We continue this season of Epiphany with new insights, new observations, new hope, new Light.
Moonbeams bounce off of newly fallen snow to lighten our path.
Days begin to lighten up a few minutes earlier in the morning and stay lighter a few minutes longer in the late afternoon.
Our path with the Lord is meant to lighten our load as we journey through these winter months.
Epiphany, a time to remind our soul to seek more light, the light of understanding, the light of Christ Jesus.
Here is an enlightening quote before we continue with our daily meditations.
"Our Lord’s love shines out just as much through a little soul who yields completely to His Grace as it does through the greatest. Just as the sun shines equally on the cedar and the little flower, so the Divine Sun shines equally on everyone, great and small. Everything is ordered for their good, just as in nature the seasons are so ordered that the smallest daisy comes to bloom at its appointed time.” Therese of Lisieux [The Little Flower] p. 4-5 Story of a Soul
1-9 Isaiah 45: 14-19; Psalm 121,122,123,131,132; Col. 1:29—2:7, John 8:12-19
John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.
He who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the Light of Life.” :18 I am He who testifies about Himself and the Father, who sent me, testifies about Me.”
John began this book with a powerful reflection upon the words in Genesis. “In the beginning. . . “ It all began with God and continues with God and the Word is God and the Word in the flesh is the living God and . . . Jesus echos the reality that He IS just as God IS.
Jesus said, “I am the I AM.” In fact there are several identities of Jesus as the I AM, most preceding a noun but not always. “I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the good shepherd, I am the gate for the sheep, I am the resurrection and the Life, I am the way and the truth and the life, I am the true vine . . . I AM.”
“I am the Light,” speaks volumes to the faith-filled Jews. A light burned in the Temple at all times showing those priests who entered that God was there, always present, always with them. Jesus, God in the flesh, is always present, always with us. ‘I AM’ has no past and no future but IS . . . always . . . present, our burning Light.
Jesus is the Word, walking about sharing Words of truth, turning on the ‘light’ within seekers' souls, leading us to our ‘epiphany’, our moment when the light goes on within us, when we finally ‘see’ God in the flesh. To not see, to not understand, to not seek to know God in the flesh keeps us in the dark, hidden behind the truth instead of seeing the Truth.
Think about it: Do you turn on a light when you enter a dark room at night?
Do you place ‘night-lights’ in strategic places so you don’t stumble if you get up in the middle of the night?
Do you prefer to see where you are going so you do not bump into things or stumble or fall?
Light illumines our path, helps us to see what we may not have noticed if there were no light.
That’s the way it is with Jesus.
He is always the Light.
Jesus is never less light or more light but our very present light, illuminating our walk with Him, showing us who He is. We can choose to close our heart and struggle in the darkness or we can choose to stay close to Jesus and let Jesus light our path.
Some evening try to turn all the lights off in the living room. Cover those blue lights on electronics.
Snuff out all light.
It’s best to have someone with you so you can share with each other how it feels to stand in the darkness.
Now move across the room. Do you move gingerly hoping not to have a mishap? It’s not easy, is it.
My blind friend has no problem because she ‘sees’ with her ears and with touch. Her joy in Jesus, in the presence of the I Am is abundant as she gabs about her blessings a mile a minute.
The Light of Christ pours out of her soul for all to see.
Living in the ‘light’ comes from the heart, doesn’t it.
When the world seems a little too dark some days,
simply stop.
Step back.
Take a time out.
Fix a cup of tea.
Sit in your favorite place.
Call on Jesus to ‘light’ up your world and show you something new, give you an ‘epiphany.’ You may be surprised with the way the I Am responds.
Think about it: So what does that say about Jesus and us? Jesus is our Shepherd. We are His sheep! Are we really as stupid as sheep? Do we wander off into our own pasture without seeing more than a few inches in front of us?
John 14:6 “I AM the Way, the Truth, the Life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me. :11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; but if not, believe Me because of the works themselves.”
1-10 Jeremiah 23:1-8; Psalm 138,139,147; Col. 2:8-23; John 10:7-17
John 10:7 Jesus said, “. . . I am the door of the
sheep :9 If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and go in and out and find pasture. :14 I am the Good Shepherd and I know my own and my own know me . . .:16 Other sheep . . . not of this flock . . . I must bring in . . . one flock and one shepherd.”
Do you ever wonder why the Hebrews ever got involved with sheep? Thousands of years before Jesus’ walked this earth, Abraham, a nomad, grazed sheep, along with many other animals. In fact, when Abraham traveled from the sophisticated city of Ur, he most likely brought sheep with him.
Sheep are known as the dumbest animal on the planet. I believe camels are a close second. A baby sheep will not thrive unless it remains close to or ‘sees’ (smells) its mother. A sheep is myopic, unable to see more than a few inches in front of it, just enough to graze on rugged foliage close to the earth. Sheep can live on the tough, fibrous vegetation that the desert provides but must be guided to a place of provision. Sheep are vulnerable so they need protection at all times. Sheep can hear if they are not pre-occupied with grazing. They learn the voice that guides them. They learn to trust only one voice, the voice of the shepherd. Once they learn that voice they will not follow another voice.
Enter the shepherd. The caretaker. The one who will lead them, feed them, corral them, speak to them, seek the one who wanders and provide a safe place for them to rest. Sheep need extra care, a special salve, for their noses and eyes because they graze close to the ground and flies bite these sensitive areas.
And sheep smell, really smell! In fact, when the sons of Abraham fled to Egypt and ended up living there for about 450 years, the Egyptians were thrilled. Egyptians were fastidious and did not like the smell of sheep. Yet, sheep multiplied easily, ate what their land naturally
provided, had good meat and good wool. The Egyptians learned, early on, how to turn sheep wool, which absorbed many colors of natural dye, into fine clothing. They were more than happy to give this wretched task of raising sheep to the sons of Abraham who were good shepherds.
So, the sons of Abraham were given a huge chunk of fertile pasture in Goshen. These people had a place of their own and earned a living by raising and selling their sheep to the Egyptians. They people were happy, the sheep were happy and the Egyptians were happy . . . until this motley bunch of brothers and their families grew into millions. That’s another story.
Thus, Jesus speaks to people in terms they know. Some are fishermen, some are farmers and some are merchants but the Israelites, deep in their roots, are shepherds. They eat lamb, sacrifice lamb to God and are surrounded by sheep in the rocky, arid land in which they live. Sheep are a staple. Thus, when Jesus speaks of sheep they all listen. They can relate.
Jesus is the sheep-gate, the guard of the enclosure, the keeper of the safe place, the place of protection, the place with well defined parameters. We can enter this safe place or not. Jesus speaks to those who choose to enter. He knows each of us intimately and, as we mature in Him, we learn His voice and can discern His voice . . . but this only happens when we choose to be intimate with our Shepherd.
Do we really need a caretaker? We have freedom of choice. We can choose to follow Jesus or not. We can graze in an unprotected field of life, get too close to the cliff and fall off. . . . or not.
If we choose to be protected, we also make the choice to grow unfettered in our abilities and gifts. In the Shepherd’s flock, we are in community with others who choose to grow fat on the morsels we eat daily. We choose to thrive on the love and guidance and nurturing available to us. We can jump and play and feed on the nutrients before us all day and sleep in peace all night.
When we choose to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by default, we choose to follow Jesus. Scripture says, “I and the Father are One . . . He in Me and I in Him . . . “ When we make this choice we must graze with our Shepherd and allow our Shepherd to ‘herd’ us into the ‘pen’ of His protection and His disciplines. These disciplines are: feeding on His words in scripture and His presence in Holy Communion, listening to Him and to other who reflect His voice, mingling with the other sheep to become an interactive part of the flock, thriving in His presence and becoming a ‘fat’ and healthy lamb for another to feed upon. We grow to become provision for the next who comes into the flock hungry and empty and in need.
If we wander from the flock, our Shepherd will find
us. Yet, we always have a choice to follow Him back into the fold . . . or not. There is always that chance that we might walk too close to the cliff and fall to our demise. He will find us but we might be broken beyond repair. He will fix us but we have to be alive to hear his Voice. He will never leave us nor forsake us but we have to know that deep in our soul to survive, to thrive. In Isaiah it says, “We, like sheep, have gone astray, each to our own way . . . “
The Shepherd is waiting for us, calling out to us.
We just need to hear his voice saying, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden . . . and I will give your rest.”
All we have to do is follow His voice and remain within the flock.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd for all eternity.
1-11 Isaiah 55:3-9; Psalm 91,92,148,150; Col. 3:1-17; John 14:6-14
John 14 through 16 is Jesus’ final discourse to his disciples. It’s the last time Jesus will have to fill them with all that will strengthen them for their arduous journey after Jesus’ crucifixion. It’s the last time Jesus prays a very long prayer to his Father regarding his disciples. Jesus knows what challenges lie ahead for this motley crew. He makes sure they have deep understanding of what it means to walk into this New Covenant, the Christ Covenant, the Way, the path of Truth, a whole new life as God-followers.
This “I AM” statement is a continuation of the last meditation. Just as Jesus is the ‘sheep gate’ so is He the Way, the entrance, the opening into forever love and grace and life-direction. Once we enter THE way, we will live by new parameters, within ‘fences’ that protect us and direct us. We enter into the presence of the Father through His Son. We enter a new Way of life, a new Truth to life, a new Life.
Again, Jesus’ "I Am" statement re-iterates to his disciples that HE, Jesus, is the same I Am of the Old Covenant, the same I Am as God’s chosen people have known since God made Covenant with Abraham. I Am, present tense. Not, “I was.” Not, “I will be.” God, the Father, is present. The Father IS. Jesus, the Son, is present. Jesus IS.
If, like Thomas, we doubt, observe Jesus’ ‘works’ or actions. Throughout scripture people exclaim, “This man is more than a prophet. He is a prophet of prophets.” When people are healed and told not to tell anyone, those
healed immediately run to tell others so they also might be touched by the healing hand of Jesus. Story after story tells of the ‘actions’ of Jesus and the stunning response by the crowds. Once word is out regarding Jesus’ actions, He and the disciples are rarely left alone. The phrase, “Actions speak louder than words,” is evident to the max in Jesus’ ministry.
Unfortunately, too many people get tripped up on the phrase, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” This is difficult. It is not meant to exclude anyone from God’s love and grace. Quite the opposite. Jesus wants all to understand who He is. Jesus is God. We can believe what He says or we can believe by watching His miraculous work in the lives of millions.
We need to remember that God sent His only begotten Son to the Jew, first, and then to the gentile. God sent the New Covenant to overlay the Old Covenant, not to destroy it. Jesus is a NEW Way for the Jews, an easier Way to be in Covenant with the Father. Instead of offering sacrifice for every little change and challenge and sin, God sent Jesus to BE the sacrifice . . . the forever sacrifice . . . once . . . for all.
It’s a new Way and new Life for God’s chosen people.
Jesus is God’s Truth. God is Truth. Jesus is Truth. Jesus is God. This is simple, mathematical deduction in God’s eyes. It’s like God is saying, “You people of the Exodus have been wandering in the desert and in the Promised Land and continue to sin. It’s like you are addicted to turning away from Me. So, I send you a New Way, a New Truth, a New Life . . . another form of the I AM. The I AM "with skin on", will give you a life where you are now covered with the blood of salvation, covered so that I, God, can see you as perfect at all times, covered with the blood of Jesus so that you can come to Me and pray to Me and I will listen to you . . . 24/7/365.”
Think about it: Too often we react to verses on their face value without taking in the entire context of the words or passage. Too often we have family history that tells us that, if indeed this passage is correct, my friend or family member will not become a Christian. We do not know that. We cannot know the mind of God. All we can do is walk into the Gate the Lord has opened for US, by faith.
If, by faith, we receive the words of God through His Son, Jesus Christ, we will be saved from eternal
separation from God. My journey is different from your journey. Each of us journey with God in different ways but we are all on the same path if, indeed, we seek THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life that God set before us through His Son, Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
If we each follow the path the Lord has set before us, by faith, believing this road is indeed God’s way, God’s truth and God’s life for us, our salvation story will be full of the I AM, the full presence of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Keep walking forward.
Remain focused on the Present Presence, the I AM.
Keep walking forward.
Remain focused on the Present Presence, the I AM.
God will do the rest . . . for you . . . for your family . . . for your friends . . . if they choose, by faith, to follow the I AM.
Matthew 3:16 Jesus was baptized and immediately came up from the water and the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him and behold a voice said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Think about it: Can you remember how you encountered Jesus when you experienced your first ‘epiphany’ your first ‘aha’ moment when you recognized Jesus as Lord of your life?
It’s a new beginning. This first day after we proclaim this new season, the season of new light, the season of new understanding, the season in which we bask in the light of Christ during these still dark days. This season of epiphanies illuminates greater understanding of the One we made the choice, by faith, to follow forever.
1-12 The Baptism of Our Lord
For the ‘liturgical’ or ‘sacramental’ churches, this marks the end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of the season of Epiphany.
Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17
And this is how Jesus was introduced to the ‘world’ as they knew it, how Jesus began his very short, three-year ministry. Jesus humbled himself before the one who paved the way for this moment, John the Baptizer. John was born to fulfill his role as one who ‘made way for the Lord.’ John’s entire life was dedicated to God. Even before his birth John’s spirit leaped in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, when Mary, filled with the presence of Jesus growing inside her, came into the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah. John’s spirit knew Jesus’ spirit before each was born.
John grew into his role as baptizer and had hundreds of followers. His goal was simply to follow God’s direction to bring Jews back into the presence of God. Each step of his journey prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry. So, when John the Baptizer was once again at the Jordan river calling all to repentance and the cleansing that comes with it, One whom he had not seen since he was a child appeared. John was busy directing one soul after another to ‘die to self’ and be renewed and cleansed in the Jordan as a sign or renewal and focus on God.
Not until Jesus was up close, in front of him, did
John see this man, filled with confidence, walking straight toward him, slipping into the water without hesitation, and looking into John’s face, ready to immerse himself into the water. Jesus, the One without sin, humbled Himself before the world to show others His obedience to the Father.
Jesus was immersed in the water of the Jordan in the same way others had been immersed. When he came up out of the water, the thunderous voice from the heavens affirmed to John, and to all who were present, the One whom God sent to humanity, to save souls and to fill with the power of the Holy Spirit. The booming voice from above blurted, “This is My Son, in whom I AM well pleased.” If that were not enough, the Spirit, like a dove. came upon Jesus and remained with Him.
God, the Father, shouted for all to hear the words that presented Jesus to the world. God, the Holy Spirit, affirmed what people saw and heard. The I AM presented to the world our Triune God, right there in front of John the Baptizer, right there for all to experience, right there for all to embrace this New Covenant presence. God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit all at once. What an Epiphany! WOW!
Immediately, John re-directed people to Jesus. Immediately, Jesus began ministering ‘over there’ where John sent his followers. “I am not the way,” says John. “I simply prepared the way for Jesus, the One sent from God. No longer follow me for Jesus will fill you with far more. He will fill you with the Spirit of God.”
Jesus is The way, The truth and The life . . . Jesus is all you need from now on.
Jesus is The way, The truth and The life . . . Jesus is all you need from now on.
Were you immediately drawn into a personal relationship with our Lord or did you have to sit back and wonder a bit . . . wonder what revelation just happened?
Some of us were baptized as infants and did not recognize the power working inside us. . . the power of the Holy Spirit called into us at Baptism. Yet, God began His work to groom us as disciples at that very moment. Our parents or sponsors promised to raise us to "Know Christ and make Him Known to others.” The church congregation where we were baptized promised to raise us in the love and grace of our Lord. But did they?
My parents faithfully took all of us kids to Sunday School. I had good teachers. My brain absorbed words of scripture that, decades later, came forth to guide me in my Christian walk. Yet, because of one statement by one person when I was young, I rejected God. Yet, I continued going to Sunday School and learning intellectually. That information held me for two decades, beyond college, when I began to seek more deeply. Not until I was a career woman, doing quite well in life, did I seek to come into the kingdom of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was a long journey but well worth it.
My first ‘aha’ moment was simple, soft, just a deep ‘knowing.’ I’d worked so hard over many months trying to understand this person, Jesus, until one day I just sat and let my mind wander. In that relaxed moment I heard deep in my soul, “You are working too hard trying to figure Me out. Immerse yourself in faith, immerse yourself in My Love and Grace. Let ME do the rest. Just sit there and receive.”
Thinking back, that was a WOW moment but I did not
feel any grand sensation. I simply let go of my own understanding and let God fill me with His presence, His glory, His Spirit, His love, His grace.
It was full immersion of thought.
I allowed the Holy Spirit, planted in me at baptism, come alive, begin working in and through me. From that moment I had tiny epiphanies each time I read scripture. I had a ‘knowing in my knower’ of God’s presence through His Son.
It was full immersion of thought.
I allowed the Holy Spirit, planted in me at baptism, come alive, begin working in and through me. From that moment I had tiny epiphanies each time I read scripture. I had a ‘knowing in my knower’ of God’s presence through His Son.
I simply moved forward, holding tight to Jesus’ hand, as He drew me into Himself.
Decades later, I’m still being pulled into new adventures, new insights, new wonders as He leads me more deeply into His presence through prayer, study, worship and Christian accountability.
Decades later, I’m still being pulled into new adventures, new insights, new wonders as He leads me more deeply into His presence through prayer, study, worship and Christian accountability.
Jesus’ baptism was the beginning of His ministry.
My baptism and confirmation of that baptism was the beginning of my life!
How about you?
1-13 1-13 Genesis 2:4-9, 16-25;; Psalm 1,2,3,4,7; Hebrews 1:1-14; John 1:1-18
Hebrews 1:1-4 Seven Old Testament quotes of Jesus’ superiority as the Son . . . :1 Heir of all
things as Messianic Son and through whom God created the world :2 Radiant Light of God’s glory and exact representation of God. :3 The One who sustains all creation through His Word, is the purification of sins through His death. His atoning work now completed, takes His seat at the right hand of God.
:4 For all these reasons He is superior to the angels.
John 1:1 & 14 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
:14 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
:14 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
It’s a new beginning. This first day after we proclaim this new season, the season of new light, the season of new understanding, the season in which we bask in the light of Christ during these still dark days. This season of epiphanies illuminates greater understanding of the One we made the choice, by faith, to follow forever.
Every single scripture points us to new beginnings, a fresh start, God’s eternal re-awakening. Life in Christ should never be stagnant. As we see in every scripture we read today, God is . . . always . . . forever . . . eternal . . . creating and re-creating through creation. We are made in His likeness. We are His . . . to be creative through God’s creation, through God’s wisdom.
Three verses begin the book of Hebrews with a
BANG. Jesus IS ! Jesus is superior as God is superior . . . superior to angels. These first four verses are sustained by the following ten verses of quotes from the OT. Quotes that remind the Hebrew people that God intended Jesus to be greater than angels, not equal, not less than . . . greater. There may have been some gnostic ideas rolling around that needed clarification. Hebrews is written to the Hebrew people for this reason.
It’s difficult to imagine how the Hebrew people, wanting to follow Jesus, had to wrestle with the idea that Jesus is God. Jesus, the living Word, God manifested in the flesh, alive for all to see and touch and talk to and listen to and be touched by and . . . The book of Hebrews smashes through false concepts and reminds the Hebrew people of their faith-filled history, the same history that Jesus, birthed a Jew, embraced. Yet, Jesus is more than a Jew. He is God.
Jesus is heir of all things as Messianic Son and through whom God created the world. Jesus is the radiant Light of God’s glory and exact representation of God. He is the One who sustains all creation through His Word and is the purification of sins through His death . . . through His shed blood. His atoning work now completed
he takes His seat at the right hand of God, as God’s co-creator. For all these reasons, Jesus is superior to the angels. The entire book of Hebrews rests on these seven statements as it digs into familiar stories and quotes from the Old Covenant. It’s a book that is so packed with God’s presence that it should take a full year to study if one is diligent to divide it up into weekly segments.
The book of Hebrews is just as power-packed as the Gospel of John. In the same way, John introduces Jesus to the world. The Word was WITH God in creation. Yet, the Word WAS God. The WORD became FLESH and dwelt among us. Jesus came for the Jew first and then the gentile. These words regarding THE WORD are difficult to embrace if our concept of God is one dimensional. Yet, our eyes see in three dimensions. God wants our soul to see in three dimensions: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Think about it: The Gospel of John and the book of Hebrews, when entwined with one another, are a wondrous foundation for digging more deeply into our Christian faith. If you read them in tandem, a little at a time, you will be well grounded in understanding our jewish roots as a foundation for our Christian walk. We were ‘grafted’
into the the family of God’s Chosen People by our faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus came for those who were already worshipping the One God. He came to be that ultimate sacrifice for all sin, past and present and future. The reason Jesus was sent to humanity is repeated ad nauseam by me and by every word in the New Covenant scriptures yet people still do not understand.
God so loved us that He . . . repeats . . . from Genesis, to the Psalms, through the Gospel of John and into books like Hebrews . . . God is . . . Jesus is . . . the Holy Spirit is . . . ONE . . . and always has been ONE . . . since the beginning.
So, with that said, you are now able to tell another who Jesus is, was and will ever be. You can simply state these seven points and, with the study of Hebrews Chapter 11, stories of faith-filled God lovers beginning with Abraham, show others how Jesus is very much a part of ‘The beginning,’ of creation, of the story, of life, of history of everything.
Go ahead.
Dig deep.
Challenge yourself.
See what you discover.
Invite another to join you. . . and another.
Jesus never did anything alone.
He is always in community with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
1-14 Genesis 3:1-24; Psalm 5,6,10,11; Hebrews 2:1-10; John 1:19-28
Psalm 5:4 “For you are not a God who takes pleasure in
wickedness.”
Psalm 6:8 “Depart from Me all you who do iniquity.”
Psalm 10:12 “Arise O Lord . . . do not forget the afflicted.”
Psalm 11:4b “The Lord’s throne is in heaven”
Often I will take a ‘time out’ and simply reflect on the Psalms, those sweet songs to the Lord. Yet, this time all of the psalms focus on trusting God for the deliverance from enemies. We often forget that David, when still young, was pursued by Saul in moments of his ‘madness.’ One minute Saul cannot live without listening to David’s Lute and the next minute he is out to kill David. It’s the moments when David may be well aware of his innocence, that he pleads with God to know his innocence.
David had an intimate relationship with his Lord and learned to trust the One who had guarded him as he guarded innocent sheep. As a shepherd, David’s responsibility was constant, day and night. The sheep trusted in David for protection, for food, for physical care, for their very lives. This relationship is no different between David and God or between us and our Lord.
“For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,” shows us that God is truth and light and all goodness and cannot even fathom wickedness. This is not part of God and God does not want it to be part of our
lives. That’s why the blood sacrifice is so important to David and Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross is so important to us. It’s the sacrificial blood that cleanses all wickedness from us but we can also pray this for those who do not live within God’s plan of righteousness.
“Depart from me all who do iniquity,” is a strong statement of firm conviction. These words are all we need to cleanse us from evil that may pursue us. God gave us holy boldness to say such words LOUD and clear. “In the name of Jesus, depart from me all who do iniquity!” “Be gone!” David used holy boldness as he used the power of God’s word against his enemies and so can we, in Jesus’ name!
By way of giving thanks to the Lord for His protection we can then say, “Arise, O Lord, . . . do not forget the afflicted.” In other words, “Don’t forget me, Lord, in my affliction even though you saved me from the enemy.” It’s a continuing petition for God’s protection.
Along with petition and holy boldness, we rejoice in the protection our Lord gives us continuously. Rejoice with words already written for us in this psalm, “The Lord’s throne is in heaven.” In other words, “You, O Lord, enthroned in heaven, are always with me even though I am not yet with you in heaven. I rejoice that you are with me always, with me, a mere mortal, with flaws and fears and in such need of You.”
Think about it: When we petition God for help through
the day or protection from the evil one or for guidance and blessing, we can use the Psalms as a guide.
In fact, each day, pick one of the designated psalms to say OUT LOUD.
In fact, each day, pick one of the designated psalms to say OUT LOUD.
It’s important to hear your own holy boldness as you pray.
Listen to your voice.
Is it soft, barely audible?
Go outside or away from others for a few moments so you can use your ‘outside’ voice.
Is it still soft and inaudible?
Ask the Lord to help you ‘find your voice.’
Practice using your voice, loud, clear in petition to God using the Psalms.
You will gain a new understanding of how our Lord protects us when we call upon Him using our voice, audibly, clearly.
Petition for protection and blessing but also rejoice in those pleasurable moments.
“In Jesus name and by the power of His shed blood, I come to you Lord . . . “
Ask, thank, praise, rejoice through the Psalms! Hallelujah!
1-15 Genesis 4:1-16; Psalm 119:1-24; 12;13;14; hebrews 2:11-18; John 1:35-42
Genesis 4:8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.
:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” :16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
We have heard this story many times, “Cain slew Abel.” The generation after creation is already killing each other! The sins of generations past revisit us to this day. Sibling rivalry stems from jealousy. Anger and acting out these feelings that will affect all of humanity for generations. Because Cain slew Abel, the one whose sacrifice was pleasing to God, Cain slew that which was godly. By killing Abel, Cain caused his own death . . . death of the soul.
No reason is given for what Cain did. It’s not that Cain, the farmer, gave something that was not pleasing to God. Perhaps it was his intent? Too many speculations to count. We do know that Abel was the shepherd, a job always given to the youngest in the family. We also know that Abel gave the best lamb he had . . . a precedent for future Israelite sacrifice to God.
So, what happens next? Does God kill Cain? No. In fact, God places a mark on Cain for all to see . . . a mark that tells all, “Do not kill this person, Cain, or you will face consequences from Me, the I Am.” Yet, in the story, Abel’s death has somehow contaminated the ground in which Cain farms so that it will never produce again. God will give Cain protection but Cain must leave what was once a fertile field and go east of Eden [There is a movie with this title. Hmmm] into the desert. Cain must move into the desert, seen as devoid of any possibility of
farming, believed to even be devoid of God’s presence. Cain, therefore “went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, the land of ‘wandering,’ which was east of Eden.
To this day jealous people kill others thinking this will enable them to have what they want from the other. Too late they find out that they have lost their souls to evil and gained nothing. Consequences for sin multiply exponentially.
So what happens now? Adam and Eve had Cane and Abel. Abel is gone. Will all the next generations come from Cane? Will all generations shun God and live ‘desert’ lives? God solves that problem. Eve bore another son, Seth . . . who was ‘good.’ So, there was now one brother who was not good and a brother who was good. . . . from whom future generations were birthed.
No wonder God marked Cain so that no one would kill him. Cain took a wife and bore a son . . . You won’t believe who was his son! Read on . . . 4:17 ff That’s what is so intriguing about reading Genesis. It’s no different than the soap operas we have today. It’s the greatest novel every written. Yet, few take time to digest this text.
Think about it: Adam and Eve could live in tranquility, with all needs met, forever. Yet, because of one moment, because they forgot God’s instructions and listen to another voice, the serpent’s voice, their world turned up-side-down. Eating from the Tree of the ‘Knowledge’ of good and evil was a shared compromise that cost them
eternal perfection.
Adam and Eve were ushered out of their tranquil setting and God’s guards made sure no other generation got anywhere near that tree. Adam and Eve were destined to toil as Adam worked the arid soil and Eve endured pain in childbirth.
Two sons, one who honored God and one who did not. Freedom of choice began.
Consequences followed.
The John Steinbeck novel, “East of Eden,” was given new life in the 1955 movie staring James Dean. It’s about two brothers in conflict with each other. Steinbeck is a ‘dark’ writer, who shows the reality of conflict between good and evil. Evil seems to catch our attention, draw us into the story and keeps us lingering in this empty chasm of intrigue.
Why is the story of the evil brother enticing? Why do we skip over the story of the good brother and become glued to the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ and the intrigue of figuring out the mind of the evil brother? Why does the story of Cain dominate in the following verses?
God knows our propensity to ‘color outside the lines.’ He created us with choice . . . to follow in His perfect love and grace . . . or not. Doing everything to glorify God seems boring sometimes. There will always be a part of us, that sin nature that comes from the very beginning of creation, that tugs at us and often sways us to separate ourselves from our bond with God.
That’s why God made covenant with us, gives direction as to how we maintain that covenant and then sends His only begotten Son to be the New Covenant, whose blood was shed as the eternal sacrifice. All we have to do is turn from our sinful ways and, by faith, give our very lives to God through His Son.
That’s it.
Nothing more.
Yet, this is a very challenging task, isn’t it. . . simply to be faithful to God though His Son.
We can only maintain our faith-filled connection with our Lord in a community who believes as we do, who knows the story, believes the story and lives in righteousness as did Abel . . . Seth . . . and generations, set before us by our Lord, who seek a life focused on the goodness, love and mercy of our Lord.
1-16 Genesis 4:17-26; Psalm 18; Hebrews 3:1-11; John 1:43-51
John 1:45 Philip found Nathaniel and said to him,
“We have found Him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” :46 Nathaniel said to him, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said, “Come and see.” :47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” :48 Jesus had seen Nathanael under the fig tree before Philip was chosen.
Philip knew prophecy. He sought out the One who seemed to be fulfilling prophecy at every turn. Philip had just been called by Jesus to follow Him. So now Philip told Nathaniel the ‘good news’ in hopes that he also would follow Jesus. Nathanial spoke to Philip as a friend, alone, where no one else could hear . . . “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” Philip responded with the famous phrase that is used often in scripture, “Come and see.”
Nathanial came to see. Jesus saw him coming and gave accolades to Nathanial, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” How can Jesus say that knowing what Nathanial just said about Him? Nathanial was just being totally honest. Nazareth really is a dusty hole in Galilee where no kingly ruler would ever live. Jesus is currently seen as a powerful leader who sees all, knows all and seems to heal by simply speaking.
What goes through Nathanial’s mind must be crazy-wild. How could Jesus know Nathanial is an Israelite when they have never met. How would he know Nathanial does not have deceit within him and how does Jesus know
Nathanial’s statement about Nazareth? Jesus is blowing Nathanial’s mind. It’s like Jesus is Messiah, the anointed one of the prophecies.
In fact, Jesus saw Nathanial sitting under the fig tree before Philip was chosen to be His disciple. Now Nathanial is proclaiming :49 “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.” Indeed, Nathanial was blown away by the fact that Jesus saw him, observed him, most likely heard his negative remark and seemed to know Nathanial intimately!
Think about it: Nathanial is us.
Jesus knows us before we have any inclination who Jesus is in relation to ourselves. “Before you were born, I knew you,” says the Lord.
Nathanial is no different than any who respond to the invitation to “come and see.” Come and see what God has in store for us. Come and see Jesus, the One who has known us before we were born, knows every thought we think, every statement we whisper.
Jesus truly is Rabbi . . . teacher.
Jesus is the Son of God
Jesus is the King of Israel . . . and the world . . . and over all and through all and in all who believe in Him.
Are you a Nathanial?
Did you wonder about the power working in and through
Jesus as equally part of our triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
As you read through scripture, are you blown away by the fact that God knows the inner workings of our mind, our heart, our very soul?
Does it amaze you that we can hide nothing, not even a negative thought, from God?
Can you remember your most vulnerable moment in your journey with Christ Jesus? Did you wonder how Jesus was working in your life?
During these times of doubt we must keep walking.
We must continue to “come and see.”
Keep wondering.
Remain curious.
Seek answers.
Pray for wisdom.
It’s those ‘aha’ moments in our daily Christ-journey that shine enough light into those dark places within us in order to lighten up our lives so we can ‘see’.
Just keep moving forward . . . toward the Light . . . into the embrace of our Lord.
Like Nathanial, Rejoice in the presence, the power, the love and grace of Jesus working in our lives.
It’s wondrous.
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