November 11 - Visions as Revelations
The Bible describes many different ways that God reveals Himself to us. Some are deeply profound, sometimes He shows up in quiet ways, sometimes He allows someone else to deliver the message. Have you ever had a vision or known someone who did?
The first time God shows up in a vision, it's with Abram in Genesis 15. He is about to share His side of the Covenant with Abraham. I can't imagine what Abram was thinking when God showed up, but God's first words to him were "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." God tells Abram that though he might be fearful, the one thing (or person) that Abram fears is his shield, his protection and will be his reward. This is a pretty amazing way to start a relationship that will last through eternity.
God shows up in a vision to Jacob (Israel) in Genesis 46, telling him to go to Egypt, where Joseph was and that He would make Israel into a great nation there.
Do you know about Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones coming to life? God had plenty to say to Ezekiel in that passage (Ezekiel 37).
In Acts 9:10, Ananias is visited by the Lord and told to go out and meet Saul on the road to Damascus. Then, in Acts 10:3, the Lord visits Cornelius (a Gentile) and tells him to send for Simon Peter. This is immediately followed up by a vision that Peter receives which forces him to accept that Gentiles are not unclean. He is able to meet with Cornelius and baptizing Gentiles with the Holy Spirit.
Paul has a vision in Acts 16:9 telling him to go to Macedonia, in Acts 18:9 which tells him to not be fearful but to keep on speaking while he is in Corinth. In Acts 22:18, the Lord comes to Paul in a vision and tells him to leave Jerusalem quickly because the people aren't accepting his testimony and in Acts 23:11, another vision tells him that he will testify to the Lord in Rome.
As I was studying this, I was struck by how God uses these visions. Every time God shows up in a vision, it is to move someone down the road to the next thing in their life. They are being asked to do something they would never have considered doing. Imagine how Cornelius felt when God showed up in a vision! He wasn't a Jew, he didn't have experience with all of the history of God in his life. And Ananias! Out of the blue, God tells him to go out to the road and meet the one man who has been persecuting Christians.
My first take on all of this is that I hope I never receive a vision from the Lord because I know that He will be asking me to do something I'm not comfortable with and go somewhere that I am unfamiliar with. But, in every case, God assures the person that He (God) is in control. He will walk with them. He just needs us to be willing.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Nov. 10 Divine Revelations
November 10 - Divine Revelations
There's nothing better than uncovering something that has been a mystery. I specifically remember sitting in Algebra II as we were working on matrices. All of a sudden I saw the pattern as to how they worked. I must have gasped out loud because the teacher looked up from his desk, saw my face and just grinned at me. He watched my lightbulb moment occur.
I have the same moments often when I'm reading scripture and all of a sudden the patterns come clear to me. I see what God was planning and how He made it happen. I get really excited!
Daniel 2:22, "He reveals deep and hidden things."
Amos 3:7, "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."
Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)
"However, as it is written: 'no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
I love how God works! Jesus told His disciples, "But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13)
The plan was for the Holy Spirit to be among us after Jesus ascended into heaven. This is the same Spirit that searches the deep things of God. This is the same Spirit that is here as our Comforter, our Teacher, our Counselor. The deep things of God, the plans of God, the revelation of God. All of these things, these things we believe are mysteries are known to the Holy Spirit who is here now. I get kind of excited about what He will reveal to us next!
There's nothing better than uncovering something that has been a mystery. I specifically remember sitting in Algebra II as we were working on matrices. All of a sudden I saw the pattern as to how they worked. I must have gasped out loud because the teacher looked up from his desk, saw my face and just grinned at me. He watched my lightbulb moment occur.
I have the same moments often when I'm reading scripture and all of a sudden the patterns come clear to me. I see what God was planning and how He made it happen. I get really excited!
Daniel 2:22, "He reveals deep and hidden things."
Amos 3:7, "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."
Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)
"However, as it is written: 'no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
I love how God works! Jesus told His disciples, "But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13)
The plan was for the Holy Spirit to be among us after Jesus ascended into heaven. This is the same Spirit that searches the deep things of God. This is the same Spirit that is here as our Comforter, our Teacher, our Counselor. The deep things of God, the plans of God, the revelation of God. All of these things, these things we believe are mysteries are known to the Holy Spirit who is here now. I get kind of excited about what He will reveal to us next!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Nov. 9 God Owns the Secrets
November 9 - God Owns the Secrets
Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."
How much do you really trust the Lord? Do you trust Him with your closest secrets? Are you assured that everything you know - He knows? Do you feel safe with that? These verses are filled with an assurance that I can barely understand.
Psalm 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings."
It excites me to realize that God has created mysteries to fill the universe, things that He fully expects us to discover. Does it frighten you to think that man could someday uncover the full depths of knowledge about our mind or our body? God has given us minds that are curious and placed mysteries before us so that we are always searching.
The time of the last days is coming, but this is another of those mysteries that God has sealed up. He told Daniel, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end." (Dan. 12:9)
Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:32)
God has told no one about the day or hour of the end of time. If He can be trusted with that information, He can be trusted with everything you know and everything that worries you.
Revelation 10:4, "And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.'"
The greatest secret - the end of days, the great secrets - those that we hold close. All of these are kep safe with the Lord God Almighty.
Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."
How much do you really trust the Lord? Do you trust Him with your closest secrets? Are you assured that everything you know - He knows? Do you feel safe with that? These verses are filled with an assurance that I can barely understand.
Psalm 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings."
It excites me to realize that God has created mysteries to fill the universe, things that He fully expects us to discover. Does it frighten you to think that man could someday uncover the full depths of knowledge about our mind or our body? God has given us minds that are curious and placed mysteries before us so that we are always searching.
The time of the last days is coming, but this is another of those mysteries that God has sealed up. He told Daniel, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end." (Dan. 12:9)
Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:32)
God has told no one about the day or hour of the end of time. If He can be trusted with that information, He can be trusted with everything you know and everything that worries you.
Revelation 10:4, "And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.'"
The greatest secret - the end of days, the great secrets - those that we hold close. All of these are kep safe with the Lord God Almighty.
Nov. 8 The Future is a Mystery
November 8 - The Future is a Mystery
Proverbs 27:1, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."
Wow, no kidding! Do you know that there used to be a period of time that I dreaded extremely spiritual weekends? If I knew that I was having a prayer retreat coming up and it was going to be amazing, I was terrified! Not because of the weekend, but because of Monday. Every single Monday following a spiritual high - something awful would hit me. I never knew what direction it would come from, but I knew it was coming.
Matthew 24:43, "But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into."
Now, Jesus is talking through this passage about the end of the world and how we need to be prepared because we can't know when it will occur. If I were to take this verse alone, I might get pretty worked up over everything.
Several years ago, some kids (we assume) broke into the house. The smashed the glass window on our back door, unlocked the house and went through taking what they wanted. It was just stuff, but it was an awful feeling. There was nothing more we could have done to avoid the theft. It took a long time, though to get past the fear of it happening again.
And this takes me to another passage in Matthew, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (Matthew 6:34)
It took about a month for me to relax about the house being broken into, I still worry about extreme spiritual highs, knowing that just around the corner there might be a terrible low. But, that's because the only place I put my faith is in myself. The proper response for me is "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things (the things we worry about) will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
"Now, listen you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (James 4:13-17)
That passage actually goes against everything we actually believe about life. There's not a one of us out there that really trusts the Lord to tell us what His will is. We don't actually trust that we will know and understand what His will is when He tells us. And we have people around us that continually insist that they know better than we do what God's will is for our lives.
Boasting and bragging - thinking that we know better than God. James says it is evil. What do you say?
Proverbs 27:1, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."
Wow, no kidding! Do you know that there used to be a period of time that I dreaded extremely spiritual weekends? If I knew that I was having a prayer retreat coming up and it was going to be amazing, I was terrified! Not because of the weekend, but because of Monday. Every single Monday following a spiritual high - something awful would hit me. I never knew what direction it would come from, but I knew it was coming.
Matthew 24:43, "But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into."
Now, Jesus is talking through this passage about the end of the world and how we need to be prepared because we can't know when it will occur. If I were to take this verse alone, I might get pretty worked up over everything.
Several years ago, some kids (we assume) broke into the house. The smashed the glass window on our back door, unlocked the house and went through taking what they wanted. It was just stuff, but it was an awful feeling. There was nothing more we could have done to avoid the theft. It took a long time, though to get past the fear of it happening again.
And this takes me to another passage in Matthew, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (Matthew 6:34)
It took about a month for me to relax about the house being broken into, I still worry about extreme spiritual highs, knowing that just around the corner there might be a terrible low. But, that's because the only place I put my faith is in myself. The proper response for me is "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things (the things we worry about) will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
"Now, listen you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (James 4:13-17)
That passage actually goes against everything we actually believe about life. There's not a one of us out there that really trusts the Lord to tell us what His will is. We don't actually trust that we will know and understand what His will is when He tells us. And we have people around us that continually insist that they know better than we do what God's will is for our lives.
Boasting and bragging - thinking that we know better than God. James says it is evil. What do you say?
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Nov. 7 Knowledge Withheld
November 7 - Knowledge Withheld
This is a difficult lesson for me. You see, I really like to 'know' things. I study all the time, I think that research would be the best job in the world for me, I am so excited to have the power of the web at my fingertips nearly all the time. I love knowledge. To find that God withholds information and knowledge from us is a little unnerving to me. But, I am quick to recognize that He is God and I am not.
Genesis 2:17 says, "but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Ok ... God placed a tree in front of me that is filled with knowledge and tells me not to eat the fruit from it. Ummm ... God? Do you not know who I am? I would so be Eve. And I would be in trouble.
Jesus said in John 13:7, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
Why did He say this? Well, Simon Peter had just asked him if Jesus was going to wash his feet. Hmmm .. since Jesus had done it for everyone else - what do you think, Peter? And Jesus said those words to him. I might have said something along the lines of, "Duh ... and someday you will understand what is going on here, but today? You're dumb as a rock." Alright, maybe I wouldn't have said all those words, but I certainly would have thought them! Sometimes we're just too slow to understand what it is that God is doing in our lives and the lives around us!
In John 16:12 he says, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear." Wow, sometimes I feel that way when I'm reading scripture - there's too much to comprehend. Yes, Jesus probably was overwhelming His listeners with information that was beyond their thinking.
1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
1 John 3:2 says, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
I've been told that I am not a terribly patient person. Let me tell you, waiting for the knowledge of the world to be given to me nearly kills me sometimes. But, I am confident in the fact that God knows it all and sometime in the far future when I'm in His presence, I will have no more questions and no more desire for knowledge. I will know everything in full.
This is a difficult lesson for me. You see, I really like to 'know' things. I study all the time, I think that research would be the best job in the world for me, I am so excited to have the power of the web at my fingertips nearly all the time. I love knowledge. To find that God withholds information and knowledge from us is a little unnerving to me. But, I am quick to recognize that He is God and I am not.
Genesis 2:17 says, "but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Ok ... God placed a tree in front of me that is filled with knowledge and tells me not to eat the fruit from it. Ummm ... God? Do you not know who I am? I would so be Eve. And I would be in trouble.
Jesus said in John 13:7, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
Why did He say this? Well, Simon Peter had just asked him if Jesus was going to wash his feet. Hmmm .. since Jesus had done it for everyone else - what do you think, Peter? And Jesus said those words to him. I might have said something along the lines of, "Duh ... and someday you will understand what is going on here, but today? You're dumb as a rock." Alright, maybe I wouldn't have said all those words, but I certainly would have thought them! Sometimes we're just too slow to understand what it is that God is doing in our lives and the lives around us!
In John 16:12 he says, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear." Wow, sometimes I feel that way when I'm reading scripture - there's too much to comprehend. Yes, Jesus probably was overwhelming His listeners with information that was beyond their thinking.
1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
1 John 3:2 says, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
I've been told that I am not a terribly patient person. Let me tell you, waiting for the knowledge of the world to be given to me nearly kills me sometimes. But, I am confident in the fact that God knows it all and sometime in the far future when I'm in His presence, I will have no more questions and no more desire for knowledge. I will know everything in full.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Nov. 6 God's Face is Hidden
November 6 - God's Face is Hidden
Deuteronomy 31:18 says, "And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods."
This is one of those things that we sometimes have difficulty understanding, but if we think about it - it actually makes sense. God, in His perfection can not be in the presence of sin. He will destroy the sin. So ... if sin is in us, He would end up destroying us with that perfection.
Exodus 33:20, "But," he said, "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
Job says, "When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him."
"No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." (John 1:18)
"And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form." (John 5:37)
Paul says in his letter to Timothy, "...who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen." (1 Tim. 6:16)
Unapproachable light. We would be like a moth in a flame - consumed by the power of God's perfection.
This is why I am so thankful for the mercy that our God shows to us. He has made that mercy and His grace available to us in the offering that covers all of our sins through Jesus Christ.
When God resided in the Tabernacle - in the Holy of Holies, a priest that had spent an entire year preparing himself, cleansing himself, offering sacrifice after sacrifice for his own sin as well as the sins of the people could enter. There was fear among the people that he would be killed as he came into the presence of God, so a rope was tied around his ankle just in case his body needed to be pulled from that room.
This is the fear we have in approaching the Lord God Almighty. But, when the curtain separating that room from the world was ripped in two at the crucifixion of Jesus, we were given immediate access to the throne of God. The final sacrifice had been made. All we were required to do was come before Jesus ... who was born into the world and was of the world ... who was made like us so that He would not consume us with His perfection ... all we have to do is come before Him. He makes us clean and stands with us as we approach the throne. We can do so in full confidence that we will not be consumed and we are given a chance to have a relationship with our Creator, the author of all perfection, the Lord God Almighty.
Deuteronomy 31:18 says, "And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods."
This is one of those things that we sometimes have difficulty understanding, but if we think about it - it actually makes sense. God, in His perfection can not be in the presence of sin. He will destroy the sin. So ... if sin is in us, He would end up destroying us with that perfection.
Exodus 33:20, "But," he said, "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
Job says, "When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him."
"No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." (John 1:18)
"And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form." (John 5:37)
Paul says in his letter to Timothy, "...who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen." (1 Tim. 6:16)
Unapproachable light. We would be like a moth in a flame - consumed by the power of God's perfection.
This is why I am so thankful for the mercy that our God shows to us. He has made that mercy and His grace available to us in the offering that covers all of our sins through Jesus Christ.
When God resided in the Tabernacle - in the Holy of Holies, a priest that had spent an entire year preparing himself, cleansing himself, offering sacrifice after sacrifice for his own sin as well as the sins of the people could enter. There was fear among the people that he would be killed as he came into the presence of God, so a rope was tied around his ankle just in case his body needed to be pulled from that room.
This is the fear we have in approaching the Lord God Almighty. But, when the curtain separating that room from the world was ripped in two at the crucifixion of Jesus, we were given immediate access to the throne of God. The final sacrifice had been made. All we were required to do was come before Jesus ... who was born into the world and was of the world ... who was made like us so that He would not consume us with His perfection ... all we have to do is come before Him. He makes us clean and stands with us as we approach the throne. We can do so in full confidence that we will not be consumed and we are given a chance to have a relationship with our Creator, the author of all perfection, the Lord God Almighty.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Nov. 5 God Veils Himself
November 5 - God Veils Himself
Why would God hide Himself from us? This is one of those questions that perplexes me. He has spent so much time trying to get us to open our eyes and He has uncovered Himself and revealed Himself to us in amazing ways.
Job 23:8-9 - But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.
Psalm 10:1 - Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Psalm 13:1 - How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
Psalm 89:46 - How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
Isaiah 45:15 - Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Savior of Israel.
As I read these verses, it occurs to me that maybe God hasn't hidden Himself as much as the author simply can't find Him!
The Psalmist (many times - David) constantly feels the separation that comes when God isn't walking close beside him. He counts the times when his enemies seem to be gaining the upper hand as times when God is either hiding Himself ... or just far away from David.
Job felt as if he had been abandoned God. But, what we miss if we only read verse 9, is the next verse which says, "But he knows the way I take, when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."
Job couldn't find God, though he searched the four corners of the earth. He remained confident that God could find him.
Sometimes we can't find God. I'm betting it's because we don't remember where we put Him, not because He's actually hiding from us. The good news is that God always knows where we are and He knows the way we take.
Why would God hide Himself from us? This is one of those questions that perplexes me. He has spent so much time trying to get us to open our eyes and He has uncovered Himself and revealed Himself to us in amazing ways.
Job 23:8-9 - But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.
Psalm 10:1 - Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Psalm 13:1 - How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
Psalm 89:46 - How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
Isaiah 45:15 - Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Savior of Israel.
As I read these verses, it occurs to me that maybe God hasn't hidden Himself as much as the author simply can't find Him!
The Psalmist (many times - David) constantly feels the separation that comes when God isn't walking close beside him. He counts the times when his enemies seem to be gaining the upper hand as times when God is either hiding Himself ... or just far away from David.
Job felt as if he had been abandoned God. But, what we miss if we only read verse 9, is the next verse which says, "But he knows the way I take, when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."
Job couldn't find God, though he searched the four corners of the earth. He remained confident that God could find him.
Sometimes we can't find God. I'm betting it's because we don't remember where we put Him, not because He's actually hiding from us. The good news is that God always knows where we are and He knows the way we take.
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