Job

Abundance, Destruction, Resurrection

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Mrs Knochel

OK, so through this week of blissful preparation for this post I’ve come to realize that this new weekly format is to be more of a Bible Study format than a devotional format. This was news that I was VERY excited about!!! 😀 so I hope you like the new format too, because I’m LOVING IT! Also, I will be posting last week’s sermon notes as the Bible study for next week, mostly because I just could NOT pass this lesson by without telling you about it!!! 😀 I pray that it encourages you, wherever you are in the pattern today. 😉 There is ALWAYS hope in Christ! Be blessed this week my friends! I cherish you! -Tamar

Last week’s readings:

Day #: 

Week #: 

Bible Reading: 

Date: 

162 

24 

Job 39:1-42:17

Nov 9

163 

Joel 1:1-3:21

Nov 10 

164 

John 1:1-3:36

Nov 11 

165 

John 4:1-6:21

Nov 12 

166 

John 6:22-8:30

Nov 13 

167 

John 8:31-11:37

Nov 14 

168 

Sabbath

Nov 15 

 

“For I know the plans I have for you”, says the LORD, “they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you.” Says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” Jeremiah 29:11-14

This week’s readings were… sigh… encouraging! We started in Job where we meet a man who has been as faithful and obedient to the LORD as anyone can be. He was wealthy beyond the normal means, and comfortable in every way possible. And then disaster struck his entire household. In one day he had servant after servant presenting themselves to him in order to report that they had been the lone survivor of the attack that had just occurred on his family.

Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever felt like Disaster was chasing your house and leaving you the sole survivor in order that you would retell the tale to someone else? And maybe, perhaps, that’s why you survived. To tell the tale of your SURVIVAL.

What have you been through? What have you survived that needs retelling? What’s your story my friend?

Job’s story started out in abundance and surplus but quickly turned to disaster and the loss of everything including his own health. BUT that wasn’t the end of his story, it was only the middle! My Dearest One, no matter where you are in your story, you’re not to the end yet! If you were, well, then you wouldn’t be reading this then would you?

Take a few seconds right now and review the end of Job’s story in: Job 42:10-17.

Words like, “the LORD restored his fortunes, in fact He gave him twice as much as before” and “So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning”, are kinda hard to argue with. While Job HAD endured a very difficult season in his life, it hadn’t ruined him. In fact, quite the opposite had occurred. It had shaped him. I’m guessing that while God did physically bless him with double portions of all his physical assets, I doubt that that is why Job went to the grave a happy man. I’m guessing that he was happy because he had achieved a newfound appreciation for all the things that he might have been taking for granted before the destruction came.

The story of Job establishes for us a pattern that the rest of our reading’s this week end up following as well. Which I see as no small coincidence! Job begins his story with obedience and abundance. Then he moves to complete destruction. And finishes with a renewal that is better and more abundant than before the story began.

This theme is taken up next in the prophecy of Joel, with but a small variation. While Job was amazingly dedicated to God in his obedience, the people in Joel’s story were not. Their story is one of disobedience and abundance that moves to a destruction of discipline. While Job’s troubles moved from a place of proving his obedience to God, the troubles of the people in the book of Joel were from a place of proving their disobedience to God in order to move them back into a place of obedience once more.

When destruction hits, it doesn’t matter if you’re obeying God or disobeying God, it will still hit. And when it hits it will show YOU your standing with God. Right now you are either looking to God, or away from Him. If you’re looking to Him, then this shaking will prove that. If you’re looking away from Him, then this shaking will prove that and cause you to look to Him again. That’s how this works. And the really amazing part is, that when the shaking is finished there is still a common thread – blessing!!!

Look at these verses in Joel for your confirmation of blessings after the destruction:

Joel 2:3 – How does the LORD describe the land that lies ahead?

Joel 2:25 – What are those first two words that God says in this promise? WHO is responsible for carrying out the results of this promise? You or God?

Joel 3:1 – In this verse, does the LORD say “if”? How would that little two letter word change the meaning of this verse? Isn’t it great that “if” isn’t the word He uses? What word does He use instead?

And here’s one from Isaiah just for good measure, don’t leave it out!

Isaiah 40:27

God is NOT ignoring you!!! He sees your troubles. He see’s what you’ve been going through – ALL of it! He knows your pain and frustration. He knows and He CARES about it. Read Joel 3:21 to see what He has to say about it. Or perhaps John 3:16-18 might be a more familiar way to explain.

You see, the theme that started in our readings of Job and continued into Joel concludes in John!!! While there is destruction, it’s not the end! The end of Joel presents us with a prophecy, a promise, of THE coming pardon, the fulfillment of the FULL pardoning of all our sins past, present and future. John 1:1-5 helps us to understand how Jesus – the fulfillment of the promise – is our answer to the destruction around us.

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Who is “the Word”? Jesus! And what does this verse say about Jesus that is the key to our renewal from destruction? His life brought LIGHT to EVERYONE.

Why is that a big deal? BECAUSE! The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can NEVER extinguish it!!!

Boy, if that’s not good news today then I don’t know what is! That darkness that’s trying to destroy you from the inside out can NEVER destroy the light that shines from a heart that believes!

Read John 10:10, what is Satan’s purpose? And what is Jesus’?

To wrap up a week of stories of renewal after destruction God put this great bow on the package that I simply can not leave out! Take a moment to re-read John 11 here.

Take a special look at the wording of verse 4, “This sickness will not END in death.” Yes, Lazarus died and lay in a cold DEAD grave for FOUR days and that STILL wasn’t the END! So don’t you dare tell me that you’re at the end of your story and that there’s no hope left for your dream to find its way to fruition! Look at verse 4 and 14, what was the purpose of Lazarus’ sickness?

Could your “sickness” have the same purpose?

Have you been lying cold and dead for four days in a rock hard tomb waiting for the Savior of the World to come and roll away your stone and say, “Lazarus, come out!” Is it time for your resurrection? How about today you appeal to, as Paul calls Him in Ephesians 3:20, the One who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that you could ask or imagine. Let’s follow Martha and Mary’s eloquent lead and send HIM a message, “LORD, the one You love is sick.”

There may have been some destruction in your life as of late, but take heart my friend! For you time of resurrection is just around the corner!!!

 

Next Week’s Readings:

Day #:

Week #:

Bible Reading:

Date:

169

25

John 11:38-14:14

Nov 16

170

John 14:15-18:18

Nov 17

171

John 18:19-21:25

Nov 18

172

1 John 1:1-5:21

Nov 19

173

2 John & 3 John & Jonah

Nov 20

174

Joshua 1:1-4:24

Nov 21

175

Sabbath

Nov 22
Categories: 365 Life, Job, Joel, Jonah, Season 3, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Shockwave Speech

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Mrs Knochel

Next week’s

162

24

Job 39:1-42:17

Nov 9

163

Joel 1:1-3:21

Nov 10

164

John 1:1-3:36

Nov 11

165

John 4:1-6:21

Nov 12

166

John 6:22-8:30

Nov 13

167

John 8:31-11:37

Nov 14

168

Sabbath

Nov 15

 

This week’s Devotional:

“Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?” Job 38:33

I was immediately taken with this verse. We’ve finally reached my favorite part of Job, the part where God speaks of all the things that He has done. I love reading about the majesty and power of our Father!

Something clicked in my brain today when I read God’s words to Job asking if he knows the laws of the universe. Hey! There are laws of the universe! Which, OK, that isn’t that big of a shocker. But the part that came next was. Can you use them to regulate the earth? Wait, what!?! CAN we use them? It was a thought that wouldn’t leave me alone. It chased me down and tackled me with possibility. So I asked Him, “LORD, can we use the laws of the universe to regulate the earth?”

His answer blew me away. “Sure you can!”

“Ummmm…. What?! How? Will you teach me? Should you teach me?”

He showed me a picture of me simply speaking. Not all fancy-like on a stage to a crowd, but in my home, or on the street simply speaking His words. His example was our upcoming trip to Disney. Earlier that morning I had a friend remind me to take my anointing oil because hotels are a Petri-dish of collected spirits. God showed me a picture of me walking into the Lobby of the Resort and speaking the very words Jesus instructed His disciples to speak when they entered a hospitable home in a new city:

“God’s Peace to this home” (Luke 10:5).

And the moment I spoke them a shockwave burst from me into all directions out through the ENTIRE resort bringing the Peace of God to the entire place.

I was amazed. But then what was more amazing was later that afternoon I was hanging laundry out on the line marveling at the FLOCK of very noisy birds in my neighbor’s trees. They were chattering like crazy. While I was enjoying their gleeful chattering I was very curious about them. There had to have been 100 of them. What were they doing there? Why were they only in my neighbor’s trees and no one else’s? It was perplexing to me. So naturally I asked God. This time I got no direct answer, which was fine.

My mind switched to thinking about other things as the birds chattered on and I continued snapping clips onto my husband’s shirts. Slowly a phrase I never would’ve come up with on my own started forming in the back of my head. It kept building like waters behind a dam pushing to emerge forth as speech. When I could bear it no longer I spoke the words. IMMEDIATELY every bird was silent. And a moment later they flew from their perches in the tree and landed silently in another tree farther from me.

Here, I hadn’t meant to try out this new concept of shockwave speech, but I’m pretty sure I had done it all the same. Through this, God pointed three things out to me, 1) speak HIS words, no matter how strange they may feel to your tongue. 2) The words you speak DO have power… serious power. And anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. 3) The laws of the universe are hidden in God’s Word and all we need to do to seek them out is to seek Him out.

Categories: 365 Life, Job, Season 3, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Leave a comment

Change is in the Wind

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Mrs Knochel


Job 26:1-30:31

“I will teach you about God’s power. I will not conceal anything concerning the Almighty.” Job27:11

My dear readers. I have come to a very difficult realization. I have too many irons in the fire. I feel God moving me in a (slightly) different direction. I have unfinished projects that MUST be finished. I would prefer for them to be finished by the beginning of December but I really don’t expect that to happen. With vacation and the holiday season at work these next two months are looking to be quite busy for me. From the beginning of this third Season of writing through the Bible in a Year my husband has been urging me to blog weekly rather than daily. I rebelled. The daily blog has been my passion for a very long time now and I have no plans of stopping any time soon. However, with everything that seems to be staring me in the calendar right now I’m having trouble figuring out how to get everything done in the 24/7 that God’s given me – and still retain my sanity and grace.

After the book signing on my birthday I’ve felt the importance of finishing, really FINISHING, the 365 Life project that He gave me. In the technical sense, it is finished. I wrote through the Bible in a year. However, there were enough people that seemed VERY interested in the materials that I did have there that it made me seriously consider the importance of providing them with the entire set of books and not half of one.

I only have so many hours a day to write and they’re quickly dwindling with the addition of a job outside the home. I feel that God’s been telling me lately to take a closer look at a) my writing and b) those who are interested in consuming it for a price. While blogging has been extremely profitable for my soul (and I pray yours) it has become more of a responsibility than a pleasure. You’ve been getting what’s left of my energy after everyone else has taken what they needed and that’s just not what I want in my writing. That’s not what I want for YOU. You deserve more than that. The message I bring is so important and I want to treat it that way. I want to be producing a quality product, not something that’s second rate. (I’m actually tearing up right now. This is a REALLY big deal to me.) I want to make sure that you’re getting steak, not spam.

So. Here’s the conclusion that I’ve come to. I need to be spending my time concentrating on producing this quality product for you. Rather than mass producing long-winded, rambling, pieces that I’ve heard many of you are backlogged on. (And God bless you for reading every word you saints!) Like my wise husband suggested at the beginning of the season (and I didn’t listen to him. 😉 I will be posting a weekly blog rather than daily. It will contain the Bible readings for the week and a devotional reading about the past week’s readings… you know, kind of like an actual BIBLE STUDY! LOL!!!

I will also be working on finishing what I started. I’ll be filling you in on things as I go along; keeping you abreast of all the new additions to the ever expanding resource list on the website. You’ve come this far on this journey with me and I HATE to cut you out of it now!!! Things are growing and expanding, and that’s GREAT! But it also means that we need to grow and expand with them and be prepared to handle the changes as they come along.

I am SUPER excited at the thought of diving into another in depth book project. I SO loved the writing process with True Intimacy and I’ve been longing to get back to that again. And I believe now is that time. I would GREATLY appreciate your prayers in all this, they mean the world to me! God bless you my eternal friends!

Oh! And so that I don’t forget! Please be praying for me this week. I have been asked to return to Hills Baptist Church in Sheridan to give their Sunday message again. I am praying for God’s words to His people to pour forth from my mouth like a balm to their soul. His word is a powerful double-edged sword dividing between bone and marrow and I am praying that it cuts away the very things that have been plaguing them for years and leaves only the God’s honest Truth that “My Redeemer LIVES!” (That’s the message title.) I’m going to be speaking on the critical part of the crucifixion, the Truth that Jesus walked OUT of that tomb. I’ll most likely be sharing the message with you when I get it done with it. 😉

Here are the readings for the rest of the week. I will post next week’s readings and my thoughts on this week’s readings on Friday night/Saturday morning.

This week’s

 

Categories: 365 Life, Job, Season 3, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Tags: , , , , | 4 Comments

Where to Find God

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Mrs Knochel


Job 21:1-25:6

“If only I knew where to find god. I would go to His court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to His reply and understand what He says to me.” Job 23:3-5

Ahhh… if only I knew where to find God…

My God doesn’t live in one place or another. Oh no. He lives in all places. He lives in all situations and circumstances. He’s in every drop of rain, every ray of sun, every blade of grass bears His name. His voice is the bird’s song and His laugh bubbles like a brook. His clap is in thunder and His breath is in the wind.

My God is an awesome God. One who is just and good and willing to listen to us when we call. Actually, His ear is trained to our cry just like a new mother to her infant… only more. His eye is on you. He knows what you need and when you need it. He is faithful in hearing our case before Him. He is a good God.

Categories: 365 Life, Job, Season 3, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Leave a comment

Mediator

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Mrs Knochel


Job 16:1-20:29

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth at last.” Job 19:25

There have been several places in the book of Job where Job has cried out, “I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends.” Job 16:21 He was begging for the very thing that we have in Christ – a mediator. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes, “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.” (2:5-6) What does that mean to you? Why is having a mediator important to you personally today? What does being reconciled to God mean to you? You have a person who mediates between you and God as a person who mediates between friends. Are you taking full advantage of this mediator we have been blessed with?

Jesus paid it all in blood that runs red and makes things white. What does this, “all” mean to you? The very thing Job begged for, is the very thing we take for granted every day. Today, let’s bask in the blessing of a purified relationship with our Creator God who adores us.

Jesus loves you my friend… He REALLY REALLY loves you.

Categories: 365 Life, Job, Season 3, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Leave a comment

Sunday SHMILY

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Mrs Knochel

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Job 11:1-15:35
“Yet my friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer.” Job 12:4

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Anna VOLUNTARILY reading! AND Enjoying it!

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Gabe wearing the Lord of the Rings dwarf costume I designed for him… mostly comprised of MY clothes! I have discovered I’m a dwarf!

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Categories: 365 Life, Job, Season 3, SHMILY!, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Leave a comment

Knock, Knock…

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Mrs Knochel


Job 6:1-10:22

“Oh that I might have my request, that God would grant my desire.” Job 6:8

My friends, I feel that it is imperative that I tell you, “Today is the day”. Whenever you’re reading this, God has structured it so that you will read it at just the appropriate moment so that you will know; today is the day.

In Matthew 6 we read:

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

You see my friend, the Truth is, the LORD delights in the prosperity of His people (Psalm 35:27). In Psalm 37 it says to, “Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart (verse 4). James tells us that we “do not have because we do not ask God.” Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter seven,

“ Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Then He turns to all the parents with children clinging to their knees and says,

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” (verses 7-11)

My friends, today is the day. God IS for you, and since He is on your side, who on earth can stand against you? ASK GOD your heavenly Father for the desires of your heart. Seek first His kingdom and all these things will be added to your account. Listen! Do you hear that? Opportunity is knocking at your door! You’d better go open it!!!

Categories: 365 Life, Job, Season 3, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

A Day in the Life

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Mrs Knochel


Job 39:1-42:17

“And Job died an old man, and full of days.” Job 42:17

I have been trying to write this post all day, but as you all well know, I am a mom. I can’t remember who said it first, but whoever they were I highly agree with them when they said, “sometimes life just has to be lived, and written about later.”

The best I can give you today are snapshots from the last few days in our family.

May your many days be FULL of life! God bless you my friend!

Categories: 365 Life, Jesus Loves YOU, Job, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | 2 Comments

A Daily Planner, A Dishwasher and Expanded Territory

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Mrs Knochel


Job 34:21-38:41

“For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees all His steps.” Job 33:21

This is one of my all time favorite Truths. God sees your steps, every single one of them. Proverbs 16:9 says, “People can plan what they want to do, but it is the LORD who guides their steps.”

I have that verse written at the top of my daily planner. (click the picture and it will take you to a free printable version.)

No matter how much we plan and think and arrange, in the end, it’s God who guides the steps we actually take. Some of you may disagree, and that’s fine, but God has shown me that this IS how He works in my life. He works this way with me because it’s what I’ve asked Him to do. I’ve given Him control over my life, honestly, because I seem to always screw things up. No matter how many plans I make, how hard I try to make things work out, they never do. But Him; well, when He plans things for me I always seem to be in the right place at the right time for the right reasons. It takes a great deal of the stress out of my life. So I make out my little planner and say to myself, “These are the things I’d like to get done today.” And then I look at the verse at the top of the page and remind myself that if I don’t get a single thing done on MY list, then it’s still OK. I try to hold my plans with an open hand instead of a clenched fist. (But that doesn’t always happen. I’m sure you can understand.)

Yesterday was one of those days. At the end of the day My Top 5 looked like this:

  • Write today’s post
  • Make 365 Life card (for the paper)
  • Vacuum
  • Put Flea medicine on the cats
  • Finish Proofing new book Use Me Lord… Please.

I sighed and thought to myself, “I think I remember God telling me to make that a Top 2 instead of a Top 5…” It seems like that’s all that I ever get crossed off the list, the top 2 items. And really, if I had made it a more detailed Top 10 then I would probably get 4 things crossed off every day. Or, if I had made it a Top 2, then only 1, or none would be crossed off. It seems like no matter how hard I try to reach my goals, they slip juuuust out of reach. Kind of like when you’re swimming in the deep end of a pool and you’re trying to swim to a noodle or some other floating toy. The harder you try to get to it the further away you end up pushing it. And yet, when you’re still, often times the water will naturally float the toy to you instead of the other way around.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you the reason why I only got 2 things knocked off my list yesterday, MY “NEW” DISHWASHER!!! I was picking it up yesterday afternoon and didn’t have time to finish my list. (OK, I probably would’ve had time to get flea meds on the cats if I had made the time at some point last night before bed, but I didn’t.)

I have gone around NINE MONTHS without a dishwasher. When it first went out I thought I could hack it and I really made an effort to wash all the dishes by hand. I failed miserably. Then after a few months I found myself BEGGING God for a dishwasher. And that day it dawned (yes, pun intended) on me that I was not the only one using the dishes so why am I the only one washing them? So I went EXTREME. I took away all the dishes and told each member of my family, “You get one plate, one bowl, one set of utensils and one cup. They’re your responsibility. If they’re dirty I’m not cleaning them you are.” I took some of our plastic plates and wrote names on them with a permanent marker (that turned out to be not so permanent). This actually worked and got us through several more months until people started using the “off-limits” items and I went soft and let them.

Paper plates and bowls have been our main source since then, but even then there are just some meals that you can’t eat from paper. Plus there are always the pots and pans to wash. So long story short, there has been a sink and counter full of dishes in my house constantly for the last nine months… until today.

Today it is hereby banished from my house forever! Because I discovered the Habitat for Humanity ReStore! It’s much like a Goodwill or a Salvation Army store, except its only home remodeling type items. Like dishwashers, and refrigerators, sinks and cabinets, and all for CHEAP!

I had been saving all my birthday money to buy a new dishwasher, but when I showed up at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore I was able to walk out of there with a working dishwasher for $15!!!!! And every penny of it went to charity to boot! Now I get to spend my birthday money on other things! 😀 Yay!

My friends, if you have a dishwasher, kiss it today! You never know which load may be its last! Of course, now you know about the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and that you can get another one for $15. I didn’t know about that before.

I also wanted to share some more good news with you! Yesterday the newspaper that I write for doubled their readership! They combined with another paper the publisher is printing and my articles went from going into 2,000 papers, to 5,000! In ONE day! I was also just notified that my online printer is now offering Expanded Distribution for FREE! I wasn’t able/willing to fork over the $25/book before. This means that bookstore chains like Barnes and Noble and Family Christian Bookstores are now able to order my books! So if you have a bookstore near you, if you would do me the kindness of letting them know that you would like for them to carry my books, I would greatly appreciate that!!! You can, of course, still buy books straight from my website, which brings me more profit, but this way more people will be able to find my books than before.

I also have an Assembly of God women’s conference next weekend where I will be attending and have a table to do a book signing. You’re prayers for this event mean the world to me!!! This is the first conference I’ve been able to do and I am very hopeful that book sales will be GOOD here. I’ve been writing for four years now and have yet to actually turn a profit doing it. I would really like for this to be the start of that!!! Please please please pray for me to SELL OUT of the books I have on hand and to come home with a STACK of order forms filled with requests for more books to be shipped to readers! With GOD all things are possible!!! But it’s ONLY through Him and His will. His word says to ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. Let’s knock together and see what happens shall we? J

Categories: 365 Life, Jesus Loves YOU, Job, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Leave a comment

Stand Your Ground!

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Mrs Knochel


Job 31:1-34:20

“Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know; for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food.” Job 34:1-3

I’m struggling right now my friends and I could really use your prayer support. I have so much I want to tell you and yet at the very same time I seem to never have enough time to tell you!!! God is opening up the word to me like never before and yet I can’t seem to get it down onto the page to share with you. It’s driving me absolutely crazy!

But much like Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings (this clip is 1:40, watch it!) movie when he is battling the demon, I will slam my staff down in front of me and tell Satan “You shall not pass!”. I will stand my ground and refuse to allow him even one more inch of my territory. My readership is increasing by leaps and bounds and I know that that makes him very very mad. But that’s just too bad! He doesn’t get to win. He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world, that I know for certain. I also know that I have been justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom god put forward as a propitiation by His blood to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 2:24-26)

I know that if God can “pass over” the former sins committed by my forefathers, then He can so much more pass over my own sins because of the blood of Jesus that has wiped them all out completely and fully. So much more than the blood of bulls and goats ever could! While their blood faded over time, the blood of Jesus just gets stronger and more resilient. I know that God is just. “The Almighty will not pervert justice.” Job 34:12 His justice requires that my sins be paid in full before I can set foot across the threshold of fellowship with Him. And yet He is not only just but my justifier!!! He is the one that is requiring the payment for sin, but He is also the one who has offered up that payment for me. And He’s offered it as a FREE GIFT! It’s the kind of gift where the giver requires nothing in return. (Otherwise it wouldn’t be free or a gift.)

That word “gift” in the Greek is an awesome word. It’s the word “dorean” and it literally means a gift without cost; a free gift; for nothing. But what is this gift? Justification! Jesus’ payment on our behalf at the cross put us into right relationship with God. It made us acceptable to God and set us free.

In Mark 14:62 Jesus says, “you shall see the Son of Man seated on the right hand of God and coming with the clouds of heaven”. And in Acts 7:55 we read of the vision Stephen had as he was being stoned to death by Saul and his men, “But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God”. Jesus seated next to God illustrates His divinity and His position as the ruler of this creation. Jesus standing at the right hand of God illustrates His willingness to stand up for us before God and mediate a new covenant filled with Grace and forgiveness that was paid for on the cross. There is nothing you can do to pay for this forgiveness, as a mere human you aren’t able. But Jesus wasn’t JUST human, He is GOD. He always has been and he always will be. It is because of His divinity that He was able to walk sinlessly upon this earth and therefore pay the penalty we never could. It is because of His divinity that His rightful place is seated at the right hand of God. And yet it is through faith that we too are seated right there next to God IN CHRIST. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, in Him we find LIFE. In Him we find fellowship. In the vineyard so long ago He told His disciples, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” John 15:15-17

OK, I feel better now. Not much of that was in my notes for today, but it’s obviously what God wanted for me to share with you. I love you my friends, more than you could ever know. You mean the world to me. May God bless you richly this day and every day here after!

Categories: 365 Life, Jesus Loves YOU, Job, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Leave a comment

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