So it is week one, day one, of a new online bible study from Proverbs 31 Ministries. I did A Confident Heart by +Renee Swope in October, ending in early December, and it was LIFE ALTERING, as some of you may already This month we are starting one called "Made to Crave" by +Lysa TerKeurst and I think it is going to be just as amazing! Today was the first day and I read chapter one. My socks + Made to Crave = ROCKED!!! [yes I am a dork, but I am already blown away by the feeling of empowerment in this very first chapter]
At the end of the chapters there is a section of "personal reflections". These questions/reflections were very difficult for me. They really made me think... and, well, reflect. I wrote down my reflections in a notebook I will be keeping during this study and although I won't always share every detail with my blog fans, there is a point, or maybe a few points, I thought I would share today. I know there are countless women, and even men too, out there who feel the same way I do, who struggle with daily cravings and addictions too. More than 40,000 women signed up for this study so I know I am not alone. But for those who are not signed up, those that have not found this study or one like it yet, for those who might just happen upon my blog, I want to reach out and let y'all know, you're not alone either!! The whole purpose of this blog has been to reach out to people who are as lost as I was and let them know it's OK... it's OK to still be finding your way, it's OK to mess up sometimes, it's OK to be a 'baby Christian', and it's OK to seek and ask for help. So... if you struggle with any kind of addiction, my friends, read on! and stay tuned through the next few weeks... I have a feeling God is about to do something REALLY big!!!
So, here are the things I learned in chapter one today...
1. We were made to crave God and only God... when we crave other things like money, sex, food, drugs, alcohol... whatever addiction you struggle with that comes before God, we are allowing that object and Satan to control us. We are prisoners of that addiction. God never intended for us to live like that. There is freedom in the blood of Jesus and God wants us to crave a relationship with Him so that we can live in THAT freedom, NOT live in the restraints of worldly addictions.
2. There are three ways that Satan tempts us into craving worldly things instead of God. Cravings for physical things such as food, sex, alcohol, etc. Lust of the eyes, or wanting what we see, such as money, social standing, etc. and Boasting, or finding our significance some where other than in God, such as name dropping, bragging, or exaggerating stories, etc. When we allow God to provide our physical needs, our material needs, and base our identities and significance on who God says we are, we won't need to search for those things any where else BUT Him.
3. When you focus on the prize [salvation and Heaven] and submerge yourself in the word of God you will be less susceptible to Satan's temptations. When you God is on your side, and you are armed with His word and His promises, nothing can stand against you. No matter what your addiction is, it will never be stronger than the power of the blood and the power of the word.
This third part is the part I really want to share with you guys. I have a lot of thoughts and reflections about this part and I feel strongly that I need to put them out there. Y'all know I can get carried away every now and then so just hang in there with me...
God's word is mighty powerful and alive and active. All we need to do is read it, let it sink into our souls, and let it work! God does not speak just to hear himself talk, He sends out His word with a purpose and a reason and it will not come back to Him empty. When he sends rain it does a job and does not return to the Heaven's until it has done that job or nourishing the Earth. How much more powerful and beneficial do you think the word of God can be than mere rain? When He sends out his word it will do great things, but if we aren't living in that word we can and will miss out that amazing power. Ephesians 6:10-20 speaks of the Armor of God. That armor comes from the word of God. The belt of truth... God's word... the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace... God's word... the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. When these things are teamed up with a righteous heart and the shield of faith you will be unstoppable, my friends!! The more you read his word and the more time you spend talking with and spending time with God the stronger your armor will get. Your shield of faith will grow stronger too, as you get to know God and as you call on his name in different situations and he comes through for you, time and time again, your faith will grow stronger and stronger. Just like Gideon in Judges chapters 6 and 7, he asks God several times to prove himself. Gideon tests God, so to speak, and each and every time God does exactly what Gideon asks Him to do. With each test Gideon's faith grew stronger and stronger until he was a mighty warrior standing tall and ready to do battle for the Lord... and God delivered the Midianites into Gideon's hands just as he promised he would. Now I am not telling you to "test" God, but I promise that as you seek him and seek the truth if you go to him in prayer asking for his strength, even ask him to show his faithfulness to you, he will not disappoint you. He will reveal himself to those who seek him and as he does your faith will grow stronger. As you get to know him better and better through his word your faith will grow stronger. His love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out. The deeper into the word you get and the more you see the evidence of this the stronger your armor will get.
Now let's go take a look at how Satan tempted Jesus and see God's word in action!
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’" Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." Matthew 4:1-11
Every time that Satan tempted Jesus he quotes scripture back to him. Jesus was stuck out in that desert wilderness for 40 days! No food, no water, for 40 long days and long nights... and when Satan tempted him to turn those stones into bread he could have done it. He could have said 'ya know what, I am the son of God and I am hungry and I am going to eat!' But instead he fully submerged himself in the word of God and said 'get away from me Satan, my father gives me EVERY thing I need!' I know you're probably sitting there right now going, 'but that was Jesus, I could never be THAT strong!'. And you're right, right now, today, you may not be that strong, but as you grow in your faith and get to know God and rely fully on him, you WILL be that strong one day. Satan couldn't stick around in the presence of God's word, that's how powerful it was, he had to tuck his tail and run away! Think for just a moment how that mighty word could work in your life... think back to the most recent time you were tempted with whatever addiction you struggle with.
For me that was just this afternoon. I went to have lunch in town with my mom and my son. This little place has the most amazing chili cheese fries and chocolate milkshakes ever! Just the type of food that is a real weakness for me. Now, here is a little secret about me for y'all so you won't be fooled into thinking I am any better or stronger than anyone else out there... I am a compulsive over eater. All my life I have filled whatever void there is in my life with food. If food tastes good I just can not stop eating it. No matter how full my stomach feels, I just keep stuffing and stuffing, hoping my heart will feel full too. Of course, it never works, and I feel even worse about myself after, and it takes hours to be able to breathe normal again... but I just keep doing it! Even I don't understand it, but there is the truth of it. So here we are with this big mound of chili and cheese topped goodness and a thick, creamy, chocolaty yumminess to wash it down. Half way through I was getting full. And guess what? Yep, you betcha... enter Satan and his trickery! There he was whispering in my ear, one more bite won't hurt, Jordan, it's so good you know you want to... come on, you don't want to be wasteful do you? Remember, waste not, want not" Oh yes, he knows just how to play into my emotions, what triggers to trip, what strings to pull. I could very well have given into all of that. I could have thought 'ya know what? He's right! I gotta finish this!' And had this been just a month or so ago I probably would have! But today I was empowered by and armed with the word and strength of my father, the King of Kings! Today I was able to tell Satan... 'get outta here you big bully! My God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever! [Ps 73:26] and he provides all that I need! He will fill and fulfill my heart far longer than these fries will fill my tummy! And just like that Satan was gone, Jesus was there, and I didn't keep stuffing my face until I was miserable!
Now I am not trying to brag here, this was one victory today. Tomorrow I might fall flat on my face and end up eating Blue Bell straight out of the carton until I am ready to puke! I certainly hope that doesn't happen, I will pray for the strength to keep that from happening... but my point is any day could be a failure just like any day could be a victory. Praise God that today I had a victory! And pray to God I can have another one tomorrow! The real reason I share this with you guys is so that you see that it wasn't just Jesus being strong, it was the WORD of GOD being too strong for Satan to stand up to it! When we are armed with the word of God there is NO addiction that can keep control of us for very long! Every day might be a battle but with God on your side you can keep racking up the victories until you have won the war!
I know my thoughts can be scattered and spastic at times but I really hope that this blog made at least SOME sense to y'all today. I pray that it helps someone out there who struggles as much as I do. The goal here is to keep blogging for you guys regularly as I go through this bible study so we can be victorious together! Y'all feel free to comment so we can support and pray for each other! Love y'all always!! Don't give up!!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
My Testimony
Hey guys!! Sorry I have been lazy and not blogging lately :( I know... shame on me... but I will be blogging more often soon since I am going to be starting a new bible study this week and I will want to share with you guys as I go... plus they have this awesome blog hop thing once a week during these online bible studies... so that should be pretty cool... anyways, on to today's business... I am going to share my testimony with all of you today. I didn't want to post this sooner because I was giving this testimony to my church today for the very first time ever... there are things in the written version that I left out this morning because I was trying not to take too long. LOL! There will be a video version coming along at some point in time and I may post it as well, but for now, here is the typed version... hope it touches someone!
In Revelation we are told that our testimonies are our most powerful tool against Satan. Although I can't recall the exact chapter and verse we are told there that the head of the beast will be CUT OFF, his power will be CUT OFF, because of our testimonies and witnesses to the power of Jesus Christ. God began laying it on my heart many months ago that I should give my testimony. I argued, pleaded, and drug my heels. I had every excuse in the book why I couldn't or shouldn't get up here and tell all of y'all the sordid details of my past. But He kept nudging me and nudging me, so here I am. I don't want to dwell a whole lot on the details of my past but you have to know where I was, what Jesus carried me out of, in order to fully appreciate just how miraculous and life changing the blood of the lamb really is.
Some of my very earliest memories is of being in church with my Granny. I was brought up good ole, traditional, Southern Baptist... tried and true. I was baptized when I was 8 because I was the "new girl" in the Sunday school class and the 3 most popular girls were doing it so I did too. The church where I spent the majority of my life, from 8 to 18, was your every day, typical, small town, Baptist church. In the 10 years I attended there we must have gone through 4 or 5 preachers. All the deacons were related and if you stepped on one of their toes you stepped on all of them and it wouldn't be too much longer before you were politely asked to leave. I guess out of survival instinct those preachers didn't get around to teaching true scripture too often. I am not judging or condemning those people but you have to understand, I was in church every time the doors opened, but I was never taught or shown how to have a life based on scripture. I was never taught the importance of being IN the word.
So my church experiences were not as beneficial as they could have been, to say the least. Then take into account my home life. My parents divorced when I was very young and my father was not present for most of my life. Neither of my parents had close, personal, daily relationships with Christ at that time, and my mother's second husband carried a Bible in one hand and a constant beer bottle in the other. Because I was not strong in the word and my faith was not scripture based I was very vulnerable to Satan and his lies. My step father was very verbally abusive towards me and every time he said something negative Satan was there to back him up, and I had not yet heard all the many truths of God's word about who and what I really am IN him, so I believed those lies.
Through a lack of good father figures and a lack of scripture based faith I was left to develop my own image of God. Just like a celebrity in the tabloids, you hear all this stuff about them, so you think 'oh yeah I know who they are', but you only know parts of them, half truths, and even some all out lies about them. That is how I "knew" God. I knew what I had heard about him, what others had told me, but I had never taken the time to sit in his presence, read his word, talk and listen with him, and get to know HIM right from the source. I decided that God was this big, intimidating guy sitting up in the clouds shaking his head at all the bad stuff I was doing. I decided His love for me was based strictly on my performance. When I was good He loved me and sent blessings and when I was bad he took away his love and blessings and I had to earn them back.
When I was 16 I attended a true love waits weekend retreat with my youth group. At the end of the weekend I made a promise to myself and God that I would save myself for marriage. Less than a year later I met an older boy who showed me a lot of attention I had never had before. My self esteem and confidence were non-existent and he preyed on that. Despite any and all warnings from my mother I decided I was in love with this boy. By the time I turned 17 my true love waits promise was broken. Then here came Satan again, whispering in my ear, telling me I had failed God, I had broken my promise, I was dirty and defiled and he could never love or look at me again. I had messed up and could never earn my way back into God's good graces so why even try? Shortly there after my step mom had a little girl and three weeks later that little baby girl passed away. There was Satan heaping on the guilt and agony, I was so bad and God was so angry with me that he had to take Chloe away to teach me my lesson. Had I ever read the word and been in the scripture I would have known that these were all lies. I could have armed myself with God's word and not believed these things. But I didn't. So from 17-23 my life spun out of control. That older boy I had been seeing turned abusive and controlled my mind and much of my life for several years. He would yo-yo in and out of my life. During the times he wasn't around I filled the void with alcohol, occasional drugs, partying, and random men. I felt empty inside and kept trying to fill the holes with these worldly addictions, never seeing or knowing that those holes were God shaped and He was standing just in the background waiting for me to notice him and turn to him again. I broke every commandment there is... all 10 of them.... some of them too many times to count. I lived life thinking I had lost God's approval so what's the use? I might as well enjoy myself now and then when I am really old and gray and lying on my death bed I can ask forgiveness and it'll be all good.
Then in November of 2007 my cousin, who was only one month younger than me, died of leukemia... 5 months later, just after my 22nd birthday my grandfather died too. During those first 5 months after Lauren passed I crawled into a bottle and stayed there. When Grandaddy followed so soon after it snapped me out of it. I was an ostrich with my head in the sand and God came along and kicked me in the behind. I realized there might not be an old and gray death bed to ask for forgiveness on...
But my faith still wasn't scripture based so that "wake up" was very brief. Although I got out of the bars and settled down with one man, my life was still way off track. Between July of 2008 and November of 2009 I met and moved in with a man, got pregnant, got married, found him cheating, had the baby, and watched him walk away. I had sworn to myself all my life that I would marry one time and one time only. When I married it would be for keeps, divorce was NOT an option. But when your marriage is based on 'oops we got knocked up we better do something' instead of being based on God, it can't last long. So from November of 2009 until March of 2011 I was lost and struggling. I was barely treading water financially and trying to raise a little boy without a father... I was totally lost once again.
In March of 2011 we found the Hubbard Cowboy Church. Even when I strayed from God and church I had always had this little nagging in the very bottom of my heart, the back of my mind, like a craving for a relationship with him... even when i ignored it. So when mom found the website for a Cowboy Church i thought, well why not... southern baptists didn't do me any good, let's give em a try. The first time we walked up we were greeted like long, lost family members. The very first sermon was on why you need to be in church. As the Sundays went on I found that I was being given true scripture teachings for the first time in my life. Every Sunday God was convicting me of something through these sermons. But I'm stubborn so you know that's not the end of the story.
Last January I decided that my new year's resolution was to draw nearer to God. You see the more we came to church and the more I really listened to the sermons and let them sink in, the better life was getting. My life was turning around. I finally made the connection... when I am trying to get closer to Him things get better. So you know I posted this on Facebook of course... and at the time I had no idea what kind of prayers and power I would bring on myself by putting that down in some form of writing. This last year has been nothing short of amazing for me. Through out the year I can't count the many times that I felt the presence of God, drawing me back to Him; The many times that I felt and noticed Him working many things in sync with each other strictly for the purpose of turning my heart back to him. Songs on the radio at just the right time. Bits of scripture dropped in front of me by others, or social media, or on my phone, over and over again. I finally read the book "The Shack" even though I have had it on the shelf since it was first published and never opened it. Even something as small as a book planted yet another seed in my heart.
But I think the biggest turning point was late September, talking to my sister on the phone, she told me she had signed up for an online bible study through Proverbs 31 ministries. In my head I was thinking, oh that's nice but I could never do that, when do I have time for a bible study. And then I heard my own mouth going, "oh i would LOVE to do that with you". Huh? Then I thought, oh well maybe she will forget... a week later my book arrived in the mail because she had signed me up. The bible study changed my life. God had been preparing my heart all year to be open to that bible study... and boy did it blow my socks away. It is called "a confident heart" by Renee Swope. Although the entire thing was life changing there were parts that touched me deeper than others. One being a deeper look at the story of the woman at the well. I thought I knew that story already but when this study took me deeper into it I could not believe how well I related to this woman.
Long story short, this year I finally found myself in the word. Now I find that I can't get out of the word. If you don't hear anything else that I have said today I want you to hear this part... No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no matter how long you have gone without being close to God, He is still there waiting on you. He still loves you. When you turn to Him, when you accept Jesus, it really and truly is all washed away. Romans 8:1 says "therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The most wonderful truth I have learned this year, probably the most wonderful thing I ever will learn, is this... No matter how "bad" you think you are the blood of Jesus is enough. I lived a long time believing that God's grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness applied to everyone BUT me. This year I have learned that when you think like that you might as well be looking Jesus in the eye and telling him "your sacrifice wasn't good enough for me, your blood wasn't strong enough to cover me". I assure you His blood IS strong enough.
I want to leave y'all with two things... 1. you can not worship what you do not trust, and you can not trust what you do not know. The only way to get to know God better is to get into His word, spend time with Him, listen as much as you talk to Him... if you seek Him you WILL find Him and you will never be disappointed. and number 2. There will ALWAYS be more power, love, grace, and mercy in the blood of Jesus than there is sin in you... He's got ya covered...
In Revelation we are told that our testimonies are our most powerful tool against Satan. Although I can't recall the exact chapter and verse we are told there that the head of the beast will be CUT OFF, his power will be CUT OFF, because of our testimonies and witnesses to the power of Jesus Christ. God began laying it on my heart many months ago that I should give my testimony. I argued, pleaded, and drug my heels. I had every excuse in the book why I couldn't or shouldn't get up here and tell all of y'all the sordid details of my past. But He kept nudging me and nudging me, so here I am. I don't want to dwell a whole lot on the details of my past but you have to know where I was, what Jesus carried me out of, in order to fully appreciate just how miraculous and life changing the blood of the lamb really is.
Some of my very earliest memories is of being in church with my Granny. I was brought up good ole, traditional, Southern Baptist... tried and true. I was baptized when I was 8 because I was the "new girl" in the Sunday school class and the 3 most popular girls were doing it so I did too. The church where I spent the majority of my life, from 8 to 18, was your every day, typical, small town, Baptist church. In the 10 years I attended there we must have gone through 4 or 5 preachers. All the deacons were related and if you stepped on one of their toes you stepped on all of them and it wouldn't be too much longer before you were politely asked to leave. I guess out of survival instinct those preachers didn't get around to teaching true scripture too often. I am not judging or condemning those people but you have to understand, I was in church every time the doors opened, but I was never taught or shown how to have a life based on scripture. I was never taught the importance of being IN the word.
So my church experiences were not as beneficial as they could have been, to say the least. Then take into account my home life. My parents divorced when I was very young and my father was not present for most of my life. Neither of my parents had close, personal, daily relationships with Christ at that time, and my mother's second husband carried a Bible in one hand and a constant beer bottle in the other. Because I was not strong in the word and my faith was not scripture based I was very vulnerable to Satan and his lies. My step father was very verbally abusive towards me and every time he said something negative Satan was there to back him up, and I had not yet heard all the many truths of God's word about who and what I really am IN him, so I believed those lies.
Through a lack of good father figures and a lack of scripture based faith I was left to develop my own image of God. Just like a celebrity in the tabloids, you hear all this stuff about them, so you think 'oh yeah I know who they are', but you only know parts of them, half truths, and even some all out lies about them. That is how I "knew" God. I knew what I had heard about him, what others had told me, but I had never taken the time to sit in his presence, read his word, talk and listen with him, and get to know HIM right from the source. I decided that God was this big, intimidating guy sitting up in the clouds shaking his head at all the bad stuff I was doing. I decided His love for me was based strictly on my performance. When I was good He loved me and sent blessings and when I was bad he took away his love and blessings and I had to earn them back.
When I was 16 I attended a true love waits weekend retreat with my youth group. At the end of the weekend I made a promise to myself and God that I would save myself for marriage. Less than a year later I met an older boy who showed me a lot of attention I had never had before. My self esteem and confidence were non-existent and he preyed on that. Despite any and all warnings from my mother I decided I was in love with this boy. By the time I turned 17 my true love waits promise was broken. Then here came Satan again, whispering in my ear, telling me I had failed God, I had broken my promise, I was dirty and defiled and he could never love or look at me again. I had messed up and could never earn my way back into God's good graces so why even try? Shortly there after my step mom had a little girl and three weeks later that little baby girl passed away. There was Satan heaping on the guilt and agony, I was so bad and God was so angry with me that he had to take Chloe away to teach me my lesson. Had I ever read the word and been in the scripture I would have known that these were all lies. I could have armed myself with God's word and not believed these things. But I didn't. So from 17-23 my life spun out of control. That older boy I had been seeing turned abusive and controlled my mind and much of my life for several years. He would yo-yo in and out of my life. During the times he wasn't around I filled the void with alcohol, occasional drugs, partying, and random men. I felt empty inside and kept trying to fill the holes with these worldly addictions, never seeing or knowing that those holes were God shaped and He was standing just in the background waiting for me to notice him and turn to him again. I broke every commandment there is... all 10 of them.... some of them too many times to count. I lived life thinking I had lost God's approval so what's the use? I might as well enjoy myself now and then when I am really old and gray and lying on my death bed I can ask forgiveness and it'll be all good.
Then in November of 2007 my cousin, who was only one month younger than me, died of leukemia... 5 months later, just after my 22nd birthday my grandfather died too. During those first 5 months after Lauren passed I crawled into a bottle and stayed there. When Grandaddy followed so soon after it snapped me out of it. I was an ostrich with my head in the sand and God came along and kicked me in the behind. I realized there might not be an old and gray death bed to ask for forgiveness on...
But my faith still wasn't scripture based so that "wake up" was very brief. Although I got out of the bars and settled down with one man, my life was still way off track. Between July of 2008 and November of 2009 I met and moved in with a man, got pregnant, got married, found him cheating, had the baby, and watched him walk away. I had sworn to myself all my life that I would marry one time and one time only. When I married it would be for keeps, divorce was NOT an option. But when your marriage is based on 'oops we got knocked up we better do something' instead of being based on God, it can't last long. So from November of 2009 until March of 2011 I was lost and struggling. I was barely treading water financially and trying to raise a little boy without a father... I was totally lost once again.
In March of 2011 we found the Hubbard Cowboy Church. Even when I strayed from God and church I had always had this little nagging in the very bottom of my heart, the back of my mind, like a craving for a relationship with him... even when i ignored it. So when mom found the website for a Cowboy Church i thought, well why not... southern baptists didn't do me any good, let's give em a try. The first time we walked up we were greeted like long, lost family members. The very first sermon was on why you need to be in church. As the Sundays went on I found that I was being given true scripture teachings for the first time in my life. Every Sunday God was convicting me of something through these sermons. But I'm stubborn so you know that's not the end of the story.
Last January I decided that my new year's resolution was to draw nearer to God. You see the more we came to church and the more I really listened to the sermons and let them sink in, the better life was getting. My life was turning around. I finally made the connection... when I am trying to get closer to Him things get better. So you know I posted this on Facebook of course... and at the time I had no idea what kind of prayers and power I would bring on myself by putting that down in some form of writing. This last year has been nothing short of amazing for me. Through out the year I can't count the many times that I felt the presence of God, drawing me back to Him; The many times that I felt and noticed Him working many things in sync with each other strictly for the purpose of turning my heart back to him. Songs on the radio at just the right time. Bits of scripture dropped in front of me by others, or social media, or on my phone, over and over again. I finally read the book "The Shack" even though I have had it on the shelf since it was first published and never opened it. Even something as small as a book planted yet another seed in my heart.
But I think the biggest turning point was late September, talking to my sister on the phone, she told me she had signed up for an online bible study through Proverbs 31 ministries. In my head I was thinking, oh that's nice but I could never do that, when do I have time for a bible study. And then I heard my own mouth going, "oh i would LOVE to do that with you". Huh? Then I thought, oh well maybe she will forget... a week later my book arrived in the mail because she had signed me up. The bible study changed my life. God had been preparing my heart all year to be open to that bible study... and boy did it blow my socks away. It is called "a confident heart" by Renee Swope. Although the entire thing was life changing there were parts that touched me deeper than others. One being a deeper look at the story of the woman at the well. I thought I knew that story already but when this study took me deeper into it I could not believe how well I related to this woman.
Long story short, this year I finally found myself in the word. Now I find that I can't get out of the word. If you don't hear anything else that I have said today I want you to hear this part... No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no matter how long you have gone without being close to God, He is still there waiting on you. He still loves you. When you turn to Him, when you accept Jesus, it really and truly is all washed away. Romans 8:1 says "therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The most wonderful truth I have learned this year, probably the most wonderful thing I ever will learn, is this... No matter how "bad" you think you are the blood of Jesus is enough. I lived a long time believing that God's grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness applied to everyone BUT me. This year I have learned that when you think like that you might as well be looking Jesus in the eye and telling him "your sacrifice wasn't good enough for me, your blood wasn't strong enough to cover me". I assure you His blood IS strong enough.
I want to leave y'all with two things... 1. you can not worship what you do not trust, and you can not trust what you do not know. The only way to get to know God better is to get into His word, spend time with Him, listen as much as you talk to Him... if you seek Him you WILL find Him and you will never be disappointed. and number 2. There will ALWAYS be more power, love, grace, and mercy in the blood of Jesus than there is sin in you... He's got ya covered...
Friday, January 3, 2014
Good Morning, Friends!! Thank you, Jesus, I am alive and well for another day and another chance to glorify you in all that I do!
So, I overheard a couple at Wal-Mart yesterday complaining that they still carry 'Duck Dynasty' merchandise. They were upset and going on and on about how 'that man doesn't like the blacks and the gays so I am not buying his stuff'
Are we really still talking about this? Yes, it seems that some of society hasn't moved on just yet. Now, I am not going to get on any soap boxes this morning but before I move on to the rest of this post I would like to say this: If you have read the ENTIRE article that got every one in such an uproar you will see that the writer twisted and skewed Phil's words. The writer himself has the filthiest mouth I have ever seen; and when you look at the direct quotes there is NOTHING in them that shows any kind of hatred from Phil toward any type of people. His words have been twisted and cut up into bits and pieces to be used for whatever agenda is on the table at the time.
This should be a great lesson to the rest of us Christians out here. We are under a microscope. We are under a lot of scrutiny. And it is only going to get worse before the end times and the second coming. Being a 'Jesus Freak' has lost all it's coolness guys. The rest of the world thinks we are crazy, or over-zealous, or backwards or behind the times... we aren't up with the rest of society. But that's ok... we know we are following God's word. We are staying true to the gospel, we are spreading hope and love and Jesus as much as we can and there will be some 'haters' out there. Keep your heads up... our Father IS coming back for us. But in the mean time... could we do better?
Phil and his family are on the biggest microscope of all, people are watching, and the enemies are just waiting for one little slip up to use against him. Recent events prove that the enemy will use ANY thing he can against us. He will twist things around until he gets what he wants. We have to be very careful. We have to be very diligent in our lives. I need to be reminded of this about every 5 minutes once I step out of bed in the mornings. But today I want to leave you with a bit of scripture that will help us remember how we must behave as Christians in order to be the best witnesses for Christ that we can be.
"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you." Titus 2:1-15 NIV
Let's try to stick together, prayer for one another, and stand firm in the teachings of the Bible. I need all the help I can get to maintain self control at times. But if we practice these things we won't give the enemy any ammo to use against us. They will have to tell lies in order to trap us and in the end they will look like fools. Trust in the Lord, he will guide and protect us! Have an awesome and blessed day friends!
So, I overheard a couple at Wal-Mart yesterday complaining that they still carry 'Duck Dynasty' merchandise. They were upset and going on and on about how 'that man doesn't like the blacks and the gays so I am not buying his stuff'
Are we really still talking about this? Yes, it seems that some of society hasn't moved on just yet. Now, I am not going to get on any soap boxes this morning but before I move on to the rest of this post I would like to say this: If you have read the ENTIRE article that got every one in such an uproar you will see that the writer twisted and skewed Phil's words. The writer himself has the filthiest mouth I have ever seen; and when you look at the direct quotes there is NOTHING in them that shows any kind of hatred from Phil toward any type of people. His words have been twisted and cut up into bits and pieces to be used for whatever agenda is on the table at the time.
This should be a great lesson to the rest of us Christians out here. We are under a microscope. We are under a lot of scrutiny. And it is only going to get worse before the end times and the second coming. Being a 'Jesus Freak' has lost all it's coolness guys. The rest of the world thinks we are crazy, or over-zealous, or backwards or behind the times... we aren't up with the rest of society. But that's ok... we know we are following God's word. We are staying true to the gospel, we are spreading hope and love and Jesus as much as we can and there will be some 'haters' out there. Keep your heads up... our Father IS coming back for us. But in the mean time... could we do better?
Phil and his family are on the biggest microscope of all, people are watching, and the enemies are just waiting for one little slip up to use against him. Recent events prove that the enemy will use ANY thing he can against us. He will twist things around until he gets what he wants. We have to be very careful. We have to be very diligent in our lives. I need to be reminded of this about every 5 minutes once I step out of bed in the mornings. But today I want to leave you with a bit of scripture that will help us remember how we must behave as Christians in order to be the best witnesses for Christ that we can be.
"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you." Titus 2:1-15 NIV
Let's try to stick together, prayer for one another, and stand firm in the teachings of the Bible. I need all the help I can get to maintain self control at times. But if we practice these things we won't give the enemy any ammo to use against us. They will have to tell lies in order to trap us and in the end they will look like fools. Trust in the Lord, he will guide and protect us! Have an awesome and blessed day friends!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!!! I love New Years... it is one of my top 5 holidays! [I really like holidays so I had to have a list of favorites lol] Today is a brand new year, a clean slate, a chance to start anew and be better than ever! If 2013 didn't really go your way, that's ok, cause now it's 2014! You can start today and make this year everything that last year wasn't! Even if last year was great for you, you can start today and just keep getting better and better!! I LOVE new beginnings!!
These last few days leading up to the new year God has been tapping me on the shoulder, saying "psst, Jordan, I have something you need to listen to, something you need to share". The same bit of scripture keeps turning up, over and over again. First it was the "verse of the day" on BibleGateway.com, then it was the key verse in my daily devotional. Then several, at least 3-4, of the pages that I 'like' on Facebook had graphics posted the last couple days, and today, with these verses on them. And if that wasn't enough 3 or 4 more friends that I follow also had these verses posted.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19
So, yes... God got my attention! Of course it's going to turn into a blog post, right?Well, yes... but I have a little more back ground I want to cover before I get to the heart of this post. Any time God starts pursuing me with verses or messages like this I like to go get one or more of my bibles and read it myself. I don't know why but reading it as I am holding a Bible in my hand just helps me more than reading it online or even in a devotional book. I also like to read, and re-read, passages in different versions. I own a NKJV, an NIV, and a Message Bible. I like to read them all and compare and read some of the background info to better grasp and understand what God was saying then and what He is saying to me NOW. [They don't call it the living word for nothing! It applied then, it applies today, and it will apply forever after] So when I started reading these verses "someone" tapped me on the shoulder again and said 'dig a little deeper, read a little more'. I was lead to go ahead and read the entire chapter and to share my reflections on this chapter with all of you. I have faith that at least ONE person out there somewhere needs to hear/read this today. I believe God is using me as a tool to spread His message and He knows better than I that someone out there will be blessed by this. So, if you're ready... here we go!
At the risk of boring you to tears [because I know that not everyone finds the history of the Bible as interesting as I do] I would like to start with a little bit of the background for the book of Isaiah. The book is written by the 8th century B.C. prophet, Isaiah, who preached God's message to the southern kingdom of Judah during the latter half of the 8th century B.C. Isaiah's ministry is roughly dated between 740 and 700 B.C. The book is sort of split in two sections. Chapters 1-39 is set in and around Jerusalem and brings a message of judgment on the Lord's people. Chapters 40-66 is set in the Exile in Babylon and beyond and brings a message of comfort and hope.
The book 6 key messages for God's people.
1) The Lord is the sovereign God. He is the only God. No other gods exist.
2) God is holy. He is separate from man. He is perfect moral purity.
3) The nature of sin is uncleanness, rebellion against God; it is universal in scope; it is forgiven only by God since sacrifices do not remove sin.
4) Faith in the Lord is the essential need of everyone.
5) God preserves a remnant of His people.
6) The Messiah is identified as a kingly figure who reigns in righteousness. The Messiah is also identified as the Suffering Servant who suffers not for any wrong He has done but on behalf of others.
Most of these show up in chapter 43. It also reflects both of Isaiah's overall messages of judgment and of comfort and hope. For the sake of not making this blog post an entire book on the subject I will try not to go totally line by line but I would like to review chapter 43 of the book of Isaiah and the messages that we can take from it and apply to us today. I am saying a prayer now that God will speak through my keyboard today, that HIS message will be here, not mine; and that someone will be touched by it.
When reading verses 1-4 I am so very uplifted. These lines are telling us WHOSE we are; that we have been bought for a high priced and are precious and valuable to the Lord. He is also sending us a message of comfort and hope; an assurance that we are not alone, He is there to protect and guide us. I like the Message version of these verses best:
"But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end- Because I am God, your personal God, The Hole of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you." Isaiah 43:1-4 The Message
How beautiful is that set of verses when you let it sink deep into your heart? We don't have to fear anything, God has REDEEMED us! We are FREE to live a fearless life! I find comfort in the simple words "you're mine". When you come from a broken home, or a not-so-perfect or traditional family those words alone can give you such comfort; a sense of belonging. You have a FAMILY and a HOME in Christ. Look at the last few lines... He loves us SO much that would give anything for us! He WANTS a relationship with you. He gave up his SON to have a close and personal relationship with YOU.
And these uplifting words don't stop there. As you read on in verse 5 we are told "fear not, for I am with you". I have been in a dark place in the past where I felt so all alone. I felt like no one could ever understand my pain, no one else had ever sinned as badly as I had, Satan fed my doubts and insecurities and made me feel so isolated and lonely. But here it is in writing, God's promise to me, and YOU, that we are NOT alone. He is with us! Verse 7 goes on to say "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." I love that! I am called by his name and I was made for HIS glory. I don't have to do anything else at all expect worship him! That's what I was made for, that's all I have to do... Love God... that's all! If we love Him we are covered by His grace, no question about it! This is touching on Isaiah's 4th message to the people. Faith is an essential need for all of us. Here he is reminding us, all we need to do is love God and have faith and we are on the right track!
I am going to lean on The Message again because this version is a little "simplified" and is so easy for the majority of people to understand and grasp. It's a version tailor-made for people who didn't grow up constantly taught the scripture. For those of us who are just now submerging ourselves in His word and getting to know it better. The next section I want to address is 8-13, so a little long, but bare with me, this is a good one!
"Get the blind and the deaf out here and ready- the blind [though there's nothing wrong with their eyes] and the deaf [thought there's nothing wrong with their ears], Then get the other nations out here and ready. Let's see what they have to say about this, how they account for what's happened. Let them present their expert witnesses and their case; let them try to convince us what they say is true. "But you are my witnesses." God's decree. "You're my handpicked servant So that you'll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am. Previous to me there was no such thing as a god, nor will there be after me. I, yes I, am God. I'm the only Savior there is. I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene. And you know it, you're my witnesses, you're the evidence." God's Decree. "Yes, I am God. I've always been God and I always will be God. No one can take anything from me. I make; you can unmake it?"
In these first few lines we are touching on the judgment part. He's calling them out for the things they did before that landed them in exile in Babylon. I am reminded a bit of a parent talking to a child, or a group of children, after finding the broken lamp hidden behind the sofa. 'Let's get everyone out here and see what y'all have to say for yourselves!' Think back to your childhood. There will be a moment, or moments in my case, where mom or dad came home to find a mess or something broken and no one wanted to take responsibility. You remember the lecture and the questions. Who broke this? Who saw it? Gathering everyone's side of the story, all the while they most likely already knew the answer. Just last week I came home from work to notice a crayon mark on our TV screen. Already knowing the answer I asked my only child "Sam did you mark on the TV with your crayons?" Immediately he began to deny it. Next he tried to blame it on his Granny. Finally he said "yes mom, I marked on the TV, I'm sorry." Israel and Jacob's people were no different than every scolded child who ever lived or ever will live. They had fallen into moral and ethical impurity. They had sinned, just like all of us. Just like any parent who loves their children God passed out judgment and punishment; but like every parent He still loves His children. This applies to us as well as Israel. When we disobey there will be consequences. When we are not living in His will we are missing out on blessings and making things harder on ourselves. But there is hope! Just like my son's time out, the hard times won't last! But that is further down in the scripture. In these lines, after he has called everyone out He goes on to say 'y'all are my handpicked servants, the witnesses to my glory. You know that I am God and when you take the time to get to know WHO and WHAT I am and enter a personal relationship with me it's all going to be alright'! These verses go back to Isaiah's first message that God is the only god.
Now, verses 14-15 are nearly as heavy, we are getting a little past the lecture. "God, your redeemer, The Holy of Israel, says: "Just for you, I will march on Babylon. I'll turn the tables on the Babylonians. Instead of whooping it up, they'll be wailing. I am God, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King." Just like a daddy... He will go to war for you! He will step up in the face of your enemies and say 'I don't think so, this one belongs to me, you can't touch them'. How comforting is that? Just like the conversation I had with my Sammy, just because you're in trouble, you did something wrong, He may be disappointed but his love for you never ends! He will never leave you, He is there with you, still loving and protecting you. Verses 16-21 He goes on to assure us that new and better things are coming. The judgment and punishment is almost over! Good days are coming! This is going back to Isaiah's 5th message. God preserves a remnant of his people. Not all of them will perish. Those who turn to Him and trust in Him will be saved and delivered out of exile. The same goes for us today. Judgment day WILL come for ALL of us, but for those who accept Christ will not perish!
Verses 22-24 He reminds them again of all that He did for them and how they did nothing in return. He reminds them how they got where they are in the first place. Just as children sometimes tend to do to parents, Israel was stingy with the 'thank yous' and the appreciation but they were sure quick to run to God with their problems. He tells them 'I'm fed up!' But then we get to verse 25... I love this one...
"But I, yes I, am the one who takes care of your sins- that's what I do. I don't keep a list of your sins." Isaiah 43:25
He doesn't keep track of every thing you have done wrong. You did it. You hit a few hard times, missed a few blessings, took your 'punishment' or 'time-out' so to speak... then it is done. He doesn't keep holding it against you. He isn't going to bring it up later and throw it in your face the next time you mess up. He loves you, he forgives you, if you lean on him you can learn from this mistake and move on to bigger and better things! The chapter ends with the Lord telling them to bring forth their arguments and try to dispute what he has said, but just remember that you have all sinned and look at what happened to Jacob and Israel when they didn't listen to me.
This may be a little overwhelming for some people, I know. But think about it for a moment... yes, you got scolded, you got lectured, you feel a little chastened... but He gives us SO many promises in this chapter of how He still does, and always will, LOVE you!! God never changes, no matter what we do, He is, He was, He always will be!
I know this was a long post guys but I truly do hope that it helped or touched someone today! I know it has helped me, being in the word renews my spirit and I love discovering new promises from God all the time. I love to be reminded that the Bible isn't just a history book of what happened, it is a living word that applies to and can work in our lives today. I pray that all of you meet the new year with confidence, love, and peace!
These last few days leading up to the new year God has been tapping me on the shoulder, saying "psst, Jordan, I have something you need to listen to, something you need to share". The same bit of scripture keeps turning up, over and over again. First it was the "verse of the day" on BibleGateway.com, then it was the key verse in my daily devotional. Then several, at least 3-4, of the pages that I 'like' on Facebook had graphics posted the last couple days, and today, with these verses on them. And if that wasn't enough 3 or 4 more friends that I follow also had these verses posted.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19
So, yes... God got my attention! Of course it's going to turn into a blog post, right?Well, yes... but I have a little more back ground I want to cover before I get to the heart of this post. Any time God starts pursuing me with verses or messages like this I like to go get one or more of my bibles and read it myself. I don't know why but reading it as I am holding a Bible in my hand just helps me more than reading it online or even in a devotional book. I also like to read, and re-read, passages in different versions. I own a NKJV, an NIV, and a Message Bible. I like to read them all and compare and read some of the background info to better grasp and understand what God was saying then and what He is saying to me NOW. [They don't call it the living word for nothing! It applied then, it applies today, and it will apply forever after] So when I started reading these verses "someone" tapped me on the shoulder again and said 'dig a little deeper, read a little more'. I was lead to go ahead and read the entire chapter and to share my reflections on this chapter with all of you. I have faith that at least ONE person out there somewhere needs to hear/read this today. I believe God is using me as a tool to spread His message and He knows better than I that someone out there will be blessed by this. So, if you're ready... here we go!
At the risk of boring you to tears [because I know that not everyone finds the history of the Bible as interesting as I do] I would like to start with a little bit of the background for the book of Isaiah. The book is written by the 8th century B.C. prophet, Isaiah, who preached God's message to the southern kingdom of Judah during the latter half of the 8th century B.C. Isaiah's ministry is roughly dated between 740 and 700 B.C. The book is sort of split in two sections. Chapters 1-39 is set in and around Jerusalem and brings a message of judgment on the Lord's people. Chapters 40-66 is set in the Exile in Babylon and beyond and brings a message of comfort and hope.
The book 6 key messages for God's people.
1) The Lord is the sovereign God. He is the only God. No other gods exist.
2) God is holy. He is separate from man. He is perfect moral purity.
3) The nature of sin is uncleanness, rebellion against God; it is universal in scope; it is forgiven only by God since sacrifices do not remove sin.
4) Faith in the Lord is the essential need of everyone.
5) God preserves a remnant of His people.
6) The Messiah is identified as a kingly figure who reigns in righteousness. The Messiah is also identified as the Suffering Servant who suffers not for any wrong He has done but on behalf of others.
Most of these show up in chapter 43. It also reflects both of Isaiah's overall messages of judgment and of comfort and hope. For the sake of not making this blog post an entire book on the subject I will try not to go totally line by line but I would like to review chapter 43 of the book of Isaiah and the messages that we can take from it and apply to us today. I am saying a prayer now that God will speak through my keyboard today, that HIS message will be here, not mine; and that someone will be touched by it.
When reading verses 1-4 I am so very uplifted. These lines are telling us WHOSE we are; that we have been bought for a high priced and are precious and valuable to the Lord. He is also sending us a message of comfort and hope; an assurance that we are not alone, He is there to protect and guide us. I like the Message version of these verses best:
"But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end- Because I am God, your personal God, The Hole of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you." Isaiah 43:1-4 The Message
How beautiful is that set of verses when you let it sink deep into your heart? We don't have to fear anything, God has REDEEMED us! We are FREE to live a fearless life! I find comfort in the simple words "you're mine". When you come from a broken home, or a not-so-perfect or traditional family those words alone can give you such comfort; a sense of belonging. You have a FAMILY and a HOME in Christ. Look at the last few lines... He loves us SO much that would give anything for us! He WANTS a relationship with you. He gave up his SON to have a close and personal relationship with YOU.
And these uplifting words don't stop there. As you read on in verse 5 we are told "fear not, for I am with you". I have been in a dark place in the past where I felt so all alone. I felt like no one could ever understand my pain, no one else had ever sinned as badly as I had, Satan fed my doubts and insecurities and made me feel so isolated and lonely. But here it is in writing, God's promise to me, and YOU, that we are NOT alone. He is with us! Verse 7 goes on to say "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." I love that! I am called by his name and I was made for HIS glory. I don't have to do anything else at all expect worship him! That's what I was made for, that's all I have to do... Love God... that's all! If we love Him we are covered by His grace, no question about it! This is touching on Isaiah's 4th message to the people. Faith is an essential need for all of us. Here he is reminding us, all we need to do is love God and have faith and we are on the right track!
I am going to lean on The Message again because this version is a little "simplified" and is so easy for the majority of people to understand and grasp. It's a version tailor-made for people who didn't grow up constantly taught the scripture. For those of us who are just now submerging ourselves in His word and getting to know it better. The next section I want to address is 8-13, so a little long, but bare with me, this is a good one!
"Get the blind and the deaf out here and ready- the blind [though there's nothing wrong with their eyes] and the deaf [thought there's nothing wrong with their ears], Then get the other nations out here and ready. Let's see what they have to say about this, how they account for what's happened. Let them present their expert witnesses and their case; let them try to convince us what they say is true. "But you are my witnesses." God's decree. "You're my handpicked servant So that you'll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am. Previous to me there was no such thing as a god, nor will there be after me. I, yes I, am God. I'm the only Savior there is. I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene. And you know it, you're my witnesses, you're the evidence." God's Decree. "Yes, I am God. I've always been God and I always will be God. No one can take anything from me. I make; you can unmake it?"
In these first few lines we are touching on the judgment part. He's calling them out for the things they did before that landed them in exile in Babylon. I am reminded a bit of a parent talking to a child, or a group of children, after finding the broken lamp hidden behind the sofa. 'Let's get everyone out here and see what y'all have to say for yourselves!' Think back to your childhood. There will be a moment, or moments in my case, where mom or dad came home to find a mess or something broken and no one wanted to take responsibility. You remember the lecture and the questions. Who broke this? Who saw it? Gathering everyone's side of the story, all the while they most likely already knew the answer. Just last week I came home from work to notice a crayon mark on our TV screen. Already knowing the answer I asked my only child "Sam did you mark on the TV with your crayons?" Immediately he began to deny it. Next he tried to blame it on his Granny. Finally he said "yes mom, I marked on the TV, I'm sorry." Israel and Jacob's people were no different than every scolded child who ever lived or ever will live. They had fallen into moral and ethical impurity. They had sinned, just like all of us. Just like any parent who loves their children God passed out judgment and punishment; but like every parent He still loves His children. This applies to us as well as Israel. When we disobey there will be consequences. When we are not living in His will we are missing out on blessings and making things harder on ourselves. But there is hope! Just like my son's time out, the hard times won't last! But that is further down in the scripture. In these lines, after he has called everyone out He goes on to say 'y'all are my handpicked servants, the witnesses to my glory. You know that I am God and when you take the time to get to know WHO and WHAT I am and enter a personal relationship with me it's all going to be alright'! These verses go back to Isaiah's first message that God is the only god.
Now, verses 14-15 are nearly as heavy, we are getting a little past the lecture. "God, your redeemer, The Holy of Israel, says: "Just for you, I will march on Babylon. I'll turn the tables on the Babylonians. Instead of whooping it up, they'll be wailing. I am God, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King." Just like a daddy... He will go to war for you! He will step up in the face of your enemies and say 'I don't think so, this one belongs to me, you can't touch them'. How comforting is that? Just like the conversation I had with my Sammy, just because you're in trouble, you did something wrong, He may be disappointed but his love for you never ends! He will never leave you, He is there with you, still loving and protecting you. Verses 16-21 He goes on to assure us that new and better things are coming. The judgment and punishment is almost over! Good days are coming! This is going back to Isaiah's 5th message. God preserves a remnant of his people. Not all of them will perish. Those who turn to Him and trust in Him will be saved and delivered out of exile. The same goes for us today. Judgment day WILL come for ALL of us, but for those who accept Christ will not perish!
Verses 22-24 He reminds them again of all that He did for them and how they did nothing in return. He reminds them how they got where they are in the first place. Just as children sometimes tend to do to parents, Israel was stingy with the 'thank yous' and the appreciation but they were sure quick to run to God with their problems. He tells them 'I'm fed up!' But then we get to verse 25... I love this one...
"But I, yes I, am the one who takes care of your sins- that's what I do. I don't keep a list of your sins." Isaiah 43:25
He doesn't keep track of every thing you have done wrong. You did it. You hit a few hard times, missed a few blessings, took your 'punishment' or 'time-out' so to speak... then it is done. He doesn't keep holding it against you. He isn't going to bring it up later and throw it in your face the next time you mess up. He loves you, he forgives you, if you lean on him you can learn from this mistake and move on to bigger and better things! The chapter ends with the Lord telling them to bring forth their arguments and try to dispute what he has said, but just remember that you have all sinned and look at what happened to Jacob and Israel when they didn't listen to me.
This may be a little overwhelming for some people, I know. But think about it for a moment... yes, you got scolded, you got lectured, you feel a little chastened... but He gives us SO many promises in this chapter of how He still does, and always will, LOVE you!! God never changes, no matter what we do, He is, He was, He always will be!
I know this was a long post guys but I truly do hope that it helped or touched someone today! I know it has helped me, being in the word renews my spirit and I love discovering new promises from God all the time. I love to be reminded that the Bible isn't just a history book of what happened, it is a living word that applies to and can work in our lives today. I pray that all of you meet the new year with confidence, love, and peace!
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