GOD IS LIKE A SATELLITE, RULING AND RECORDING THE ENTIRE WORLD

I borrowed the above title of this blog from a sentence in Bruce Wilkinson’s book entitled Beyond Jabez.   You remember Mr. Wilkinson.  He is the famous author of the parent book, The Prayer of Jabez.  The message in both books clears up the misconceptions of whether or not it is all right for a person to pray and ask God to specifically bless them by enlarging their territory.  I invite you to explore Mr. Wilkinson’s bible-based responses in both books and be ready for a rude awakening that will truly knock your socks off!!

As we dissect the words that God is the Ruler over the universe, what does that really mean?  First, we are not just talking about God being a Ruler over heads of state or governments.  God’s authority, rulership and supremacy is also over every day life situations such as finances, relationships, health and wellness, educational pursuits, spiritual growth, and situations that weigh heavily on your moral responsibilities to God and your fellow man.

All of these decisions gives us challenges and invokes fears that depend on the measure of faith one has in the Living God and the examples set forth in the life of his Son, Christ Jesus.

A real life rude awakening in Kingdom authority:

I can remember a time in my life, while on a mission trip in Costa Rica.  I was riding in a jitney cab with other missionaries, when we saw several young children running along the street waving at passing buses and cabs.  They were trying to draw attention to us foreign visitor passengers coming into their village.  They wanted to show us some love.

Suddenly, a large suitcase tumbled off the top of one of the buses in front of us and fell to the street.  Two older children ran hurriedly into the street, scooped up the suitcase and fled down a narrow alleyway and out of sight.  Those in my cab gasped but said nothing, and our local cab driver did not stop.  Everyone acted as though nothing had happened.  (Hold on to this thought…there is more.)

Later that day, after settling into our rooms, I decided to wash and dry a load of clothes,  along with my newly soiled tennis shoes, in the laundry mat located in the hotel lobby.  After supper, I went to the laundry room to retrieve my clothing.  To my surprise, when I opened the dryer, there was nothing inside but a handful of tiny rubber balls.  No newly dried clothes, no newly washed white tennis shoes.  Just a handful of tiny rubber balls.  Basically, just crumbs of melted rubber.

My knees became weak, I placed my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out, I looked around the room at the attendant and other customers.  I didn’t know what to do or who to accuse of my loss, when all of a sudden, I heard a still small voice say; My child, sit down…relax…listen to me.  I obeyed and sat down.  I buried my face in my hands and I said softly; Speak, Lord, thy servant is listening.

My beloved, Greater is He that is within you then he that is in the world.  And as you know, I oppose the proud but give grace to the humble.  Your assumption that someone robbed you of your possessions and your earlier ill thoughts of young children as thieves are misplaced.  Honestly, your actions and those of your mission team were the cause of it all.

Oh, my Lord, speak on.  How have I offended You?

Why have you come to this desolate place where there is so much poverty and physical need, with all of these fancy new clothes and a prideful attitude of your status with Me, when you know that I require obedience rather than sacrifice?  At dinner time, when you were asked by your host church what church did you belonged to in the states, instead of just naming your church, you pridefully reach into your purse and displayed a picture of a brand new multimillion dollar building, which caused your host to sadly exclaim, ‘My God, what a waste!’

You still do not understand why he said that.  So let me explain.  Your host was thinking just how many mouths all that money could have fed and/or provided medical supplies and housing with indoor plumbing for his people.  Also those children were desperate to sell  on the black market those clothes in the suitcase, to help support their families.  And by the way, you put too much money in the dryer and I alone burned up your brand new tennis shoes and gave your clothes away to someone in need. 

Oh, my God, say no more.   This conversation is too revealing for me.  I now see the error of my ways and understand Proverbs 25:2 more clearly.  For you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

I understand now that You, my Lord, have crowned all missionaries as your chosen students being taught to become kings and queens in your vineyard.  We are being trained to be loving and compassionate to all Your subjects without prejudice.  Therefore, I sorely repent of my insensitive actions and for my teams haughtiness.  I humbly pray for Your forgiveness and thank You for ordering my steps in the way your servants should act when on the battle field.  For not only are you the Ruler over established monarchs, but also over the common and lowly hearts of your people.

He’s got the whole world in His hand!

Did you know that both sinner and saint, believer and non-believer, male and female, and false prophets and men who prophesied truth have all confessed at one time or another that “God is able to provide deliverance”? And also, did you realize that when they do acknowledge that God is able to overcome any and all adversities, these witnesses give us an unforgettable lesson in faithfulness and God’s goodness and mercies.

Allow me to pose another question to you:

Has there ever been a time in your life when an enemy/foe has overpowered you and rendered all your efforts of survival helpless and you found that your only weapon against your foe was to face destruction with your convictions and faith in tack?  Always remember that no weapon formed against you shall prosper… (excerpt from Isaiah 54:17)

I, personally, am grateful for recorded events and heroic stories retold by sages, eyewitnesses, or old wives tales, for without a doubt, they have been the cornerstone, seed and foundation of the church.

As I write this week’s blog, I am reminded of a specific event that is happening in our Nation today.  With the spread and devastation of the Corona virus, whether you agree with the methods put forth to curtail it or not, most everyone agrees that our Nation’s fate is in God’s hands and he and he alone is able to provide the relief and instructions to deliver and bring us out.

The most revealing Bible story that bares me out is found in the Old Testament Book of Daniel, Chapter 3; the story of three young Hebrew boys whose Babylonian names were Sharach, Meshach and Abed-nego.  They refused to bow down in a worshiping posture to the Babylonian king’s golden statue.  In spite of the fact that if they did not obey the king, they faced certain death, they put their trust in God and chose to disobey the king’s orders.

This defiance infuriated the king and he commanded that the young men be put to death by fire.  So the king ordered the furnace to be preheated seven times hotter than its usual temperature.  But in spite of that, the faithful boys were not afraid to face death because they knew that God was able to provide a method of survival.  And if not, they would never the less, bow down.  Subsequently, they were joined in the furnace by a fourth ‘Mystery Person’ who fanned the flames and reduced its temperature.  When the king saw this miracle, and perceived that the fourth Person was an Angel, he immediately commanded that the boys exit the furnace alive, and was amazed to see that they were unscaled by the smell of burnt clothing and hair.  Consequently, the three Hebrew boys  found favor with the king for their tenacity and strong commitment.

The moral of the story:

Some people believe that no situation has yet arrived in our Nation that calls for believers to personally demonstrate the scripture recorded in John 15:13:  “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  Not even the nearly 144,000 Covid-19 deaths so far recorded in the USA, seems severe enough for someone to cry out in prayer, ‘Here am I, Lord, take me instead.’

Well, that prayer might seem a little extreme, but we can all certainly pray the prayer of Jabez, found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10:  ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.’  

If the prayer of Jabez was our prayer, too, and the Lord granted it, we could oblige Him by extending our efforts to search out the needy, give comfort to the downhearted and encouragement to the down trodden.  I’m sure with God’s help and provisions, we all could make a difference during Covid-19.

Please allow these pictures to help me tell my story:

                                   

     Sharing time with family.                                                   People volunteering. 

     Protect yourself & others.                                                     Wash hands often.   

                     

           Why do these things?  To please our Provider!  And become an overcomer!

Scripture Lesson:   Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.” Daniel 3:28

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

 

 

Is the man carrying the Cross a mystery to you?  Do you know him, really?

Yes, it has taken me 2 weeks to complete introducing you to the 12 Hebrew Names of God (*).  So, as promised, here is Part 2.  With the aid of the Holy Spirit, I will continue identifying the remaining 6 Jehovah Names of our Creator that are referenced in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible.

As we acquire a deeper understanding of the Jehovah names for God, it is my sincere hope that you will be able to compare their characteristic performances to the life of God’s only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  For, as it is written in Colossians 1:15-16:

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.” (New Living Translation)

So, with that being said, let us continue in our pursuit to acquaint ourselves with the Jehovah Names of God, in order that we might find completeness in knowing that God’s Son demonstrated in His earthly personage and His works, the splendor and glory of our Great Creator.

(May I suggest that before embarking on what is to follow below, that you take the time to review last week’s blog as a refresher course to broaden your understanding of God as Jehovah El-Shaddai.  Send up a quick short prayer and thank El-Shaddai for keeping you and your family and loved ones safe during this past week from the coronavirus that is wreaking havoc across this entire world.) 

7.     Jehovah-Nissi – (My Banner)  In ancient times, a “banner” did not necessarily represent a cloth flag as it does in today’s world.  But rather, a banner was a bare wooden pole with a shining ornament attached. This banner (pole) was used as a walking stick by Israelite men and represented God’s ability to deliver one from danger.  “Moses reflected this sentiment after a victory over one of Israel’s enemies:  “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.”  (Ex. 17:15)  So, whenever one of your enemies lift up their hands against a child of the King, (especially during a spiritual warfare) silently lift up your banner to Jehovah-Nissi, pray this Name and claim victory over your adversary.

8.     Jehovah-M’Kaddesh – This Name means the God who sanctifies, or the God who provides instructions to help you grow in him.  Since the people of God are called a royal priesthood, they are to take on the attributes and conduct of a priestly nation. We have been called out…set apart…hallowed…and made holy.  Just like God is set apart (Our Father which art in heaven, hollow be thy name…), you, too, are set apart in order to commune with Him.  Therefore, when you pray, ask the Holy Spirit (God’s teacher) to envelop your prayer requests, set yourself apart, select an appointed time, collect your sacred materials and get serious.  Pray God’s word back to him.  Ask Jehovah-M’Kaddesh to instruct, lead and guide you all the way.

9.     Jehovah-Shalom -The Lord is Peace.  If ever you needed to pray to God with this Name it is now during Covid-19.  Without a doubt, we are in a war with our governments (national and local) disputing each other as to how to approach this pandemic; how to relieve our first responders and medical staff; insensitive individuals not wearing their masks; thieves stealing life-saving medical supplies from warehouses and clinics, etc., etc., etc. In Judges 6:24 we read where the Lord of Peace used Gideon to rescue the Israelites from their overpowering enemies of war.  Gideon was victorious even though the Israelites’ sinful deeds brought this calamity upon themselves.  After Gideon’s victory, scripture says this is what he did.  “So, Gideon built an alter to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace.”  You should do likewise.  Sometimes children of God misstep and cause pain, destruction and suffering on themselves and others.  As we pray and repent, we can call upon the One who is peace…Jehovah-Shalom.  He alone can forgive us and bring peace and stability to every situation.

10.     Jehovah-tsidkenu – (The “t” is silent.)  The meaning is Jehovah our righteousness.  Scripture reveals in Isaiah 64:6 that all humanity has a sinful nature and our righteous acts are like filthy rags.  Therefore, in order to approach God’s throne of grace we must come to the Father by faith and in the Name of Jesus Christ.  For no man comes to the Father except by me. (John 6:44)  Because of this righteous Man, always end your prayers by saying, “In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”  This is your confession that you believe in your heart in the Trinity.

11.     Jehovah-rohi – Perhaps you did not know that you can began reciting the 23rd Psalms in this manner.  Actually, rohi means Shepherd.  “The Lord is my Jehovah-rohi and I shall not want.”  May I suggest that you grab your Bible and turn to this scripture passage and begin using this Name right now.  Try it, you’ll love it!

12.     Jehovah-shammah – The meaning of this name is Jehovah is there.  Allow me to define ‘Jehovah’ for you.  God’s first name reveals Him as a God in special relationship with man; absolutely self-existence; and One who is infinite and eternal.  God is everywhere.  God’s moral and spiritual attributes are also revealed in His Creation.  After Joshua led his people into the Promise Land and allotted up the land to the 12 tribes of Israel, Ezekiel, the prophet, later wrote concerning the territory; “And the distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.  And the name of the city from that time on will be ‘The Lord is there.’ “  While traveling around the world on my many mission trips I could use this name in so many villages I visited…Surely, Jehovah-shammah was there.

(*) NOTE:  For an in-depth study of the Names of God I used a paperback book by the same title written by Nathan Stone.

I would like to share with you a personal experience I had with Jehovah-M’Kaddesh. The God who provides instructions to help you grow in him.

I am not a public-school teacher by trade but I have performed many years as a bible teacher. However, when I first became a volunteer missionary, we all had to wear many hats when out in the field.  One year while performing mission duties in the Bahamas, I was assigned to teach a small group of young children:  some could read, and some could not.  I instantly realized that the kids were not well disciplined and by reading a bible story to them, I would have a hard time holding their attention.   For it was my intent to read, explain and acquire feedback from the students.  And as you know, a missionary’s job is to plant seeds of Wisdom about our Lord and Savior, no matter if the pilgrim is young or old or even speaks your language.

So, while the children were giggling and playing tag with each other, I began looking around the room for some supplies to work with.  To my surprise, there were none to be found:  no desks, black boards, chaulk, writing paper, hand puppets, toys…nothing!  I began to panic.  The children were getting out of control.  Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spied a stack of small brown sandwich bags over in a corner.  The children were to use these bags to carry home any small gifts the missionary team had brought to hand out to them at the end of our trip.

In my spirit, the Holy Spirit whispered…So you want to become a missionary, do you?  And your intent is to travel to far off places and visit cities anew.  I don’t remember hearing you praying and asking God to equip you with instructions on how to meet obstacles while on your journey that might prevent you from effectively sharing the gospel.  Now go get those lunch bags and I will show you what to do.

The second thing the Holy Spirit had me do was to ask the children to get out of their seats and onto their knees and to use their chair as a desk.

Immediately, I realized that the bags had four sides and a boxed bottom.  The Holy Spirit whispered for me to give a bag to each child and one crayon.  I was to tell the story of Mary and Joseph traveling on a donkey, arriving at a stable, surrounded by animals, and a baby being born and placed in a manger.  (I now had four scenes that the children could draw with stick figures and circles.) They loved it and were very excited about their finished project because the Spirit told me to have the children open their bags and put their small hand up into the sack and retell the story by turning the bag around and displaying their art work on all 4 sides.  At the top of the bag I had them print the title of the story:  “Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus”.

I had truly experienced Jehovah-M’Kaddesh.  And in the process, I learned never to doubt the Lord’s intervention capabilities again.  His instructions to me to forget about myself and to look to Him for guidance is a lesson I will never forget.

Scripture Lesson:

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Is the man carrying the Cross a mystery to you?  Do you know him, really?

Whether you realize it or not, Our God desires for us to get to know him most specifically by his many Hebrew Names(*) in scripture.  So, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, I decided to choose that subject…the Names of God…for this week’s blog.

After all, just last week my blog was about reassuring you that God certainly knows our names, therefore it is only befitting that we also know his Name(s) since it is a name above every name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  It is also a name where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Ironically, in order to wholeheartedly commune with God, and to praise God, and to give him glory and thanksgiving for the gift of salvation, it is imperative that we know something about him and his wonderous works.  We find these instructive words in the New Testament and the Old Testament:

“Now this is eternal life; that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 TNIV My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. Hosea 4:6 NLT

You will notice that the second Bible quotation above is from the Old Testament and refers to us as ‘priests’.  In the New Testament, all those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ are called a royal priesthood.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9 TNIV

Now that we have established that God truly desires that you get to know him intimately, let us proceed with identifying six out of 12 Hebrew Names ascribed to God.  (The remaining six names will be discussed in next week’s blog…God willing.)

1.     Elohim – Whenever you want to express the general idea of God’s greatness and his glory that is manifested in the world.  Your demeanor in prayer should be a serious one.

2.     Jehovah – Whenever you want to express that God possesses essential life and can sustain a permanent existence (eternity).   God is specifically concerned with his creation and the preservation of the entire world.  So please remember to refer to him with this name as you pray for all nations during the Covid-19 pandemic.

3.     El-Shaddai – Whenever you want to express gratitude for God’s provisions, nourishment and supplies.  Especially as he keeps you during this Covid-19 crises may I suggest that you add ‘Almighty’ in front of El-Shaddai when you pray.  Because that is Who he is.

4.     Adonai – Usually, in most cases, this name is used interchangeably with the title Lord.  It denotes ownership of something or someone.  In prayer, to acknowledge God as Adonai means you understand that your body, soul and mind (your total being) belong to God.  He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings over all nations all by himself.

5.     Jehovah-jireh –  This is considered as a mighty name reference to God.  You may consider using it when you are praying for a miracle to happen.  You are literally praying to asking God to use his miracle-working powers to manifest (show/reveal) his provision to you.  In other words, you are asking God to make sure you recognize that the answer to your prayer is being provided by him and not some doctor, lawyer or Indian chief.  You are begging to SEE God’s glory and to profusely give thanks to him alone.  Abraham and his offering of his son Isaac are your examples.

6.     Jehovah-rophe (pronounced rah-pha) – Whenever there is a need for healing of the body by a physician, you can refer to God as Jehovah-rophe.   But, when we consider that many of the body’s aches and pains are cause by spiritual and mental stresses, we can also reach out to God by this name for spiritual restoration as well.

(*) NOTE:  For an in-depth study of the Names of God I used a paperback book by the same title written by Nathan Stone.

On a personal note, I have experienced God in all of these name-situations above, especially when on international mission trips.  Please allow me to recall just two:

1.                 While in Hanoi, Vietnam (a pagan nation) our mission team was only allowed by their government to distribute gifts, medicines and teach English as a second language.  But I witnessed a young girl in my class turn her paper over once she had finished her lesson and begin drawing a ‘man’ on the cross. (I had not mentioned anything about our Christian heritage and the profound surprise on my face when I saw it caused the Vietnam guard assigned to my class room to rush over to see what so surprised me.  His glaring stare on me caused me to tremble because I just knew he was blaming me and was deciding whether or not to dismiss the class and to report me.   At that moment all of the other children in the class left their seats and came over to see what all the excitement was about.  Everyone of them returned to their seats and begin to draw the same thing…Jesus on the Cross!  Oh, the power of Elohim…the greatness of his might!  Needless to say, that guard knew that his arms were too short to box with God. 
2.                While in  Nicaragua, Central America I remember sitting at a large pot of hot rice my mission team had prepared for a community high in the mountains.  We instructed the children to line up first to receive the food and the adults to follow.  My team leader ordered me to serve everyone first, so I took a seat on the short stool.  I noticed that no one in line had a bowl to receive the hot rice in.  When the first child approach me with a great big smile, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag similar to those in our grocery stores.  My eyes expanded to the size of half dollar coins.  My fear was that once I poured the hot rice into that plastic bag, the tremendous heat would cause the bag to burst.  (I surmised that no one had any bowls and I was right.)  So I sent up a quick prayer to my Jehovah-jireh.  Into the plastic bag went the hot rice.  And you guessed it…the plastic bag miraculously ‘solidified’ and held everyones’ portion of rice.  Hallelujah!

Scripture Lesson:

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

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From the beginning, God knew your name!

Dear Readers.  Did you know that from the beginning of your existence, God had a calling on your life.  I know this because I had a conversation with him during my adult transformation from worldly desires to seeking wisdom and understanding through reading God’s word.  Let me share with you how this came about.

God’s call on my life.

As I became more and more familiar with the bible and Jesus’ teachings, I began to realize a change in my demeanor and life style.  For some reason I didn’t crave the entertainment and people I used to.  I stopped dressing as provocative as I used to.  My attitude and demeanor was more comforting and not as confrontational.  I began to feel and act more obliging towards others.  I found solace in reading my Sunday School lessons and searching commentaries for deeper explanations of Scripture.  Needless to say, something got a hold of me.  And that Something was Jesus!

               Speak, Lord, Thy servant is listening.

He, at first, received a busy signal from me.

Although, God called me at a ripe-mature age, like most of you, at first, I turned a deaf ear to his voice.  I allowed the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Excuse, Aunt and Uncle Procrastination and my favorite cousin Self-willed Willie to have control over my life.  They took turns distorting my hearing, understanding, mind, heart, time, talents and my treasures.  But thanks be to God, one day I said, ‘Enough, already!’  I surrendered under the Cross.

My humble advice to you is simply this; no matter what your age, begin seeking the love of Jesus today.  Start recognizing the extraordinary methods of operation He is performing in your lives.  When I came to myself, I repented and prayerfully asked the Lord to forgive me for procrastinating in performing His bidding.  I have also thanked Him profusely for silencing every negative voice that previously had dominion over me.

He changed my name!

One day, I finally got up enough nerve to prayerfully ask God a question since I felt strongly that I was on his team.  I said, Lord, in the scriptures I notice that those whom You call and send out on Your behalf, You change their names.  Have You given me a new name?  Jesus answered me in my spirit…My child, have you not read Isaiah 62:12a?  Your name to Me has always been ‘Sought Out’.  I have been seeking you out since your birth, but you have been running from Me.

What a revelation!  What a blessed nomenclature!  What a divine calling from my Lord and Savior!

He is no respecter of person!

I challenge you out there…those who are sincerely seeking the Lord to confess that perhaps the reason why you have not totally committed yourself to His service is because He is calling you by another name that you do not recognize.  Pray and ask God to open your eyes and to remove the worldly scales that have formed over them and to make it plain.  For the scriptures say to ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be open unto you.  Begin to claim all that God has in store for you right now.  For Jesus alone can make your paths straight.

What He has done for others, He will do for you!

Always remember that God is calling you twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.  It is your choice to mentally leave your domain, your comfort zone, your place of many voices and answer his call.  He is The One with the still small voice.  He is The Comforter.  When you are ready to obey and yield, just say, “Speak, Lord, thy servant is listening.”  Amen

Scripture Lesson: 

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