Prepare for Life: Recent Episodes
Kathy Phillips
Psalm 1 paints a picture of a life flourished, comparing the righteous to a tree planted by streams of water, fruitful in every season, whose leaf does not wither. It is an elegant metaphor for the stability, prosperity, and enduring vitality that comes from delighting in and meditating on the law of the Lord.
In these six verses, we are called to reflect on our own paths, to consider the sources from which we draw our strength and nourishment, and to contemplate the profound impact of our choices on our spiritual wellbeing. Psalm 1:1-6 doesn't just describe a way of living; it invites us into a deeply personal examination of what it means to be truly blessed - not by the world’s standards, but by the rich, unwavering love of God.
This devotional meditation invites you to immerse yourself in Psalm 98 scripture's rich tapestry, celebrating the Lord's magnificent deeds and reign of righteousness. Join us as we sing a new song to the Lord, acknowledging the marvelous things He has done.
Join us as we reflect on the steadfast love of God, who hears our cries and comes to our aid. Through this meditation, we discover how these verses invite us into a deeper trust in God's mercy and joyful participation in the worshiping community. Experience the power of God's promises and the comfort of knowing that in our darkest moments, we are never alone—our compassionate Creator is always listening.
Welcome to week four of our Celebrate and Contemplate series, where we explore the liturgical Easter season together through the Psalms. I'm excited to guide you along "The Shepherd's Path." Picture us navigating the rich tapestry of Scripture, hearts wide open, as we uncover the deep, soulful assurances found in Psalm 23. Consider it a spiritual journey where each step uncovers more of the profound love God, our ultimate Shepherd, has for us, His cherished flock.
Welcome to the Prepare for Life Celebrate & Contemplate Series, aligning with the liturgical Easter season. This week, we are focusing on the tranquil depths and insightful wisdom of Psalm 4. It's our prayer that you find comfort and understanding within its verses as we engage in our exploration titled "Finding Peace: A Beacon of Light in the Darkness." Consider this meditation your invitation to a moment of reflection and spiritual renewal.
Welcome to a new series, "Celebrate and Contemplate: Readings & Prayers for the Liturgical Easter". Today, we're immersing ourselves in the beauty and depth of Psalm 133, a song of ascents that celebrates the power and joy found in unity, especially relevant as we gather in spirit and truth during this Easter season.
HE IS RISEN: Embrace the Transformative Hope of Easter
As we celebrate today, let us fully embrace the joy and certainty that come from declaring, "He is risen!" May this Easter be a time of rejuvenation for our spirits as we rejoice in the transformative hope of Jesus’s resurrection. Let our hearts be filled with joy, our gatherings warm with love, and our lives enriched by the enduring hope that Easter embodies.
"Good Friday: The Heart of Forgiveness" is a powerful episode that dives deep into the essence of Good Friday, exploring the monumental act of love and forgiveness displayed by Jesus Christ on the cross. This pivotal moment in history not only exemplifies the depth of God's love but also lays the foundation for the Gospel's core message: forgiveness. Through engaging discussions, we unpack the significance of forgiving others as a reflection of Christ's forgiveness towards us, even in the face of betrayal and suffering. This episode challenges listeners to embrace forgiveness in their own lives, highlighting its crucial role in our spiritual journey and relationship with God. Join us on "Good Friday: The Heart of Forgiveness" for an inspiring exploration of how forgiveness can transform hearts and renew spirits.
On this Maundy Thursday, let us remember that our journey of faith is not one of earning God's love through acts of righteousness but of receiving His unmerited favor with open hands and a grateful heart. Let us kneel at the feet of Jesus, allowing Him to wash us clean to serve us in His love so that we might rise and do likewise for the world around us.
In the quiet reflections of this Holy Week, may we hear His gentle whisper, beckoning us to lay down our crowns at the foot of the cross, to embrace the beauty of humility, and to walk in the fullness of His grace and truth. For in His service, we find true freedom, and in His sacrifice, we discover the depth of love unfathomable.
As Jesus approached His most challenging moment—the path to the cross—He confronted the shame and bore the unbearable, carrying the weight of humanity's sins. Nonetheless, a profound joy ahead inspired His steps: the joy of liberating the bound, ensuring our redemption, and, most importantly, celebrating victory with His Father. We encourage you to join us in contemplating the strength of persistent love and the assurance of joy that overcomes sorrow.
In this enlightening episode, we delve into one of the most profound events in the New Testament: The Transfiguration of Jesus. As described in Matthew 17:1-9, we witness an extraordinary moment where Jesus reveals His divine glory to Peter, James, and John atop a high mountain. This event not only emphasizes the majesty of Christ but also offers us incredible insights into the nature of God's glory and how it transforms us.
Today's podcast delves into the heartwarming Parable of the Prodigal Son, exploring themes of repentance, forgiveness, and the boundless love of our heavenly Father. Set against the backdrop of Lent, underscoring the compassion and patience of a Father who eagerly awaits the return of those who have wandered off. We unravel the profound truths in this parable—free will's role in our spiritual journey, the pivotal moment of coming to our senses, and the joyous reconciliation that follows true repentance. Whether you've strayed far or need a reminder of God's unfailing love, "Rediscovering God's Unfailing Love" invites you on a transformative journey back into the arms of the Father, who celebrates every soul reclaimed from the shadows. Join us as we explore the essence of being lost and found and the endless grace awaiting all who turn back home.
In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 Jesus describes life in His coming kingdom juxtaposed against life in this present world. Jesus gives us practical application for how to put His word into our lives. He encourages us to get our lives cleaned up and whole heartedly live in a way that pleases God in everything we do. In short He urges us to live for the age to come.
In this week's devotional, we are exploring the powerful model of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness, as depicted in Matthew 4:4-11. Join us as we delve into the temptations faced by Jesus, his steadfast faith, and how we can apply these lessons to our own lives. Let's learn together to submit to God, resist the devil, and draw nearer to God during this Lenten season.
It is very appropriate that this year, Ash Wednesday falls on February 14, the day we celebrate Valentine's Day. Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love. Lent is a time to reflect upon the ultimate love of God, who sent His son to die for us so that we could be reconciled to enter into a relationship with Him. The dual significance of Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday underscores the greatest love the world has ever known. As you participate in the daily devotions, may your heart be drawn closer to the essence of divine love and the call to live out his love in our broken world.
As we enter the year 2024, I want to share with you the words that have been placed on my heart. The first word is "steadfast" - a reminder to stay firmly fixed, constant, and resolute in our pursuit of following the Lord. The second word is "shield" - a symbol of God's protection, covering us from danger and securing us from harm.
In this new year, my prayer for each and every one of you is to have a steady and steadfast spirit. May you be firmly fixed on following the Lord, walking with constancy and resolution. Just like the wise man who built his house on the rock, let us listen to the words of Jesus, heed them, and allow them to shape our lives. By doing so, we will stand strong amidst the storms of life and remain unshaken.
I also want to remind you that the Lord is our shield. He surrounds us and defends us, covering us from the assaults of the enemy. Psalm 3 says that He is our glory and the lifter of our heads. So, as we embark on this new year, let us trust in His protection. May He surround us from all sides, shielding us as we walk closely with Him.
Wishing you a blessed and victorious 2024!
May you have a wonderful 2023 as you carry the lessons learned from my sink cabinet into your new year.
We all tend to look ahead and worry about the what if’s of our future. We can get obsessed and debilitated churning with anxiety as we anticipate what could happen. Into these dark thoughts shines a shaft of pure light. God promises His presence and His grace when we need it. The reality of these promises calms our soul and counters our fears with His perfect peace, a peace that passes understanding. No matter what the future holds, God will be there. His grace is sufficient.
The book of Psalms is the book of praise! It is a handbook that shows us how to view life through the lens of praise. In the Psalms we praise God not just from our heads but from our hearts. Even the psalms that describe difficult, trying experiences usually finish with a resounding chorus of praise to God. As we meditate upon the book of Psalms we will begin to make praise the default position of our hearts.
Psalm 1 opens with this exclamation, “Happy, happy, happy is the one!….” In this psalm the Holy Spirit describes how to be happy. It introduces our culture sheet. God sets forth the conditions of our heart that need to be met in order for us to thrive, to bloom wherever we are planted. He gives us the key to happiness. Remember God is not mean. He is not withholding something good from us. He is simply telling us how it is, setting forth the parameters for our happiness. Learn more in the Podcast.
I know in my head that what the Bible says about joy is still true, but I am not feeling very joyous right now. Just as the book of Ecclesiastes talks about seasons in life, this is a time for mourning not rejoicing. We all feel a keen sense of sorrow, grief and shock. I hope I am not right about this, but it seems that our days are growing darker and darker; depravity unabated, is this the new normal? I wonder if we are reaping what we have sown as a nation by turning our backs on God and His ways? It feels like evil is having its heyday.
Paul in Philippians 3 shows us the way to live an intentional life. There were things Paul needed to put behind him. He said it this way,“Forgetting what lies behind.” Philippians 3:13. He was referring to things in his past that could hold him back from focusing on his goal. Some of the things were positive things like his ancestry, his orthodoxy, having a fine intellect and outstanding education, excelling in his job. For Paul these good things offered the temptation to trust in self and not put his wholehearted trust in God alone. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Philippians 3:7
One of the ways our lights shine is when we follow the Lord in the little, hidden places of our lives. Our light shines when we walk in forgiveness toward someone who has hurt us. Our light shines when we seek reconciliation in a broken relationship. Our light shines when we let peace rule in our hearts. In Philippians 2 Paul gives us a few more concrete things we can do to let our lights shine.
Have you experienced a setback? Have you been side-lined? Maybe you have done nothing to deserve some mistreatment. Maybe your future is uncertain. You know you are not in control.
But God is. Take your eyes off your circumstances and put them on the Lord. He is able. Trust Him in your difficulties. You will not miss your destiny. “God who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6. Don’t get mired down in your current situation, don’t complain. Praise God. Pray for others. Be thankful. And as you set your eyes on the things above you may be surprised that you, like Paul, will find joy in the midst of trials.
Do you really believe Jesus was resurrected? Why is His resurrection so important? What difference does His resurrection make in our daily lives?
There is great mystery surrounding the cross of Christ. For three hours, from noon to three, while Jesus hung on the cross everything went literally black. Total darkness fell over the land. The curtain came down. Luke said, “It was as if the sun stopped shining.” Matthew, Mark and Luke each describe this three hour period with one sentence, “Darkness came over the land.” John covered this time with silence. Then he picks up by saying, “Later, knowing that all things had been accomplished….” John 19:28. Jesus subsequently said, “It is finished.” John 19:30. But what was accomplished? What was finished? And why the darkness?
As you approach Holy Week and behold Jesus in the Gospel readings of His trials, don’t be distracted by the travesty of justice and his scourging, mocking and beatings. Don’t forget who He is. Some day, maybe within your lifetime, you might live to see His return. “Behold, He comes riding on the clouds, and every eye will see Him even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. Revelation 1:8. This hope will not disappoint.
Earlier when Jesus came to Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday the people praised God joyfully with a loud voice as they laid coats and palm leaves in his path. The Pharisees were disgusted and demanded that Jesus rebuke the people. He answered, “If these become silent, the rocks will cry out!” Luke 19:40. I think something similar is going on in Gethsemane. These men who came to arrest Jesus probably didn’t know who he was nor were they seeking a savior. But they fell prostrate before him when he revealed his divine, eternal identity. His words carried power, authority and majesty. Their response was entirely appropriate. Their actions were necessary. If they didn’t fall to the ground, the rocks would cry out.
There is no way to minimize the anguish the Lord felt in Gethsemane as he anticipated the cross. His suffering was part of His sacrifice. It was so real that he literally almost died, so real that he cried out like a wounded animal. He didn’t blithely go through the motions of obeying the Father’s will, he bore the full weight of the horror of the cross. Nothing about this was easy for him. He felt fully the anguish of the cross as he willingly took on this task.
As we come to the final week of the earthly life of Christ we are down to his last precious moments. Every second was important. Each action the Lord took and every word he spoke were full of significance. One fourth of each of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke focus upon the this time period. Almost half of the Gospel of John is concerned with this last week.
Weekly Devotional
Jesus didn’t stop Mary; he stopped the biting criticism and shaming of Mary. “Leave her alone. She has done a good deed to Me. She has done what she could, she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be spoken of in memory of her.”
I found a treasure this week and I want to share it with you. A friend of mine sent me the questions that John Wesley and his band of fellow believers used for reflection. You may remember John Wesley. As a young man in 1738 Wesley had a radical encounter with Jesus Christ. He went on to form “classes and bands” for study and accountability and eventually founded what became the Methodist denomination. I am not a Methodist, but I think these questions are great! They get to the main point of our faith, where the rubber meets the road— how we live out our faith each day. These questions are simple and to the point. Your answers will help you evaluate how you are walking with the Lord and where you may need a course correction.
Genesis shines like a bright beacon showing us where we came from, where we are going, who it is who created us, who we are to honor and thank and worship. Genesis delineates what our problem is, how God deals with it and in the meantime how we are to live in a way that pleases God, how to walk with Him, how to trust Him.
There is a discipline of the heart that is missing from most of the lists found in books about spiritual disciplines. It is essential to the practice of our faith. It needs to be put into our lives every single day. It is a lifestyle of wholehearted obedience to the word of God.
Do you need some encouragement about now? Do you feel like you are in an undertow with all the bad reports in the news? Is there a situation in your personal life that has you down? I understand. Sometimes we get so discouraged we just want to crawl under a rock and give up on following Jesus.
Recently a verse from Hebrews has been rolling through my mind, “Do not forsake assembling yourselves together, and all the more as you see the day appearing.” Hebrews 10:25. I think this verse is important for us at this point in time. “Do not forsake assembling yourselves together”…. Or put in a positive command, “Keep on getting together with other believers!” This literally means meeting face to face with fellow believers on a regular basis. Meeting in this way becomes part of our life-style as we walk on the ancient paths with the Lord.
If I could go back in time and do only one discipline of the heart differently it would be to practice meditating on the Scriptures earlier in my walk with the Lord. Meditation has been a game changer in my spiritual life.
We are not talking about meditation in the sense of eastern religions or new age practices where we empty our minds and repeat a mantra. Meditating on the word of God is filling your mind with the Scripture, saturating yourself in a small portion of the Bible, savoring every word. It is listening to the Lord and then putting what He says into your life. The end result of Biblical meditation is not more information about God but communion with God through His living word.
Prayer makes a difference. Yes, God is sovereign. Yes, He can do whatever He wants to do. Yet somehow in His sovereignty He often limits Himself to acting in response to the prayers of His people. He is waiting for His people to pray. Our prayers move God’s heart to action. Our prayers carry great significance.
In the words of James, “You have not because you ask not.” James was not promising that everything we can dream up to pray for will be glowingly answered, but that we will definitely not see answers to prayers if we never pray them!
Life can get mundane. We can work hard and get into ruts. We can take things, including ourselves, very seriously, maybe too seriously. Even in our pursuit of the Lord we can fast, pray, meditate, and work so hard that we miss the joy of knowing the Lord. At some point the Lord knows we need to lighten up. He wants to disrupt our calendars. He wants us to embrace and enjoy times of celebration.
Is the Lord tugging on your heart to intentionally set aside a day of the week for rest? Read these words of Isaiah as you consider this invitation, “If because of the Sabbath you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable. And shall honor it desisting from your own pleasure, and speaking your own word. Then you will take delight in the Lord and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 58:13-14.
Today I want to talk about the discipline of fasting, not because I love to fast but because of its value and importance.
First of all I am not an expert on fasting. I have tried and failed so many times. I have also tried and by the grace of God been able to hold fast! I find it very humbling because when I fast from food, I realize how much of my life revolves around food and how often my flesh wants to eat! Fasting is essentially an exercise in dying to self. It is not my favorite discipline of the heart but I do appreciate its worth and I commend it to you.
Today I want to talk about worship. Taking the time to worship God each week is so important. You can worship in church, you can worship at home alone. Worship does not have to be reserved for one hour on Sunday morning, you can turn in your heart to God’s heart in worship when you wake up in the middle of the night. Worship can be part of your lifestyle.
How do we develop strong vibrant spirits? Just as in the natural we need to exercise in order to to strengthen our bodes, so in the spiritual there are exercises we can do that will strengthen our spirits and deepen our relationship with the Lord. In the words of Galatians, we sow to the Spirit. These exercises are tiny daily seeds we sow as we walk on the ancient paths with the Lord. They are sometimes called spiritual disciplines. I like to think of them as Disciplines of the Heart.
We have spent the past several weeks getting to know the Holy Spirit, learning about who He is and what He does. But there is another spirit who often gets overlooked and ignored—your spirit, the human spirit.
The Bible teaches we have a triune nature — spirit, soul and body. I Thessalonians 5:23 lays this out for us, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we walk on the ancient paths with the Lord we have a guide, the Holy Spirit. He leads us and helps us stay on the ancient paths. He knows about the twists and turns in the road ahead and He will be there to lead us through. His companionship is a treasure that means we will never be alone or forsaken by God. He teaches us and comforts us. We would be like an orphan if it weren’t for the Holy Spirit.
I had a conversation with a friend the other day about whether we are always called to share the gospel. My first thought was, “Yes, of course we are.” Jesus left us with the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all the nations. I Peter 3:15 tells us to always be ready to give an account for the hope that is in us. Ephesians 6 explains that putting on the full armor of God includes having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. So it seems that we should always look for opportunities to speak to others about the Lord.
But then I had a second thought. We are always to “walk in the Spirit” according to Galatians. This means we are to lean into the Spirit, pray for His direction, listen, yield to what He says. Wait on Him. Follow Him.
A normal man can walk or run 15 miles a day. What we see around us are not normal people but average people who think if they walk to the fridge they have gotten their daily exercise! Just because we all aren’t running great distances doesn’t mean that it is not normal to do so. We have learned to settle for average which is really subnormal.
I think the book of Acts depicts the normal Christian life. Just because we don’t see healings and miracles, signs and wonders in our daily lives doesn’t mean that it is not normal to do so. We have just settled. So today I want to look at an obscure man in the book of Acts and see what we can learn from his life about normal Christianity. His name is Ananias. You may not remember Ananias because he is not a lead character in the Acts narrative, he is only mentioned in a few verses in two chapters. You might easily overlook him. He was not an apostle or an elder of the early church. If he were alive today he would not be a blue check. He was just a regular guy. We may be able to identify with him and that is why I want to focus upon him.
Many of you may be waiting on the Lord right now… waiting to hear a doctor’s report, waiting for a wayward child turn back from walking away, waiting for some answered prayer. Waiting can be so hard!
There is a great example of waiting on the Lord given to us in the book of Acts. We can learn a lot from the example of the first disciples. Forty days earlier Jesus had been crucified, died, buried and was resurrected. As the book of Acts opens the last thing He told His disciples before He ascended into heaven was not to leave Jerusalem, “but wait for what the Father has promised, for John baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…” Acts 1:4,8. The disciples were instructed to wait until they were fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Lamps, Wine and Fire - As we walk on the ancient paths with the Lord through our lives we are discovering how important it is to stay close to the Holy Spirit. Initially we might have a hard time relating to Him because He is a spirit, He is mysterious; but the Bible helps us to understand Him by giving us metaphors that tell us what He is like. We learn how to relate to Him. Today I want to help you get to know the Holy Spirit better by looking into three more of the metaphors that describe Him.
As I continue to introduce the Holy Spirit to you I want to tell you more about Him. I want all of us to have a deeper understanding of who He is and what He is like. The Bible helps us in this endeavor by giving us many different metaphors that explain a different aspect of the Holy Spirit. Let’s explore some of these today
If I wanted to introduce a friend to you, how would I do that? My friend is someone I have gotten to know and I think you will want to know him too. We usually begin introductions with the person’s name and then we might tell something about what they do and what they are like. Today I have the joy of beginning to introduce the Holy Spirit to you.
I feel inadequate for this task because He is mysterious. He is God, we cannot reduce him down to our size. We will never fully understand Him. He has such depth and fulness that our finite minds cannot grasp who He is. A.W. Tozer in his book, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, said you can discover more about the Holy Spirit in five minutes on your knees adoring him than in five years in a seminary. So we must approach this topic of the Holy Spirit prayerfully.
I had been taught that experiences with the Holy Spirit were not for today, that we have the settled Word of God and do not need supernatural experiences. But I felt so dry inside, like a gear grinding against metal needing oil. I read the book of Acts and saw the amazing activity of the Spirit there. I began to wonder what happened to the Holy Spirit? Was He on break? Is there more to the Christian life than what I know? Learn more in this podcast.
What if I told you the Lord wants to bring you someone who will comfort you when you are sad? He will bring guidance when you don’t know what to do. He will never deceive you. He will always bring you the truth. He will teach you and give you the very words you need to say. He is your advocate, your counselor, your helper. He prays for you and through you so that your prayers are effective. He initiates your salvation and then cleans you up and empowers you to live a life that pleases God. He discloses the future to you. He always glorifies Jesus. He strengthens your inner man. He is the One who floods your heart with God’s love, so that you know the God of the universe actually loves you and you can live out of that love. He will never leave you. He will go with you through all your life.
The amazing thing about the holiness of God is that He isn’t just holy, He calls us to be holy too! In fact this is explicitly spelled out for us in I Peter 1:15-16, Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior because it is written, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” We are clearly called to be holy. Wow. Is that even possible?
The short answer is yes, but only through the blood of Jesus. When we come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ many wonderful things happen to us. For instance, our eternal destiny is changed, we have eternal life, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us AND we become holy in the eyes of God. We make a divine transaction, we give Him our sins and He gives us His righteousness. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, II Corinthians 5:21. When we turn to Jesus in faith and receive the gift of salvation, His blood covers us so that God the Father declares we are righteous. This is our position before Him. This is why we can approach our holy holy holy God with confidence.
As we walk on the ancient paths with the Lord we are learning more about God and how to relate to Him. This week I want to focus upon something we don’t hear much about these days: God is holy. He is not just holy, He is holy, holy, holy. We sing about His holiness in our worship songs, we call the third person of the trinity the Holy Spirit, we use the words holy and holiness, but what exactly does holy mean?
Many of us have a negative concept of holiness. Someone who is holy sounds like someone who has no sense of humor and looks down their noses frowning on all of us because we are having fun. I think we are getting holy confused with “holier than thou.”
As we walk with the Lord on the ancient paths how we perceive and respond to Him are all important. We all probably know the child’s blessing that begins, “God is great, God is good and we thank Him for our food”…such a simple prayer, such a profound prayer. God is good AND God is great. These are two very different concepts about God and they elicit two very different responses. God is good, He is full of mercy and compassion, He forgives, He is patient and long-suffering, kind and gentle. We respond back to His goodness with love for Him. God is great. He is all powerful. He reigns above all. He is sovereign. He is our creator. We respond to His greatness with respect, reverence, fear and awe.
We all need hope. I think we are hard-wired for hope. When we go through tough times we need hope so we can hang on and persevere. Hope anchors our soul and keeps us steady, helping us to persevere when things look bleak.
I have one more key for you. This will be your go-to key. You will use this key every morning and evening and several times a day as you walk on the ancient paths with the Lord. It is the key of having a grateful heart.
Before we move on, I want to focus for another week on that big key on your key chain, the key of forgiveness. There is one more person you may need to forgive. You may have overlooked this person; you may need to forgive yourself!
I have shared with you that after I came to know the Lord, I basically decided that I wanted to go to heaven some day but that I wanted to run my own life in the meantime. It turned out running my own life did not bring joy or satisfaction, I was miserable. I also shared with you how the Lord deeply touched my spirit and I began to turn back to Him.
I remember talking about the importance of forgiveness one day in Bible study. After class I visited with some friends and was late leaving. As I walked to my car I passed two women sitting in a suburban with the engine running. The driver’s side window rolled down and a woman with tears in her eyes, sobbed, “Do I really have to forgive him?” My heart broke for her. I didn’t know her story but I could only imagine the suffering that whoever “he” was had put her through. I told her that yes, the Lord really is serious about forgiveness, we really are instructed to forgive everyone of everything and that sometimes the first step is simply to ask the Lord to make you willing to forgive. I invited her to do that.
Today I want to give you another big shining key for that key chain I gave you recently. These keys will help you as you walk on the ancient paths with the Lord. This key is important. It has to do with our personal relationships. This key will keep you out of one of the sneaky traps of the enemy of your soul, it is the key of not seeking your own revenge.
Imagine a janitor pulling out a heavy laden key ring loaded with lots of different keys. That is exactly what I want to give you today for your journey as you walk through life on the ancient paths with Jesus, a key ring that is loaded with keys. You will need each of these keys. These keys represent many different characteristics of a life that pleases God. You will need to employ these keys so that you line up with God’s heart and purposes for your life, so that you stay close to the Lord on the ancient paths.
Does anyone want to know God’s will for your life? Does anyone need God’s direction about a specific matter? Does anyone have a decision to make about a school or a job or some other situation and you need to discern God’s plan? Today we are going to learn about knowing and following God’s plan for your life.
Today I want to give each of you a flashlight. The Psalmist says, Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105. This flashlight represents the Bible, the Word of God as it lights our path.
The Bible will shine on our course, it will set our boundaries, showing us the potential wrong turns and the dead ends, the places that are out of bounds. We especially need this flashlight at this time because the days are growing darker and it feels like we are walking into uncharted territory. God’s word will be our beacon that will light our way.
I am so glad you have responded to the Lord’s invitation to join me as we walk with Him on the ancient paths! This journey will be rewarding and fulfilling, but it may be difficult in some ways. We may end up with some blisters on our feet and some sore muscles on our backsides but it will be worth it. Remember this trip is not about the destination but the journey. Savor each step of the way.
I want to invite you to join me on a journey. We are not going to the latest “in” spot. This isn’t about setting trends or even crossing a destination off your bucket list. In fact this trip is not about the destination, it is about the journey.
The Lord’s voice is issuing the invitation. There are many voices clamoring for our attention, pulling on us, distracting us. In order to hear this voice you will have to tune out the other louder voices and listen carefully to hear what Elijah calls the still small voice. This voice is the One who is worthy. He is the light of the world and in these days when the world is growing darker, we need to draw closer to the light of the world.
I believe the essence of Christmas is celebrating that the God of infinite majesty and glory went on mission to our humble planet and invaded humanity to be born as one of us as a helpless baby. Matthew sums up the Christmas story with one word, Immanuel. And they shall call his name Immanuel, which translated means, “God with us.”. Matthew 1:23. God has come among us. This is the essence of Christmas.
In the fulness of time the Christ child was born. His birth was not set in a palace but a humble stable, away from the pageantry of royal birth. Even though his arrival wasn’t noticed by the elites of this world, it was marked by unusual confirmation from a variety of sources. Angels became visible in the heavenlies over Bethlehem and heralded his birth, the shepherds in the fields beheld the glory of God in the sky overhead. Simeon and Anna gave prophetic witness in the temple that baby Jesus is the Messiah.
In the fulness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Galatians 4:4. Jesus was born to parents who were faithful to the law. Both Mary and Joseph were devoted to God and so they raised their son to be observant. Jesus was never legalistic, yet he perfectly fulfilled the law. In his words, he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill the law. This was true even when he was a babe in arms.
In the fulness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Galatians 4:4. Jesus was born to parents who were faithful to the law. Both Mary and Joseph were devoted to God and so they raised their son to be observant. Jesus was never legalistic, yet he perfectly fulfilled the law. In his words, he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill the law. This was true even when he was a babe in arms.
Galatians 4:4 says, But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son….What do you think this verse is talking about? The word fulness means completeness. The fulness of time as it relates to the birth of the Lord Jesus refers to the fact that all the details that needed to be in place so He could be born were completed. All of the preparations for the birth of the Messiah have been accomplished. The stage is fully set. It is time for the birth of the long awaited Christ child.
Joseph is a bit of a mystery man in the Bible, but what a sweetheart! We only know a few facts about him. We know that he was a carpenter by trade and that as Matthew 1 opens, he was betrothed to Mary. We know that he was alive when Jesus was twelve when their family went to Jerusalem for Passover. We can surmise that he probably died some time before the crucifixion of Christ because Jesus entrusted his mother to the apostle John at the cross. The only other information we have about Joseph is found in Matthew 1. Just what was it about Joseph that caused him, of all the men in the world, to be the man that our heavenly Father selected to be the surrogate father to His son?
Mary spontaneously burst into praise from her devoted heart with what we have come to call the Magnificat in Luke 1:47-55. This name comes from the first word of the Latin translation. Mary’s song reveals that her heart was saturated with the word of God. In these 9 verses that there are 15 quotes from the Old Testament. They can be summed up with these words, For the Mighty One has done great things for me. God has searched the whole earth and found in Nazareth a woman whose heart was totally devoted to Him.
In ancient days when a king was planning to visit a land he would never show up unannounced. He sent a herald ahead of time to declare his visit. The herald, appointed as the king’s messenger, made sure the people knew the king was coming. The message of the herald caused the people to take practical steps as they anticipated the arrival of their king. They responded by patching up roads and cleaning their homes and property making things presentable to receive their king.
Isaiah prophesied that a herald would prepare the way for the Messiah. He would appear on the scene, not to make the property and roads presentable, but to make the hearts of the people ready for the coming of the Lord. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. Mark 1:2-3
Before we go further with this story of the first Christmas and leave the genealogies of Jesus, I want to take a minute to consider something very unusual. Open your Bible to Matthew 1 and focus upon three names, Tamarin verse 3 and Rahab and Ruth in verse 5. Also, look at the words "the wife of Uriah" (who we know was Bathsheba) in verse 6. It is astounding that these four women were included in the line of Christ. Jewish genealogies were only concerned with the male line. As we saw last week, even Mary's name is not mentioned in her own genealogy in Luke. But Matthew made an exception to highlight four different women who are in the Messiah's direct line.
This was highly irregular. Add to this the fact Jewish men were forbidden to marry a woman who was not Jewish. At least three of these women were not Jews. Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites, Ruth was a Moabite, and Bathsheba, who was married to a Hittite, may have been one herself. These women came from pagan backgrounds, yet they are in the bloodline of the Messiah. Astounding. I hope you will take some time this week to dig deeper into each of these women's background stories.
We have seen there are many prophecies that promise the Messiah will come through the blood line of David. And there are many more that promise he will be in the royal line of David which would go through his son, Solomon. But by the time of Christ the scholars knew they had a problem. In Jeremiah 22 around the time of the Babylonian captivity, God got fed up with King Jehoiachin of Judah, the last king before their captivity. Because he was egregiously evil God put a curse on his blood line. For no man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah. Jeremiah 22:30.
This curse presented a conundrum. Listen to learn more
The Messiah would have to meet these very specific requirements that were laid out through the prophets. These prophecies and promises validate the Messiah. Jesus had to be proven. Learn more by listening to the podcast.
Are you ready for Christmas? This is a trick question. I am not asking if you have started shopping for the gifts that you will then wrap and deliver nor the cookies you plan to bake, the decorations you want to put out, nor the cards you hope to get in the mail before next year. I am not asking about how ready you are for Christmas in these ways, but I want to know how you are? Is your spirit prepared for Christmas this year, or will the celebration of the Lord's birth seem like an afterthought at the end of December, almost pushed out by the rush of preparations and festivities?
Jehovah Shammah means I Am There. Jehovah is the name for God that speaks of His existence. He was, He is, He will be. He stands outside of time. He keeps His covenants, the great I Am. Shammah means there, as in a specific location. The root of Shammah is similar to the root of the Hebrew word for tabernacle, dwell, abide.
Jehovah Ra’ah means Jehovah is my Shepherd. Jehovah, the self-existent God who stands outside of time, the God who was and is and will be, the covenant-keeping God, relates to His children like a shepherd to his sheep. The name Jehovah Ra’ah teaches us that God takes care of us, he feeds us and comes to find us when we are lost or cast down. He is our companion, our friend. In fact, Jehovah Ra’ah can be translated The Lord, My Friend.
Jehovah Tsaba which literally means I am the Lord of the Hosts. This name for God is used 285 times in the Old Testament. It refers to the one who is the supreme commander, the one who gives the orders. Jehovah Tsaba is in control of the powers of the universe, the forces seen and unseen. He is in charge of the earthly and the heavenly armies. This name speaks of His sovereignty and His power. This name assures us that the One we have trusted isn’t just good, He is able.
The Hebrew name for God Jehovah Nissi is translated I Am is My Banner. The root of the word nissi means raised, displayed, prominent. Originally a nissi was a pole or a standard, but it didn’t hold fabric like our flag poles. Instead, it held a wooden or metal emblem on its end. This was usually colorful and shiny so that it could be seen from a long distance. The banner or pole with an emblem was a mark of identity for troops in battle.
The banner expresses faithfulness.
God is the God of compassion. He moves with healing because He is moved with compassion. This is God’s nature. It is His desire to restore and to make whole. We can easily see this when we look at the life of Christ. His earthy life, Jesus showed us what the Father is like. He said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” John 14:9. In the words of Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God." We can look at the life of Jesus and learn about our heavenly Father. When we look at the Gospels we see Jehovah Rapha in action. Jesus healed 24/7 — and I do mean 7. He didn’t even take a break from healing for the Sabbath.
Today I want to consider the Hebrew name for God, Jehovah M’Kaddesh. This name means Jehovah Sanctifies. The Hebrew word kaddesh means sanctify, consecrate, to set apart as holy. The New Testament Greek equivalent word is hagiazo and means to cleanse, purify, separate from the profane and dedicate to God. This word is almost identical to the words that mean holy and saint.
One of the names that beautifully describes God is Jehovah Tsidkenu. This compound name begins with Jehovah, the great I Am who is self-existent. He stands outside of time. He always was, he always is and he always will be. He is the covenant-keeping God. Jehovah deals with God’s being, his existence. When combined with another word it explains how God relates to his people. Tsidkenu comes from the Hebrew root that means straight, right, just, righteous. It is the opposite of twisted and perverted. This compound name could literally be translated I Am Righteous.
When I say the word peace, what comes to your mind? Absence of war? A sense of calm? Tranquility? Our English word for peace does not come close to the fullness of the meaning of the equivalent word in Hebrew, shalom. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary shalom means completeness, safety, soundness, welfare, health, prosperity, quiet, tranquility, contentment, friendship/fellowship with others and with God, absence of war. You can see this concept has more than one dimension. The Hebrew word for peace depicts the state of wholeness, wellness and unity. It is an all-encompassing word.
When Jehovah is compounded with another name his new name describes an aspect of how he relates to his people. Jehovah Jireh literally means I Am Will Provide or I Am Will See to It. The first time God revealed this name was in the middle of a very intense familiar passage, Genesis 22, the offering of Isaac.
Drum roll, please. Today we come to arguably the most important Hebrew name for God, Jehovah. God calls this his memorial name. This is the name he wants us to remember! The name Jehovah is used far more than any other name in the Bible, but we might miss these many references because in our English Bibles the name Jehovah is usually translated LORD in all caps. Jehovah is used 6,923 times, over 700 in the Psalms alone, while Elohim comes in at a distant second, used about 2,000 times.
The Hebrew name Adonai is translated Lord in our English Bibles. Adonai, like the name Elohim, is a plural name. It carries the same inference of the Trinity that we saw in the name Elohim. When it is singular, adon, with a lower case, it refers to men who are lords. The plural, Adonai, refers to the Lord God.
The nature of God is beyond our figuring out. We need help if we are going to begin to understand who God is and how we can relate to Him. It takes God to know God. This is why He gives us His many names that describe who He is. We need these many names to begin to get a true picture of the nature of God.
I am old enough to remember when the name El Shaddai first came into the mainstream in 1982 through the hit song El Shaddai sung by Amy Grant. I remember loving the song while having no idea what El Shaddai meant nor knowing that there were many other Hebrew names for God. It didn’t stop me from joining my voice with the chorus, We will praise and lift you high El Shaddai!
Are you growing in your relationship with the Lord? Do you want to trust Him more? Do you want to know Him better and rely on Him in a deeper way? Do you feel stuck? How can you grow in your trust of God?
Do you want to know God better? Do you want to trust Him more? Taking the time to understand the many Hebrew names for God is an important way to gain insight into just who our great God is and to know Him better. God's many names describe different aspects of His character. By learning what these names mean we grow in our appreciation and adoration of the Lord.
I want to focus upon one of the names for God that is compounded with the name El, El Olam. El refers to God and means prominent, out front, dominating. Olam means everlasting or eternal. It also carries the concept of hidden.
Names in the Bible are more than just a way to differentiate one person from the other. In Old Testament names convey the very essence of the person, their character, their attributes. Names are full of meaning and are instructive, especially the many names for God. Learning about His names helps us to know Him better, in His fullness and reality. In the words of the Lord’s prayer, we are to hallow His name.
No wonder again and again in the Bible God points to the act of creation and basically says, “ Why do you chase after false gods? You make them with your own hands, how can you bow before them? They have no power, I alone have the power to create the universe. Have no other gods before Me!”
The first name that God uses to introduce Himself is found in the very first verse of the Bible, “In the beginning Elohim.” Elohim is basically the signature name of God. This name is used about 2750 times in the Old Testament to refer to God.
The root of Elohim, el, is borrowed in the Hebrew language from the Canaanites. It means strong, to be in the front, to dominate. El is the same root from which the name Allah derives. Elohim is supreme, He is the mighty One.
I wonder if most of us in the contemporary church have misunderstood the third of the Ten Commandments. I think I have for many years. Exodus 20:7 commands, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. We think this clearly refers to our speech and the fact that we should not swear using the Lord’s name or speak of Him in a disrespectful or cavalier way. His name is too precious to throw around with irreverence. Our inner response to this commandment may be, “Hmmm, I’ve got some work to do here.” or maybe, “I’m usually ok with this, just a slip up now and then.” So we quickly move on to the next commandment working through them like a checklist.
In our modern culture names are often chosen for a child on a whim or a because of a trend. A few years ago I read an article about a mother who gave her son the name Messiah. (Now that’s a loaded name!) Do you know why she picked that name? Not because of its significance, not because of what it means, but she said she chose that name because it sounds good with the names of her other children, Micah and Mason!
Names in the ancient Hebrew world were not trendy; they carried great significance. They were given not on a whim, or because they sounded good, but because of their meaning. Names in the Bible reveal the essence of the person, their character, their nature, and sometimes, their destiny. Abram means exalted father. As Abram walked with God and believed His promises, his whole destiny changed and God renamed him Abraham, which means father of many nations because that was his destiny.