Paperwork

We have an elderly uncle. He is 93 years old and getting around his assisted living facility in his power chair. Due to his season of life, though, he no longer has a driver’s license for anything with four wheels and a gas engine. When he asks to take his car for a drive, we have to remind him that he no longer is allowed to drive legally. His license is expired. He protests that’s not the case. So, we ask him to take out his wallet. Well, his wallet is at this time unlocatable. (Thankfully, we’d long ago removed important things out of it.) So, we remind him that the law requires the proper paperwork if he were to drive.

 

Paperwork is essential for many things other than driving. Proper receipts not only get you out of Costco, they now get you out of Walmart. A Social Security card is necessary when applying for a job. A birth certificate if often needed if registering for school. To receive veterans’ benefits, you will need a copy of your discharge papers…and other things we have found. Paperwork is also necessary to secure a loan for a house. Sometimes you can get by with the digital “paperwork,” but it’s still paperwork.

One thing most all types of paperwork have in common is a  signature, a stamp or a seal of approval. That’s what makes it official, usable for the purpose desired.

It’s no different when we leave this land of the living. The future of eternity requires paperwork, the paperwork of the Lamb’s Book of Life, as John wrote in Revelation 21:27. The word “only” in that verse speaks to the essentialness of this paperwork. Our name has to be officially recorded on this paperwork in order for us to enter the place of eternity John tells us about in Revelation 21 4—that place where God wipes away every tear, where there will be no death nor mourning, where there will be no crying or pain. It’s the place where the tree of life offers healing fruit and the water of life flows freely. It’s the place where the curse and all wrong are banished.

Paperwork. Any attempt to live without it here on earth just isn’t reality. Any thriving business will tell you, to use a colloquialism, “that’s pie in the sky.” You can’t live eternally without it either.

Nothing evil will be permitted in it—no one immoral or dishonest—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 21:27 (TLB)

Whitespace

I had just finished reading chapter 10 in Tonya Dalton’s new book, “The Joy of Missing Out,” when I saw on Facebook this quote by Elisabeth Elliott;

Rest is a weapon given to us by God.

The enemy hates it because he wants you

stressed and preoccupied.

 

Chapter 10 of “The Joy of Missing Out” is titled “Harmonize Whitespace.” On these pages of her book, Tonya reminds us that whitespace is necessary for life. Whitespace is necessary for us to thrive. She wrote, “In reality, to be truly productive we need to give our brains a little space to plan and explore—some unstructured time.”

Whitespace is essential for another reason—connection. And not just to connect but to be enabled to connect. Whitespace helps us cultivate in our own lives “love, happiness, and compassion” so we can extend those same feelings to others. Tonya quotes John Maxwell who said, “To bring out the best in others, I first have to bring out the best in me. I cannot give what I do not have.” Perhaps that is why Jesus commanded us to love others just as we love ourselves.

We need the whitespace in our lives to rest and be refreshed, not just for what is obvious—our bodies but also for the inner workings of our brain. Our brain needs times of rejuvenation—times of quiet and stillness.

It is in the whitespace where we slow down and savor life. It’s from there we can rise up—because we’ve given ourselves moments of nurture. This whitespace, in fact, makes us live more. This echoes the subtitle of Tonya Dalton’s book, “Live More by Doing Less.”

Perhaps that is why David wrote in Psalm 4:4b (NASB), “meditate within your heart on your bed and be still. Selah.” The word David used for “be still” is “damam” and it is used again in another of David’s Psalms. He writes, “Surely I have calmed and quieted [“damam”] my soul; Like a weaned child [resting] with his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent].” (Psalm 131:2 AMP)

Do you struggle with stress? Are you so preoccupied you are running on empty and have no defense against the enemy’s darts?

Of course, I’d suggest that you do what David did. Meditate on the Lord God and lean into Him.

And then my next suggestion would be to consider learning from Tonya Dalton how to have joy and live more by doing less. Her book, “The Joy of Missing Out,” is available now for preorder.at https://www.readjomo.com/ from several of our favorite online retailers. And there’s bonuses if you preorder.

P.S. Love this cover! Doesn't it just speak to how we are trying to do "more"?

 

Secure. Sealed. Identified. For ALL Time!

In his high school years, one of my son’s well-liked classes was pottery. In fact, it was a great disappointment to him to find out that the pottery studio at college was only available to art majors.

However, lingering around our home—and the homes of others—are multiple pots created by his hands. And they are all different. We’ve even gained a few more as an inheritance—gifts he’d given his grandparents.

Every pot is clearly identified, permanently, by his initials. Well, all but one. Somehow, discovered too late, one pot has another mystery student’s initials. That pot, even though in our home, clearly belongs to another child.

In Anne Graham Lotz’s new book, “Jesus in Me,” chapter 25 speaks to the seal placed on the followers of Christ by God when we are born again. Anne writes, “He has sealed you with His stamp of proof [of ownership], the Holy Spirit.” We are marked as belonging to God. In fact, “the seal apparently is visible to the unseen world because it identifies us throughout the universe as authentic children of God.” All spiritual powers—in the whole universe—know who you and I are. We are the beloved children of the Father, the Creator, the Most High God! Just like my son’s initials, baked into the clay, identified pots that belong to Him, each child of God is permanently marked.

Secure. Sealed. Identified. For ALL time!
 

And you also became God's people when you heard the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised.

Ephesians 1:13 (GNT)

 

You can preorder "Jesus in Me" at https://www.annegrahamlotz.org/jesus-in-me/ from your favorite retailer. If you order prior to October 1, Anne has some bonuses for you!

 



The Lord is a Sun

As part of my daily devotions I do some Bible verse writing with word definition focused on the Names of God. Recently, the Name of God on the list was Sun. The scripture was Psalm 84:11 (NASB), “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

 

The definition, one would think, for the word sun would be obvious. It’s the Hebrew word shemesh. And, yes, it means to be brilliant, the sun. But Strong’s adds more. It also means to be a notched battlement or a window. Interesting. Battlement.

 

This same word is also in Isaiah 54:12, “Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones.

 

I was still thinking on these verses when I was reading chapter 24 in an Advanced Reader copy of Anne Graham Lotz’s new book, “Jesus in Me.” The chapter is titled, “Trust in His Pledge.” The Holy Spirit in us is God’s pledge to those who believe in Jesus—His covenant symbol, our “engagement ring,” Anne wrote. She then retold a story of her own engagement ring, it’s a beautiful reminder of her husband’s love and commitment.

 

I was struck how her story fit what I’d read in Scripture. In fact, Isaiah 54 is, in essence, referring to the marriage of Israel (God’s people) to the Lord God as their husband.

 

The Lord Himself is our shemesh. Anne writes, “The Holy Spirit within us is our “engagement ring.” He Himself is the promise…the guarantee…the pledge…that Jesus loves us. That He is committed and faithful to us. And that one day He will return to take us to live with Him forever in the home that He is preparing.”

 

And that home? Revelation 21 tells us of its beauty and adornments.

 

Anne ends this chapter with, “Gaze at your “engagement ring,” the Holy Spirit. …would you choose to trust Him? Relax. Rest in Him. You are precious to the Son, and therefore precious to the Father and precious to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is absolutely committed to fulfilling His responsibility to take good care of you until the day you are presented as a glorious bride to your Bridegroom.

 

I have been so privileged to be a part of the “Jesus in Me” Book launch group. This is a book that reminds us of our constant, loving companion, the Holy Spirit. We need that reminder for such a time as this more than ever.

 

 

You can preorder her book at https://www.annegrahamlotz.org/jesus-in-me/. This site will direct you to your favorite retailer AND will also garner you free bonuses if your order prior to October 1, 2019.

 

Do I recommend this book? A resounding, “Yes!”

The Sound of Hope

A while back, my husband was watching a Revolutionary War movie, and even though I was in another room, I could hear the booming of canons. It made me think that perhaps that sound stirs up fear so much so that it is the reason we fear, at times, the sound of thunder. And then the musical notes of flutes resounded. Their “voices” were the sound of hope overcoming and drowning out the booms, the fear, and inspiring courage.

This is what God’s Voice, His Word, does. It speaks over the booms, the fear, sounding in our lives. It speaks of the Lord’s great power and mercy. His Voice is the sound of hope, the song or musical notes that we can echo in our hearts to give us courage and make us march forward with bravery.

The prophet Jeremiah, as the enemy “boomed” around him and Judah, heard the voice of the Lord say, “Just as I brought this great disaster upon My people, so will I do all these good things I have promised to them. Property will be bought and sold once again in this land about which you say, “This land is a wasteland—not fit for man or beast—for it has been handed over to the Chaldeans.” Property will be bought and sold once again for silver—deals will be made and deeds signed in the presence of witnesses—in the territory of Benjamin, in the vicinity of Jerusalem, in the villages of Judah and the hill country, in the villages of the western hills, and in the cities of the Negev. In all these places I will restore them from their exile.” (Jeremiah 32:42-44 VOICE)

This prophecy was God’s Voice to Judah to give them hope. It was the sound of flutes meant to overcome the booms of the enemy. Although they were in the midst of disaster, restoration was coming.

The Lord speaks over our lives in a similar way through the words of Peter as inspired by the Holy Spirit. “Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We are reborn into a perfect inheritance that can never perish, never be defiled, and never diminish. It is promised and preserved forever in the heavenly realm for you! Through our faith, the mighty power of God constantly guards us until our full salvation is ready to be revealed in the last time. May the thought of this cause you to jump for joy, even though lately you’ve had to put up with the grief of many trials.” 1 Peter 1:3-6 (TPT)

We may have grief and trials today, but tomorrow celebrations will arise. Keep the sound of hope echoing in your hearts so you are listening, alert, and standing tall in the faith, courageous and strong. (from 1 Corinthians 16:13)

 

*****

On a much different note, this same movie had a scene where the characters were debating what to do with some dogs that had been left behind. One suggested they eat them. My husband said that at that point, Justified—a year old labrador, who was sitting on the couch beside him, looked at the television and then at him and then back at the TV as he couldn’t believe it! Eat the dogs!! No!!!

“Not the Mama!”

Remember the animatronics television series of a while back called “Dinosaurs”? It only ran a few years in the early 1990s. (I guess that certainly dates me!) Well, one of the memorable lines was from the baby, who when the mama had to be away, would tell the papa, “Not the Mama!”

 

The papa was trying to fill the mama’s role, but the baby was not going to have anything to do with it. Baby dinosaur knew the difference and wanted the real thing, no substitutes.

 

It is easy to settle for what is disguising itself, attempting to be a substitute for something else. Modern-day Jews and Christians alike have been caught up in such a deception but should be echoing the baby dinosaur, “Not the Mama!”

 

I’ve always felt there’s something suspicious about the Temple Mount. This summer, God’s Word and several archaeologists have made it clear why. The Temple Mount is, so to speak, “Not the Mama!”

 

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the “I am,” told the disciples as they stood outside the Temple that “not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” (Matthew 24:2 NASB) Not one! When God speaks, His word is always true to the detail. No exception.

 

The prophet, Micah, foretold that the Holy City would be plowed under (3:12). And, so it happened. Many years after the Temple was destroyed, in 135 A.D., the Romans under Hadrian destroyed Jerusalem to the extent they ran a plow over much of it, including the ground where the Temple once stood. It happened just as our God said it would.

 

But there’s more. Various Old Testament scriptures liken the City of David to Mount Zion and Mount Zion to the Temple location, which means the location of the three share an identity. The Temple was in the City of David, just south of the current Temple Mount.

 

And there’s even more. Historians, including Josephus, identify the so-called Temple Mount as the Fortress Antonia, built and named by Herod. Josephus adds that the Temple and the Fortress were separated by 600 feet. If this is true, those praying at the Western Wall are praying at the foundation wall of an enemy’s fortress. It's definitely not a Temple wall of any sort as Jesus said, "not one stone here will be left upon another."

 

Yet, will this eye witness truth in today's time of information availability make a difference to modern-day Israel? I’m not sure. Somehow, I doubt it. Tradition is hard to overcome. Most are so set on this “Not the Mama” they even argue against the plain word of Scripture, rebuking those who claim otherwise. As Jesus once said, man’s tradition has a way of nullifying the word of God.

Do some research yourself. This is the age of information. For example, here is one link (among many available) to an article by Robert Cornuke that makes the facts plain and simple: http://www.khouse.org/articles/2015/1223/.

 

You decide. Is the current Temple Mount “Not the Mama”?

 

 

Success in a Battle

But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news

about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,

they were being baptized, both men and women.

Acts 8:12 (AMP)

 

The 2015 edition of the Amplified Bible has a footnote for this verse, Acts 8:12. The editor wrote: “In ancient Greece the word translated as “good news” or “gospel” was used to denote any good fortune, including success in a battle. So, I took a look in Strong’s at the word used in the passage and its definition.

 

The word in this verse is euaggelizo. Strong’s definition says it is to announce good news especially the gospel; to declare or bring glad tidings, to preach. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon adds that in the New Testament the word is “used especially of the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God, and of the salvation to be obtained in it through Christ, and of what relates to this salvation.” The obtaining of salvation certainly relates to success in battle, the victory over sin and death.

 

As an ancient Greek word, we see it used in the Septuagint (LXX, from the 2^nd century BC) in 2 Samuel 4:10 (2 Reigns 4:10): “for the one who told me that Saoul had died—and he was as one bringing good news before me—and I seized him and killed him at Sekelak, to whom I ought to have given a reward of good tidings.” In this case, though, the good news was only in the minds of those bringing it—they thought they had success in battle—for David, but it turned out David did not receive it as such.

 

Cicero (1^st century BC) used this word in a letter to Atticus to describe the good news of another being acquitted of a charge against him. Plutarch (1^st century AD) used the same word to describe a victory in Mantineia. Other ancient writers also used this word in various ways that really emphasized that the glad tidings were ones that would bring great celebrations and joy far beyond the usual happy face.

 

That’s the real significance of euaggelizo as we read of the effect of the gospel throughout the book of Acts and throughout the history of the church to modern times. The gospel bears the impact that is revealed in the definition of euaggelizo that the editor of the Amplified Bible wrote of—the good fortune of success in battle. The life we live on this earth is a daily battle, always a spiritual battle and often a physical battle. It is the gospel—the good news of the victory of Christ—that gives us victory as well. That is good fortune wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

And therein lies the “good news of the kingdom of God” in this land of the living, "news of great joy." It was the message given to the shepherds.

 

Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy,

news that will affect all people everywhere.

Luke 2:10 (VOICE)

 

 

“Out of Egypt”

Recently, well, at least to me, God has emphasized that when He told Moses the Israelites would be brought to worship Him at “this” mountain—in Midian—that’s exactly what He meant and exactly what happened. But mainstream Christianity, though not all, have been distracted by a tradition created centuries after the fact to think that the mountain, Mount Sinai, is in what became to be called the Sinai Peninsula.

 

The Bible is clear that “this” mountain was and is in Midian, in Arabia—Saudi Arabia to be current. In these the last days, as the angel told Daniel (Daniel 12:4), knowledge is increasing, and things that have been previously hidden are being revealed. The evidence of the location of Mount Sinai has always been there, however, and the local Bedouins can attest to it. Mount Sinai, Mount Horeb, is in Arabia, just as Paul wrote in Galatians 4:25, right where it’s always been in spite of the traditions of man and in spite of almost all of our current Bible maps.

 

God took the Israelites “out of Egypt” the very day they started walking. That phrase repeats itself in Exodus 12-14. They embarked on a journey through the peninsula along the straighter route to Midian avoiding the easy route that would have taken them near the Philistines. But at one point, before they could round the Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba) into Midian, God had them turn back taking them south through a wadi’s narrow valley to the huge beach of Nuweiba on the right finger of the Red Sea.

 

There, the fire of God stood between them and the Egyptians protecting them as the Red Sea parted in front of them so they could cross. This was the perfect provision of God as Isaiah 43:16 (NASB) says, “Thus says the Lord, who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters.” Here at Nuweiba is a raised “bridge” of land under the water from shore to shore with easement slopes suitable for today’s wheelchair ramps. It is the only place in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, where this is possible. And not only that, the floor of this portion of the Red Sea is easily walkable sand, supposedly kept thin by the passing of the current over it.

 

After the Israelites crossed safely, God removed the Egyptian pursuers’ chariot wheels and the sea came down over them. Isaiah 43:17 records God’s description as He was the One, “Who brings forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; they have been quenched and extinguished like a wick).” (NASB) Many have photographed such wheels encased in coral. Just Google it.

 

The Israelites then made their way to “this” mountain, God’s Mountain, what the locals have called for centuries the mountain of Moses, Mount Sinai. All the physical evidence and biblical evidence supports its location. God used the tradition of man (as well as the Saudis) to preserve the truth of the Exodus for such a time as this.

 

Perhaps, in His scheme of things, He is again turning us from the traditions we set up to His truth that is the reality we need to live in, especially in these last days. We need to remember His miraculous provision is not just for the Israelites. God takes notice of us, just as He took notice of the Israelites (Exodus 2:25 NASB). He is the great I AM for our lives, too.

 

His Voice

On a Live PD episode, a tweeter asked Officer N. Carmack, “If a bad man knew the commands you give to Shep [his K-9 dog], would he be confused?” Officer Carmack said, “No, he only knows my voice.”

 

This immediately made me think of John 10. In verses 4-5, Jesus said (of the shepherd), “…the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him because they do not the voice of strangers.” (NASB)

 

Then Jesus said (10:27), “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.”

 

This also makes me think of Acts 2 where some heard the disciples “speaking of the mighty deeds of God” in their own languages and others said they were drunk.

“My sheep hear My voice.”

 

Lord, I praise You that Your Voice speaks life and calls Your own into Your light. May we choose to keep close to You so that we always discern Your Voice and follow You.