" See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;" Isaiah 49:16
God has inscribed our names in the palms of His hands. The origin of the word for "inscribed" here, means to cut into stone or metal. It has the idea of permanence. God has placed our names in the palms of His hands permanently, much like the tattoos which we have today. But it isn't a reminder to God, for He needs no reminding of anything. It much more a sign of caring and ownership. We belong to Him. John 10:28 says, "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." We are there, permanently in the palm of His hands. And no one can snatch us out of His hands, just like no one can take a tattoo off of your arm. No one can reach out and grab you out of God's hand, like a purse-snatcher stealing a lady's handbag or purse. This won't be very long today, but just wanted you to know that God has a tattoo too! What does it look like? Do you have a mirror handy? Shalom.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Lessening of the Sting
"Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! 24 That they were engraved on a rock With an iron pen and lead, forever! 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another."
Job 19:23-27
Wow. It occurred to me tonight for the very first time: The incredible pain that was inflicted upon Job. I have taught through Job, and yet, perhaps due to a few thousand years of looking back on it from the ease of my air conditioned office and desk chair, I have taught that Job lost everything, without realising the actual pain the man must have gone through. I cannot believe how I must have missed that fact. I mean, yes he lost all of his cattle. But what is a few cattle, right? Especially in this day and age. Less cow pies to step in for us city slickers. Yes, he lost all of his sheep. But again, they're sheep, for crying out loud, and they stink. Yes, he lost all of his camels. But what are a few head of camel in this day of automobiles and flying machines? Besides, aren't they stubborn animals and don't they spit?
He lost all of his possessions. It is the equivalent of us today, losing all of our life savings, the kids college funds, that summer home in the Smokies, our second and third cars, and our six figure job, all on the same day. Or, all of our horse farms and horses, all of the potential income. All of the insurance money. All of the bank accounts and safety deposit boxes. All our employees. Gone. Just like that.
I was asked today, as the rug was being pulled out from under me in a particular situation, "Don't you see the hand of God in this?" As I was struggling to get my head wrapped around what was happening to me, I'm not sure why my mind kept reaching out to Job through the pages of my Bible. Maybe it was the words, "I don't really know why you see yourself as a victim here" coming out of his mouth. Or the condescending tone in his voice. I sure hope he doesn't see Job as a "victim." I sure don't. I see now how much it must have hurt Job to hear that everything he was working for, and hoping for, was suddenly snatched away from him, and then, the pain and agony of learning all your children are dead. Ten of them. Not one left to carry on his traditions and inheritance. No parent should have to go through that kind of agony burying their child. Oh the enormity of the emotional pain and grief.
As I was pondering this situation, it occurred to me, that I had been as Pharisaical as my "friend" was to me as he was pulling that proverbial rug. I have plans and vision for ministry now, that the Lord has renewed within me, that I didn't have even a few months ago. The Holy Spirit is really present on Sunday morning, the website is finally looking like I envisioned it could (http://www.calvarychapelocala.com/), and small groups are coming the first of the year. "Wow, God, things are really start to happen finally." And then there goes the rug. So, as we look back on Job, and think to ourselves smugly, "Poor Job," as I have been guilty of doing, and I'm sure some of you have too, I thought to myself, "Don't you see the hand of God in this?" In the general sense, that all things pass through the hands of God, just as they did with Job, then yes, I can see the hand of God in this. But frankly, I am too much blinded by the pain right now, thank you very much. Job was too for a couple of chapters in his book.
I was going to title this writing, "Hand of God or Fist of Satan." Yes, God allowed those things to happen to Job, just as He allows things to happen to you and me. But Satan was the one who did those things to Job, not God. So maybe this is also a test, from the hand of Satan, not the hand of God. But my "friend" was having too much fun being condescending for me to say that to him. Admittedly, I probably reacted poorly, as he was telling me that he understood my reaction. (What?) And then the question, finally, through the hit-in-the-gut-with-a-baseball-bat feeling, materialized in my mind: Does knowing that the hand of God is in this, lessen the sting of the pain at all? And in my mind, and I am certain in Job's mind, the answer was and is, no it does not. Knowing that God is allowing something to happen to us does NOT lessen the sting of pain and grief. But let me tell you something about this, and I hope, first of all, that I can articulate it clearly, and second, that you can follow my articulation. What DOES lessen the sting of pain and grief, is not the knowledge that God is allowing it. Those words should never be used as comfort. What lessens the sting, is what Job said in our verses above: my painful circumstances, whatever they may be, does not alter the fact that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon this earth someday very soon, and that even if my body is destroyed...destroyed....did you get that...it means dead....that even if I am dead, He will resurrect me so that in my flesh, I shall see God. I will look upon Him with my glorified body. John, in the New Testament, puts it like this: "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). Job says you can write that on a rock!!! It will withstand the test of time, and the test of painful circumstances. Does knowing that God allows this, lessen the sting? No. But knowing that one day we are going to see Jesus, does lessen it, and, looking back, we will say, along with my college roommate, "It ain't nothin' but a can o' corn." Shalom.
Job 19:23-27
Wow. It occurred to me tonight for the very first time: The incredible pain that was inflicted upon Job. I have taught through Job, and yet, perhaps due to a few thousand years of looking back on it from the ease of my air conditioned office and desk chair, I have taught that Job lost everything, without realising the actual pain the man must have gone through. I cannot believe how I must have missed that fact. I mean, yes he lost all of his cattle. But what is a few cattle, right? Especially in this day and age. Less cow pies to step in for us city slickers. Yes, he lost all of his sheep. But again, they're sheep, for crying out loud, and they stink. Yes, he lost all of his camels. But what are a few head of camel in this day of automobiles and flying machines? Besides, aren't they stubborn animals and don't they spit?
He lost all of his possessions. It is the equivalent of us today, losing all of our life savings, the kids college funds, that summer home in the Smokies, our second and third cars, and our six figure job, all on the same day. Or, all of our horse farms and horses, all of the potential income. All of the insurance money. All of the bank accounts and safety deposit boxes. All our employees. Gone. Just like that.
I was asked today, as the rug was being pulled out from under me in a particular situation, "Don't you see the hand of God in this?" As I was struggling to get my head wrapped around what was happening to me, I'm not sure why my mind kept reaching out to Job through the pages of my Bible. Maybe it was the words, "I don't really know why you see yourself as a victim here" coming out of his mouth. Or the condescending tone in his voice. I sure hope he doesn't see Job as a "victim." I sure don't. I see now how much it must have hurt Job to hear that everything he was working for, and hoping for, was suddenly snatched away from him, and then, the pain and agony of learning all your children are dead. Ten of them. Not one left to carry on his traditions and inheritance. No parent should have to go through that kind of agony burying their child. Oh the enormity of the emotional pain and grief.
As I was pondering this situation, it occurred to me, that I had been as Pharisaical as my "friend" was to me as he was pulling that proverbial rug. I have plans and vision for ministry now, that the Lord has renewed within me, that I didn't have even a few months ago. The Holy Spirit is really present on Sunday morning, the website is finally looking like I envisioned it could (http://www.calvarychapelocala.com/), and small groups are coming the first of the year. "Wow, God, things are really start to happen finally." And then there goes the rug. So, as we look back on Job, and think to ourselves smugly, "Poor Job," as I have been guilty of doing, and I'm sure some of you have too, I thought to myself, "Don't you see the hand of God in this?" In the general sense, that all things pass through the hands of God, just as they did with Job, then yes, I can see the hand of God in this. But frankly, I am too much blinded by the pain right now, thank you very much. Job was too for a couple of chapters in his book.
I was going to title this writing, "Hand of God or Fist of Satan." Yes, God allowed those things to happen to Job, just as He allows things to happen to you and me. But Satan was the one who did those things to Job, not God. So maybe this is also a test, from the hand of Satan, not the hand of God. But my "friend" was having too much fun being condescending for me to say that to him. Admittedly, I probably reacted poorly, as he was telling me that he understood my reaction. (What?) And then the question, finally, through the hit-in-the-gut-with-a-baseball-bat feeling, materialized in my mind: Does knowing that the hand of God is in this, lessen the sting of the pain at all? And in my mind, and I am certain in Job's mind, the answer was and is, no it does not. Knowing that God is allowing something to happen to us does NOT lessen the sting of pain and grief. But let me tell you something about this, and I hope, first of all, that I can articulate it clearly, and second, that you can follow my articulation. What DOES lessen the sting of pain and grief, is not the knowledge that God is allowing it. Those words should never be used as comfort. What lessens the sting, is what Job said in our verses above: my painful circumstances, whatever they may be, does not alter the fact that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon this earth someday very soon, and that even if my body is destroyed...destroyed....did you get that...it means dead....that even if I am dead, He will resurrect me so that in my flesh, I shall see God. I will look upon Him with my glorified body. John, in the New Testament, puts it like this: "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). Job says you can write that on a rock!!! It will withstand the test of time, and the test of painful circumstances. Does knowing that God allows this, lessen the sting? No. But knowing that one day we are going to see Jesus, does lessen it, and, looking back, we will say, along with my college roommate, "It ain't nothin' but a can o' corn." Shalom.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Is Judgment Coming?
"9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." 1 Samuel 8:9 NIV
"18When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day. 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." 1 Samuel 8:18-22 NIV
The Lord told the people that He would be their leader, their guide, their counselor, their government. But the people cried out, that they wanted to be like the other nations around them, and have a king reign over them, to be their leader, their guide, their counselor, their government. So they rejected God, and God gave them a king. He gave them what they wanted.
America...er...the United States of America now has what it has been clamoring for the last two years of presidential campaigns. He has given us a liberal "king" to rule over us. Now we can be like the rest of the world. An interesting thought for a nation founded on godly and biblical principles. Just like the children of Israel we are. We don't want to be set apart. We want to be just like the rest of the world, the rest of the nations around us. We don't want to be different.
This next president will probably be in the position of appointing a few Supreme Court justices. They will most likely be very liberal justices, because of the beliefs of the new president, who seems to be in favor of partial-birth abortions, homosexual marriage, high taxes, and big government. God has given us what we wanted.
But our job as a true believer, a blood-bought, born again Christian, is not to complain and bellyache, as we will hear some people doing in the coming years, as the "king" God has given us does what he promised he would do. Our job is to "speak evil of no one," and "pray for those God has placed in authority over us." We as Christians need to be on our knees before God, interceding for our nation, interceding for our government, interceding for the counsel to our "king," and interceding for the soul of our "king."
Hard times are coming for America. God willing, He will rapture us out of here before it gets too bad, but I cannot say that He will. It doesn't matter if He doesn't, because our focus is not to be on this life, but on our life in the next. Perhaps He will use these times to cause His people to get on our knees and again turn our hearts toward Him. He has told us that "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Beloved, our land is in need of healing, because this past election has really divided our country on several levels. But know this: God is not surprised or stunned by the outcome. He allowed it to happen. He has given us our "king" to rule over us. Perhaps He has done this to allow us to turn back to Him from whence we have fallen. It is time for God's people to stop "playing church" and get real with God. There is a shaking going on, a judgment. And that shaking, that judgment begins with the house of God (see 1 Peter 4:17). Beloved, let us get serious about prayer and fasting, let us get serious about intercession. Let us get serious about our walk with our God. Let us humble ourselves and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. He promises us that then He will hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land. Let it be so. Amen.
Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.
"18When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day. 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." 1 Samuel 8:18-22 NIV
The Lord told the people that He would be their leader, their guide, their counselor, their government. But the people cried out, that they wanted to be like the other nations around them, and have a king reign over them, to be their leader, their guide, their counselor, their government. So they rejected God, and God gave them a king. He gave them what they wanted.
America...er...the United States of America now has what it has been clamoring for the last two years of presidential campaigns. He has given us a liberal "king" to rule over us. Now we can be like the rest of the world. An interesting thought for a nation founded on godly and biblical principles. Just like the children of Israel we are. We don't want to be set apart. We want to be just like the rest of the world, the rest of the nations around us. We don't want to be different.
This next president will probably be in the position of appointing a few Supreme Court justices. They will most likely be very liberal justices, because of the beliefs of the new president, who seems to be in favor of partial-birth abortions, homosexual marriage, high taxes, and big government. God has given us what we wanted.
But our job as a true believer, a blood-bought, born again Christian, is not to complain and bellyache, as we will hear some people doing in the coming years, as the "king" God has given us does what he promised he would do. Our job is to "speak evil of no one," and "pray for those God has placed in authority over us." We as Christians need to be on our knees before God, interceding for our nation, interceding for our government, interceding for the counsel to our "king," and interceding for the soul of our "king."
Hard times are coming for America. God willing, He will rapture us out of here before it gets too bad, but I cannot say that He will. It doesn't matter if He doesn't, because our focus is not to be on this life, but on our life in the next. Perhaps He will use these times to cause His people to get on our knees and again turn our hearts toward Him. He has told us that "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Beloved, our land is in need of healing, because this past election has really divided our country on several levels. But know this: God is not surprised or stunned by the outcome. He allowed it to happen. He has given us our "king" to rule over us. Perhaps He has done this to allow us to turn back to Him from whence we have fallen. It is time for God's people to stop "playing church" and get real with God. There is a shaking going on, a judgment. And that shaking, that judgment begins with the house of God (see 1 Peter 4:17). Beloved, let us get serious about prayer and fasting, let us get serious about intercession. Let us get serious about our walk with our God. Let us humble ourselves and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. He promises us that then He will hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land. Let it be so. Amen.
Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Random Thoughts About Two Races
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.
Hebrews 12:1-2
The campaigns are over, and the race to the White House is finished. The outcome has been settled. But as believers, the race in which we find ourselves is not over. Yes, the race to see who is president, vice-president, and many other political offices around the country have been decided on November 4th, 2008. But the race that counts most, is still going on, and we as believers, the blood-bought, born again followers of Jesus Christ, are still right in the midst of it. It is not for us to focus on nations, governments, wall street, or the interest rates and the housing market. Beloved, our focus is on Jesus Christ the Son of God. He is our strength. He is our portion. He is our daily bread. As David tells us in Psalm 18, He is our Rock, our stronghold. He is the horn of our salvation. He is our deliverer. He is our fortress. He is our shield.
Now is not the time for Christians to live in fear and trembling, but to get on our knees and cry out to God for our nation. Now is the time for true Christians to humble ourselves before God and pray for strength of endurance so that we may be able to finish the race, and that we may run to win the race that is set before us. We have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Let us focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Now that one race is over, it doesn't mean that we do nothing. The Word of God tells us that we are to pray for those who are in leadership over us, because God has set up the governments over us. We are to pray for those who lead us so that we can live in peace. So let us remember where our focus lies, and not let our surroundings and our circumstances get us "out of focus." Satan, our enemy, would like nothing better, than for us to get our eyes off of Jesus, and onto the storm - the wind and the waves or our circumstances - around us.
I have surprised myself at how optimistic I am, in spite of my own political views and the disappointments I have suffered this week. God is still on the throne. God is in control. That gives me so much peace that I can't begin to tell you. The return of Jesus is so near that I can feel it, can't you? He is just waiting on the word from the Father, and we will be out of here, on our way to meet Him in the air. As our world seemingly is spinning and spiraling down and down, further into the abyss, look up my child, look up! Jesus is returning very, very soon! Yes, one of the two races is over, but the other one is ongoing until that day when Jesus comes, so let us not grow weary in doing good. Let us be found faithful when He returns. Let us be about the business of the kingdom. Beloved, now is not the time to draw back. Now is the time to press on with a fervor and excitement that we serve a risen King, and He is returning soon. Many things have transpired in our nation over the last several years, and our world seems to be out of control. But it is no surprise to God. He knows what He is doing, and as I said, He is the One who is really in control.
It is coming down to this: you are either in or you are out, you believe or not believe, you follow Christ or you don't. The line in the sand is becoming more defined as the days, weeks, and years go by. We live in a time of untold and unparalleled prophecy. We live in an exciting time for ministry, when our Bible is coming true right before our eyes. Pray for Israel and their leaders, I am sure they are feeling abandoned in the Middle East. And keep your eyes on the eastern sky, because beloved, "when you see these things, lift up your head, your redemption draws near." Shalom.
Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
