The world at large seems to be falling apart on every front. And the world between our own two feet sometimes feels the same. Life's daily necessities alone, even when things are going pretty smoothly, can become overwhelming. Now add to that the unexpected. In the end, the most important way to keep it all together and to reach the finish line is to make a real effort to stop. Listen and see what we mean.
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Since the inventions of television, radio, and the model T-Ford we have more distractions than any generation since the creation of Adam & Eve. It has always been tough enough to grow in a relationship with the Living God, but now more than ever. We have more opportunity to be distracted and fill our heads and hearts with trash, junk and meaningless clutter than ever before. Let's get focused.
I know this seems like a real stretch, but did you see Omar Sharif in the movie Hidalgo? Sharif plays an Arabian sheikh and owner of the most prestigious Arabian horses on earth. Frank Hopkins, an American half-breed of the Lakota Sioux tribe, becomes a challenger in a 3000 mile race across the Arabian desert, the "Ocean of Fire" race.
This is a "man's" race, no place for a woman. But Sharif's daughter, a crack rider herself, tries to appeal to her father to allow her to run. In the film they speak Arabic, in which she pleads with "Abbi". You couldn't help but be drawn into the tenderness of the moment as she spoke to her dad, her father. I know it seems trivial and somewhat silly to run this as a parallel to a scriptural reference, but the point is this. Abba in Hebrew means father, and no matter how much we understand that fact, it still comes off as a foreign sounding title rather than the close, personal, tender appeal of a child. But when hearing the sheikh's daughter plead, the word transformed from some foreign title to a meaningful name that any one of us could easily internalize. The film got a B rating, but that one scene was a nice touch. Here is the truth. There is no other faith in existence whose god is known as a tender father except ours and I hope we can all grow in our true relationship with our Creator as "Abba". Just how does that make you feel? The range of emotions are typically pretty significant. And if you immediately reacted against the perpetrator the results most probably wouldn't be very good. But again, that's us. Today we look at God as Jealous.
There's an event in the old testament where the enemy would sneak up from behind when the Israelites were on there way from Egypt to the promised land. They'd pick off the weak ones, the ones who were at the tail end of the line and maybe couldn't keep up. These are mean cowards. The low-lifes with no regard. That's who the evil one is and he is there in any form he can to do you harm. Stay close to the Lord. He is your protection. He is your banner.
The answer is NO. Today we're talking about the fact that everything we have ever even thought or intended in our heart has been recorded and there will be a day when the playback button is going to be pressed.
I know lot of people who truly do know quite a bit about God. But knowing God really is a different deal. I know a lot about (pick a famous person and insert) but don't know him/her, never had a conversation, and certainly Famous Person doesn't know I even exist, let alone care. But in the case of THE Famous Person, do you truly truly really really want to know Him, and know Him in a very personal way. That means having real conversation, challenging Him with what really counts inside you and then having Him actually respond. And not only responding but then DOING something in you. Beginning to make changes in you that you know didn't come or couldn't come from within yourself, mainly because you really know yourself and realize those changes couldn't have come from within you. A power and ability that somehow you truly know you didn't have.
This all begins when you realize that Elohim-Adoni-Yahweh-Jehovah Jireh (and a few more names we haven't yet discussed) made promises regarding you. Promises that He intends to keep. But promises you have very possibly not yet "called Him out on" as the expression goes. Go ahead. Call Him out on those promises He's made regarding you. Let's keep listenting. What answers the deepest part within yourself, the void inside you? The above heading pretty much summed up Jesus response to the several thousand just after they were fully fed the loaves & fishes. But what about us? What do we really want?
Scripture uses this analogy which usually doesn't relate to most men, but the emphasis here has to do with God being our perfect provider even when we're not. This is a good listen regardless of gender.
We've all known people that give great lip service but in the end hardly ever follow through. The frightening fact is, however, that there are people who, when standing before the Living God, are going to be sent straight to hell who thought they were doing God's service but whose heart was far from Him. "But Lord have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?. But He will respond "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"
Lordship. We need to get hold of this truth. |
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