HELLO MY NAME IS ....

 

November 20, 2024

Philippians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.



Jehovah-Jireh. God introduces himself as Jehovah Jireh, meaning “the Lord will provide in Genesis 22. There we read the story of Abraham being commanded by God to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him. Remember, that Isaac was the son of promise, a miraculous gift from God when Abraham and Sarah were old. He was the promised child whom God had promised to make into a great nation. He was God’s provision, or so it seemed until God said to lay him on the altar and offer him as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed. Hebrews 11 tells us that he acted in faith that God would raise Isaac. He obeyed in the belief that God would provide a miracle of some kind, and God did – a ram caught in a thicket as a substitute sacrifice. Genesis 22:14 tells us

“And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.'”

Provision can pose challenges in our daily lives. We often associate God's provision with abundance and an overflow of blessings. We believe that nothing is beyond God's capability, yet we often overlook the small moments when God provides for us. When significant changes don't occur, we may mistakenly think that God isn't acting. We frequently wait for God's provision without fully understanding his nature. As a result, we might overlook that the continual presence of God is, in itself, our lasting provision.

The Bible reaveals that God’s provision can come in many forms.  From daily sustenance to spiritual nourishment, God’s provision encompasses all aspects of life. Here is a list of verses that share this truth:

Philippians 4:19

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

This verse reassures us that God will meet all our needs through His abundant riches in Christ Jesus, emphasizing His ability to provide.

Matthew 6:31-33

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Seek first God’s kingdom. This passage encourages believers to prioritize seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness, trusting that He will provide for their material needs.

Psalm 23:1

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

God as shepherd. God is a shepherd who provides for all the needs of His flock, ensuring they lack nothing.

2 Corinthians 9:8

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

Abundance for good works. This verse emphasizes God’s ability to provide abundantly so that his people have all they need to perform good works.

Psalm 34:10

“The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”

Seek the Lord for provision. This verse assures that those who earnestly seek the Lord will not lack any good thing, emphasizing the rewards of faithful pursuit of God.

Isaiah 58:11

“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

This passage conveys the assurance that God will provide constant guidance, fulfillment, and courage to His followers, transforming them into "a flourishing garden", even in the middle of scarcity.

The Biblical message is that God’s supply is endless, God does not lack in power; he does not lack in authority. He can and will make us complete if you allow him to be the leader of our life. God shall supply all our need. You see, when you let him provide, you will be filled with his power, wisdom and authority. In our act of yielding to him he will guide our steps.

Jesus in Matthew 6:8 instructs us that “our heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask him. What a comfort to know this. Our God is all-knowing, and knows our need. He knows our struggles. He knows what we lack. He knows our beginning and our end. Trust that truth and choose to listen to his voice, and he will direct our path.

The Good News of the Gospel for us today.

 

HELLO MY NAME IS ....

 

November 19, 2024

Judges 6.24

Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. 

Yahweh Shalom occurs only once in the Bible, in Judges 6.24: “Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace”. The English phrase, “The Lord is Peace”, translates the Hebrew, Yahweh Shalom. As we noted yesterday the name Yahweh conveys the thought of being, or existing, or becoming known. The term Shalom refers to soundness, completeness, harmony and the absence of strife. It has been rendered by our English word, peace.

Have you ever noticed that our ideas and definitions of peace vary wildly, depending on what we are talking about? If I say, “speak now or forever hold your peace,” peace is defined by your acquiescence on an issue. But if I say, “I could use a little peace and quiet,” peace is defined by a lack of interruption to my day.

Judges 6:1-12, tells us of the Midianites' domination of God’s People. The Midianites have driven the Israelites into hiding and despair caused in part at least, the story tells us by the continual pattern of disobedience by the people of God.

Let’s take a bit of an overview of the situation.

• The power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

• Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites invaded the country.

• They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.

• They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.

• Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help...

In this bleak and messy situation, we read of a glimmer of hope that emerges as Gideon, humanly speaking an unlikely hero, is called upon by the angel of the Lord.

“The Lord turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" Now Gideon was not feeling like a mighty warrior and for good reasons. “But Lord,” Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The Lord answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together," (Judges 6:14-16). The Lord calls him a mighty warrior. I wonder if perhaps the teaching here is that God sees what we can and will become in him, and not what we see in ourselves.

Gideon’s encounter with the divine presence transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, as Gideon is called to rise above his circumstances and become a mighty warrior, a light in the darkness to deliver God’s people. Judges 6:23 the angel speaks these words to Gideon, “Peace be to you. Do not fear, you shall not die”. As a result of these words, Gideon’s heart was infused with confidence and courage. He experienced peace in the truest sense. Building an altar to the Lord, he called it, “Yahweh-Shalom”, or “The Lord is Peace”. Come what may, he could now confront the enemy and undertake great exploits for God. His encounter with the God of Peace had taught him that he was not alone.

God’s peace gave Gideon comfort to fulfill the call of God. The comfort described in the Bible, carries a different meaning from our modern thinking of that word. Today, we think of comfort as a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or conflict, but the term comfort in the Bible is about the strength we need to keep going, it is survival power.

This story of Gideon reminds us of the comfort of Jesus words to his disciples in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Then in John 20:19-21 in his resurrection presence the first words he spoke to his disciples was a repetition of “peace be with you.” What comfort the peace of God is for each of us.

What is your only comfort in life and in death? We ask. Our answer is “We Belong to JESUS.” This is the truth that gives us peace and survival power in “life and in death.” Our Yahweh-Shalom is with us, as he was with Gideon. 

 

 

HELLO, MY NAME IS .....

 

November 18, 2024

EXODUS 17:8-15

8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men. Then go out and fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I’ll stand there holding the walking stick God gave me.”

10 So Joshua fought against the Amalekites, just as Moses had ordered. Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hand, the Israelites were winning. But every time he lowered his hands, the Amalekites began to win. 12 When Moses’ arms got tired, Aaron and Hur got a stone and put it under him. Then he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands. Aaron was on one side, and Hur was on the other. Moses’ hands remained steady until sunset. 13 So Joshua destroyed the Amalekite army with swords.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is something to be remembered. So write it on a scroll. Make sure Joshua knows you have done it. I will completely erase the memory of the Amalekites from the earth.”

15 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”).

"Yahweh - Nissi" translates to "The Lord is my Banner." Yahweh refers to the Existing One or Lord, primarily meaning to be or to exist in Hebrew. It also represents a God who continuously reveals Himself. 

"Nissi" denotes a banner, specifically a pole with an emblem attached, intended to be seen from a distance, serving as a standard or signal. You have no doubt seen this if you have ever seen the opening ceremony of the Olympics, where each team carries their country’s flag.  Or perhaps you have attended a Windsor Spitfires game and watched "Bomber" skate out on the ice leading the team waving the Spitfires flag.  

The name of God, Yahweh-Nissi, is first mentioned in Exodus chapter 17. Here, the people are engaged in a relentless battle against a their enemy the Amalekites. 

Moses, recognizing that the Lord was Israel’s banner under which they defeated the Amalekites, builds an altar named Yahweh-Nissi (the Lord my Banner). In battle, opposing nations would fly their own flag on a pole at each of their respective front lines. This was to give their soldiers a feeling of hope and a focal point to remember who they were fighting for and where their allegiance was.


This is what God is to us, a banner of encouragement to give us hope and a focal point. A reminder for us who we serve and where our loyalty lies. God's Word is our guideline for living. We look to our Creator and his strength during our struggles and battles. This focus of re-focus helps us to recall who God is and whose we are. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus," is how the hymnwriter put it, "and things of earth will grow strangely dim."

A banner beautifully represents God's protection and deliverance. It symbolizes His presence, power, and provision over us. The concept of God as our banner serves as a symbol and a reminder that our reliance should be on Him, rather than on our own strength and efforts. We are to rely upon our good and gracious God. We are to look to Jesus, our banner, our Yaweh Nissi.

It’s easy to become discouraged when we look at the world and the daily suffering and discord all around us. It’s easy to become discouraged and feel defeated in our own lives at times. The book of Hebrews opens with the author emphasizing the ways in which God communicates with us. Hebrews then proceeds to declare the greatness and supremacy of Jesus, affirming that Jesus surpasses all that we may be tempted to rely on in this life.

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. 
Hebrews 2:8

Thanks be to God!

DOUBTS? I'VE HAD A FEW!

 

November 15, 2024

Mark 9:23-24

“Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Growing up I believed, what many people believe, that doubt is something that harms one’s faith in God. I thought of doubt as something that should be avoided, faith and doubt just did not go together. The messaging I often heard was that if a follower of Jesus were to find themself doubting God the solution was to simply replace the doubt with faith. So Doubt, in my experience was brushed off with short answers that misunderstood what was really going on. "You shouldn’t doubt." "You can’t question that.” "You know what the Bible says is true."

But it’s not that simple. If you have ever experienced doubt in your faith walk, you know that. What I didn’t realize when I was younger is that almost every believer experiences some kind of doubt at some point in their faith journey. Despite the commonness of doubt in our spiritual walks, we rarely talk about or acknowledge its role in faith development.

Well you can imagine my delight when I discovered that the Bible views doubt in the opposite way from what I had learned growing up. The Bible highlights the doubters. “It seems God has more of a tolerance for doubt than most churches do.” (Jeff Poor) We should not deny or fear our doubt but express it. One definition of theology, which means “words about God,” is that it is “Faith Seeking Understanding.”

Theologian Paul Tillich put it this way, Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light breaks through. In other words, doubt is not the enemy and not something that needs to be fought. It needs to be understood, expressed, and used.

Let’s look at how the Bible highlights the doubters.

• Abraham and Sarah doubted God’s promise of a child; actually they laughed at it. (Genesis 16-18)
• Asaph doubted because the wicked prospered and he doubted the value of serving God. (1 Chronicles 16:4-7, Psalm 73)
• Job doubted God’s goodness. (Job)
• Moses doubted God could use him to lead Israel out of Egypt. (Numbers 11:21-22)
• Gideon doubted God could use him to turn the tide against Israel’s oppressors. (Judges 6-8)
• The Nation of Israel seemed to be in a constant state of doubt.
• Thomas, Jesus’ disciple, doubted Jesus rose from the dead. (John 20:24-29)

I could go on, but the point is the Bible is full of people that doubted. And not just people, but some of the main characters.

Doubt and disbelief are two separate issues. God doesn’t condemn us for asking questions. Jesus didn’t condemn Thomas for wanting to see the holes in his hands. Moses wasn’t reprimanded asking why him. And Abraham and Sarah still received God’s promise despite laughing in doubt.

Let's always remember hat God is interested in our hearts, not some artificial relationship. Sometimes what’s going on inside of us is doubt!! We cannot hide it from God, and that’s not what God wants. We shouldn’t be afraid to bring our doubts to God. God is not wanting to condemn us for our lack of faith. Rather, God wants to restore and strengthen us. I believe that can only happen when we honestly open our hearts to him. Jesus said in our verse, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” I take that to mean that God can use our doubts to produce in us a richer faith.

In Mark, chapter 9, a father approaches Jesus with the desire to see his son healed of an impure spirit. The man says to Jesus, “if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us”. Jesus replies, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes”. Jesus can see that the man doubts Jesus’ ability to heal his son. The man then recognizes his doubt and immediately says, “I do believe; help me with my unbelief”.

This man is clearly wrestling with doubts. He has trouble believing that Jesus is really powerful enough to heal his son, but instead of giving up, he asks Jesus for help with his disbelief. Looking at this story, we can take note of how the man handles and confronts his doubt. Just as Tim Keller wrote, “we ought to acknowledge the areas of our faith that are confusing or hard to trust to begin to make our relationship with Jesus our very own.” Notice, the man in Mark 9 didn’t just believe in Jesus because of the faith of those around him, rather, He asked Jesus himself to help with his confusion.

I’ve learned to embrace the doubt in my faith. It makes it richer in a way. My doubts have actually pushed me closer to God. If you are facing doubt in your faith I would encourage you to do the same. Don’t push your doubt aside. Embrace it. Sit with it.

 Turn to God and ask Him to help build your faith and give you a stronger foundation. Let your doubt lead you closer to Jesus.
Amen.

 

 

LATER YOU WILL UNDERSTAND

 

November 14, 2024

John 13:7

“Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

 

In our devotion yesterday, we said that remembering that we are praying to a living and active God, fills us with great trust and confidence. The living God that we worship is the God, we said, who created us (Genesis 1:27), who forgives us (Ephesians 4:32), who saved us (Ephesians 2:8), who promises to protect us (Isaiah 41:10), who has a purposeful plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and whose words and action demonstrate he loves us intensely (1 John 4:9-10). When we think about who God is and what God has done, we are overwhelmed by his love and grace.

We know these truths, we know the Bible teaches us these truths, right? However, there are times when we forget His truth and disregard God’s ways. I have not known anyone who in their walk with God has not at some point lost focus and forgotten God’s truth and promises.

At times along the way, we get too caught up in our lives and focus on ourselves, and when this occurs, we forget that God already has things taken care of. This sets the stage for worry. If you have had this experience, you know that when we are in the space of worry, we worry about every little thing in our life, whether it is what we are going to eat for supper, what other people think of us, or some other dread we have. Isn’t it true that we can spend so much time and energy worrying over things that we begin to catastrophize or overemphasize a situation, until we feel out of control.

In those moments, we need to take to heart the words of the bible, “say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution, He will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)

When we feel life is out of control, we take matters into out hands, trying to get our lives “back on track”. We all have a vision for our lives to turn out a certain way. We all have our own plans, and we try to control situations to make our wants and plans a reality. Yet, we “know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) There are times when our plans may not line up with what God has planned. God may want something different for our life and His plan, at least this is what I have found, is always so much better than we could ever imagine for ourselves.

1 Peter 5:6-7 says “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Ultimately, God has a vision and plan for his people “to give us a future and a hope” (Jer 29:11) God brings the right people into our lives at the exact moment that we need them, he brings us opportunities when we are in need of them at the right time. Everything happens in his timing. This is in part, I believe, what Jesus was saying in our verse, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” In His Time, In His Time!

Can you trust God in that promise?

The only thing that we can control in our lives is our faith and our trust in God. If we trust Him and His purpose for our lives, we will see that God is able to deliver on his promises, going “exceedingly abundantly beyond anything we can ever think or imagine.” Yes, it takes patience, trust, and faith, ah, but the payoff is “abundant life.”

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” (Psalm 37:4-6) 

Amen.

 

BEING INTENTIONAL

 

November 13, 2024

Matthew 21:22

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”



Do you ever find that prayer can become a duty, a requirement for each of us that call ourselves Christians? Have you experienced that prayer can become a routine task, leading to rather meaningless prayers? This can happen can't it.

If prayer as we often say is an important way to mantain a connection with God. That prayer is a relationship practice between God and ourselves, where we both speak and listen. Then perhaps we need to think about how to pray with intention. By praying with intention, we can transform our spiritual practice and witness positive changes in our lives. 

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” Matthew 21:22 teaches us. In other words it is saying believe in what you pray for. When we ask God for help or for him to bring things into our life, or the life of others, trust wholeheartedly that God will take care of things. 1 Peter 5:7 invites us to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” We know that our God has our best interest at heart, so in prayer we express our confidence and trust that he knows what is best for our life.

Our knowledge of God helps us. When we remember that we are praying to a living and active God, the creator of all things, who the Bible tells us is the God

 

who created us (Genesis 1:27), 

who forgives us (Ephesians 4:32), 

who saved us (Ephesians 2:8), 

who promises to protect us (Isaiah 41:10), 

who has a puposeful plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11), 

and whose words and action demonstrate the he loves us so intensely (1 John 4:9-10). 

When we consider these great truths, it does fill us with a level of trust and confidence as we pray. 

Placing our trust in God always. Offering our prayers sincerely, not on some sort of "autopilot" mode, but with intention because of who God is. Handing over to our loving creator, our concerns and our uncertainties, with the awareness of his promise to assist us and look after us, to be "for us not against us," then we will know in experience what the Psalmist declared "those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”  Psalm 9:10

That is GOOD NEWS!!

THE MAKING OF A JOYFUL PERSON

 

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Isaiah 55:12

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”


Do you every have a song just pop into your mind, and it is on repeat for the rest of your day? 

I remember driving my children to school and singing parts of songs, like “when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, It’s Amore,” or an old Carpenter’s song “why do birds suddenly appear everytime you are near? Just like me they want to be close to you.” When I would pick them up at the end of their school day they would still be singing the song. Well I had that yesterday, a song we often close our worship services with based on our Bible Reading today.

You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace,
And the mountains and the hills will break forth before you.
There'll be shouts of joy and the trees of the fields
Will clap, will clap their hands.

 At this point in the book of Isaiah, Chapter 55, God’s people have been completely disobedient, but God the Father is a God of grace and compassion, so he invites them into his lovingkindness. He is restoring them so they may glorify him once again and he is blessing his people. That is why Isaiah 55 is often given the title "the Compassion of God."

Verse 12 specifically commands the people to go out in joy and be led forth in peace. Why does God ask this? How do we, do this?

As God's people, we are called to be joyful, “Rejoice always” says 1 Thessalonians 5:16a. Which is not a natural thing for us to do as humans. However, joy becomes easier, when we begin to understand and experience God’s love and his constant amazing generous grace.

There are two reasons we are called to go out in joy in our verse today: For our own sake and for the sake of the world.

Perhaps you have found that when you choose to rejoice in your circumstances, your circumstances do not seem to loom as large, they seem to change. Have you found that life is a bit easier to tackle when we choose a positive and joyous perspective rooted in a trust for God and his promises? May the “God of hope fill you all with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” says Romans 15:13. Many times I have found, I suspect you have experienced this too, that these words have been fulfilled in you. Abounding in hope is a great place to be.

Going out in joy benefits others. The people around us should be able to recognize our Christian experience by how we love and by the joy we have. Please do not misunderstand, this verse or teaching. It is not saying that Jesus followers always act happy and act like everything is okay – being joyful is different than being happy. Joy is trusting in what God is doing and recognizing that he has a plan. Being joyful means not letting your circumstances crush you. To choose joy is to choose hope.

The idea is that the world sees that our circumstances aren’t crushing us and asks us why. Then we can answer with the glorious news of how good our God is and the hope that we have. When we go out in joy, we allow our own spirits to grow and shine the light of Christ at the same time.

When we allow Christ to lead us and guide our steps and our hearts, we find peace. There is peace in our relationship with God. This does not mean that anxiety or fear ceases to exist though. The world is still corrupt, and still seeks to squeeze us into it’s mold. Yet, when we cling to God, trust him follow his plan in obedience, we will find his peace (Isaiah 32:17).

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

Those who truly have the peace of God, will stop needing answers for everything, will stop worrying about everything going on in the world and will simply trust in God and what is to come with hope. When we seek God’s heart, we find peace, an incomprehensible peace that will guide us through this messy life and all the hard places we will face.

Thanks be to God!!

So, lets

"go out with joy and be led forth with peace."