We will KNOW Him by Name!!!

Raindrop—When the Lord is done working in our situations, we will know Him by name!!!  Now I know the Lord by name, but then I will really know Him more personally through what He will have done for me.  Through His deeds, the Lord revealed Himself to His people in the Old Testament:  Abraham, Sarah, Gideon, Jacob, etc.  He revealed Hmself as Saviour in the New Testament.  I am honored that He is revealing Himself to me through His deeds, even though my trial is painful and not what I would have chosen!!  I am so glad He is revealing Himself to me!!

In Exodus 6:2-4, the Word says, “And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.  And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.  And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.”  Then the Lord tells them what He is about to do.  You should read it!!  It is awesome!!  It is time to “walk the land,” as we talked about ion Wednesday, July 11, 2012. 

Then we come to Exodus 15:1-3 and 11, which says, “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation:  he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”  They were praising Him as Lord, because they finally really knew Him by this name, just as He said they would know Him through the mighty deeds He had done for them.  God did just as He had promised!!! 

He does that for us!!  He hears our groanings and remembers His promises to us (not like He ever really forgot them!), and He does His work!  Then we know Him better!!!  He is Yahweh, the LORD!!  He is El Shaddai, God Almighty, and He will show Himself strong in our situations!!  I can hardly wait for my Exodus chapter 15!!  I just hope I do not mess it up and have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years!!  Perhaps it is time to “groan” to Him some more!!!    

Ezekiel!!!

I had a great raindrop this morning!!  I am studying about the book of Ezekiel, and so many times in the book, God tells through Ezekiel how He will bring judgment on Israel for their sin.  He says that after He performs His judgment on them, they will know that He is the Lord. 

That is what my lost loved one needs:  to KNOW that God is the LORD!!  God needs to be first in that life, just like He desires to be first in all of our lives. 

Then, after all the judgment stuff, the Lord describes what He will finally do in their lives.  In chapter 36, verses 22-29a, 33-35, the Word says, “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.  And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.  For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean:  from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:  and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.  And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.  I will also save you from all your uncleannesses. . . .  In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.  And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.  And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.” 

Now I know that this is Old Testament written to Israel specifically, but Romans 15:4 says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”  That gives me so much hope and makes me want to “WOOHOO!!!”  1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”   

Also, remember that 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful:  he cannot deny himself.”  He will keep His promises simply because that is Who He is!!!  In the Ezekiel passage, He said He would do all of that for His name’s sake.  2 Timothy supports that:  He cannot deny Himself!!  He will save my loved one, because He has promised, but through that He will be known among the sinners that witnessed the sin in my loved one’s life.  This person was a testimony of sin but will be a testimony for the sake of God’s name!!   

I can hardly wait!!! 

I know this is a little lengthy for a post read, but every word is worth it!!  So, sit back and absorb all of it!!

Isaiah 44:1-8 says, "Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:  Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.   For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:  And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.  One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.    Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.  Fear ye not, neither be afraid:  have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any."

Is that not awesome in its entirety?!?!  I especially like the last part that starts with "Fear not." 

I have been singing a song this morning that says, "You are an awesome wonder....the oceans applaud You."  Harbor Light from Pennsylvania sings it.  I am not sure about the composer, but I believe Kurt Carr wrote it, because he sings it as well  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCGoxPT6db8).  Our God is truly an AWESOME WONDER!  He has declared some things, and they will come to pass!!

Walking the Land

I received a HUGE raindrop when Pastor Bond preached about “walking the land.”

In Genesis 13:14-15, 17-18, the Bible says, “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.  Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.  Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there and altar unto the LORD.”   Would it not be wise to be like Abram and just “pick up our tents” and go where and do what God tells us when He tells us?

God promised Abram all the land he could see.  He just told him he had to see it and walk it.  He has promised me the soul of my loved one.  After all, He dwells in eternity and knows what happens in the future, because He is already there.  He is omnipresent, present everywhere in all TIME and place!!  Isaiah 57:15a says, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity”.  All I have to do is see it and walk it!! 

Isn’t that wonderful?  I have to see it, which is the definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1:  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Then I have to walk it.  2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”.  (Yes, there is actually a little smiley face in the Bible at the end of this verse!!  Is that not wonderful?!?!?!?)

So, I practice “seeing” what God has promised as being done already.  I pray for God to accomplish His promise to me in the way He knows will work best and invite Him to do His work in my loved one’s life.  Then I try to “walk” the land, living there as if the promise is already accomplished, not with a sad countenance reflecting life now, and not overwhelmed with the task, because it not my task to complete; it is God’s, but with a happy face in full assurance that what God has said, HE WILL DO!!!   (I am smiling right now and feel like shouting a great big, “WOOHOO!!!!) 

2 Timothy 2:13 says, "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."  

Even when we do not believe, it does not change Who God is or what He has promised!!  There is nothing we can do to change Him!!  He is faithful, even when we have little or no faith.  He cannot deny Himself anything He has said or anything about Who He is.  

To build your faith, read the Word of God.  The Bible is our clues to Who God really is.  Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  And since Jesus is the Word, reading His Word reveals the Lord to us, which builds our faith!! 

I love how this all works!! 

Today as I was praying, I realized that God was answering a prayer that I pray quite often:  "Lord, help mine unbelief."  (Mark 9:24)  He is helping my faith to be stronger.  I am thankful!!!  It is such a comfort to simply trust!!!  Louisa Stead must have understood this as she wrote the lyrics to "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus."

"Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

What faith!!! 

In my The Woman's Study Bible, (second edition, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.), there is a quote from June Hunt (p. 81):  "Worry is most often a prideful way of thinking that you have more control over life and its circumstances than you actually do." 
Pastor James Bond (Revival Tabernacle, Watsontown, PA) told me once that my becoming so obsessed with the problems of others and taking responsibility for the salvation of my loved one was actually a form of pride and that I should repent.  I took that advice, and my life has been different since.  You see?  I have more faith now.  Apologizing to the Lord for trying to do His job has somehow released a faith in me, and it has been so freeing.  Yes, I still pray often, but my prayers are different; they are more of an invitation for God to work than my telling God how to do His job.  What a difference it has made. 

But that is only a part of my raindrop, although it has been more like a flood than a drop.  the other part is that prayer really is everything.  When I lived so far from my family and they had needs, the only thing I could do was pray; I could not be there physically!!  But why do we say it like that?  Why do we say that all we can do is pray, when it is everything?  It is inviting the Creator of the universe, the Almighty God, the ultimate Father with unlimited resources to work in behalf of the situation instead of our measly little selves running over to do what little we can with our limited bodies and limited power and limited resources.  Yes, we all need "God with skin on" at times in our lives, but praying for someone is the ultimate services you can render them!!  Prayer should be the first thing we do, and then God can direct us to serve in better, more efficient and effective ways. 

I am working on this in my life.  I am trying to remember to pray before I take a Tylenol or offer one to someone else.  I am trying to remember to pray as a first line of defense instead of using it as a Plan B!

God hears the prayers of His children.  He answers.  Period!!

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." -- Ephesians 5:14 (KJV)

I have been getting so many raindrops lately, but I will try to stick to one for today.  I had a wonderful sixth grade science teacher.  When we didn't believe that white reflects all light and that it absorbed no color, she took a slide projector (yes, I was in sixth grade while the dinosaurs still roamed the earth!!) and added slides of true color from the rainbow.  The more she added, the darker and murkier the color on the screen became, and we thought we were right.  When she added that last slide, the screen went completely white.  I will remember for a long time that white is actually the reflection of all color/light and black is the absence of color/light.

It is that way with our sins:  the more we add, the murkier our lives become.  We are reflecting no light.  Then Christ, upon our confession and request, adds His pure red blood, and suddenly we are white as snow, because we reflect ALL Light, THE Light!!  Christ Jesus is the Light, and when the Father looks at us, all He sees is His Son.  John put it this way in 1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 

The Ephesians verse at the top is my prayer for my loved one today!!  I can hardly wait until this person reflects the Light that is Christ!!  I have been promised, and God keeps all of His promises!!!  What a wonderful raindrop!!!