Of the many ways in which God reveals Himself in the Scriptures, He reveals Himself as a God of newness. He shows Himself as delighting in renewing, restoring and creeating new things in the lives of those he loves and those who love Him. So our God is a God of newness. He is ready to bring us into new things that He has stored up for us at this season of our lives. New revelation of who He is, new provision, new hope, and new passion for Him. Everything about Him comes to us in terms of newness. He says in Revelation 21:5, "Behold, I am making all things new. and He said, Write for these words are faithful and true."
It is therefore no wonder then that the Scriptures are full of admonitions to us not to dwell on the past; nto to take prolonged trips down memory lane; not to recall and beat ourselves up for what's already been done and cannot be undone or changed; not to linger on the experiences of the past that damaged and hurt us. Those experiences are in His hands, and they are washed away through the blood of Messiah never to be remembered against us again. And He who holds our present and future in His hands knows how to redeem our past without making us wallow in it. It is these experiences that have everything to do with the "all tears" that God will wipe away from our eyes, as referred to in Revelation 21:4. If you were to look at this verse it ends with the words, "...the first things have passed away."
While the direct context of the verse is speaking about eternity with God and this life of sin and fallenness coming to an end, it also has application to our lives as believers in the present time. It lets us know that the bitter experiences of the past that we keep rehashing and keep rehearsing in our minds, keep beating ourselves up for and weeping over have passed away. Let them go! Stop resurrecting them in your mind. Stop going through life staring into the rearview mirror.
God is making all things new for YOU! He wants you to be aware of them, to perceive them (Isa. 43:14-21). So let the past go! Get your eyes off the rearview mirror and get them back on the road ahead of you. Focus on the new thing God is doing for you. Embrace and receive it, for the truth is this: your best days are ahead of you, not behind you. And that you can take to the bank because He's the One who said so!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Always Faithful!
We are "in between" two very significant holidays on the Jewish calendar that highlight the fact that God is always faithful - Purim and Pesach (Passover). In writing to Timothy Paul says in 2 Tim. 2:13 - "If we are faithless, He [God] remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." The events of Purim and Pesach serve as timeless affirmations of this truth.
At Purim, as recorded in the book of Esther, we see how God used a Jewish young woman (Esther/Hadassah) and her Uncle (Mordecai) to bring about the deliverance of the genocide of all the Jews of ancient Persia planned by the evil Haman. Interestingly enough the book of Esther is the only book of the 66 books of the Bible that does not specifically mention God of His Name anywhere in the book. Yet the providence, protection and watchful eye of God over His covenant people is probably nowhere more obvious in the Bible than in this Megillah. Throughout history, in spite of the suffering and deaths of many Jewish people and martyrs, God has always brought about the deliverance of His people from the genocidal plans of demonic world leaders, from Haman to Hitler - and beyond - God will continue to always be faithful to deliver His people from destruction and annihilation.
At Pesach, as recorded in the book of Exodus, we see how God used Moses to keep His promise to Abraham that He would bring Abraham's descendants out of slavery in a land not their own after 400 years, and would deposit them in the land He promised to give to Abraham and His descendants. The Pesach story which recounts the emancipation of the Hebrew slaves from 400 years of Egyptian bondage through the 10 awful plagues on Egypt, the slaying of the Paschal lamb and the smearing of its blood on the posts and lintels of Jewish homes and the miracles that followed Israel through their wilderness experience, once again attests to the constant and consistent faithfulness of God to deliver His people from every form of slavery.
For those of us who are believers in Yeshua the Messiah, Pesach attests to God's faithfulness to deliver us from the power and bondage of sin, through the shedding of the blood of God's Lamb, Yeshua, and the application of His sacrificial blood to our hearts and lives. Yeshua was introduced publicly to the world at the waters of the Jordan River by John the Immerser with the words: "Look! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world!" When we observe the Passover Seder in a few weeks, we call attention that everything about the Passover is a picture of Yeshua and what He accomplished for us on the cross - from the shank bone of the lamb, to the striped and pierced Matzot - everything at the Seder table and the liturgy of the Seder itself, speaks of Yeshua.
Purim and Passover are eternal pillars of truth attesting to the fact that no matter what life may deal us, no matter what we're going through, no matter what terrible situation we may find ourselves in, God was, is and always will be faithful and true to deliver us from destruction, annihilation and sin because it is His name and reputation that is on the line. Deuteronomy 33:27 says this: "The eternal God [is your] refuge, And underneath [are] the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' " Think about it and be encouraged by it!
At Purim, as recorded in the book of Esther, we see how God used a Jewish young woman (Esther/Hadassah) and her Uncle (Mordecai) to bring about the deliverance of the genocide of all the Jews of ancient Persia planned by the evil Haman. Interestingly enough the book of Esther is the only book of the 66 books of the Bible that does not specifically mention God of His Name anywhere in the book. Yet the providence, protection and watchful eye of God over His covenant people is probably nowhere more obvious in the Bible than in this Megillah. Throughout history, in spite of the suffering and deaths of many Jewish people and martyrs, God has always brought about the deliverance of His people from the genocidal plans of demonic world leaders, from Haman to Hitler - and beyond - God will continue to always be faithful to deliver His people from destruction and annihilation.
At Pesach, as recorded in the book of Exodus, we see how God used Moses to keep His promise to Abraham that He would bring Abraham's descendants out of slavery in a land not their own after 400 years, and would deposit them in the land He promised to give to Abraham and His descendants. The Pesach story which recounts the emancipation of the Hebrew slaves from 400 years of Egyptian bondage through the 10 awful plagues on Egypt, the slaying of the Paschal lamb and the smearing of its blood on the posts and lintels of Jewish homes and the miracles that followed Israel through their wilderness experience, once again attests to the constant and consistent faithfulness of God to deliver His people from every form of slavery.
For those of us who are believers in Yeshua the Messiah, Pesach attests to God's faithfulness to deliver us from the power and bondage of sin, through the shedding of the blood of God's Lamb, Yeshua, and the application of His sacrificial blood to our hearts and lives. Yeshua was introduced publicly to the world at the waters of the Jordan River by John the Immerser with the words: "Look! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world!" When we observe the Passover Seder in a few weeks, we call attention that everything about the Passover is a picture of Yeshua and what He accomplished for us on the cross - from the shank bone of the lamb, to the striped and pierced Matzot - everything at the Seder table and the liturgy of the Seder itself, speaks of Yeshua.
Purim and Passover are eternal pillars of truth attesting to the fact that no matter what life may deal us, no matter what we're going through, no matter what terrible situation we may find ourselves in, God was, is and always will be faithful and true to deliver us from destruction, annihilation and sin because it is His name and reputation that is on the line. Deuteronomy 33:27 says this: "The eternal God [is your] refuge, And underneath [are] the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' " Think about it and be encouraged by it!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Lessons From Purim
Today is the biblical, Jewish holiday of Purim. Purim is a celebration of the deliverance of the Jews from the first attempted genocide against them by the wicked prime minister of ancient Persia, Haman. Oddly enough today ancient Persia (Iran) again threatens to wipe out and destroy Israel and the Jews and is led by their current "Haman", Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The Purim story is given to us in its entirety in the biblical book of Esther. On this day, in synagogues around the world, the story of Esther is read by the reading of the entire Megillah (story) of Esther. That's right - "the whole Megillah!" For the sake of brevity I will assume that most of you reading this are already familiar with the story and will dispense with recounting the whole thing for you here. One thing that should be pointed out and mentioned because of its striking nature is the fact that the book of Esther is the only book of the Bible that does not directly mention God. The only book of the Bible where you will not find the name of God! Yet perhaps also, as in no other book of the Bible, is the care, providence and protection of God for His people more striking and evident than in this account of the Jews in ancient Persia.
The purpose of this posting is to see what lessons (if any) the Purim story has to teach us. I believe it teaches us some very needful and valuable lessons. The key verses, in my thinking, in this book are verses 13 & 14 of chapter 4. It is Mordecai's response to Esther when she expresses some misgivings of going before her husband, the King of Persia, to intercede for her people - the Jews. Here is Mordecai's response to her:
"Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
The portion of the response to focus on is the first half of v. 14 - "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place..." So what lessons can we glean from these words and from the overall Purim story?
The first lesson is this, anti-semitism is as old as the Bible itself! Why we think it's curable in our day is beyond me. Biblically God has a very active enemy, Lucifer, who wants nothing more than to destroy the program and purposes of God. As those purposes are directly linked to Israel, to the Jewish people, to the Jewish Messiah Yeshua and those who have attached themselves to the Messiah and His people through faith, we can expect anti-semitism and anti-God attitudes to not only be with us but to increase as we approach the end of time and the return of Yeshua.
The second lesson is the direct outflow of the first, i.e., that as a result of this ancient, prevalent and on-going anti-semitism in many generations there have been, are and will be "Hamans" on the scene who were and are more than happy and willing to destroy the Jewish people. From the first Haman in the book of Esther, to the final and ultimate "Haman" at the end of days, the anti-Messiah (anti-Christ).
The third lesson is this, while millions of Jews have suffered and died at the hands and by the whims of these "Hamans," the annihilation of the Jews was and is impossible because, as Mordecai said, "...relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews..." every time! Why? Because God's gifts and callings of and to the Jewish people are irrevocable! Because God, Who cannot lie, will forever be faithful to His covenants with the Patriarchs, with Israel and through Yeshua. Never forget that the greatest proof of the existence of God is the existence of the Jews, even after centuries of attempts to make us extinct.
Lesson number four. If we through fear and intimidation refuse to aid the Jewish people during their times of distress, God will raise up other helpers, intercessors and deliverers and rescue His people every time. He will likewise judge and destroy those individuals AND THEIR FAMILIES who refused to come to the aid of the Jews and of Israel. That is what makes Mordecai's statement to Esther so ominous. It puts me in mind of a similar vein of thought expressed by the Messiah Yeshua that he said He will confront humanity with on the day of judgement. He said in Matthew 25:31-46 -
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
So Purim, as you can see, has many valuable and serious lessons to teach us. Let's learn them!
The Purim story is given to us in its entirety in the biblical book of Esther. On this day, in synagogues around the world, the story of Esther is read by the reading of the entire Megillah (story) of Esther. That's right - "the whole Megillah!" For the sake of brevity I will assume that most of you reading this are already familiar with the story and will dispense with recounting the whole thing for you here. One thing that should be pointed out and mentioned because of its striking nature is the fact that the book of Esther is the only book of the Bible that does not directly mention God. The only book of the Bible where you will not find the name of God! Yet perhaps also, as in no other book of the Bible, is the care, providence and protection of God for His people more striking and evident than in this account of the Jews in ancient Persia.
The purpose of this posting is to see what lessons (if any) the Purim story has to teach us. I believe it teaches us some very needful and valuable lessons. The key verses, in my thinking, in this book are verses 13 & 14 of chapter 4. It is Mordecai's response to Esther when she expresses some misgivings of going before her husband, the King of Persia, to intercede for her people - the Jews. Here is Mordecai's response to her:
"Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
The portion of the response to focus on is the first half of v. 14 - "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place..." So what lessons can we glean from these words and from the overall Purim story?
The first lesson is this, anti-semitism is as old as the Bible itself! Why we think it's curable in our day is beyond me. Biblically God has a very active enemy, Lucifer, who wants nothing more than to destroy the program and purposes of God. As those purposes are directly linked to Israel, to the Jewish people, to the Jewish Messiah Yeshua and those who have attached themselves to the Messiah and His people through faith, we can expect anti-semitism and anti-God attitudes to not only be with us but to increase as we approach the end of time and the return of Yeshua.
The second lesson is the direct outflow of the first, i.e., that as a result of this ancient, prevalent and on-going anti-semitism in many generations there have been, are and will be "Hamans" on the scene who were and are more than happy and willing to destroy the Jewish people. From the first Haman in the book of Esther, to the final and ultimate "Haman" at the end of days, the anti-Messiah (anti-Christ).
The third lesson is this, while millions of Jews have suffered and died at the hands and by the whims of these "Hamans," the annihilation of the Jews was and is impossible because, as Mordecai said, "...relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews..." every time! Why? Because God's gifts and callings of and to the Jewish people are irrevocable! Because God, Who cannot lie, will forever be faithful to His covenants with the Patriarchs, with Israel and through Yeshua. Never forget that the greatest proof of the existence of God is the existence of the Jews, even after centuries of attempts to make us extinct.
Lesson number four. If we through fear and intimidation refuse to aid the Jewish people during their times of distress, God will raise up other helpers, intercessors and deliverers and rescue His people every time. He will likewise judge and destroy those individuals AND THEIR FAMILIES who refused to come to the aid of the Jews and of Israel. That is what makes Mordecai's statement to Esther so ominous. It puts me in mind of a similar vein of thought expressed by the Messiah Yeshua that he said He will confront humanity with on the day of judgement. He said in Matthew 25:31-46 -
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
So Purim, as you can see, has many valuable and serious lessons to teach us. Let's learn them!
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