Knowing God

"The people who know their God shall be strong and do great things." Daniel 11:32b (TLB)

This is the verse referenced on my artsy, scripture calendar for October. It is a simple, matter-of-fact statement, but at the same time it's powerful. After reading the context of the verse, it holds even more power and yes, conviction.

At first, I believed this verse to mean that if I have faith in the Lord then I can be strong and do great things. While this may be true, this is not the context of the verse. At the time, this was written as a prophecy regarding the future of Israel. It spoke of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his attack on Jerusalem. When he attacked, he desecrated the temple by sacrificing pigs on an altar he built for Zeus inside the temple. Here is verse 32 (the entire verse): "He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will stand firm and take action." (ESV) Antiochus was able to flatter some people away from the covenant, but the ones who truly loved God and knew God, chose to stand firm in their beliefs and convictions while others took action (the Maccabees).

These people were choosing death instead of desecrating their bodies or abandoning their beliefs because they knew God. They understood his Holiness and how He set them apart. They would rather die than eat unclean pork (at least in one example I read) because they knew this would separate them from the Lord.

Well, once I understood the verse, I wondered how many times have I not stood firm against the enemy? How many times have I chosen to abuse His temple for my selfish wants? How many times have I been seduced by flattery ("Go ahead, you've earned it...")?

Once again, the point has been made - my relationship with the Lord requires and deserves a deeper understanding of Him, which only He can reveal to me. As James 4:8 says "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you..." (ESV)

What's in a Name?

One of my favorite songs lately has been Natalie Grant's "Your Great Name." It speaks to the power of the name of Jesus Christ. But what power does His name hold?

We are first introduced to the name of Jesus in Matthew 1:21, with an angel telling Joseph to name the baby Mary is carrying Jesus "because He will save the people from their sins." Jesus means "the LORD saves."

From that moment forward, He is then known as a teacher, a healer, a friend, one who calms the storm, one who casts out demons, raises the dead, feeds 5000 hungry people with five loaves of bread and two fish, one who offers rest, God's chosen Servant, the Son of God, the Son of Man, The Lamb of God. He is known as Immanuel (which means "God with us"), Counselor, the Prince of Peace, Almighty, powerful, Holy One, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the Lion of Judah - just to name a few.

So much power behind a name, yet some take the name in vain, giving no second thought as to what it means. Some in society even use it more as a "curse" word, when something goes wrong. I wonder, if they realized the power behind the name, would they still use it in vain? I mean, even the demons flee and shudder at the sound of Jesus' name. Jesus was with God in the beginning. He humbled Himself and then died for our sins. On the third day, he was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of God, preparing a place for us.

When I sit and meditate upon the names and descriptions of Jesus, I get goosebumps. His name means so much more than I can ever comprehend in this lifetime. Of course, I do have one name for Jesus that I  do comprehend - Savior. That is one I cherish and am most grateful for.

Is it Faith or Religion?

Isaiah 29:13 - "The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." (NIV)

Confession time: I've found bits of this verse springing forth in my mind during praise and worship at church because I've been lacking focus. Here's an example of my thought process: "Oh, I like this song! I like the original version better. Hmm, the drums are awfully loud. How many times are we going to repeat the chorus? " Nothing in there about how wonderful God is or how beautiful, holy, forgiving and merciful He is. What's worse, I'll catch myself wandering and try to focus, only to be distracted by my intent to focus. That's when I give up and pray for mercy.

Though my example does not indicate the authenticity of my relationship with the Lord, I do believe this verse addresses a lack of authentic faith - where one claims to be a Christian because s/he shows up and sings the songs and follows the rules, but does not have a meaningful, personal relationship with the Lord.

The Lord desires more than lip service and rule-following from us. He desires a true, authentic relationship with us. If He didn't want that relationship, then He wouldn't have sent His Son to die for our sins. Though only the Lord knows a person's heart, we can at least have insight into our own hearts. Am I following the Lord because my parents did or because I "grew up" in the faith? Or do I follow the Lord because I desire to follow His ways and long for a relationship with Him? When I sing the praise and worship songs in church, am I wanting to bring praise or am I just going with the flow of the service (apparently I'm struggling with this one lately, though I am aware of it now)?

Do I want to follow rules for the sake of following traditon or do I follow the Lord and His ways in service to Him? My prayer is that my walk with the Lord is an authentic faith, not a religion built on man's traditions and lovely, shallow words.

What are your thoughts?

Summer Break

I guess it's a bit obvious that I am taking a summer break. I've been wanting to write, but a few things popped up, taking my time in a different direction. I do plan on returning though September 6th, so please come back then and check out the blog.

Have a wonderful summer!

Living by the Spirit?

I recently read Francis Chan's book Forgotten God, which addresses how the church seems to downplay (for lack of a better word) the role of the Holy Spirit. Like his previous book, Crazy Love, this book has me thinking and re-thinking aspects of my faith.

For example, when others look at me, do they see something different about me or do I blend in with the rest of the world? Do I allow the Spirit to do His work or do I insist upon my own way? Am I really living by the Spirit when I don't show love, am impatient, or lack self-control?

I am not doubting my faith, but I am wondering about my daily commitment to it. When I love the Lord with every bit of my being, then His Spirit flourishes. But when I take my focus off of Him and place it on me, then I am quenching the Holy Spirit.

I fully understand Paul's dilemma in Romans 7. Verses 21-23 reads: "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law, 23 but I see another law at work in the member of my body waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." (NIV) And that's what it feels like - a war.

This is what I've learned so far in order to wage this war. Pray daily or even hourly for focus on the Lord. Submit to the Lord and His ways. Finally, remember the Holy Spirit is my Helper (and your's too) - not to help me achieve my plans, but to help me accomplish the Lord's.

So, the Rapture Didn't Happen...Yet

1 Thessalonians 5:1 - 2: "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night..."(NIV)

I am beyond frustrated with groups who claim to know the day and hour of Jesus' return. Jesus himself said "But about that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36, NIV) I believe Jesus is coming back - I just don't know when. It could be today, tomorrow, or 500 years from now.

Earlier this evening I read an article about the man who predicted the "doomsday" this past weekend. He is now stating he was about five months off and it will occur in October.

Please do not be deceived by false prophets. If someone says they have a word from the Lord or they have solved some theological mystery, then listen to it and test it. First John 4:1 says "My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world." (The Message)

Me, a Hypocrite?

One of the harder parts of being a parent is constantly setting an example for my children to follow. I find the things I'm constantly asking my children to do are areas I have difficulty in myself. Let me give you an example - cleaning. One day my husband told my oldest to clean her room. When he went to check the room, he walked to her closet. She panicked and said "You didn't say I had to clean my closet!" It turns out she threw her belongings onto the closet floor. Any guesses as to who taught her that little trick?

Cleaning is just one example. I'm more concerned with those areas that truly matter in the end, like loving others, showing mercy, and practicing discipline. I'll admit, I have a bit of guilt with this because I feel like a hypocrite. How can I tell my kids to do something when I can't even do it correctly? It's easy to say "Do as I say, not as I do," but isn't that just an excuse used to justify my actions?

Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is not a hypocrite. He sent His Son to show us how to live. Not tell us, but show us. He said to love our enemies and then He prayed for the people crucifying Him. He said to love the Lord your God with everything we have. He did by praying to His Father everyday and obeying Him by completing His work on earth. He said no greater love existed than for one to die for his friends. He died for us so that we may be saved. Whatever Jesus preached, He did.

The good news is there is no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1). It doesn't mean I can keep living this way, but it does offer me grace and another chance to live by the Spirit.