WORD OF LIFE, PART 22: "CONSUMING FIRE AND ZEAL - MY DELIGHT"

Psalm 119 is an epic in the entire God-given, God-breathed Scriptures. It is not only the longest chapter in the Bible (176 verses) but one of the few chapters of Books of Scripture which covers every range of the Human Condition imaginable.  All sections of each portion of eight verses are sub-headed by a letter of each of the twenty two letters in the Hebrew Alphabet.  Now that we are at the end of our incredible journey through the entire 176 verses, which served up a cornucopia of such rich goodness, we can see the Person of Jesus Christ from beginning to end! 

THE ORIGINAL HEBREW FROM GOD TO MOSES, GENESIS 1:1

In fact, one of the Name of the Lord of Hosts is “Alpha and Omega” or “The Beginning and the End” in the biblical Greek language. The original paleo Hebrew of the Creator of all things is “Aleph Tav” . In theology terms, it is known as the Signature of God and is immediately evident in the very first verse of the Bible – Genesis 1:1, where the Holy Spirit says "In the Beginning created God Heavens and Earth". The English translation does not do it justice, but nevertheless, the “Aleph Tav” – the Great I am, the Beginning and the End because He is Eternal – is right there. "Aleph Tav" is circled in RED and cannot be translated.

"They will look on Me whom they
 have pierced "- Zechariah 12:10

In case there is any doubt, the SIGNATURE of God is found again in Zechariah 12:10, where He says "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn". Here the un-translatable Aleph Tav is found AGAIN to emphasize that Scripture is talking about Jesus (the red arrow).

There was never any doubt that the entire Bible is all about Jesus, even without His bold signatures seen here as examples. However, Jesus Christ is not just a letter of the Alphabet. The two letters, represented here in Psalm 119 as the Aleph (first eight verses) and Tav (these final verses) are a reflection of one of His Mightiest Attributes. John 1:1 tells us Jesus is the WORD Who became flesh.  1 John 1, Jesus is called the “Word of Life”. On the way back to earth in Judgment and Victory in Revelation 19:13,  He is called “The Word of God”. When we read the Scriptures, we are reading BOTH the Word of Life, the Words of Life AND the Word of God. When we study the Law, we are studying Life, as the Law giveth Life. It is not a bunch of legalistic jargon but the parameters to keep us from hurting others, ourselves and the Holy Name of God. So when we see the Laws of God and His statutes magnified in the verses of Psalm 119, we have the explicit power words from Heaven right before us. It should behoove us to take them, well, as “Gospel”!

Psalm 119:169-176

Tav.

169  Let my cry come before You, O Lord; give me understanding according to Your word.

170  Let my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your word.

171  Let my lips utter praise, for You teach me Your statutes.

172  Let my tongue sing of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.

173  Let Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.

174  I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight.

175  Let my soul live that it may praise You, and let Your ordinances help me.

176  I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.

When Yahweh spoke to Solomon at the dedication of the incredible First Temple in Jerusalem around 832 BC, Almighty God gave Solomon and option of ANYTHING he could wish for, and God would grant it. Solomon prayed for nothing else but “BIYN” – a discerning (wisdom with feet) mind. At the start of his life as King, Solomon also had the major component of wisdom – the Fear of the Lord. Verse 169 is an significant acknowledgement of the Power of God (read “respect, awe, fear”) from one who is wise enough to seek the counsel, love, protection and Grace from the Lord, for in this case – discernment. In a world where true wisdom is so rare, the there is a huge caveat to the dispensation of Discernment by the Holy One of Israel. This caveat is the umbrella under which the attributes of such a recipient of this special portion of Grace stand.

A full comprehension brings us to a large and awesome view of the One True God. Job 42:2a recognizes the omnipotence of Almighty God when Job says “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted". In light of this, we look at the final eight verses of Psalm 119 and what they light up in the lamps of our very souls. This can only occur due to the confirmed Power, Majesty and Grace of God Himself.  

Verse 169 - I believe. I call on God. He answers me. I fear Him. He opens the eyes of my heart.
Verse 170 - I believe. I pray with persistence and faith in the hearing of those prayers. God will deliver, according to His Plan, Purpose and Timing.
Verse 171 - I believe. Therefore, I worship, praise, lift up the Name of Jesus as Lord and bow down before Him, to the glory of His Name. For His Name is a strong and mighty Tower and His Name brings me wisdom.
Verse 172 - I believe. I sing because Your Spoken Word, through the Scriptures always proclaim directly from Heaven, that which is pure, fair, righteous, honorable and good - because God is Good. He is Sovereign.
Verse 173 - I believe. Therefore I know He will be with me. His ministering angels are at the ready, when we call and even when we do not even know we are in need of divine protection. This is easily confirmed in the testimony of every true follower of Christ. He watches over us, because we chose to obey when He called us to Salvation, Transformation and Sanctification.
Verse 174 - I believe. Therefore I must draw closer to the Flame. Our God is a consuming Fire and zeal for His House, His Truth, His Word, His Way should, would and will always invade and reside in every part, portion and fiber of my being.
Verse 175 - I believe. Therefore my soul is alive with life and hope and faith and power and fearlessness. But my soul also resides in the eternal realm right now! In addition, the laws and commands of the Lord, which are for my protection and for a good life, have now become a delight to keep and walk in daily! Our consciences are clear and hearts testify to this truth.
Verse 176 - I believe. Even when under duress, stress and my life is a mess...or need to confess, God shows up and gives His best. When I stumble, He keeps me from falling. When I fall, He reminds me of my calling. When I hurt, He sends a healing balm. When I try to run from Him, He pursues me as His law is written in my heart. This is WHY I can never walk away from Him, nor do I want to, deep down inside. This is WHY I love His law. This is why I will never forget His Law, His Commands and His Word of Life - because they are embedded in my very spirit and I will testify to Him, until my final breath, to the Praise and Glory of His Name. Amen and amen. 

TEN DAYS OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH: OCTOBER 24-NOVEMBER 2, 2014, Day 3

WHY PRAY? – Part 2

The great 19th century Missouri teacher on prayer Edward McKendree (EM) Bounds said the following on prayer, in one of his many sermons: "It is a man's business to pray, transcending all other business and taking precedence over all other vocations, professions or occupations. Our praying concerns ourselves, all men, their greatest interests, even the salvation of their immortal souls. Praying is a business which takes hold of eternity and the things beyond the grave. It is a business which involves earth and heaven. All worlds are touched and worlds are influenced by prayer".

As I studied this EM Bounds quote, I discovered the following verses on prayer back up the old Missouri pastor's teaching on the "transcendence and prominence" of our prayer. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Scripture says "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way".

It goes without saying, that a woman or man of God's thinking must transcend those of the rest of the perishing world.  If we think of the word "TRANSCEND", and we apply it to prayer, first in the natural its definition means "to go beyond the ordinary and its limited thereby exceeding in excellence". (Giving God prominence in our lives, regardless of our station, is already a given).

The Christian who takes up the mantle of making "all supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving for ALL people" has already transcended, surpassed and blown past the mediocrity of the average and thus, has placed the Work and Wonder of God in Prominent, Permanent display - to the praise and Glory of His Name! It is this type of Christian who, when called to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) can then proceed to have "such a hope, that we may be bold"(2 Corinthians 3:12)!

It is this characteristic of our Christian DNA which gives the purpose, thereby propelling us to intercede for our persecuted brethren in faraway lands AND next door. In the civilized western world, as post-Christian or post-modern as it is, persecution comes in different subtle ways. We must intercede for military chaplains and others in the public arena who are constantly under pressure to refrain from "praying in Jesus' Name", we should also pray for our young people who are put upon by an increasingly hostile public education system and are persecuted for simply believing the Bible and its truth. This same harsh treatments are not extended to the violent non-Christian religions, since these people are fulfilling the Will of God without knowing it, just like the pharisees who killed Jesus in 30 AD went did. So we pray for our children as well as those in the latest update from OPEN DOORS:

ITEM:"Boko Haram militants killed more than 30 civilians and burned two churches in two attacks on the border towns of Amchide and Limani in northern Cameroon on Oct. 15-16. The Cameroon Minister of Defense, Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o, said the heavily-armed Boko Haram members crossed the Nigerian border in armored vehicles and stormed the villages.

ITEM: "Unknown attackers killed a Christian man by machete and injured another in Bukoba in northwest Tanzania on Oct. 9, according to sources and reported by World Watch Monitor....church members have been receiving threats from Muslim expatriates in Bukoba, who have vowed to decrease the number of Christians in the area. 

ITEM: "On October 21st, Islamist militias invaded the ancient Christian settlement of Sadad, Syria, killing at least 45 people, and injuring many more." 

FATHER, WE AS A PEOPLE, COME TO THEE WITH BROKEN HEARTS, HUMBLE SPIRITS AND SURRENDERED SOULS SUBMITTED TO THE WILL AND PURPOSES OF CHRIST TO PRAY, INTERCEDE, CRY OUT AND BEG FOR YOUR MIGHTY, TRANSFORMATIVE TOUCH IN THE LIVES OF THOSE OF US WHO ARE UNDER DURESS HERE IN WEST, IN OUR SCHOOLS WHERE THE AGENDA OF THE LEFT IS TO CORRUPT AND LEAD YOUR CHILDREN ASTRAY, THEREBY TAKING AWAY THEIR LOVE AND TRUST FOR YOU AND INCREASINGLY, TO BUILD ON NATURAL HUMAN DOUBT TO MOLD IT INTO AN ATHEISM WHICH HAS NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE THE DAYS OF NOAH OR THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL. WE PRAY FOR THE REMNANT STILL IN THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM AS WELL AS THOSE WHOM THEY AFFECT, TO STAND BOLDLY AND LEAD COURAGEOUSLY WITH DYNAMIC SPIRIT-LED POWER TO PROTECT THE NEXT GENERATION OF PRAYER WARRIORS AND INTERCESSORS.

ALSO FOR TODAY, OH MOST HEAVENLY AND MERCIFUL GOD, IN JESUS' NAME, WE PRAY FOR THOSE IN THE VILLAGES OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN AFRICA WHO ARE BEING RUN OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND ARE HAVING THEIR VILLAGES AND CHURCHES DESTROYED BY BOKO HORAM.....NOT JUST IN NIGERIA, BUT INCREASINGLY IN CAMEROON, TANZANIA AND OTHER PARTS OF AFRICA WHERE ISLAM IS WIELDED BY THE MERCILESS SWORD OF HATRED FOR YOU AND THE CREATOR - JESUS CHRIST. 

WE PRAY FOR YOUR PEOPLE, OUR BRETHREN IN THE ANCIENT CHRISTIAN REGION OF SADAD, SYRIA, WHERE SCORES HAVE ALREADY BEEN MARTYRED, AND EVEN MORE INJURED, BY THE FOLLOWERS OF THE SAME RELIGION WHICH WOULD MAKE EVEN THE PRIESTS OF BAAL OR FOLLOWERS OF MOLECH CRINGE. LORD WE KNOW NOT HOW YOUR SAINTS IN THESE REGIONS PERSEVERE THROUGH TIMES LIKE THESE WHERE THE BODIES OF THEIR WOMEN ARE VIOLATED AND OTHERS ABUSED INHUMANELY, BUT FATHER OF ALL GRACE, WHOSE MERCIES ENDURETH FOREVER, GRANT THEM FAVOR, LOVE, COMPASSION AND STRENGTH RIGHT NOW, IN JESUS' STRONG NAME AND MAY THEIR PERSECUTORS RELENT, REPENT AND TURN TO YOU BEFORE THE COMING DAY OF JUDGMENT, IN HIS NAME, AMEN.

OH MOST HOLY AND REVERENT FATHER, WE LONG TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF PRAYER, PURPOSE AND PASSION, WHOSE CALLING TRANSCEND THE ORDINARY AND SEE THE EXTRAORDINARY WHICH CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN YOU, AS WE LIFT YOU UP, FOR THE PRAISE AND GLORY OF YOUR NAME, THROUGH CHRIST OUR KING, AMEN AND AMEN.

 

DAY 34/40 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR AMERICA

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16b)
Are you growing weak in prayer? Are you growing tired of all of this? Do you see the finish line, yet, you look around and want to give up because everything seems to be going to down anyway, despite your best - in worship, prayer, intercession, outreach, caring for the saints (and those who ain't)? Don't give up. Now is the time to step it up a notch. 

Today's exhortation in pray is found in the key word, which I am led to put out there. That word is FERVENT, which means (according to Webster) - having a passionate, burning desire or enthusiasm for something. Fervency before God counts in the hour of prayer and finds a speedy and rich reward at God's Hands (EM Bounds)! The spiritual warfare around is raging and we cannot afford to retreat, sit on our hands, sit on past victories or just offer up lifeless prayers. The violent take the kingdom on the other side, we are need to respond to their spiritual aggression with passion for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gives the victory if we approach Him in the way He loves. The Son loved the Father tremendously, let us now pray and walk in that fashion, if we wish to continue to take the hills for our families and the nation, in Jesus Name, amen.

Father, I stand right now, with the Holy Spirit and His promptings and with the very Armies of Heaven, Who are prepared to battle for Your people if we just ask and stay focused on pressing in with the fire of Your Holiness. I pray for the strength to never let this fire flicker but long may it blaze and energize me daily to stay focused on winning with Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of Our Faith, Who for the Joy set before Him, endured the Cross, beat death and hell and the Devil and then called us over to join in the Triumphant procession with Him. It is in His Name I ask for fuel for the day, amen and amen!

SOME ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM THE LORD:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5, ESV).

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:7, ESV)

“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And his ears toward their cry.”(Psalms 34:15, ESV)

UNSUNG HERO OF THE FAITH - ROBERT SHEFFEY

JOIN US FOR 30 DAYS OF PRAYING THE NAMES OF GOD!

Last night I watched one of my favorite movies of all times about a great man of God and Appalachian circuit-rider - "Brother Robert Sheffey"!


(WATCH THE TRAILER OF THE MOVIE HERE)


In the history of famous preachers or evangelists or superstar pastors of today, you won't find the name of Robert Sayers Sheffey won't be found. However in God's book, he is one of the greatest in the kingdom! Best-selling TV star preachers are getting their rewards on earth now - with all their fame and fortune. However, this humble man with a horse, has impacted more regions and families of the mid-Atlantic coast than anybody I know.


How did Sheffey do it? By prayer! How he got started in prayer ministry is actually amazing. After getting saved, Brother Sheffey was so on Fire for Christ, that he tried to be licensed by the Methodist General Conference in Virginia, so he could be legally allowed into churches to preach the Gospel on the Circuit! They rejected him because he did not have enough education!


This is where God showed up and equipped Sheffey with the Power and Might of the Holy Spirit. While a powerful Circuit preacher who worked for nothing most of the time, except a hot meal (if that), Sheffey soon found out he was an Intercessor and Prayer Warrior! God's ways are not our ways and neither does He have to respect the institutional biases of educated 'religious' men! Look at what happened to the Scribes and Pharisees, who ended up not just killing Jesus the Messiah, but getting all the blood of the prophets they killed and persecuted, heaped on them!


This is the incredible thing about the Holy God we serve, friends! While Sheffey may not have had the book learning those Methodist Conference Head honchos did, he had something better - A Passion for God and His people!  His soul was consumed  with the fire for our Lord and Savior Jesus, to Whom he talked face to face daily and a desire to help others. Sheffey did both with integrity, passion and absolute success.  When his more than six decade ministry was over, he had both positively impacted the lives of ordinary people, while exposing the permanent decline of the Methodist denomination into an almost secular liberalism, with no passion for the One True God.


I tell you this very brief account of an amazing life for a reason - to spur us to the non-fancy or non-glamorous ministry of prayer.We don't have to ride the dangerous mountain roads and snowy trails of Virginia, like Sheffey did, but we are supposed to take the Gospel to the highways, biways and rest stops of American.....and THAT begins with total submission and application of the Believer to a life of permanent communication with Holy God through Prayer.


Therefore, with humility and joy in the journey, I wish to invite everyone reading this blog to a significant Prayer Initiative called THIRTY (30) DAYS OF PRAYING THE NAMES OF GOD!


This is now Day 2, so I will include both prayer points for January 1 and 2, 2012


Each point below, gives the specific Biblical name for God and describes the attribute which caused those Names!
The process is rather simple: 
1. Read the Bible passage recommended by the prayer point of that day and number 
2. PRAY the words found in the Scripture and just glorifying God first in that prayer back to Him! 


So let's get to praying, as the Rev. Robert Sayers Sheffey did over 120 or more years ago....in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen!


Day 1: God is Jehovah. The name of independent being—“I AM WHO I AM”—only belongs to Jehovah God. As we consider His greatness, we fall down in fear and awe of this One who possesses all authority. Exodus 3:13-15

Day 2: God is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh. This name means “the God who sanctifies.” A God separate from all that is evil requires that the people who follow Him be cleansed from all evil. Leviticus 20:7,8

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE 30 DAYS OF PRAYER POINTS!

GUEST WRITER - CRYSTAL BANKS TAIT

BUT, GOD....!!!

I was talking to my husband about my passion to feed people at least monthly, encourage and  support families, help heal people and inspire Mothers. 

Crystal Banks Tait

He said, "You can't! You don't have the money!" He said, "Even only once a month, do you know how much that would cost to feed people? Do you know how many people you would need to volunteer help make it happen?"

Fairly quickly my husband had introduced a glitch into my plan...

I thought of having a meal once a month in our backyard. Aside from insurance reasons I didn't want to bring any risk to my family so I thought an offsite place would work better. I have let that lie low... it was just an idea back then and I guess it still is an idea now. However, it is something I want to do. My husband’s suggestion was to go work for Salvation Army... I suppose that is probably not a bad idea...
we will see.

For now, I am a Mom, raising my children in the way they should go. I don't think any of this is going to happen any time soon, so I won't get in a panic about where I'll end up or what I'll be doing. 

EVENTUALLY I think I will take a BIG step out! I just cannot wait to see what I am going to be stepping out into!

After thinking for a day or so about my husband’s response... I might not have the money. BUT GOD does. I might not have the people ... BUT GOD does.

If there is something that you have a passion for that you really believe, you are called to do, let me encourage you. You may not have the money BUT GOD does. You may not have the people BUT GOD does. Philippians 4:19 "BUT my GOD shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"

Step out and STAND ON God's word! When doubts and fears threaten you... just think... BUT, GOD!!!

(Images by Google Images)