Salt & Light Blog

Traits of God Part 3: He is Always with Us

7/28/2016

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Traits of God Part 3: He is Always with Us
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Have you ever felt alone? I know I have. There are so many times I have felt completely alone, even in the midst of people. I have at times given into the lie that I had no one, but when I choose to listen to the Lord instead of the enemy’s propaganda, He reminded me that He is with me and He will never leave me. He also opened my eyes to show me the people He had placed in my life. How often have I repented for falling for the deception? But even with my consistent sin, God is with me, loving me, transforming me, and holding me. Believer, it is the same for you. You may feel alone, but you are not. You have God in so many wonderful ways and you have the worldwide body of Christ.
As Jesus was about to ascend to Heaven, He gave us an important job, a commission. It is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Although He was leaving to return to Heaven, He was not leaving us. He was sending His Spirit to indwell believers and be with us always, to the end of the age. God chose to dwell, to live and stay in you. He loves you. He has made you holy. You belong to Him and He takes that very seriously. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 reads,
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
God fights for you! He is with you and nothing anyone does can make Him leave you. People who do not know love, will try to make you feel as alone as they feel. The enemy will try and make you think you are on your own. Circumstances may make you feel deserted. But it is not true for follower of Jesus. He is always with you and nothing can take you away from Him. Romans 8:37-39 encourages us with the truth.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He is not with you passively, just hanging by your side and watching apathetically. He is within you and He is working. He goes before you (Deuteronomy 31:8). He is listening (1 John 5:14). He cares. And He is keeping you safe and protected. In Isaiah 41:8-10 the Lord is speaking to Israel and to the faithful through the ages.
But you, Israel, my servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
    and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
    I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
10 fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

The times we are living in are turbulent, chaotic, and might be frightening for some. But as Spirit filled followers of Jesus Christ, we do not have to add to the bedlam. We can have a peace the world cannot understand, that we may not even understand (Philippians 4:4-7). How can we praise God and thank Him in the midst of the mayhem? We can because we know who God is and what He has said and we believe Him. Psalm 46 reads,
God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling.   Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.   Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.   Selah

The God of Angel Armies is with you! Picture yourself walking in this world and in the Kingdom of God simultaneously. The desperate, war-torn, and blind world sees you walking peacefully among the ruins and they can’t comprehend your peace. The reason you have peace is because you know about the troops of fearsome angels surrounding you and the Warrior King, Jesus Christ on His great white horse leading them (Revelation 19:11-16). The reason you have peace is because you know God is inside you. You have peace because you know the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living in you (Romans 8:11). You have peace because you know God is sustaining you with His hand (Isaiah 41:13).
I can hear some of you saying, “That’s great, God is with me, but I am still lonely. I need people!” Believer, you don’t have to be alone or lonely. You are a part of the body of Christ. You are a member of a global family. God is indwelling your fellow believers just as He indwells you. You share some significant commonalities with the community of faith. Ephesians 4:4-6 reads,
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
There is one body of Christ, not many throughout the world. We are one body. We have one Spirit. He is in each of us and He is working toward the same goal for each and all. We have one Lord, Jesus Christ. We have one faith because there is one truth, not many. We may let denominations divide us, but we should not allow that to happen because we have one faith. We have one baptism. That means we are all saved by the same Gospel, our sins were forgiven by the same blood, and we all had to repent of sin. We have one God. My God is no different than your God unless your god is not the One True Living God who is called I Am (Isaiah 44:6, Exodus 3:14). We have one Father and He is sovereign over all of us, works through each and all of us, and in each of us. Romans 12:4-8 reads,
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Believers, we are commanded to be active members of the body of Christ, using our gifts to serve each other and allowing God to be over and work through and in all of us. We are members of one another, we belong to each other as much as we belong to God. Are you a functioning serving member of the body? Then don’t believe the lie that you are alone. Look around at your brothers and sisters, they love you if they love God. If you are not an effective working member of the body, then do something to change it and you will see you are not alone. You don’t have to be. You are a member of the body, a child of the LORD and if you choose not to reach out to your fellow believers, is it their fault for not comforting you or befriending you?
Do not fall for the deception that you are alone. Call out to God and draw near to Him and you will find He is right there with you. Reach out to your family in Christ and be the person God created you to be.

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1 Kings 19 God Disciplines His Children, He Doesn’t Punish Us.

10/11/2015

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1 Kings 19
Elijah’s job was difficult. He was a prophet of The Lord to Israel, a nation who had gone astray under Jeroboam and kept getting worse under each successive king. But he did it and he did it faithfully. He had just proved the futility of following Baal to all of Israel, killed the idol’s 450 prophets and ended a three year drought. I imagine he was on a spiritual high, feeling good, living in power and with authority of The Lord. As often happens when we are having a “mountain top” experience, the enemy attacked. Ahab told Jezebel everything that had transpired between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Jezebel didn’t take the news well. She was a vicious woman who had completely supported the 450 prophets. It was because of her that the religion prospered in The Northern Kingdom. (1 Kings 18:19).
In verse 2 Jezebel made an oath to Elijah which she delivered by messenger. She said, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Verses 3-4 read,
“Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
He was frightened. He knew who Jezebel was and what she was capable of. His fear drove him into the wilderness. His despair led him to lay down, give up and die. His fear and his despair vanquished his faith. But God was not finished with Elijah yet. God remained faithful. Verses 5-8 say,
“And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.”
He walked in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. Israel had wandered in the wilderness forty years while The Lord taught them who they were as His people. Later, Jesus would go to the wilderness and fast for forty days before beginning His ministry. Elijah was fasting during this forty day journey but he was miraculously kept strong, the Lord’s provision had been all he needed during the trek. But Elijah was running away from his problems. He might have changed his mind about wanting to die, but he was finished dealing with people. He ran from his problems and straight to God, even if he didn’t realize it. He arrived to Horeb, where Moses had received the Law from The Lord. He found a cave and made himself at home. The Lord asked him “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah, the great prophet of The Lord answered like a whiny little boy. Verse 10 reads,
“He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
A month and half before, Elijah had been on a spiritual high but now he thought everything he had done for God had been for nothing. God said, “Go outside before The Lord.” Just like a dad saying, “Elijah, come here.” I think Elijah was ready for his punishment. I imagine him taking a deep breath and like a little boy submitting to whatever punishment his Father had for him, ready to go outside, trembling wondering what would happen. Verses 11-13 read,
“And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper, 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Imagine that roaring wind, like a tornado breaking rocks into pieces. But God wasn’t in that unforgiving destructive wind. Then an earthquake. It must have been terrifying to be in the cave opening with the earth shaking under him. But The Lord wasn’t in the devastating earthquake. And then came a fire. And God wasn’t in that dreadful fire either. He did not yell at Elijah, He did not spank, beat, or even chastise him. God came in a low whisper, a quiet voice. I hear it as a gentle soft voice, a loving Father to his scared son, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” I wonder if Elijah cried. I wonder if his relief that God loved him too much to punish him with harsh cruelty made him cry. But he stilled whined his answer to The Lord. Verses 14-18 read,
“He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
God said, I’m not finished with you yet, I still have work for you. He didn’t say, “Don’t worry about Jezebel.” He simply instructed him about all the things He wanted the prophet to do for him still. If The Lord tells you to do a job for Him, it is a pretty sure thing, He will let you live to do the job, provide the way and give you what you need to do it. Furthermore, The Lord told Elijah not to worry about whether the evil people would be punished, they would be. Hazael was going to slaughter Israel. (2 Kings 9:7-15). But He also encouraged him by letting him know that not everyone in Israel was an idol worshipper, 7,000 people would remain loyal to The Lord, and it was likely that Elijah’s ministry was the reason.
Elijah was expecting at least a reprimand, but The Lord, although He is a God of Justice who punishes the wicked is a God of Love who builds up His children and has great purposes for us. He disciplines us with love. He doesn’t send fire and brimstone down on His sons and daughters. Proverbs 3:12 reads,
“for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.”
And Romans 8:1-4 says,
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Believer, God does discipline us, but discipline and punishment are not the same thing. Jesus took our punishment. We do not have to face God with fear as if He’s holding a belt and ready to beat us. We don’t have to walk in fear that He will strike us with lightening. He is our Awesome and Fearsome God of angel armies, He is Almighty. We need to remember He is Holy All-powerful God. But He forgave us. He is not holding punishment over our heads anymore. He delights in us. Believer, He delights in you!

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JEHOVAH-SABAOTH The Lord of Hosts, our Protector

10/4/2015

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Jehovah-Sabaoth is interpreted as "The Lord of Hosts, our Protector."
What does it mean? Have you ever considered it? Hosts include every created being, animal, human and angelic. The Heavenly Hosts are the army of angels. They are led by Jesus, Our Lord of Hosts, God. Think about the beauty of that. God is The Lord of Hosts. He has an entire army of angels ready to act on our behalf. Ready to fight, protect and do whatever The LORD commands.
This name for God emphasizes His complete and perfect power over everything, His sovereignty. Everything on earth and in Heaven and under the earth is subject to God. Colossians 1:15-20 reads,
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
God is referred to as The Lord of Hosts over two hundred times in the Old Testament
Psalm 46:7 says,
“The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
He is our Lord of Hosts, our fortress. A fortress is a permanent stronghold, a place to go to for protection from the enemy. A place to fight the enemy from safety. The enemy cannot get into the fortress. It is stocked full of weapons and provision for the fight.
Isaiah 9:6-7 reads,
“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Our Lord of hosts loves us passionately. He made a way for us. Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Do you get that? Jesus, the Son of God is our Everlasting Father. And He brings us peace. Peace with God and victorious peace over the enemy. The Lord of Angel Armies upholds the peace and the throne of Jesus from now until forever.
Psalm 84:1-4 reads,
“How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise!”
The God of angel armies protects us, He doesn’t only surround us. He shields us like a dwelling place, a home. He is our home and since we dwell or abide, stay, and live in Him we are safe. His ultimate expression as Jehovah-Sabaoth, Our Lord of Hosts is this found in Revelation 19:11-16
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

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