Marriage Mondays: Making Marriage FREE!

EXCITING NEWS COMING TOMORROW! Be sure to stop back in to Come Have a Peace!

Do you feel like a prisoner in your marriage? There's the "prisoner of love" kind of captivity, and then there's the "trapped in shackles" kind of bondage. What has a hold on you? Maybe you feel like a prisoner because you are.

Today at Do Not Depart I'm sharing about finding freedom and staying in it. What better place in life to apply this than in MARRIAGE? If we're looking to break away from things that enslave and defeat us, the answer is found in Christ. Read my post about DO. GO. STAND.  So how about finding and keeping freedom in marriage?

DO. GO. STAND.  in the wonderful world of marriage.

Photo by David Castillo Dominici

Why would anyone want to be married, but feel empty and imprisoned? That kind of relationship is on a slow slide down the hill of corrosion. In a marriage like that, the relationships and life around them fall apart. God doesn't want us to live that life either; He purchased our freedom from what would enslave our marriages. He broke the shackles of bitterness, unfaithfulness, pornography, unforgiveness, laziness, lying, and every other sin that robs a marriage of its freedom. "You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men" (1 Cor. 7:23). If you want to stay together ... be free.

Freedom is in God's presence. You GO girl!  Go to God's presence daily to find the freedom from sin and hang ups that threaten to keep your marriage from being all it can be!

To have a free marriage, we have to live in God's Spirit and walk out that fruit daily. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor. 3:17). Our flesh battles God's Spirit in us. If you want to be free .... stay in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)

Once we experience freedom, the challenge is to stand firm in it and not use it as an excuse for our own selfishness, dysfunction, or stubbornness. "Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God" (1 Peter 2:16).  Our marriages miss out on freedom when we return to our evil habits. "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). Prisoners don't willingly go back to their chains.  If you've got freedom ... don't use it to cover up evil.  

Pray about DO. GO. STAY. in your marriage .... Would you be willing to ask God to show you if there are areas you're covering up?  Areas where you're not living by the Spirit? Ways that He wants to grow the freedom in your marriage? Freedom is found in His presence .... Go there. 

If you want to be stay together ... be free!
If you want to be free ... stay in the Spirit!
If you've got freedom ... don't use it to cover up evil!

Week #3 - Ready Set REACH!

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Download Week #3 of Ready Set REACH!

Week #2 - Ready Set REACH!

(For those receiving this via email, click on the post title, so you can see all the good stuff. )

If you missed Week #1  of Ready Set REACH! you can click HERE to find out the answer to the question: "What do all people share?"

This week's study answers the question,

"How do people know about God?"

You can download the Week #2 study here in a Scribd document or see it below.

Do the study all in one sitting, or break it up to fit your schedule. Do it on your own, with a friend, or with a team. The study will help you get Ready and Set to REACH! people around you.

Week 2 PDF

Week #1 - Ready Set REACH!

Today is the first of the Ready Set REACH! study. These 8 weeks will help prepare you to reach out to those God brings your way. Whether you're getting ready for a short term missions trip, serving at Vacation Bible School, or just trying to reach out to your unseen neighbor next door, this will help you get ready, get set, and reach. 

This week's study answers the question, 

"What do all people share?"

You can download the Week #1 study here in a Google doc.  (You can find a Scribd version here.)  Do it all in one sitting, or break it up in pieces that fit your schedule. The study is designed to do on your own, with a friend, or with a team. My prayer is that it will help us get ready for those within our reach.

In each lesson you will find:

• An illustration to help you wrap your mind around the question of the week
• Scripture to help you answer the question
• Questions designed for reflection in your own life or with a friend
• A prayer of response to the truth you discover
• Other scripture to use if you want to read more

If you know of someone getting ready for a short term summer missions trip, someone burdened for people where they live, or someone beginning a new outreach, share this via email, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. To be sure you don't miss a single week of Ready Set REACH! subscribe to receive posts conveniently in your email.

Ready Set REACH!

So yesterday I shared with you a fresh focus on loving our Neighbors that are really our neighbors. (You have to read Who IS My Neighbor? for that to make sense) I'm really excited about what I'm planning to share with you, but I also want us to discover what to DO with the desires God is going to give us.

Not only that, but in just 55 days, I will depart with my team of 4 women and 4 young women for a unique ministry in Asia. I WILL share more about that in April, but I am knee deep in getting my team ready, so I want you to join us in our preparation that also just happens to help us know what to do with our Neighbors. I love it when I can pour my energy and heart into something that does double duty!  You can get ready for Asia with me, and we'll both be getting ready to reach the Neighbors we already have.


Join me starting TOMORROW for the first of about 8 weeks of Ready, Set, Reach!  Every Friday during RSR I will give you a free download of a Bible study for that week. It's 8 weeks of getting ready to reach the people God gives us. Could be our Neighbors in our neighborhood or our neighbors around the world. For me, I know it's going to be BOTH, so I have some prep work to do! Ready, Set, REACH! won't be a lot of work, but it will be set on sturdy legs of scripture.  This is what it will help us discover together:

Ready, Set, REACH!

1. We'll begin by asking, "What do all people share?"  
2. How do people know about God? 
3. What do people need to know about God?
4. What keeps people from finding Him?
5. How can I show God's love to people?
6. How can I tell God's love to people?
7. Who do I need to be to share God? 
8. Finally, "Who should I reach?"

Each week, download the study sheet for the week and read along. On Friday we'll recap that week's question and set the stage for the next step.  I know who I plan to reach at the end of the study, but I'm sure God will bring others I'm not expecting. Do you know who will cross your path? At the very least, it will be your Neighbor. Let's get ready, get set, and reach!

See you here tomorrow for Day #1 of Ready, Set, REACH!

A Psalm of Blessing for the Broken

Today at Do Not Depart I'm sharing about Psalm 103 in our Run to Him series. It's a Psalm of Blessing because of a Love for the Broken. The Psalmist called on all the souls in the whole community to think back about the benefits of being loved out of their exile and brokenness by the most gracious, loving God.

If you're looking back (or at) a history with scattered shards left by life's cutting moments, this Psalm will give words to your gratitude. It will freshen your heart's resolve to Run to Him when you have nothing or when you've been given everything.

Here's a glimpse ...

Every journey includes failures and fresh starts, and we all survive at the mercy of a generous, divine hand. You may not need a toaster or a can opener or gently used coffee table. But how have YOU experienced the benefits of the east to west, earth to heaven, fatherly love of God?

Read more here ...

Do you love your shower scum?

Have you ever said, "That's just the way I am"?  I know I have, but those 6 words are packed with meaning like:

• so don't expect me to change
• so when I blow it, don't bother confronting me
• so if I offend you, deal with it
• and I just don't know how to change it
• but I've tried to conquer it, and I feel defeated in that area
• and the Holy Spirit doesn't need to go messin' with that flaw

I've been wearing a new fragrance. It's called "essence of bleach." It started when I decided to try and save a few minutes by cleaning the shower ... AS I shower. I left a bottle of Soft Scrub with Bleach (LOVE that stuff) and a stiff scrub brush in the shower corner. While my conditioner's doing it's thing, I do my cleaning thing.

I thought I would just take care of the clumpy soap bubble build up, because I knew that the stains are exactly that:  stains. I've even blamed them on "those last people" who lived here, were "really dirty," and "didn't clean the shower." I've also blamed it on the shower, saying it was just a cheap piece to begin with. There may be a little truth in both, but when I started my new approach to scrubbing, many of the stains started disappearing.

The flaws were not permanent; they were just ignored.  I had gotten so used to their presence that I thought, "That's just the way it is," but it doesn't have to be. I just needed a new approach to my familiar flaw. I think Paul wanted the Philippians to know that when it comes to dirty stains in our lives, "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).  God empowers us to be clean, not to just get comfortable with our scum.

• Do you have a habit you've been making excuses for? 
• Is there an abrasive personality trait you've been expecting others to endure? 
• Have you been accepting something that's offensive to God?

Don't blame it on the people who came before you or the temporary materials you're made of. Those of us in a relationship with Jesus Christ have been made fully clean, and the power of the Holy Spirit can penetrate the deepest stains left behind by our sin.  

Is it time for you to go back and deal with some scum?  Clean is a beautiful fragrance to wear!

The more we have, the harder it is

visualbiblealive.com

The more we have, the more we have to let go of to make room for Jesus. A centurion was an officer in the Roman army, over a hundred men. In the story of God coming to earth as a man, the Centurion who supervised the Messiah's death wasn't the first to face the choice to make room; there was also the Centurion who made Jesus marvel. But the centurion at Calvary was caught up in a very different day in the life of Christ. Did he tell his men they had permission to cast lots for Jesus' clothing? Did he order the making of the sign at the top of the cross? Did he add his voice to the mocking jeers? Did he count as Jesus was lashed? Did he oversee the hammering of the nails? He helped put the Son of God to death. 


Just after three o'clock in the afternoon, when the whole land was cloaked in darkness, the high and heavy curtain separating men from the Holy of Holies in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The physical obstacle to know the Almighty was removed, and Jesus declared out lout that His work was finished. This was the day Simeon had foretold, as he stood in the temple with the young parents holding their baby son, the day that would pierce Mary's heart. The earth shook in response to the unfolding battle on the hill, and the Centurion watched. 


As the veil was torn in the temple, the veil of unbelief was removed from the Officer's heart. He moved his power and prestige out of the way of his faith, and he believed. Having heard Jesus speak to the criminals, having watched the divine darkness wrap around them, having heard Christ pray to His Father, and finally having watched the Son give up his life .... he made room in his heart to BELIEVE.

Despite the fact that his soldiers would've been with and around him, he declared, "Certainly this man was innocent!" (Luke 23:47) and “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:54).

He saw Jesus. He praised God for what he witnessed. He believed. 

If you're like me, you probably have a lot left to do before our Christmas celebrations this weekend. Food to prepare, gifts to wrap (and buy), events to attend, cleaning to do. The temptation builds to get our work done and ignore taking time to make room to see Jesus, praise God for who He is, and strengthen our belief. We can read Advent stories and watch Christmas programs of the amazing events of Christmas, without making room to see them anew, praise God for them, and affirm our belief; we can rush past the point of Jesus coming. If we give in to the temptation, we'll find ourselves on December 26th feeling rather empty, disappointed, and even blue. We will have missed the joy that comes from pushing aside a "hundred" things to make room for the Son of God who came for us. 

Today let's make room to see Jesus, praise God, and believe.

Is your guest room open?

Even while Jesus was eating His first earthly meal at Mary's breast, a more significant meal was being prepared. The infant would grow to be a boy; the boy would grow to manhood, and the man would send two of His disciples to literally "Prepare Him Room." A room to celebrate the Passover meal with his followers. A meal to prepare for His arrest and trial and death and resurrection. He came for this meal. 


The story in Luke 22 recalls the account for us, how Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us" (Lk. 22:8). It had to be at a house within the walls of Jerusalem, and the two men would know the place by finding a servant carrying a jar of water - uncommon, as it was usually a woman's job. They were to follow the man and tell his Master that the Teacher needed a room to celebrate Passover. As heard the simple question, "Where is the guest room?" the Master of the house would have a choice whether or not to allow his large, furnished, upper room to be used for the lightning rod Teacher from Nazareth and his followers. We don't know if it was prearranged or divinely moved, but the Master made room for Jesus. 


From the first night when his parents asked the innkeeper to make room, to the final Passover meal when the Master of the house was asked to make room, Jesus sought those willing to Prepare Him Room. Hear Him now as His Word still speaks His invitation to us: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20). 

Jesus still knocks and ask if there's room, but He knocks at the door of individual hearts. Is there something in the place of Jesus that keeps you from welcoming His presence in your life? There may be other things in the way that need to be moved, but the truth is that there IS room for Jesus. 

The Master of the household made room, and Jesus came in to dine. We can make room and invite Him in too. 

Yesterday I gave you an illustrated reminder to Come, Sit, Make Room. Today I want to give you another printable, visual message to display that speaks the truth: "There is room for Jesus"   Print, share, and make room! I hope you'll be encouraged as you prepare your heart for celebrating the coming of Immanuel. (Via email, be sure to click the post title to see & download the illustration.)

There is Room for Jesus

Can you let go of your "wee"?

He may not be your traditional "Christmas story" character, but he moved something we all relate to so he could make room for Jesus. Zacchaeus left his insecurity on the ground when he climbed up to see Jesus.

visualbiblealive.com

We all have insecurities. And if Zacchaeus wasn't insecure before that fateful day in the Sycamore tree, he would be after discovering that centuries of people have been singing that "a wee little man was he"!!! Despite his wealth, acquired at the expense of others, this "small of stature" man would've spent a lifetime hearing the jests of taller boys and then men who got a laugh from their peers, using Zacheus as an expendable target. He must've been tired of it, and despite his attempts to take it well, it must've worn on him inside. Can you relate?


And if the years of mocking weren't enough, the fact that he was smart invited more disdain, magnified by getting the position of chief tax collector. It would've been one place Zacchaeus got to be the powerful one, and he probably couldn't help making the most of it in the midst of the tall jesters ... thus, he gathered his wealth. Mocked and despised, the last thing he would've wanted to do would be to climb up high where a whole crowd to take a shot at him. But Jesus ...

Jesus was passing by, and the loner tax collector wanted to see who He was; money couldn't buy a ticket for that front row seat. The wee little man set aside his insecurities so he could see Jesus, and he did. In fact, Jesus paused under his perch to speak to him ... not mocking, and the Teacher ended up at Zacchaeus' house. But you know that if you've sung the song about the wee little man.

Zacchaeus had his heart changed that day as he embraced the true Messiah and Jesus embraced the man's faith. "Today salvation has come to this house," (Lk. 19-10) Jesus said. He may've been small of statue, but he was big of faith, and that's what mattered to Jesus.  That's why He came.

What keeps you from getting where you need to be to see Jesus? Old messages spoken by a relative? Suggestions from a high school classmate? An unaccepting glance from a co-worker? The whispering of the Enemy who knows where you feel "wee"?  If we're to make room for Jesus in our hearts and lives, we have to leave our insecurities behind, daily, over and over, and confidently climb to where we need to be to see Jesus.  Then, when we see who He is .... invite Him in. 

• What insecurities are keeping you from getting to Jesus this Christmas? 
• Will you leave them on the ground?
• Are you worried about what others will say, or are you just wanting to know what Jesus says?

Does Jesus marvel at you?

If I'm a lot like yesterday's common characters, at first glance I'm not at all like today's.  But after a closer look ... I really want to be like him. 

The centurion of Luke 7 (parallel in Matt 8 ~ see both passages here) was a Roman officer over hundreds of men.  He was a man of power, endowed with authority and confidence. Some days I feel like my dog won't even listen to me. :/ 


This officer also had a love for the people of Israel and had even been part of helping to build the synagogue in his hometown of Capernaum. The Jewish elders there had respect for him, even though he was a Gentile. Though he was "at the top," the centurion had a servant he highly valued, and his treasured servant became so ill he was near death. 

Having heard of miracles like the casting out of a demon in the synagogue he helped to build, the Roman official turned to Jesus for help, sending the elders to beg for help on his behalf. Before Jesus could even reach the centurion's house, the officer declared he was not worthy for Jesus to come into his home, believing the power of Jesus was great enough to heal from a distance. As a man of authority, the centurion recognized Jesus' ultimate authority and put faith in Him to heal. 

It was as if the Roman was saying to the Jewish Messiah, "I know the power of authority, and I believe you can do great things through your ultimate authority."  The centurion humbly set aside his own authority and placed his faith in the power of the Son of God. 

Though the Roman was a Gentile, Jesus "marveled" at the man's great faith.  While many Jews failed to believe in Him or recognize His power, the centurion knew Jesus was greater than any one he knew and any one he would ever be. By making room for Jesus, the officer found healing for his valued servant and his own heart. He set aside his pride, his self-confidence, and his authority to put his faith in the all powerful Jesus.  

By moving his own power out of the way, he made room for Jesus.  And Jesus MARVELED at him.

Yes, I want to be like the centurion who made room. 

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Cor. 12:9

Have you made the move? & a Giveaway

They were common like I am. Andrew and Simon had been following for a while, but they were still keeping up with the family business they ran with their partners, James and John. On a day when crowds were trying to get near Jesus at the Sea of Galilee, the band of fishermen had just finished up a wasted day of fishing and were washing their nets when Jesus got into Simon's boat.

Jesus wanted Simon to push out from shore a little, so He could get a little space to teach the suffocating crowd. But Jesus also wanted a chance to show the brothers His authority and power. Directing Simon to cast the empty nets in again, Simon and the others were "astonished" at the overwhelming catch of fish that rewarded them after a long day of nothing.  Standing in a boat load of fish, Simon could do nothing else but fall to his knees and humble himself before the power of Jesus, much like the shepherds had done when Jesus first took on the form of a man.

• First Jesus asked Simon to put out and let Him use the boat. He wanted Simon to be willing. (Luke 4:3)
• Then Jesus asked Simon to put out his nets to get fish. He wanted Simon to be trusting. (vv. 4-5)
• Then Jesus asked Simon to leave it all behind and follow Him. He wanted Simon be committed. (vv. 10-11)
• (Read the story here)

And so the common man did. He left the familiar, the secure family business, and even his father. He moved from common to committed. He had been following, but Jesus called for whole-life following! (Also read Matt. 4:18-22 and John 1:35-42)

Common people who release the familiar know Jesus in ways only possible for those who make room. 

What could Jesus be asking you to leave on the beach, so you can move from common to 
 committed? 

Giveaway: A friend blessed me with a copy of Sarah's Young's Jesus Calling  to give away. It would be a great read the week between Christmas & New Year's or a loving way to stuff a stocking. To win enter 1-4 ways: just leave a comment and let me know one way you are making room for Jesus this Christmas season. OR share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or like the CHP Facebook page. Leave a comment letting me know if you have any/all of those multiple entries. I will post the winner on Monday, and I'll do my best to get it to you in time for Christmas! :)

He's worth the wait

 

It's December 6th. What are you waiting for?

The thrill of seeing a "living Christmas tree?" The joy of giving a "perfect" present? Your masterpiece Christmas Eve dinner? Crafting an heirloom gingerbread house with grandkids? The arrival of loved ones?


Israel had been waiting a long time for the arrival of her King when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. If they studied the words of the prophets they would've been watching for His coming.  Simeon was not only alert; he was waiting. He was "waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25), the comfort of his people. The Holy Spirit told him he wouldn't die before he SAW Jesus and then prompted him to go into the temple on the very day he would meet the earthly family of the long awaited child. There, he saw Mary and Joseph who had come with their infant son Jesus.

visualbiblealive.com

Standing in the temple in Jerusalem, in the hearing of priests and Jews, the elderly man announced that his eyes had seen God's salvation who would be "a light for revelation for the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel" (v.32). It was a sight worth his wait.


The young newlywed parents of Jesus marveled at what the old man in the temple had said. They didn't say he was a "creeper" (teen term borrowed from my 2); Simeon affirmed who Jesus was and blessed the little family. He spoke words declaring Jesus' purpose and words cautioning them about the hardships ahead. In the midst of doing what other Jewish parents would've done with their 100% human first born sons, Simeon was moved by the Holy Spirit to single out the Son of God and honor Him.


Simeon waited for Jesus, and when he saw Him, he identified him for the world to know He is the Messiah. Imagine how different the story would've been if all of those in the temple that day would've believed.

The old man made room in his life to wait for the one thing that mattered most - the coming of Jesus. 

• Are you waiting for the second coming of Jesus? 
• Are you looking for His presence in your life today? 
• Is anticipation of other things crowding out "the Jesus?"
• How can you point Him out in this season, so others will know the Savior has come, and He's worth waiting for?

Covenant # 6 - Written on our hearts

As we continue on our Covenant journey, Matthew 1:1 identifies the One who established the New Covenant: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Mt.1:1).

Jesus' Ancestor Abraham -
We know that the Abrahamic Covenant was a one-sided agreement God cut with His friend, Abraham. In it, He promised the Land, countless descendants, and many nations to come through Abraham's own seed. That Covenant passed from Isaac to Jacob, who was later called "Israel."


Jesus' Ancestor David -
The Davidic Covenant included God's promise that He would build a house/Kingdom for David that would last forever. Ultimately, this Covenant was realized when David's descendant, Jesus, was born to be the Messiah.

The Covenant of the Law -
God had also made the Covenant of the Law with the people of Israel, a 2 sided agreement made when the Nation was freed from slavery in Egypt. The people were meant to live a holy life before those around them, showing God to the world. This Covenant was broken when the people rejected God and chose false gods, inviting His chastisement, instead.

Jesus sharing about the New Covenant. (VisualBibleAlive.com)

The New Covenant - 
Kay Arthur says, "The Law was given so God's people would know how to live in the land." But what the Law could not do, Jesus accomplished (Rom. 8:2-4). The Son of God was the only One who could fulfill the demands of the Law for us. In doing so, as the Son of Abraham and of David and of God the Father, He created the New Covenant, and it went further than any other.  He celebrated this New Covenant at the Passover dinner with His disciples. (Luke 22:19-21)

This New Covenant reaches me! It reaches you!

"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."   Jeremiah 31:33,34

For those of us grafted in as God's people, we share in the New Covenant made when Jesus, Himself, was the sacrifice:  the torn flesh, the spilled blood, the promise. More than the tablets of stone upon which the Law was written, God wants to write His truth on our hearts.  As His word is etched on our very being, He wants to be our God, to have us be His people, to know Him, to be forgiven. 

Tablets of stone may be broken, lost, or faded, but by the New Covenant, His word on our hearts and lives will change us and bear fruit that lasts!

Covenant #4 - Through the Veil

I find great comfort in knowing NOTHING can separate me from Jesus (Rom. 8:38-39). But it wasn't always like that. I know that I was born into a heritage that would keep me from holy God; only His initiative to take away my sin barrier could give me open access to Him. I'm so glad He first loved me and made a way to Himself.


When God made a covenant with Abram in Genesis 15,  Abram BELIEVED God's promise of descendants like the stars. When God told him to get animals to sacrifice, Abram obeyed and put the two pieces of flesh opposite each other, leaving a space between. After Abram slept, God divinely brought a firepot and a torch to pass through the pieces of flesh covered in blood. As a 21st century gal, this might not seem like it makes much sense, but its meaning reaches beyond the limited years of my life. Covenant is defined by what happened here to Abram, the man who believed and was considered "righteous" because of his faith.

As the nation of Israel tried to gain access to the Holy God, they had to be represented by a priest who would enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement on their behalf. God's presence was there awaiting them, but it was hidden behind a veil.  Access was limited. It wasn't a wedding veil, but an 8 inch thick curtain that would've taken 2 teams of horses to rip apart. There was a separation between God and man under the Old Covenant.

When we look into the New Testament (Covenant), we find the "rest of the story" that explains some of what Abram's experience means to us, and we see the beautiful granting of access. As Abram's covenant was forged through blood, ours is also made possible by blood," but the sacrifice for us was made once for all when Jesus was crucified. 

"Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith..." (Heb. 10:18-22a).  

When Jesus died (Mark 15:25-39) the heavy veil that hung in front of the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two by God, showing that the separation was gone.

VisualBibleAlive.com

 

When Jesus' flesh was torn for us, He gave us access to know and unite with our Heavenly Father in a covenant relationship. Where once we were separated, but we're now invited to draw near. Breath taking. He is OUR sacrificial Lamb, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. And just like covenant happens only by passing through the pieces covered in blood, Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

By passing through the sacrifice of Jesus' body, our Lamb, we gain access into a relationship with God. The curtain that once kept Him hidden from us is gone, and He waits for us to draw near. This song expresses the truth of the cross that welcomes us to God so beautifully. You might just click to let it play (If this is in email form, click the post title to get to the video) as you sit quietly, close your eyes and meditate, or just go about your work and let the Lord seal this beautiful truth on your heart today. 

I'm so glad He took initiative to love me and make a way to Himself. You?

Covenant #3 ~ Floor to Table

"Do not fear," God tells us more than once in scripture, because we have a tendency to be afraid.  Sometimes it's just our humanness that drives it, but it's magnified by our ignorance. When we act in ignorant fear, consequences can be profound, and that was the case with the Nanny of 2 Samuel. If she only knew ...


The biologically rightful king-to-be Jonathan cut a covenant with the divinely annointed king-to-be David in 1 Samuel 20. Jonathan promised his life to David, and David promised forever protection of Jonathan's family when he became king. Ultimately, they were both yielding to God's plan for His people. The covenant agreement they made included all of Jonathan's descendants, but when he and his father (Saul) were killed, those descendants didn't act as if they knew about the promise. They were afraid, and they were ignorant.

"Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth."  2 Sam. 4:4

But David did not forget his promise to his covenant friend; in 2 Sam. 9 he wanted to know if any of Jonathan's descendants remained ... not so he could eliminate threats to his throne, but so he could fulfill the "hesed" (lovingkindness) love of the covenant. When the grown, but still crippled, Mephibosheth was brought to David, the handicapped man called himself a "dead dog," realizing he was totally helpless apart from the King. Raised by the Nurse who was ignorant of the covenant, he expected to be treated like the royal threat he still thought he was. Instead, David granted him back all of his grandfather's land, many servants, and a place at the King's table. 

The King took the cripple from the floor to the table because of his covenant faithfulness and love. 

In her ignorance, the nurse who once fled in fear and dropped a small boy raised him to see himself as "just a cripple."  She didn't know that the King wanted to protect and receive and bless him. 



What were you like in your "Mephibosheth" state?  When you were crippled, what did you look like? Yesterday, our group described ourselves with words like: 

• proud
• angry
• empty
• dead dog (We like Mephib's description!)

And what WOULD you have been like?  We used words like:

• alcoholic
• arrogant
• abusive
• hurtful

But we do not have to stay afraid, ignorant, and crippled spiritually on the floor of helplessness. Through the New Covenant of His Son's blood, God wants to lift us from the floor to the table, to wrap us into His Kingdom and seat us at His table.   If we've come into a relationship with Him through Jesus, let's not live like we're still crippled on the floor!  

Let's live today with the hopeful attitude and radiant gratitude of one who belongs at the King's table!

See the first Covenant Study posts here:
Intro - Never Again
Covenant #1 - Knowing the Covenant Maker
Covenant #2 - Put on Your Robe

If you know someone who would be encouraged by knowing that they don't have to stay "on the floor" in fear, I hope you'll send them the link for today's post and let God use His Word to bring them to the table.

Covenant #2 - Put on Your Robe!

A promising runner joined Jo's cross country team, but she didn't have what she needed to move from a team member to a champion. She needed special spiked shoes for competition courses and knew she would have to do her best without them. But the coach saw her promise, and because she is one of his own, he found a way to equip her with what she needs. 

When we're in covenant, we benefit from being identified with each other. We take on the identity of our covenant partner, so we share each other's joys and hardships. We are never alone again.


When the son of the King and the son of a servant met after the slaying of Goliath, something amazing happened. "The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself ... Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself" (1 Sam. 18:1-5). As a symbol of the relationship, Jonathan took off his kingly robe and armor and placed them on the once-servant David, transferring his identity to his friend. It was an act of love, coming with benefits and responsibilities.

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

If we enter into covenant relationship with God, we clothe ourselves in Christ's robes (Gal. 3:26-27). We lay aside/take off the old identity and put on the new robe (Rom. 13:11-14).  How foolish if we were to try and put on a new robe, without taking off the old one first. (Col. 3:1-10, Eph. 4:20-24).


To welcome us into a covenant relationship with Him, Jesus put on our dirty robes and allowed us, the undeserving servant, to identify with him. He took on flesh and humbled Himself to do it, because He loves us as Himself (Phil. 2:5-8). David must've been overwhelmed at being loved and chosen, and we should be too! When Christ willingly united with us, He became our Protector, our Defender, our Deliverer, our Provider. What confidence that gives me!  Just like Jonathan gave David his armor, Christ has given us His armor to protect and defend us and help us stand firm: 

Full Armor =

• Belt of truth
• Breastplate of righteousness
• Gospel of peace for our feet
• Shield of faith
• Helmet of salvation
• Sword of the Spirit. (Eph. 6:10-17) 

Our covenant God has equipped us with all we need for living in covenant with Him.  This love gift helps us to live like the daughter of the King, instead of the unknown servant we once were. Because we are His, He'll make sure we have what we need, that we are protected, and that we're never alone again.It makes me want to live to reflect my covenant God, to display the "robe" He has put on me.


How does your life display your new identity given to you by Christ? 
What have you taken off to become a new creation in covenant with God?

Covenant # 1 - Knowing the covenant Maker

This week we captured a sweeping overview of God's covenants, the "solemn, binding agreements" He initiates with man. Our group couldn't help but see the pattern of restoration in God's covenants, noticing how each agreement is linked to the original plan for man to have a relationship with his Maker. This week we looked at 4 covenants. There's SO much to share about God's wonderful picture of covenant, but let me give you some highlights:

Old Testament Covenants have a LOT to do with us today!

Genesis6, 9, 17 ~ The Noahic Covenant ... God promised salvation. He preserved Noah's family in an ark of safety, because Noah walked with Him and was righteous, though he lived in corrupt times. God gave a rainbow as a sign to promise He would never destroy the earth by a worldwide flood again.  This shows me God is a SAVING God.

Gensis15, 17 ~ The Abramaic Covenant ... God promised descendants to the 99 yr old Abraham, saying he would father many nations and bless the world through him. Circumcision served as a sign of Abraham's (and all of his descendants') identity with God. Covenant means we identify with each other. Abraham received a new name with his new identity (love that idea!). God wants to know and be known by the creation which bears His image = man.  This shows me God is a LOVING God.

Exodus 2,6, 19, 24 ~ The Covenant with Israel ... God promised possession, that He would be Israel's God, and they would be His people. This covenant was conditional, though, based on the obedience of the people. The disobedience of Israel, which we can all relate to, made their "journey" to the land God promised quite a ride ... a 40 yr ride. He gave them the 10 Commandments, the words of the covenant, as another sign of the agreement. The years in the desert were punctuated by regular signs of God's actions to draw His people to Himself. Because of His covenant agreement with Israel, God released the people from Egyptian slavery. God is not able to "NOT" follow through with His promises.  Aren't you glad?  This shows me God is a FAITHFUL God.

Malachi 3:1, Matt. 26:26-29 ~ The New Covenant (Just a glimpse)  This covenant provides once and for all what the others could not:   forgiveness of sins.  It provides a way of restoring our relationship to God in a way that had not been done before. God the Father is still the initiator, but in Matthew 26 we see Jesus the Son of God extending the invitation to join in the New Covenant.  He offered His own self, His own flesh, His own blood, as the covenant sacrifice. This shows me God is a SACRIFICIAL God.

Old Testament Covenants have a lot to do with us today. From the promises made and the signs given, a picture emerges of who my God is and what He's like. He is saving, loving, faithful, and sacrificial. 

Each covenant involved pain and the shedding of blood. A covenant comes with a cost, yet God willingly pays it for us, and He loves us enough to ask us to join in covenant with Him.



I can't help but see how the covenants are all meant to show what God is like to the world. Each reveals the character of our holy, loving, amazing God. Being in covenant with Him means I promise to show Him to the world ... today, tomorrow, and until He comes and every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord.

We're in good company with Noah, Abraham, and Israel as the reflection of our covenant making God to the watching world!

Use this chart to reflect on what your specific life challenges are and the action steps you can take to have  godly, "covenant behavior" to show God to our world.

A challenge for me this morning …	I will show my covenant God to the world by …
A challenge for me the rest of today …	I will show my covenant God to the world by …
A challenge for me this weekend …	I will show my covenant God to the world by …

This coming week we'll be looking at the customs of making a covenant and how they're LOADED with meaning for us. I'm excited ... maybe I'll even change my name! ;)

"Never again" - Covenant Intro

Today we start our first Friday reflection on God's Covenants. If you haven't subscribed to posts via email yet, subscribe at the blog header so you don't miss out. 

AP Photo

Jeff grew up in the flooded area of the Northeastern US. We went there for seminary. I taught 1st grade there. We had JoHanna there. We've both been there for ministry, and we go back there for things like Christmas. Two tropical systems in a short time dumped massive amounts of water, causing catastrophic damage. Today will be a day of fear, confusion, and grief for many as they fight the floods.
 

The first mention of "Covenant" in God's word is found in Genesis 6, just after God told Noah, a "righteous man, blameless in his time" (v.9) that He was bringing "the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish" (vs.18). God was not throwing a tantrum or changing His mind. The worldwide flood was in response to the continual evil and wickedness of mankind, filling earth with corruption. After revealing the awful events to come, God spoke a "But."

"But I will establish My covenant with you..." (v.18).  

God initiated a contract, a pledge, an agreement between Himself and Noah. Noah was to build an ark God described, bring his family into it, gather 2 of every animal into it, and be saved. Verse 22 tells us Noah did it all. After watching the world perish and waiting for God to expose land for his family to leave the ark, the Noah family must've panicked the next time they felt raindrops .... away from the ark! 


In Genesis 9 God builds on the first part of the Noahic Covenant. This time, it didn't hinge on anything man had to do. God just promised:   "I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy all the earth" (v.11).


While there may be localized flooding like that in the NE United States right now, we can be certain the whole earth won't ever again for covered by a destructive flood ... because God promised. And because He knows us, our frailty, our fears, our forgetfulness, He gave the Noahs and every man born them after a sign of the covenant:  a rainbow.  He said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth" (v.13).  A rainbow.

Look closely ... do you see 2?

God keeps His promises. It's Who He is. He can't go against His word. While we may feel like a flood is sweeping the whole earth, we can KNOW that it never will again, because God made a covenant.




God has the heart of a Savior. Not just in the New Testament with Jesus, but even in the Old Testament, (another word for covenant) we see God's passion to save man and restore the fellowship with God we were created for. Just as He made a way to rescue Noah's family from the consequence of corruption, He made a way for all of mankind, too. 


We'll see that in the weeks ahead, as we look as God's covenants each Friday for the next couple of months.
If you want to study along with us, we're using this book.

The next time you see a rainbow, celebrate God's covenant heart to SAVE!