The Matriarchs Part 1

The Matriarchs Part 1

By Lonnie C. Crowe

Woman complements man.  Therefore, man must complement woman.  If it is not good for man to be alone, it is not good for woman to be alone. Together, we manifest the image of God.

Sarah, wife of Abraham

All the women we will study in the coming weeks are tied to Sarah either by birth or by marriage.  All their children are descendants of Sarah.

Sarah’s story begins in Genesis 11:

27.  This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.

28.  And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

 29.  Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.

 30.  But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

 31.  And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.

 32.  So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

The story of Sarah begins in Genesis 12:

 1.  Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.

 2.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.

 3.  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.‘’

4.  So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

 5.  Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

As a young woman, Sarai traveled with Abram from Ur to Haran.  She was sixty-five years old when she and Abram entered the land that God had promised.

Genesis 12:10-15: Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, `This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

 "Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.''

 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.

 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.

Beautiful is not necessarily pretty.  Beautiful means full of goodness.

Genesis 12:17-19  But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? "Why did you say, `She is my sister'? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.'

God protected Sarah when Abram did not.

Genesis 16: 1-4: Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.

 2.  So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.'' And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.

 3.  Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.

 4.  So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.

Genesis 16:5-10:  Then Sarai said to Abram, "My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.''

 So Abram said to Sarai, "Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.'' And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.

 Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.  And He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?'' And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.'' So the Angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.''

 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.''

God protected Hagar as well.

When Sarai was ninety and Abram was one hundred years old, God changed their names to Sarah and Abraham and renewed His promise to them.  In their advanced years, God’s promise was fulfilled in the birth of their son Isaac.  Isaac means laughter

When men and women work together and complement each other, Isaac (laughter) can be the result. Hmm, a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.

We cannot forget Hagar.  Yes, Sarah gave Hagar to Abram, but Abraham was willing.  The result was Ishmael, the father of most of the Arab nations.

The root of the turmoil in the Middle East is the struggle of Ishmael seeking the inheritance of Isaac.

Neither God nor Abraham forgot about Ishmael.

Genesis 17:17.  Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?''

 18.  And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!''

 19.  Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

 20.  "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

 21.  "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.''

When men and women work together against the will of God, they don’t complement each other. Generations of chaos can be the result.

What about Rebekah, Isaac’s wife?

Rebekah’s story begins in Genesis 24. After the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham sent his servant to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.  The purpose of the journey was to acquire a bride for Abraham’s son Isaac.

The servant asked God for a specific sign to insure he chose the right bride: 

^“Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.  Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink'--let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."  (Genesis 24:12-14 NKJV) 

Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah, the daughter of Nabor came to the well.  When the servant asked her for water, she fulfilled the request by offering to water the camels as well.  ^“Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.” (Genesis 24:16 NKJV)

►Rebekah is beautiful. Pretty is superficial.  Beauty emanates from within.

► She is pure.

► She is hospitable.

► In her hospitality, she is willing to serve those in need. 

Though Isaac and Rebekah were childless for many years, God intervened, and they became the parents of twins.

God revealed to Rebekah that the second born, Jacob, would be greater than his brother Esau.

Rebekah favored Jacob, but Isaac preferred the first born, Esau.

Their unity was severed.

Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of lentil soup.  Jacob wanted his father’s blessing as well.  He, with Rebekah’s help, masqueraded as Esau to trick his father into giving him Esau’s blessing.

Jacob and Rebekah used trickery and deceit to get what the Lord had already promised.

Thinking Jacob was Esau, Isaac passed on the blessing of Abraham:

Genesis 27:28.  Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine.

 29.  Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!''

Esau was not forgotten.

Genesis 27:37.  Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, "Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?''

 38.  And Esau said to his father, "Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father!'' And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

 39.  Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: "Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.

 40.  By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.''

Esau had four wives, 2 Canaanites, 1 Hivite and a granddaughter of Ishmael.

All were enemies of the Israelites.

Rebekah sought to fulfill the promises of God in her own time and brought strife and dissension into her family.  

It happened to Eve when she ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  

It happened to Sarah when she offered Hagar to Abraham as a wife.

It happened, not only because of the poor judgement of the women, but also because their husbands were complicit in the strife.

The result of Isaac and Rebekah’s failure to complement one another is competition between their sons.  That competition is a continuation of the conflict between Isaac and Ishmael.

If we do not complete, we will compete.  The purpose of competition is to assert superiority. There are times and places for competition.  Life is not a football game.  We are more likely to accomplish the tasks set before us when we complement one another.

Link for the PowerPoint:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y5g9c3zkk5nhjrw/The%20Matriarchs.pptx?dl=0

Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles

Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

           

            Deuteronomy 16:13-15 (NKJV) ¹³ "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. 
¹⁴ And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. 
¹⁵ Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.

             The Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkoth, commemorates Israel’s wandering forty years in the desert and God’s provision. According to Nehemiah, during the forty years in the desert, their clothes did not wear out. In other words, along with manna and water, God provided for all the rest of the people’s needs. During this feast, the Jewish people build tabernacles or huts, and have meals in them and often sleep in them as well.  The huts represent the temporary dwelling places, tabernacles or tents, that the Israelites lived in during the wilderness wandering.  The Hebrew word is for tabernacle is “Sukkoth.”

Sukkoth is the autumn harvest time when the final fruits of the land are gathered in.  It is a time of thanksgiving and praise. Sukkoth looks forward to that time of rejoicing when all believers are gathered together and God tabernacles (dwells) with us.

            Sukkoth is one of the three pilgrim festivals when all the men of Israel were required to bring offerings and to worship the Lord first at the Tabernacle and later at the Temple in Jerusalem.  Solomon dedicated the first temple during the Feast of Tabernacles.  The Lord spoke the following at that dedication: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Sukkoth reminds us that obedience to the Lord will bring forth fruitfulness in both our lives and our land.

            After the return from the Babylonian Exile, Ezra read the law and led the Israelites in acts of repentance during the Feast of Tabernacles (Nehemiah 8:13-18).It was at this reestablishment of the Feast of Tabernacles that Ezra proclaimed, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV))

            The Feast of Tabernacles occurs at the time of the Harvest Moon, the first full moon after the autumnal equinox, the largest full moon of the year.  It is a symbol of what the Bible refers to as “the fullness of time” and celebrates the completed harvest.  The final crop, the fruit of the land, has been gathered.  In this manner, the feast also looks forward to the final harvest, the great revival to come. John, the Revelator, writes, “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.  Then, I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 NKJV)

            This is a time to bring an offering of the fruits of the land to our Lord and an offering of praise for both His provision and His presence among and in us.  Give an offering of worship to Him and look forward to the future gathering together of all His people and worshiping at His throne.

Woman, the Glory of Man—Lesson 1

Woman, the Glory of Man—Lesson 1

Series created by Lonnie C. Crowe

Copywrite 2018

Redeeming Eve

Woman is the glory of man?

"For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man" I Corinthians 11:7-9.

“This is a reference back to the Creation. God made man directly: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" Genesis 2:7. Therefore man is made in the image of God and his existence brings honor (or glory) to God. Woman was also made in the image of God. "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" Genesis 1:27.

“Paul also argues that women bring honor to men because women were made by God for men. "And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him"" Genesis 2:18. Because woman was made to be a companion for man, she brings honor to man…. (http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVanswers/2011/03-04a.html)

Galatians 3:28.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In spite of Paul’s teaching that we are all one in Christ, there were still a considerable number of misogynistic writings from the early church fathers that have continued to influence believers today.

 A few examples include:

“It was you who coaxed your way around him whom the devil had not the force to attack. With what ease you shattered that image of God: Man! Because of the death you merited, even the Son of God had to die . . . Woman, you are the gate to hell.” - Tertullian, “The Father of Latin Christianity” (c160-225): On the Apparel of Women, Ch. 1

“As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active force in the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex.” - Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, 13th century: Summa Theologica I q. 92 a.1

How do we account for these teachings and such harsh perspective?

It is important to recognize that this mindset does not come from careful Biblical exegesis, but rather reflects another strong philosophical influence that still impacts us today.

From at least the time of the great Greek philosophers in the 5th century BC until today, the liberally well-educated have been schooled in classic Greco-Roman mindsets and thought patterns. A proper understanding of Scripture requires a transforming of our minds, so we will understand the Word of God in its proper context, rather than through the lens of this European, or Western, way of thinking.

Aristotle believed women were inferior and described them as "deformed males.

Mythological Confusion

Because of the Greek mindset, biblical Eve is often confused or associated with Pandora.

According to classical mythology, the titan Prometheus created men and gave them many gifts—one of which was fire, stolen from the gods on Mt. Olympus. Zeus was angry and determined to punish Prometheus by creating a wife for him. He commissioned the blacksmith of the gods, Hephaestus, to forge a woman in his smithy.

She was lovely, and all the gods gave her gifts. One goddess gave Pandora the gift of curiosity. As a dowry, Zeus gave Pandora a lovely box filled with all the evils of the world.  The one good thing in the box was hope. Zeus then sent Pandora to Prometheus.

“Prometheus” means “forethought.”  He thought before he acted.  He saw the lovely woman and reasoned, “Zeus is angry with me.  If he has given me a gift, it must not be a good one.”  Therefore, he refused Pandora and her dowry.

However, Prometheus had a twin brother Epimetheus.  “Epimetheus” means “afterthought”.  He acted without thinking.  He saw that Pandora was lovely, gifted and had a dowry.  He married her.  After her marriage, the gift of curiosity stirred within Pandora.  She begged Epimetheus to open the box.  As they lifted the lid to the box, all the evils of the world poured out.  They quickly shut the box before the last item flew out of it.  They had inadvertently shut hope in the box.

In the Greek philosophical mindset, man will always be attracted to woman.  Woman will always bring trouble into his life and this troubled life is without hope.

What about Eve?

Genesis 2:7-8: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.”

Genesis 2:18. “And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.''

Helper comparable or helpmeet are translations of the Hebrew ezer kenegdo which means a helper who is the same as and who protects and supports.  The phrase and the English translation of the phrase do not indicate that the helper is in a subservient role or of lesser value.

Eve is not Pandora.  She was created as the perfect “help-meet” for Adam. God said that it is not good for the man to be alone.  Woman is his complement.  She completes man.  Because the woman was created from the man, together, they manifest the image of God in the earth.

Further thoughts:

Proverbs 1:20-21: Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words.

If the Bible personifies wisdom as a woman, God must have given women the potential of being wise. That makes sense. God created man in His own image.  He created woman from man. Therefore, all the attributes of God that He put into man must also be in woman.

Wisdom is an attribute of God.  Ergo, both men and women have potential to be wise.

Proverbs 31:10. Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

 11.  The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain.

 12.  She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

 13.  She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands.

 14.  She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar.

 15.  She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants.

 16.  She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard.

 17.  She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms.

 18.  She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night.

 19.  She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle.

 20.  She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

 21.  She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet.

 22.  She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

 23.  Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

24.  She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants.

 25.  Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come.

 26.  She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.

 27.  She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.

 28.  Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

 29.  "Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.''

 30.  Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

 31.  Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.

So in God’s eyes, women are to be wise, motivated, strong, compassionate, loyal, and respected and honored by their husbands, children and the community.

Pandora was only pretty, curious and manipulative.

Arguments often heard:

But Eve ate that fruit and gave some to Adam.

She’s like Pandora.

She brought all the evil into the world.

St. Paul is considered by some to be a misogynist.  Please note that all the following scriptures are from the writings of St. Paul.

Roman’s 5:12. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

1 Timothy 2:14: And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

Pandora nagged, but Epimetheus opened the box.  Being deceived, Eve offered the fruit, but Adam, fully knowing what he was doing, chose to eat it. There is plenty of blame to go around.

Going back to Genesis:

Genesis 3: 12.  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 that woman.

 13.  And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?'' And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.''

 14.  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.

 15.  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.''

16.  To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.‘’

In God’s mercy, He chose woman to be the conduit of redemption and blessing.

In God’s economy, we have never been without hope.

What is this business about husbands ruling over their wives?

Ephesians 18b: but be filled with the Spirit,

 19.  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

 20.  giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 21.  submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Then Paul goes on to explain how we are to submit ourselves to one another.  He begins with wives.

22. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

23.  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

 24.  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Then Paul speaks to the husbands.

5:28. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

 29.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

 30.  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

 31.  "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.''

Husbands are to love, protect, nurture and give themselves for their wives just as Christ loves, protects, nurtures and has given Himself for the Church.

Redemption and hope began in the Garden.

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

In Hebrew, Eve is Chavvah: life-giver.  A life-giver is one who produces offspring and much more ….  

Chavvahs are wise, motivated, strong, compassionate, loyal, and respected and honored by their husbands, children and the community.

Woman complements or completes man.  Therefore, man must complement woman.  If it is not good for man to be alone, it is not good for woman to be alone. Together, we manifest the image of God. Not just in the home, but in all walks of life.

Genesis 1:27.  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

 28.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.''

 29.  And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

 30.  "Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food''; and it was so.

 31.  Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

Link to the Powerpoint:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dm36tz4ihk0ta3s/Redeeming%20Eve.pptx?dl=0

Covenant Leads to Relationship

Covenant Leads to Relationship

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Hebrews 7:22 (NKJV): “by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.”

God relates to His people through covenants.  A covenant is greater than a promise.  It is a bonding. A covenant is a bond in which each of those involved in the matter say, “Everything I have is yours.”  Covenant is total commitment.  In covenant with God, even though we are not totally committed to Him, He is totally committed to us. 

God’s covenants with us are for our benefit.  The purpose of God’s covenant is to bring abundant life.  The apostle John quotes our Savior, “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.” (John 10:10-11 NKJV)  In God’s covenants, we are assured of guidance, protection and provision. 

What do we have to give to Him as our part of the covenant?  Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV)  We are to give Him ourselves in holiness, allowing Him to transform our thinking so that we can demonstrate to the world the transforming, overcoming relationship that results from walking in covenant with our God.

In addition, because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, Christians become participants in the covenants the Lord made beginning with Adam, continuing with Noah, Abraham and the nation of Israel. Today many teach “replacement theology” which says that the Lord no longer deals with Israel and that the Church has replaced Israel in the economy of God.  However, the Word does not support that thesis.  Christians do not replace Israel in God’s covenant.  Paul was adamant, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.  (Romans 11:1-2aNKJV)

Paul continues, “For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." (Romans 11:16-19 NKJV)  

Because much of the Church has denied our Old Testament heritage, we often do not understand the deeper truths of our relationship with our Redeemer.  God's covenant with Israel is the root that supports His covenant with Christians.

Sometimes our confusion is the result of flawed grammar.  Let’s examine Hebrews 8:7-8 NKJV). “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- .”   Because the pronoun “they” is plural and the noun “covenant” is singular, the writer of Hebrews is not saying that the covenant itself was faulty, but that the people of Israel and Judah were faulty.  The weakness of the Old Covenant was not in the Covenant itself but in the weakness and inability of man. The reason the Old Covenant didn't "work" was because the people did not continue in God’s covenant.

Because the people did not fully embrace the covenant, God, in His mercy, gave us a strengthened covenant that would enable mankind to walk according to His promises. 

The author of Hebrews continues by quoting the prophet Jeremiah, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Hebrews 8:10 NKJV) 

The laws of God are still the same, the difference is that they are not etched in stone; they are written on the hearts of those who accept the sacrifice of Jesus as the pathway to covenant with God the Father.  We are transformed by the renewing of our minds.  How does that transformation come about?

Hundreds of years before the cross, Ezekiel prophesied, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:27 NKJV)

On Pentecost, ten days after Jesus’ ascension, “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 Holy Spirit came to indwell God’s people.  Because of the Holy Spirit within, we grow in grace and knowledge, we are transformed; we become the covenant people of our God.  All believers are in the transformation process.  

Paul affirmed, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJV) Covenant Christianity is a relationship with God Whose Spirit indwells us.

Patience, Patience, Patience

Patience, Patience, Patience

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe 

Father God, we come before you eager to learn more about the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Today, Lord, our desire is to learn the importance of patiently enduring difficult times and circumstances.  Amen

First, let us consider Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

We often grow weary and discouraged when we are facing difficult times and difficult circumstances.  In our weariness and discouragement, we must learn to wait patiently upon our Lord. It is in waiting for Him that our strength and courage are renewed.  It is in waiting patiently for Him that we find the hope to continue.

In our own strength, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).  

Remember Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV:)
^“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control.”

We must remember that, as Christians, the Holy Spirit of God lives within us.  Therefore, the fruit of the Spirit is already present in our lives. Patience, a fruit of the Spirit, is already within us.   It is important for us to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and to empower us to walk in that fruit.   

Accepting that God loves us and always wants the best for us brings joy and peace into our lives.  It is in that love, joy and peace that we develop patience.  

Patience requires that we stand firmly in our faith in spite of hardship, injuries, or offense.  Patience is calmness in the face of suffering and discomfort. Patience is good-natured tolerance of difficult times and difficult circumstances.  A good nature is built upon God’s love, joy and peace. 

 Before we can show patience to other people, we must first learn to be patient with our Lord.  Many times, God asks us to wait patiently before Him as He works in us and through us.  

The Bible has much to say about patience.  Let’s consider the following scriptures.  Ask the Holy Spirit to plant these words deeply into your spirit:

Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.
(Ephesians 4:2)

Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.
(Proverbs 15:18)

Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.
(Romans 12:12)

I waited patiently for the Lord’s help;
then he listened to me and heard my cry.
(Psalm 40:1)

The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in him,
So it is best for us to wait in patience—to wait for Him to save us—
And it is best to learn this patience in our youth.
(Lamentations 3:25-27)

We must learn to walk in God’s patience. Then we can agree with Job, “But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10 NKJV).

When we are tested with difficult times and difficult circumstances, may we practice patience and come forth as gold.