:3-8 (NKJV)
“3  Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4  "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?"
5  Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways!
6  "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes."
7  Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways!
8  Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the LORD.”

As He declared in the time of Haggai, the Lord is speaking to the church today. We have not only built beautiful homes for ourselves, but we have also often constructed elaborate edifices designated as places for worship.  Yet, we have even more often neglected the building of God’s temple.

Consider Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church.  According to Easton’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Corinth “was noted for its wealth, and for the luxurious and immoral and vicious habits of the people.” Paul wrote the letter when he learned of the strife and sin practiced by members of the congregation. The purpose of the letter was to address the different factions within the church and to correct doctrinal errors.  The Corinthians had neglected personal sanctification and had, as a result, neglected to build the true temple of the Lord.1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
“19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Paul addressed the corporate Body of Christ in Ephesus as the temple of the Spirit of God.   

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NKJV)
“19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Individually and corporately,  we are to be the sanctified temple of God, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.  Individually and corporately, we are to consider our ways.  If our emphasis is on material wealth, we are impoverished and malnourished. If we are not good stewards of our wealth, we are putting our funds into bags with holes.

In Acts 7:48-50, the first martyr, Stephan, quoted Isaiah 66:1-2,:
48 However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 49 'Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest?
50 Has My hand not made all these things?'” (NKJV) 

It is time for us to lay aside the philosophies and practices of the world, to take up the cross of Jesus Christ and to build, both individually and corporately, the true temple of the Lord.