His Rod and His Staff They comfort!

As I was drifting off to sleep last night I was thinking about Jonah. Most people know the Jonah story even if they didn't grow up in church. Jonah was a stubborn man and despite God's clear direction he chose to run away from what God told him to do. I can relate to that in many ways.

For the first time it occurred to me that God's behavior toward Jonah was exceptional. He pursued Jonah quite vigorously. He could have just let Jonah sleep in the boat and waited for the trials of life to teach him his lesson over time, but He felt this was urgent enough to treat Jonah uniquely. Why? Was it just for the sake of Nineveh? Couldn't God cause the stones to cry out REPENT! I believe a clue to the answer to this is in Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

When I was struggling to have babies and enduring heartbreak after heartbreak, I found it hard to reconcile why so many people could just conceive and have kids without questioning it. Even those that did not want them nor have the heart to be parents. Of course God's word would combat this feeling of rejection, but I did feel a bit singled out. I kept comparing myself to the world and insisting on fairness, to be like them. Boy, did I have that wrong.

This lesson is SO big I'm not sure I've even got enough of it to share but two things I know for sure.

First:

GOD IS ETERNAL, and his perspective is eternal. He considers our suffering but weighs it against eternity? Just as my own son feels frustrated and picked on when we won't let him go somewhere outside our protection, or give him something he's not ready for. I'm sad that I can't bring him joy but, I know what I know, and we love him too much to give in.

Second:

WHEN YOUR GODS YOU GET TREATED DIFFERENTLY. (Hebrew 12:6) says: "because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

I know this is hard teaching, most people shutter to think anything they are suffering is the rod of God. However this is a consistent theme in multiple places, Old and New Testament. (Proverbs 3:12)"because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."

(Deuteronomy 8:5) "Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son."

We are a nation of rebels and discipline is a dirty word however could it be God's tool to mold us for the purpose of eternity. How can we claim his word and not see this as part of His love. Where is the discipline He promises?

I don't know if God inflicts us with suffering but I do believe when we are His chosen and we resist as Jonah did, God moves His protection away from our lives. Then we will face trial because the enemy is allowed to advance against us. We can't have Jesus the Savior suffering servant and friend and ignore Jesus the Lord, Eternal God! Thank Him for His discipline, it will bring you to an new level of maturity in Him.

Don't get me wrong........I hate to struggle and sometimes I am still tempted to look at others as a gauge of fairness but seeing how important Jonah was to God comforts me. I know He's not going to let me get too far away from His Rod or His Staff.

We wrestle not with flesh and blood....Save me, O God.

Psalm 69

For the director of music. To [the tune of] “Lilies.” Of David.

1Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

2I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold.

I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.

3I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched.

My eyes fail, looking for my God.

4Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head;

many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me.

I am forced to restore what I did not steal.

5You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you.

6May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me,

O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you

not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.

7For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face.

8I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons;

9for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

10When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;

11when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.

12Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.

13But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor;

in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.

14Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me,

from the deep waters.

15Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up

or the pit close its mouth over me.

16Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;

in your great mercy turn to me.

17Do not hide your face from your servant;answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

18Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.

19You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;

all my enemies are before you.

20Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless;

I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.

21They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

22May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and^a a trap.

23May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.

24Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them.

25May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

26For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

27Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.

28May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.

29I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.

30I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

31This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

32The poor will see and be glad you who seek God, may your hearts live!

33The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.

34Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,

35for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it;

36the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.

The Lightbulb Moment #1 of 5

The Lightbulb Moment #1 of 5

How did I receive Christ and how can I put it in words when it was a heart decision? Countless books have been written about this and even whole denominations have been formed around it because there is nothing more important than eternity. It's so very important that we understand what God's idea of salvation is. How can we as mortal flesh be made eternally alive in God?

Is it just a prayer that we recite. Is it trusting what others have told us to be true. Is it speaking publicly that he's our savior. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) Hearing does not guarantee faith many heard Jesus speak in person but walked away unchanged? Is it simply that we must just believe in Jesus in order to be saved. Well don't the demons believe in Jesus and submit to his authority? It's not salvation for them so it's got to be more than that.

Its such a glorious mystery….. I am working this out in my mind and heart, not because I doubt my own salvation. I'm just less sure how I navigated here and feel burdened not to lead others down a dead end path. I believe the key is "God inspired revelation" then action that translates into faith. You need both. Romans 10:9 says… 9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

This is the light bulb moment. I will explore what leads to this surrender moment later.

The Lightbulb Moment #2 Discovering Our Need

The Lightbulb Moment #2 Discovering Our Need

Before we can convince God to give us a revelation about who Jesus is we need revelation about our own sin, how it condemns us, and conviction of our need to be forgiven. Romans 5:12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man(Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- James 1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Seems pretty clear. God says SIN = DEATH. Our bodies are alive but inside we are lifeless, empty what God calls dead.

We must surrender our own concepts about sin and understand what God says out it. Only then we will be hunger for the knowledge of Christ's sovereign authority to forgive sin. Jesus asked Peter Matthew 16:15 "who do you say I am? Peter replied you are the Christ the Son of the living God." Then Jesus calls him blessed because this truth came from God not from man. This was "God inspired revelation." When Peter spoke it out loud it was translated into faith.

It's important to realize that Peter being a Jew knew of his own need for a savior. He'd been taught this by his culture. He thought this savior was going to deliver his people from their mortal enemies. However Jesus knew that they did not understand the magnitude of the law and were deceived that it was able to save them, their hearts had become so focused on the legal aspects of the law. They were blind to spirit of the law which was given by God to keep them in the fellowship of God. If they could only see their own hearts through God's eyes then they could see how condemned they were. How much we need to see ourselves through Gods eyes so we will hunger for the knowledge of who Jesus is. Does he really have the authority to forgive sin? OH How I do believe he does!

The Lightbulb Moment #3 Counting the Cost

The Lightbulb Moment #3 Counting the Cost

When John the baptist came preaching in the wilderness, a strange man wearing fur and eating locust and honey, why did the people go on pilgrimages to see him?......The work of the Holy Spirit brought "God inspired revelation" that caused them to know they needed God because the law could only illuminate that need, and was empty. They were hungry for life, and freedom.

They were not prepared for the revelation that God was about to pour onto the earth. This people who had been slaves and servants for countless generations were about to have their whole world turned upside down. God needed to show them that the lie of this world is self-exaltation. Those that could understand the truth of humility and servanthood could receive this message but most could not. They were lusting for a conquerer, a powerful mighty warrior to lift them up, and revenge their suffering. Which they thought was because of circumstance, just as Moses had delivered them from their circumstance in Egypt. However God was about to show them it was not circumstance that was causing their suffering but the condition of their heart. Lies of pride and self had snuck in and made them blind.

We must count this cost before we'll receive a revelation of who Jesus is. Following him means valuing humility and servanthood and renounces the way of self-exaltation.

The Lightbulb Moment #4 God's Power God's Plan

The Lightbulb Moment #4 God's Power God's Plan

The chosen of God are given revelation of the truth. It's for his purpose and plan. Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus's 12 disciples, He knew Jesus to be a man of power.

I've often wondered what lies did Satan use to cause Judas to betray Jesus? Did he play on his lust for quick conquering action by Jesus. We will never know what was actually going through his mind that night. Luke chapter 22 tells us that Satan entered him and led him to the Priests to make a deal for money in exchange to turn Jesus over. I suppose it's possible that Judas was deceived by Satan into thinking he could force Jesus to show his power if he was pressured to. If he turned Jesus over to the authorities Jesus would have no choice but to use his power and reveal to everyone that he was the Messiah. The confusion he must have endured when Jesus he went willingly to the cross, the loss of hope must have been unbearable. Did he realize what Satan had used him for, or did he just think that he'd been wrong about Jesus?

These are the same issues we have to navigate when we try to share the good news of salvation. There is power and truth in the Gospel for liberation and freedom, but more importantly there is a pathway to salvation and fellowship with God. God determines the pathway and depending on the bondage of a mans heart the pathway may lead in slightly variant directions to the same Christ. We can't force Gods revelation, we can only serve it. There must be "God inspired revelation" for salvation to take place. God must reveal the Jesus shaped hole in a personal and profound way. You must understand from deep inside your soul that you need him with full conviction. And most importantly when you see that need you must surrender everything you are before God and ask for Jesus to save you because you believe he can.

The Lightbulb Moment #5 There Will Be No Doubt

The Lightbulb Moment #5 There Will Be No Doubt

If you just want a padded life or some fire insurance from hell God will see through that and test it on the day of redemption. So I beg you reach out to God in the deepest part of your heart and mind. Ask Him to look deep within yourself and reveal your need for him. Ask and when you receive this God inspired revelation act on it. When you do, this will translate into faith.

When your fortunate enough to have a deep revelation and you take that step that translates into salvation by faith you will know that you are saved. There will be no doubt.

How will you know? Well because you will be introduced to the third personality of the Trinity who's name is Holy Spirit. This is the relationship you've been waiting for your WHOLE life. A comforter and friend. A supernatural and very tangible presence of a living God. Once you encounter Him you will never never never be the same. The bible says that God is Love and when you meet Holy Spirit you will understand exactly what that means. This is the same Holy Spirit that caused Job to state…. (5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee..) He is so relevant and personal and His power is life! Once He comes in and seals you in Jesus(Ephesians 1, 13-14), He will start the work that God wants done in you. Healing, restoring, and making you into the new creation that the bible says you now are. If your willing He will give you a supernatural language to be used as a tool to edify and build up your spirit man. He will even give you supernatural gifts that will help you be a sign to unbelievers and a blessing to other believers. To keep this love fresh and alive He will press you toward God's word which reveals …..yup you guessed more "God inspired revelation"…..