Elul Meditations:

 Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

1.         1.  Colossians 3:23-24:  And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men; knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For you serve the Lord Christ.

2.    Romans 12:10-13:  in brotherly love to one another, loving fervently, having led one another in honor. As to diligence, not slothful, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in affliction, steadfastly continuing in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality.

3.   Deuteronomy 10:12  And now, Israel, what does Jehovah your God ask of you, but to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4.   Joshua 24:14: Now, then, fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and truth. And put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah with singing. 

5.   Hebrews 6:10-12:  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same eagerness to the full assurance of hope to the end, that you be not slothful, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 

6.    Matthew 25:34-40:  Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. then the righteous shall answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink? When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You? And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me. 

7.   Galatians 5:13-14:  For, brothers, you were called to liberty. Only do not use the liberty for an opening to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

8.   Mark 10:42-45:  But Jesus called them and said to them, You know that they who are accounted rulers over the nations exercise lordship over them. And their great ones exercise authority on them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever of you desires to become first, he shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. 

9.   1 Corinthians 15:58: So that, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not without fruit in the Lord. 

10.              1 Corinthians 3:9:  For of God we are fellow-workers, a field of God, and you are a building of God. 

11.              Philipians 2:3-7:  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Do not let each man look upon his own things, but each man also on the things of others. For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

12.              John 12:26:  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also My servant shall be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 

13.              Mark 9:35: And He sat down and called the Twelve and said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. 

14.              Matthew 25:21: His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. 

15.              Deuteronomy 13:4: You shall walk after Jehovah your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. 

16.              2Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work. 

17.              John 13:14-15  If then I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

18.              1 Samuel 12:24:  Only fear Jehovah, and serve Him in truth with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. 

19.              Joshua 24:15-16:  And if it seems evil to you to serve Jehovah, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served Beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah. And the people answered and said, Far be it from us to forsake Jehovah to serve other gods. 

20.              Matthew 6:24: No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 

21.              1 Peter 2:15-16:  For such is the will of God, doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish men;  as free, and not having freedom as a cover of evil, but as servants of God. 

22.              Psalm 34:22: The LORD redeems the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be condemned. 

23.              2 Corinthians 4:5:  For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 

24.              Romans 14:17  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is well-pleasing to God, and approved by men. 

25.              Acts 20:35: I have shown you all things, that working in this way we ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 

26.              Galatians 1:10: For now do I persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ. 

27.              Isaiah 54:17: No weapon that is formed against you shall be blessed; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness is from Me, says Jehovah. 

28.              1 Corinthians 4:1: So let a man think of us as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. And the rest, it is sought among stewards that one be found faithful. 

29.              2 Timothy 2:15: Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

30.              Luke 14:23: And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. 

  Elul: Serving the King from the Field

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Ecclesiastes 5:9: The profit of the land is for all; the King himself is served from the field.

The Hebrew month of Elul begins at sunset this evening, August 24. Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the religious year. It is a time of repentance in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

During the month of Elul, it is customary to blow the shofar every morning except of the Sabbath from the first day of Elul until the day before Rosh Hashanah. The blasts are meant to awaken our spirits and inspire us to begin the soul- searching which will prepare us for the High Holy Days. Elul is seen as a time to search one's heart and draw close to God in preparation for the coming Day of Judgement, Rosh Hashanah, and Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.

To Christians, the Fall Holy Days picture the second coming of Christ. The month of Elul represents our journey to maturity in our Lord, to preparing ourselves to be the Bride of Christ in preparation for His return.

Revelation 19: 6-8. “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

The Hebrew word "Elul" can be understood to be an acronym for the phrase – "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" (Song of Solomon 6:3).

The King is in the field where He is accessible to us. He is near us. We can serve Him in loving relationship from the field.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.

 

Guard Your Joint Spirit (Part 2)

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

When we have surrendered all, we are in position to receive the blessing of Malachi 3:19-21.

Malachi 3:19-21:"Behold the day is coming and all who do wickedly will be stubble, and the Day that comes will burn them up, says the LORD* of Hosts, that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who revere My name, the Sun of Acts of Loving Kindness will rise with healing in His wings and you will go out and prosper like fattening calves in the stall. And you will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall prepare, says the LORD* of Hosts."

“His wings” is an allusion to the prayer shawl which demonstrates the covering and protection of His covenant.

Num 15:38-40:  “Speak to the sons of Israel and command them that they make fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue. And it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look upon it and remember all the commands of Jehovah, and do them; and so that you do not seek after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you prostitute yourself, that you may remember and do all My commands, and be holy to your God.” 

The purpose of the prayer shawl is for everyone to look at it as a picture of the covenant and a reminder of the 613 commandments or guidelines that, with the power of the Holy Spirit, enable us to walk in covenant with our Lord.

Matthew 9:20-22: “ And behold, a woman, who had a flow of blood for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the hem of His garment. For she said within herself, If only I shall touch His robe, I will be whole. But turning and seeing her, Jesus said, Daughter, be comforted; your faith has saved you. And the woman was saved from that hour.”

The woman was not healed by her touching His tallit.  She was healed because she believed in the covenant.  She believed that God is Who He says He is and that God will do what He says He will do.

Matthew 14:34-36: “ And when they had passed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And recognizing Him, the men of that place sent to all that neighborhood, and brought to Him all who were diseased. And they begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His robe. And as many as touched were made perfectly whole.”

The people recognized Jesus.  If touching a tallit was all that was necessary for healing, they could have touched any tallit.  In Jesus, they recognized the power and authority of the covenant.

As the Bride of Christ we must recognize the power and authority of the covenant.  We must recognize that power and walk in that authority. Scripture gives us many guidelines for doing so.

Proverbs 4:20-27:  My son, listen to my words; bow down your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all his flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a wicked mouth, and devious lips put far from you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left; remove your foot from evil.” 

As the Bride of Christ, we diligently guard our joint spirit with our Lord and with other Christians.

 

Guard Your Joint Spirit (Part 1)

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. 

Proverbs 31 describes the virtuous woman.  However, Psalm 31 is also a description in metaphor of what the Bride of Christ should be as we walk this planet.   

For now, we are going to concentrate on one word in Proverbs 31:10. “Who can find a woman of virtue? For her value is far above rubies.” 

The word translated as virtue is the Hebrew word khahyil.  It means a force, an army, wealth, virtue, courage, strength, activity, substance, worth.  When we are living virtuously, we become a courageous, force of strength, activity and worth.  We become warriors, impowered by the Holy Spirit, to march in the army of God. 

True virtue can be found only in a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.  Remember in a covenant relationship, we give to Jesus all we have and all we are, with is nothing.  He gives us everything He is and all He has which is priceless, eternal and powerful.

Earthly marriage is to be a covenant relationship, a picture of our covenant relationship with Christ as our bridegroom where we exchange our nothingness for His everything.

The prophet Malachi describes how the people of Israel chose to live outside a covenant relationship with God yet still desired the blessings of God.  Malachi compares that to earthly marriage.  Israel is the wife of Jehovah and the Church the bride of Christ. The prophet Isaiah wrote, ‘The Maker is your husband’, Isaiah 54:5,6. In the New Testament the church is likened to a bride, Ephesians 5:22,23.

This refers to a special and intimate relationship with Almighty God. His plan has always been to be in a relationship where the created worships the Creator in spirit and in truth, for the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world, Revelation 13:8.

The following passage is from the One New Man Bible which is translated directly from Hebrew into English.

Malachi 2:13-17: " You cover the altar with tears, with weeping, and sighing because He will not turn to the offering any more, nor to accept your good will offering. And you say, What for? Because the LORD* has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, yet she is your companion, and your true ally. And did not God make of you one flesh? So that one should have a spiritual kin? And what does that one flesh seek? A Godly seed. Therefore, guard your joint spirit, and do not betray the wife of your youth! For it is hateful in His eyes to send her away, to divorce her, says the LORD*, the God of Israel, and renders one’s garment to be covered with violence, says the LORD* of Hosts; therefore, guard your joint spirit, that you do not betray.   You have wearied the LORD* with your words."

Just as we are to guard our joint spirit with our spouses, we are to guard our joint spirit with our Lord.  The Church is the covenant Bride of Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:2  “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one Man, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” 

Rev 19:7-8:  “Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.”

Our heavenly white robe of righteousness comes when we enter into a covenant relationship with our Lord by surrendering ourselves to His love.

I Surrender All  

Author: Judson W. Van DeVenter

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

All to Jesus I surrender

Humbly at His feet I bow

Worldly pleasures all forsaken

Take me Jesus take me now

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender

Now I feel the sacred flame

O the joy of full salvation

Glory, glory to His name

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

 

Abiding in Emmanuel Part 2

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
His name is called Emmanuel
God with us, revealed in us
His name is called Emmanuel  

Bob McGee's lovely praise song often resonates in my spirit. The words “God with us, revealed in us” especially capture my heart and remind me of Paul’s words in Acts 17:28: “. . . for in Him we live and move and have our being.”  

Emmanuel means that we are perfectly positioned.

Considering the truth that we live, move and have our being in Him, let’s reflect on some of the comforting words in Psalm 91:1: “Psalm  91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall rest under the shadow of the Almighty.” 

When we are in God’s will, the revelation that our whole being exists in Him awakens us to the understanding that we are perfectly positioned in “the secret place of the Most High.”

Psalm 91:4: “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall trust. His truth shall be your shield, and buckler.” 

Emmanuel means that He has placed us “under His wings.” When we are walking in obedience, we do not need to run to His protection; we are already there.  The tallit is a symbol of abiding in Emmanuel.  When one is under the tallit (the prayer shawl), one is separated unto God and away from the world.

The tallit fringes symbolize the 613 guidelines (commandments) for conscious living through a Jewish lens that are found in the Torah.

As the Torah says: "You will see them [the fringes] and remember all God's mitzvot (guidelines) and do them" Numbers 15:39

Because of our position in Him, we can rest; we can cease from struggling. We can say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust. Surely, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence” (Psalm 91:2-3, NKJV).

The power and authority of Emmanuel is released when we make the decision to abide in Him. To abide is more than just “to live”; it is “to accept” or “to act in accordance with.”  When we abide in the Lord, we accept Him and act in accordance with Him. We live our lives in harmony with Him because we know that the path He has chosen for us is the best path. Cherish the admonition that, “Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling” (Psalm 91:9-10, NKJV).

The hope of Emmanuel is revealed in God’s promises to us:

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation. - Psalm 91:14-16 (NKJV)

Hope is available now.

I love the old hymn:

“O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

The Latin text was first documented in Germany in 1710; however, the tune most familiar in the English-speaking world originated in 15th-century France. Most versions end with the yearning, hopeful cry: “Rejoice. Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

However, as Bible believing, born again follower of Jesus, on the final chorus, we sing, “Rejoice.  Rejoice. Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel.”

Sadly, when we do not know the power, authority and protection afforded us in Emmanuel, we cry out for that time in eternity when the trials of this life will be over. That is a form of godliness that denies the power of Him in whom we live and move and have our being (2 Timothy 3:5). “Having a form of godliness but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.” 

As I rest in Emmanuel, fear and doubt flee. As I rest in Emmanuel, faith and truth become steadfast. Emmanuel is manifested when we, like Paul, declare:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

Emmanuel—God is with us. Oh, that He may be revealed in us.

Collisions 1:26-27:  “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. For to His saints, God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Habakkuk 3:17-19: “Though the fig tree shall not blossom, and fruit is not on the vines; the labor of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food. The flock is cut off from the fold, and no herd is in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Jehovah the Lord is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk on my high places.”

Emmanuel—God is with us. Oh, that He may be revealed in us.

 

Abiding in Emmanuel Part 1

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
His name is called Emmanuel
God with us, revealed in us
His name is called Emmanuel  

Bob McGee's lovely praise song often resonates in my spirit. The words “God with us, revealed in us” especially capture my heart and remind me of Paul’s words in Acts 17:28: “. . . for in Him we live and move and have our being.”  

When Paul’s declaration becomes embedded in our spirits, the concept of Emmanuel, God with us shifts from being a passive knowledge of truth to an active experience of deliverance, warfare, victory, and the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. While we delight in and invite the manifest presence of God into our worship, we often fail to remember that His presence indwells us and empowers us every single day.  

God has spent more than half a century taking me through a learning curve that I am sure will continue on into and throughout forever.  Much of that time was been devoted to my unlearning erroneous concepts that blurred my understanding of my covenant relationship through the sacrifice of Jesus.  I had to unlearn false concepts in order to open my mind and my heart to truth.   

One of the scriptures that turned on the light for me was John 10:10-11 (NKJV):
^“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.  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

The Holy Spirit implanted in my spirit three important truths from this passage:

1.  Sin is anything that will steal my joy, my hope and even my possessions.  The practice of sin will kill my dreams, my relationships and even my future.  Satan continually seeks to destroy my covenant relationship with God.

2.  The testimonies, precepts and statutes of scripture are not sent by God to trip me up and make life more difficult for me.  The commandments  (statements) are, instead, given to lead me into His abundant life.  Life is not more difficult when I follow His leading.  It is, in fact, less difficult and more fulfilling. Through the learning process, I have begun to sing with the psalmist:

Psalm 119:11-18 (NKJV)
^“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!
Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!
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 meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.”

3.  God is not a harsh task master ready to rain down hail fire and brimstone every time I stumble.  He is a good shepherd, guiding, directing and correcting me as I walk the path to abundance and even more abundance in Him.

 

The desire of God’s heart is that we live abundant, joyful, peaceful lives in Him. Through His Word and His abiding presence, we can grow in our relationship with Him and enjoy the abundance of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. In Him, we eat of the Tree of Life and that life is abundant.

 

Enjoying God (Part 2)

By Reverend Lonnie C. Crowe

In order to deeply enjoy God, we must be transformed.

Romans 12:1-2: “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God."

 
We are to be living, breathing, functioning proof of what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16:” But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

To walk in the mind of Christ, we must grow in our knowledge of God.  We must know, truly know, down in the depths of our being that God is good and that He wants the best for us.  God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah to Israel.  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.” 

Romans 11:24 tells us that we as Christians have been crafted into the olive tree of Israel. What God spoke then to Israel, He is speaking to us today. 

In Him, we can have peace, a future and a hope.  Before the storm, during the storm and after the storm. 

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.''  

Some favorite scriptures that help us to see ourselves as God sees us.

▪Job 33:4—“The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

▪Psalm 8:3-5—“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.”

▪Psalm 139:13-14—“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. “

▪Romans 8:38—“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 12:3 cautions us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought.  Grammatically speaking, that means that we are to think of ourselves highly, just not more highly that we ought.  We are radically loved by God, but we are not God. 

We must come to expect that God will intervene in our lives.  God’s intervention will most often involve changing us rather than changing our circumstances.  Paul wrote to the church at Philippi from the confines of prison and said, Philippians 4:11-13 :“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:   I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  

Paul, even in the confines of the dungeon, stood in hope.  He did not allow his circumstances to interfere with his relationship with his Lord.

Accepting who we are in Jesus Christ, we fulfill His covenant and we can pray the Lord’s Prayer as a recognition of His covenant promises:

“Our Father, You are in heaven.  Your name is holy.

In Jesus Christ, Your kingdom has come.  Your will is being done in my life on earth as Your will is done in heaven.

You give me my daily bread. 

You forgive my trespasses just as I forgive those who have trespassed against me.

You do not lead me into temptation, but you rescue me from evil.

I declare that You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that

You are all powerful and all glorious forever  and ever.

Amen”

 

 God knows what is happening in our world and is not overwhelmed by it. Let's go to Him for strategies and solutions . In spite of what is happening around us, we can rejoice in our Redeemer and in our redemption. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Rather than trying to predict the future, we should trace God’s faithfulness in our past.  He was faithful then.  He will be faithful now.

   Zephaniah 3:17 says that God will rejoice over us with singing. I love the concept of God, so full of joy over our walk with Him that He bursts into song. We are created in His image. How can we help but be like Miriam?   Remember what Miriam did when they had crossed through the Red Sea?  She picked up her tambourine and sang and danced in worship. 

We must pick up our tambourines, either real or metaphorical, and dance as we sing praises for what the Lord has done, is doing, and will do. Then we will be singing and dancing with him.

 

Enjoying God (Part 1)

By Reverend Lonnie C. Crowe

Westminster Shorter Catechism:

“Q. 1. What is the main purpose of mankind? A. Mankind’s main purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Q. 2. What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him? A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.”

God enjoys us.  Let us learn to enjoy Him. The Bible tells us how to enjoy Him.

The prophet Zephaniah foretold a time when the day of the Lord would bring great judgment on the sins of the world. His prophecy speaks of the destruction of life on earth and is especially pointed at false religions. Our time parallels the time of Zephaniah. He mentions the fertility cults of Baal. The perverse sexuality of our world is nothing more than the worship of Baal. The prophet condemns those who worship the “hosts of heaven.” Astrology and reliance on zodiac predictions were rampant in ancient cultures and are just as rampant today.

Zephaniah decries the worship of Milcom who is also called Molech and Chemosh. The worship of Milcom included the sacrifice of children. God spoke to Israel in Leviticus 18:21, “And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. (NKJV).”

Milcom is often associated with the Greek god Cronus, whose Roman name is Saturn. Cronus/Saturn, fearing one of his children would overthrow him, swallowed them at birth. Milcom, under several names and guises, has long been a destroyer of children. Abortion is, in reality, sacrifice to Molech.

This is our context.

The purpose of God’s judgment is always to eradicate sin and to bring forth His mercy. We cannot enjoy God while living in sin, doubt and unbelief. 

Zephaniah chapter 3 is an anthem to the restorative mercy of our God. There is a process.

The process begins in our commitment to the Lord, continues in our reformed minds, in our new hearts and is expressed in our speech and actions.

Romans 12:1-2:  I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God. 

We are to be living, breathing, functioning proof of what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God. 

Zephaniah 3:12 “I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the LORD. (NKJV)"  ( a people who do not trust in their own abilities alone but who desire strength and direction from the Lord).

Zephaniah 3:9:"For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one accord. (NKJV)”

Our culture is truly in need of a pure language.  Even if we don’t use “cuss words”, our language can often express hurt, doubt and unbelief.  Our language can express our lack of joy.  Joy is a fruit of the spirit.  When we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, joy resides within us.  We must learn to call forth our joy and practice walking in it.  Our God Is a joyful God and when we are walking in Him, He rejoices over us.

Zephaniah 3:17: “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. (NKJV)"

What a delight to know that even in the midst of perverse and troubled times, the Lord our God is in our midst. He saves His people. He comes against those who come against us. He quiets us with His love. He rejoices over us with singing.

When I was a small child, my daddy often held me in his arms and sang over me, and I was quieted in my spirit. I can so easily picture my heavenly Father doing the same thing, and I am, likewise, quieted in my spirit.

In ancient times, God gave His people plenty of time to repent before judgment came. He has done the same in modern times. In spite of the seasons of judgment, those, who are faithful, experience deliverance, forgiveness, joy and peace in the most difficult of times.

Hallelujah! What a Savior! What a message for today!