Rest in his Glory

 God is reminding me that I need to rest in his glory.   I need to be more in awe of his glory, power, and majesty.   I have been reading Revelation this week and God is showing me that I need to rest in his presence more.    I need to stand in awe of his beauty and creation.  Being in awe of his presence will allow me to focus him and what he has done in my life. 

Jesus is our Mighty God

 Jesus has been reminding me he is my Mighty God through the storms of life.   He is my great I am.  He is the bread of life.  the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth and the life and he satisfies our hunger.    Jesus showed me he has suffered pain on the cross, rejection by the Father, and knows what it means to be sad and wept over someone.  He knows my deepest and innermost fears and sorrows in my life.   He is forever true yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Listen to the Holy Spirit's leading in my life

 God reminded me today through his Word in John 14 that he has given me the Holy Spirit for me to seek his wisdom and guidance in my life.  It showed me the power of the Holy Spirit in our life.  Also, the abundance of how much God loves us he would send his Spirit to help us.   Jesus said to John 14 that his purpose for sending the Holy Spirit was to comfort his disciples and give them peace.    The Holy Spirit's presence is our life shows us the Jesus is always with us always.  

Wait

 To continue the them of waiting,  God has been telling me to wait on him and his leading in my life.    David Maki, from First Fields got back to me today and told me the follow up interview with the Missions Pastor Wade would be in a few weeks.   I waited to God and reminded me that he is still leading me.    Jesus knows what I need,  I need to focus on his kingdom alone.   Also,  resting in God's presence like it says in Psalm 46:10,  gives us the ability to submit to him.     Through this process,  we are reminded of how much we need to depend on God alone.  

Keep waiting on him

 God has been reminding me that I need to keep waiting on God's leading in my life.     Jesus said in Matthew 6:28-33, to God knows what we need and he cares for the sparrows of the field.   Focus on God's kingdom and he will provide for us.    God has been revealing to me when I focus on his kingdom alone that he will provide for me and use me for his glory alone.     It says in Psalm 46:10,  "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations I will be exalted in the earth!"  I need to be still more often, then wait on where God is leading me in my life.  

Trust in him

 God is reminding me that I need to keep trusting him for his leading in my life.   I received a phone call about a short interview over the phone the other day after I had applied to this church job in Carrolton earlier in the week.    I did not have much time to prepare for the interview because the guy called me on Wednesday night and he wanted to discuss the position on Thursday.   Overall,  I felt the interview went overall and God spoke through me during the interview.     God gave me the wisdom and discernment to provide good responses when I discussed the position David Maki at FBC Fields.   Proverbs 3:5-6 says,  "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.   In all of your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight."   God has been showing me that he need to keep trusting him and his leading in my life.  

Listen to the Holy Spirit's leading

 In the past week,  God has been reminding me of how important it is to listen to the Holy Spirit's leading in my life.   I have been reading Acts lately and how Paul listened to the Holy Spirit in discerning in who God was calling him to share with.   Also,  he listened to Spirit in discerning where to go share next and if God was leading him not to go somewhere.    The Holy Spirit told me to wait to go to a specific location to another time and go back at another point.   It has been a reminder to me of how I need to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance on who he wants me share with and when/where he wants me to share.   Lastly,  God showed me the specific time and how I need to wait for the Spirit's leading. 

He is with me in the valleys of life

 God reminded me with a great time of fellowship this morning that he is with me in the valleys of life.   He is using people in my life to encourage me in my walk with God.   In the past few weeks,  God used mentors to remind me that he has a plan for my life and he is working all things for his glory alone.   Paul said to the Philippian church,  "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus."  God has used this verse in my life to remind that that he is still molding me into his image and growing me in greater knowledge of him in the midst of my frustrating job situation.    Lastly,  Jesus showed me that his presence is with me always.    It says in Joshua 1:9, Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid;  do not be discouraged, for the Lord God will be with you wherever you go."

Trust in the Spirit's leading in my life

 God has been reminding me when I trust in faith in where his Spirit is leading me that he will lead and guide me.    The disciples trusted Jesus' leading in their life after he resurrected from the grave and he sent his Holy Spirit on them.    Directly after that, the Holy Spirit moved at Pentecost on the disciples and early believers in the early church.     In Chapter two,  Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he spoke to the Jews that rejected Jesus on the cross.    God's spirit moved through Peter condemning the people for their ignorance of Jesus in calling for his crucifixion and along with their hardness of heart in not recognizing Jesus after the prophets foretold his coming.   In Acts 3,   Peter trusted Jesus with faith and relied on the Holy Spirt in healing the blind beggar.   He knew that God healed him through him and not anything that he did to heal him.  

Apartment Ministry

 God multiplied our apartment ministry this past week when two other workers in the harvest joined us.   We had been praying for other laborers in the harvest to reach the community for Christ.   Also,  Jesus has been it on our heart to pray for more women to go pray/share with people in the apartment complex.  We need other women to connect and encourage two women in the apartment that were not connected to a church.    The Holy Spirit used me to share the 3 circles with a young girl about elementary age on Thursday night in my apartment complex.    

A few friends and I are praying Luke 10:2 this weekend that God would provide other people to come alongside us to pray and share with the lost.   Luke 10:2 says,  "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,  Therefore pray to the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."  At first, we started with just Nate Roberts and I then it multiplied to three.   For about three to four weeks it was Me, Nate, and Stephen Cahill.     Lastly week,  God multiplied our apartment ministry group to four people, if Nate and his friend come next week it could be six people. 

Gospel Ministry

 God revealed to me today that Gospel ministry is hard but necessary.   We have to strive to reach the lost for the kingdom of God.     Paul wrote painfully to the church at Corinth for their growth in Christ and was in anguish because of the division that took place.     Also,  Paul longed to see those that he ministered to in Ephesians 3:17-18, "be rooted and established in love, may have power, together with God's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."   Even in the midst of the Judaizers in Galatians,   Paul set forth what God had called him to do.     He pushed forward when he knew the road was hard and long.    Lastly,  Paul fixed his eyes on things about not on earth; Colossians 3:2; 2 Corinthians 4:8. 

A few friends and I have been doing some apartment ministry for about a month and a half.   We had a breakthrough with someone Jordan and I prayed with one Friday evening.   He was a believer that came to faith through a video online.   Tony came to church a few times and a few small groups before I attending a false gospel revival.    I discipled Tony for a while but I have not heard anything for him lately.   Last Thursday,  we were able to pray for some believers that did not have a church home and invited some of them to our church.   These instances remind me that gospel ministry is hard but we have to keep pressing "on toward the goal to win the prize of God's heavenly calling in Christ Jesus" as Paul says in Philippians 3:14.

It is important this week we press on toward reaching the lost with the gospel.   We have to center our hearts on who God is and his glory.   In order to do this, we have to develop a reverent awe and wonder of who is in our life.   Our mind needs to be centered on making disciples that further make disciples.   Therefore,  gospel multiplication needs to be taking place in our life.  

God is still working

 God used some people in my life to remind me that he is still working in the waiting.    God will ordain the circumstances in my life for him to use me in his timing.   These people reminded me that God has a plan and he is working it.   He is using this time to conform me to his image.   He is helping me see the metapmorphsis in my life and molding through Romans 8:28-29.  

Also,  God used the Discipleship pastor from church to remind me of how God has used me recently.  He told me how he has seen the impact God using me to share the gospel.   He mentioned my passion for serving in the church.   Justin Flores was impressed that I was serving in a wide range of areas of church.  He described in detail how my gifts of service and evangelism have been utilized in the church then encouraged me as well.  

Lastly,  God has used the Children's Pastor and the Discipleship Pastor to remind me that I need to keep waiting on God's leading in my life.    Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God."   This shows us that we as believers need to humble ourselves before God and wait on his leading in life.   It is also a reminder of how much we need to depend on God and seek him for everything.   Lastly,  we need to always be aware of God's presence in our life and what he has for us.  

Mentors

 God has been revealing to me how important it is to have mentors in your life.   He revealed to me at the end of last spring that I needed to get a mentor.   I had been trying to set up some mentorship meetings with pastor John Eastham in the summer.   We started meeting the past few weeks discussing a wide range of topics.  The first week, we discussed what specifically we were going to meet in regards in our meeting.  The second week,  we discussed what I had been reading in the book of Mark.  Last week, we discussed a few things God has been doing in my life and he gave me advice on a wide range of things.  

God's timing in my life

 God has been reminding me lately how important it is to trust him in his timing.   His timing is does not occur in our own human terms.   There are various examples in the Bible of people that waited a long time to serve God.   Paul had to through is time of trial and he was in the Arabian desert before he could serve God.   Jesus was tempted by Satan before he started his ministry.   Moses heard the cries of the Hebrew people and went through his own time of waiting before he could serve God.  

Pastor John told me this week that God has been where I am for a specific purpose.   I just have to trust that God knows what he is doing during this specific time in my life.   He wants me to wait on him and his leading in my life.   Isiah 40:31 says those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength,  they shall mount up wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, and walk and not grow faint.   This means that God can renew us as we rely on his word and depend on him.   He gives us strength when we are tired of certain circumstances.   Lastly,  he gives us strength when times are hard in our life.  

God also calls us to wait on him in the Psalms 46:10.   Waiting on God is an example of one who is dependent on God.   When we wait on him,  it shows our need for God and our ultimate desperate dependence on him for everything.   It shows people around us that we can trust him for everything in our life.   Lastly,  when we wait on God it helps us abide in him for all we need; John 15:5. 

The Chosen: The Global app/show

 The Chosen has helped me see Jesus' humanity as well as divinity.   It has helped me see the gospels from different perspectives.   It has also challenged me in my faith and my trust in God.    In a similar way,  a quote from the last episode reminds us that Jesus did come to make things better for us but he came to give us abundant eternal life and live radically for him.  This second season has helped me see that the disciples did not what they were doing when they first followed Jesus.   These episodes have helped me see my need to come to Christ for my sins and my dependence on him.  

Getting Healthy in your life

 The book "Are You Really Okay" helped me see how making sure you are healthy in all areas of your life can affect the relationships in your life.     Debra Fileta clearly presented the case of how we have to be make sure we are okay emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually in our life.  Being healthy in these areas give us the strength to love God with our our heart, mind, soul, and strength; Mark 12:30-31.  It's important we heal from various traumas that we have faced in our life.  This book showed me how it's important we examine if we have healed from our past family emotional struggles and how they affect us later in life.   

It also revealed to me how important rest can be to our daily life and our emotional strength.  Rest helps us retain information mentally and process things emotionally.   Mental rest and physical rest are important will giving us the strength throughout the week.    As Christians,  it is important we to love God with our mind and strength not just our soul and heart.   We cannot love God with only a small part of us but we have to make sure the sum is the whole of the part of us.  

This book also examines our spiritual life to see if we are loving God with our whole hearts.   We have to examine our past to make sure nothing is hindering our current relationship with God.   In order to grow in Christ, we have to heal from the past.    Paul says in Philippians 3:12-14,  that he presses on to what Christ has done in his life and in verse 13 he pushes from his past and strains forward to the future.   In verse 15,  this pressing onward leads to a eternal focus on Jesus Christ.    

Lastly,  Fileta helps the reader understand how we process things emotionally.   When we understand,  how we process things emotionally it will clearly see how to process certain things in clearer ways.   We have to acknowledge our emotions, express them well, see how they affect others,  and ask others how I acted in a certain way.   It's important we write out how we specifically acted in certain ways to grow from these ways.    This will give us the strength to heal emotionally in our life.  

Sleep Hygiene/Mental Health

 The book "Are You Really Okay?" helped me realize how important it is to get a good night's sleep.  A lack of sleep can affect our mental, physical, and emotional well-being.    It is important to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night.  Good sleep hygiene affects our whole well-being from our mood,  our judgement,  to our ability to learn and retain information.   A lack of sleep impacts our physical health from which can lead to disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and mortality.  

The author also emphasized that sleep hygiene affects the quality of sleep that we get every night.   The concept of sleep hygiene is a combination to sleep practices that help us have a good night's rest.   These include: avoiding caffeine close to bedtime,  sleeping and waking at the same time,  keeping your room cool and dark, limiting screen time before bed, limiting day time naps to 30 minutes or less,  and following a similar bedtime routine every night.   The last two that tie together are: increasing the amount of sunshine during the day and exercising regularly during the day.  Practicing a nightly routine can will help our mind and body focus as we go about our day.     When we do not practice these steps, we can become vulnerable emotionally or anxious during the day.   

The author mentioned in the sleep hygiene chapter to keep a sleep hygiene diary.   She emphasized the importance of tracing the amount of sleep that we get every night.   When we track our nightly sleep,  we must write down our sleep and wake times to see what is working for us and what is not.   The author explained that if we are going through a season of sleeplessness,  it could mean we are dealing with anxiety.     We can counter this type of anxiety by praying though the night when we are having these type of sleep problems.   

This chapter in the book "Are you Really Okay"? opened up my eyes to the importance of sleep hygiene.   Debra Fileta explains the necessary importance getting good sleep can have in all areas of our life.   Sleep hygiene can affect the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of our life.   We need to practice sleep practices to help our mind and body get the necessary sleep every night.   Lastly, we need to examine weekly if the amount of sleep we are getting so we can access how our body is re-charging every day.  

Getting Healthy Inside and Out

 Lately,  God has been revealing to me how important is to be be healthy from the inside out.   He has been showing me how important it is to love him with my mind, soul, and body.    Loving him with everything we have has to be a holistic daily experience.    Mark 12:30,  says we are to "Love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength."  The book, "Are you really Ok?' by Debra Fileta has helped me examine if I am really loving God with everything I have and it has reminded me the things I need to work on in the past in order to heal in the present.  Lastly,  it helped me realize how past circumstances, situations,  life experiences, and trauma can affect us later in life.   

Mental Health

 The fight, flight, response in our brain remembers certain traumatic experiences.   It can affect our mental health in certain aspects.    The amigdala causes our body to go into this fight or flight mode and triggers certain responses in us.   Trauma has a way of skewing our emotional response in certain aspects.   It heightens the anxiety responses in us.   This is way professional counseling is an important to healing in our mental health.  

Trauma is a refining process one year at a time.   God heals us from trauma through time.   He peels down certain layers one step at a time.   Certain flashbacks help us revisit healing one step at a time.    God can speak through aspects of the flashbacks in our life.   God comforts us through these times and shows us he is our peace.   

Trauma taints us with disillusionment.  Sometimes we cannot tell the difference between truth and trauma.  We have to  acknowledge these experiences in our life.  When we acknowledge them,  we are able to see the truth.   Trauma is defined by loss of different things in your life; loss leads to distress; loss leads you to trauma.  

Mindfulness is a lost practice.  In Christian mindfulness, we are meditating on God's truth.   We are renewing our minds; Romans 12:2.   Mindfulness centers our hearts and minds on the here and now.  God is the great I am; Exodus 12:3.   

Breathing is another important aspect of mindfulness.   When we are stressed,  it affects how we breathe in certain situations.    The act of mindfulness and meditation helps us align our hearts with God's.   Start a truth journal.  One way to face our trauma with truth is a truth journal.    One side write down what the trauma says about us and the other side shows us what God says about us.  

Dangerous Calling

 The book we read for the Institute, Dangerous Calling, reminded of various pitfalls to avoid when we are in ministry.   It revealed things to be careful to not get fall prey when serving in ministry.     There were also some exciting aspects of ministry the book described.    When we have a healthy awe of God,  then our ministry flows through this awe of God's glory.   Lastly,  taking on the humbleness of Christ and how we served the disciples by washing their feet.  

This book convicted me of my desire to serve God in ministry.   It reminded of how much it's important to not fall prey to certain pitfalls in ministry.   The book gave us a glimpse of certain disciplines that we need to have currently before we get in ministry.   The book showed us why it's important to not fall into our own self-glory.   Also,  how it's important to not neglect our families and our own personal walk with God.    Our ministries should flow from our growing relationship with our savior, Jesus Christ.   

Edmund Clowney's- Called to Ministry

 God used the book "Called to Ministry" by Edmund Clowney to confirm by calling and desire to serve him in ministry.   He reminded me that we are first called when he surrender to God in our conversion.   We are also called by specifically called by our specific names that God gives us.   Clowney clarifies calling to relation to the certain gifts that God gives us.   Our calling is confirmed by how we use our gifts in the church.   

Being a servant of others is an aspect of calling we should take on as we seek to embody Christ.  Jesus was the true servant because he laid down his life for us by dying on the cross for us.   Jesus humbly served his disciples by washing their feet in John 13:1-17.   This shows how we should humbly serve our people.   Jesus came humbly through Bethany on a donkey.

Clowney also shows us the importance of relying on God's wisdom in relation to calling.   We are rely on God's wisdom in relation to our specific calling.   In another sense,  we are to use godly wisdom as we live out our calling.   Clowney discusses how God's wisdom is through seeing his glory through and recognizing who he is.  God's wisdom is to be a treasured possession and compared to a jewel in Job 38.  When we desire godly wisdom,  then God's kingdom is glorified through us.  

Lastly,  we should die to ourselves daily since we are called to the ministry.     As ministers of the gospel, we live out our calling by how we fully surrender to God.   Jesus says in Luke 9:23, "If anyone desires to come after me,  let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me."  Jesus calls to to surrender those desires not of him every day as we seek to serve others.  We are to prune out sinful thoughts that we have that are not of God.  

In another sense,  Paul says, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  The apostle Paul did not want to live in this earthly body anymore but desired to be with Christ.    As we live out our calling, we are to surrender to God's will for our lives.   It is important we pray not our will be done but Christ's will for our life.  This process of daily surrender will open us up to God's kingdom as seek to serve him in our calling in ministry.  

Gentle and Lowly- How to Minister

 Gentle and Lowly shows us as minister of the gospel how to interact with Dane Ortland's intended audience of sinners.   It shows us how to love people in their sin and show them mercy.   This book gives us a clear picture of the mercy of Jesus Christ and how we should embody that in ministry.     Ortland clearly defines how to take on the heart of Christ and how he is gentle and lowly toward us.   This book of Jesus Christ's tender and lowliness towards us while we were still sinners shows me how I need to remember Jesus' love towards us when ministering to the broken and outcast. 

Also,  it shows as ministers of the gospel how our hearts should move towards those in sinner.   We should embody Christ in ministry in moving toward the broken and outcast.   Jesus moved toward the lepers, hurting,  destitute, and demon-possessed.   He had compassion on them in their sin and desperate situation.   It is this compassion that we should have to specific sinners we are ministering to.  

In minister, it is important we take on the mercy of Jesus Christ.   Orland uses the verse Exodus 34:6-7 to exemplify this point.   It says "God is compassion and merciful, slow to anger."    As ministers of the gospel,  we should model the mercy of God.   His mercy was so endless he sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.   This shows us in ministry,  the amount he calls us to show mercy to the sinners. 

Lastly,  in ministry in order to take on the heart of Jesus Christ it is important we rely on his Spirit.   When we rely on the Holy Spirit: he uses us to convict sinners of their need for him,  teach others,  and guide others in truth.   Also,  in ministry when we rely on the Holy Spirit he leads us to those he wants us to share the gospel with.   Similarly,  the Holy Spirit shows us the true heart of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit shows Jesus' heart and love for sinners to know him.   

God is our good shepherd. He leads his flock

 God showed me of this theme all throughout Scripture.   This terminology starts in Ezekiel 34:10 and lasts until verse 34.   The theme of God being our good shepherd relates back to Jeremiah 23:5-6,  which gives us a sense of intertextuality in regards to the passage.   This concept of God being a shepherd goes back to John 10:11-18.  This passage Jesus is portrayed as our "good shepherd" in how he leads us.  

Ezekiel 34:1-8,  Ezekiel prophesies against the leaders to Israel.   Shepherd terminology is used to show the significance of how the leaders of Israel lead the people astray.   In verse ten,  we can see how God puts himself in place of the shepherds to show how leads his people.     In the preceding verses, 11-20 God gives us a picture on how he leads us people when they are lead astray.    While in verse 22,  God details his saving work for his people.    God is jealous for his people to know him and he desires to lead them.

In the conclusion to this section of verses,  starts in verse 24 with Jesus portrayed as our good shepherd and servant king.   When we interpret this passage in terms of biblical interpretation in how in relates back to this foretelling in Jeremiah 23:5-6.   The preceding verses in Jeremiah give us the shepherd metaphor.  This shows us how Jesus is our good shepherd that serves us and leads us in a righteous manner.   Lastly,  a New Testament passage that gives us a depiction of God as a good shepherd is John 10:11-18.  

Trust in God's Timing in life

 The past three weeks God has been reminding me of how important it is to trust in God's timing for our life.   At times,   God's timing may be not our timing.   We have to wait and seek his will and leading for our life.   A friend showed me that I God's ways are bigger than ways.   God knows what he is doing in these specific waiting periods we face in our life.   

Some of the great leaders in ministry had to wait for their time to be used by God.   Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness and did not start his ministry until he was 30 years old.   Joseph was thrown into the dungeon by his brothers,  accused of raping Pharaoh's wife,  and mistreated by the cupbearer before he was able to start serving God.   Paul spend three years in the desert in Arabia before he started serving God in ministry.   He had to go through persecution before God would end up using him in ministry.   Lastly,  it was not until Moses was 80 years old that God called Moses to lead his people into Egypt. 

Pastor Jered reminded me how God used specific times to mold leaders into his image.   These leaders had to go through trying times before they could serve God in ministry.   Those circumstances molded these leaders so they were ready for the hard times in ministry.    Also,  he reminded me how these leaders had to wait for God's timing to serve him.  Even the greatest of leaders had to wait for God's appointed time, to serve him in ministry. 

How are you struggling to wait for God's timing?   What are ways in which you need to trust in God's timing and not your timing?  Observe the ways in which you are striving for your will and not God's will for your life.   Pray about specific ways you can train yourself to trust in God's plans for your life.  Lastly,  remind yourself that God is in control and he is still working in the waiting.

The Institute- at First Irving- 1 Timothy 3

 God has been using the Institute at First Baptist Irving to reaffirm my call to serve him in ministry.   I am thankful for the leadership of Pastor Jared Richard.   I am thankful that the church set up this gathering of those in the church that desire to learn about gospel centered ministry.    This morning reminded me that our character and how we lead comes before being a great teach of the Bible.   Pastor Jared discussed how character of a pastor/elder is more important than having great charisma.   

Also,  discussing these qualities reminded how important it is to lead others well.   We have to represent Christ inside and outside of the church.     Jered mentioned a point that stood out to me as well.  He said if you're character is out of line,  you're not qualified.    It remined me how we need to model the character of Christ.    These character traits we discussed can influence others for godliness when we are growing in Christ.  

This meeting showed me God is maturing these character traits in me.   It reminded me that God's timing is not my timing as well.  Many leaders in the Bible had to wait on God for the appropriate time to serve him in ministry.   God has been molding me into spiritual maturity described in Colossians 1:28.   He has been using this waiting period in my life to mature my faith and character to become into the image of Jesus Christ.    

Unseen Realm: End Times

 The Supernatural Worldview of the Bible informs how we think about the the End Times.   It helps us interpret specific events that occur in the end of the age.  Dr. Hesler discusses how the Supernatural Worldview impacts our view of Armagedon and other important passages in the Revelation that discuss the end times.    Also,  Dr.  Hesler talks about how this supernatural worldview gives us a big picture of Jesus' ability to overcome the unseen realm during the end times events.  

Unseen Realm/Supernatural Worldview

 Dr. Heiser also discusses Jesus' descent into Hell or Sheol at great length.   He paints a clear picture of how he takes the keys from Hades and death while overcoming the "Watchers" or "sons of god." When Christ takes the keys from Hades,  he shows that he has authority over death and the unseen realm.  This parallel is shown when Peter 3 and Revelation three describing Christ taking the key over Hades and clarifying us his authority over the supernatural realm.  This overall picture of Christ overcoming death shows us a supernatural worldview of the Bible.   

Unseen Realm: Michael Heiser Part 1

 God has been showing me a couple different things from this book called Unseen Real: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.   The book shown the clear verses and passages that detailed the Supernatural Real working against us.   Also,  the book also explained certain well known passages in the Bible such as Genesis 3 and Job 1-2.   The book explains why Israel faced giants such as goliath and his origins.   Lastly,  it gives you the passages for origins of the spiritual worldview in Psalm 82 and it helps you understand God and his Word.  

The concepts discussed in this book are never described in the church.   Heiser does a great job of developing and helping the reader understand that God did have divine beings on this divine council that rebelled against him; Psalm 82 and Job 1-2.    Also,  Heiser helps the reader understand the "Satan" is not a serpent but a divine being that was on God's divine council but rebelled.   In Job 1-2,  "Satan" is shown as arbiter or judge in the story of Job.  Heiser reveals that there are multiple rebellions that took place in the Old Testament: Genesis 3, Genesis 6,  and the tower of Babel in Genesis 11.  

These "sons of god," rebelled against God in the passages of Genesis 6 and Psalm 82.  These "sons of god" are referred to as elohim similar to God but in lower than God. Their descendants would end up becoming the Anakim and Repalim.  Their descendants were the Nephalim during the time of the flood.   Their future descendants would become the giants as Moses sent out Joshua and Caleb to spy out the land.  This is also where the offspring of Goliath and his clan of giants would come from.   Lastly,  they would end up becoming a type of demonic forces during the time of Jesus' ministry.  

Another important concept is the Deuteronomy 32:8-9 worldview,  which describes how God disinherited the "sons of god," to the other surrounding nations.    He sent them out from Israel's midst because they disobeyed God and his commands.   This worldview shows how Israel was battling these nations throughout the whole Old Testament.   It helps you understand the Old Testament more clearly.  Lastly,  this worldview helps shape how we see the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.  

I will be posting a part two soon.  There is so much in this book to detail and discuss in length.  I will have to review and do another post this weekend.   There will be another update when I finish this book.    God is calling me to do multiple reviews of this life changing book.  

God's love for us

 In reference in Valentine's Day,   God reminded me of his love for in my time in his the Bible this morning.   I was reading Lamentations 3, which is a book of the Bible that is rarely read by many.   The verses in Lamentations gave me a picture of God's love for me.   It also showed me the depth of God's love for us.    Lastly,   it helped me reflect that God's love for us is new every morning.  

First,  this acrostic poem in Lamentations 3:21 describes God's love as never ceasing and his mercies never come to an end.   The poem says,  "The steadfast love the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end."   Think about that for a minute.    God's love for us never ever ceases and his mercies on us never ever come to and end.   Then the poem goes on in verse 22,  "they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."   God's love for us is new every morning,  meaning when we repent of our sins that God gives us grace the next day.    He loves us and pursues us with this everlasting love and compassion for us.  

This is similar to how God loved and pursued Judah despite their sin.  God's steadfast love his (covenantal action on the people's behalf) never ceases.    This type of love replaces judgement with restoration.    God desired Israel and us as believers to repent,  he shows mercy and grace toward us.  God's covenantal integrity remain intact in all situations because he was faithful to his chosen people and is faithful to us. 

Important themes in Jeremiah

 There are a few important themes in Jeremiah were that Jeremiah preached God's Word to the people despite persecution that he faced.   Also,  the Israelites and Judeans were unrepentant of their sins.    Jeremiah constantly preached about judgement of their sins and yet they still would not repent.   He was faithful to speak what only God revealed to him through spoken word.   Despite speaking the truth of God's Word,  he was persecuted consistently for depending on God and speaking the message he had been given.   

In Jeremiah 26,  God commanded Jeremiah to preach to the people in people's house of worship.  He preached a message of repentance calling the people to turn from their sins and back to God.   God said through Jeremiah he would relent of the coming judgement if the people repented of their sin.   After he had prophesied this message from God in 26:3-4,  the priests and prophets were enraged because of this message from God.   In verse eight, the priests and prophets grabbed ahold of Jeremiah saying, "You shall die."  They then inquired as to why he prophesied this future judgement pronounced on them by God.    Then shortly after this at the at the entry of the New Gate over the house of the Lord these same false prophets and priests threatened him with death,  "This man deserves death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears."

In the next section in verses 12-15, Jeremiah told the prophets and the priests what God called him to say to the people.   He repeated his message once again that God called the people to repent of their sins and evil ways to turn to God.   If they repent of their sins, then God will relent of judgement on the city.  Also, if they put Jeremiah to death, then they will bring innocent blood upon themselves and upon the city.   Jeremiah was also put in prison and a cistern in 37-38.

In the following section in verses 16-17,  the elders and the people cautioned them to not put Jeremiah to death.      They realized former prophet Micah prophesied in the days of Hezekiah.  The elders and people decided not to harm him because Micah feared God and depended on him.   The elder,  Ahikam the son of Shaphan protected Jeremiah.  

In Jeremiah 42,  the commanders of the forces of Judea asked for a word from Jeremiah from God for for mercy.   Jeremiah sought God's direction and what he will say to them.   At the end of ten days,  God said if they remain in the land,  then he will build them up and not pull them down.   If the people do not remain in the land and go to Egypt there will be famine and die by the sword.   They ended up going to Egypt and disobeying God.   This is another example of the people's constant disobedience against God's plans for them.    

What is God calling you to do?

 In Jeremiah 32, God tells Jeremiah to buy a field from the son of his uncle.   At the time,  it was dumbfounding as to why God would ask Jeremiah to buy a field during a time the Israelites were under siege Babylon.  This vision came to Jeremiah when he was shut up in court of the guard in the palace of the king of Judah.   He was previously detained in a cistern and Zedekiah transferred Jeremiah to the court of guard to watch over him.   Has God ever called you to do something irrational or out of the ordinary in life.  

Jeremiah's cousin, Hanamel, came to him in the court of the guard.  He said, "Buy my field that is in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself." It was at that moment in time that Jeremiah knew this decision to buy the field was from God.    Jeremiah knew what God prophesied will come true.   When God reveals something to us,  we have to trust he will lead us.

In the preceding verse nine, Jeremiah bought the field and weighed out the money to him, which was seventeen shekels of silver.    Coins are not in general use at the time, so Jeremiah had to weigh out the coins.   As far as how silver was valued,  we do not know in Biblical terms.  This shows that Jeremiah paid full price for Hanamel's land.  In verse ten,  he received the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighted money on the scales.   Then he took the sealed deed with the purchase, that contained the open copy as well as the conditions and open copy.  

Next,  Jeremiah gave the deed of purchase to Baruch, his scribe and assistant, in the presence of Hanamel, his cousin, all the who signed the deed of purchase,  and in the presence of the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard.    This shows that this act is a highly public event.  When the Israelites are taken into exile,  the would be able to see this deed to buy land.    The Israelites would be able to find hope in this deed of land.    It is a positive message when most of Jeremiah is negative in tone. 

Last, Jeremiah calls Baruch, to take the deeds, both the sealed deed and the open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel for a long time.     God says this would be done to give the people hope for the future return after exile.   God speaks through Jeremiah saying,  "Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land."   Verse 15 emphasizes the true nature and purpose of God calling Jeremiah to buy the field.   It shows how the destruction of Jerusalem and exile will not the end of the story for the Israelites.   Lastly,  there will be a day for the Israelites when they will be able to reclaim their land and plant crops and vineyards again.  

As I close out this blog post, first we can see that Jeremiah sought God's voice daily.   Two,  Jeremiah heard a vision from God and he follow up with it and it came to pass.   Third,  God called Jeremiah to do something irrational and he trusted God with the symbolic action.  This symbolic action would set the stage for Israel's return out of exile.  This action was a level of confidence for the future for the people.

Jeremiah 32:15 is a passage that gives us hope with all the crazy situations that take place in our life.  It reminds us to put our hope in God in the midst of wars, famines, and broken-ness in this world.  Lastly, Jeremiah 32:15 reminds us that God is still at work in our lives.   We have to bring that hope to our world.   It is important we remind other people of that hope we have that Jeremiah 32:15 promises.   

Through these points in this story, we have to examine what ways God is calling us to take a step out of faith.   Jeremiah was in tune with where God was leading him and he trusted God.  What is God leading us to do or say to a certain person?   I used  the resource, Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 – Sermon Writer.  How can we trust God greater with whatever he is calling us to do?

Submit to God's Will

 God reminded me today that when I surrender to his will for my life that he will direct me.    I had planned to go straight to church from the bus.  I had planned to go straight from getting off the bus to the church but someone got my attention that was struggling.   At first I thought this guy said he needed to go to the hospital but he saw my Bible and asked me if I was going to church.  I said Yes, I was then proceeded to tell him where it was exactly.  He seemed like he was struggling and told me he told me he needed time with Jesus so I said he could come to church.  

Next,  I helped him walk to First Baptist Irving.   I tried to stay out in front of him to keep feet distance and keep my mask on most of the time since we had just met.   Also,  I tried to stay in front of him because I did not know his background.   Along the way there he told me he had become a believer a few weeks ago.  While walking to the church, I tried to get to know him and his story. 

When we had arrived to church, I told Michelle Stanfill that I invited Patrick who was struggling with a lot of things.   Patrick ended up sitting in the back row of the church.   I said hi to John Eastham to Children's Minister that I serve with.   Then Michelle went and grabbed some coffee for Patrick.   A little while later,  I talked to Patrick for a little bit before the service started.  

The next part of my story occurs when the service starts.  I ushered people to Myles who helped them find their seats.   I did this until the service started at nine a.m.   We had a great time of prayer and worship during the service.  It seems like Patrick enjoyed the service and sermon by Pastor Moises.  

After the service had ended,  I asked Patrick if he needed a ride.  At that time my friend Aaron who I had served the day before in showing him how to prayer walk and share on Saturday said to me, "Do you need a ride."  Then, Pastor Wayne, the Administration Pastor ushered us out of the sanctuary because we could not be congregating in there.   Aaron and I walked to his car and we saw Patrick walking the other direction.    Aaron waved at Patrick to come to the car toward us and he said to Patrick, "Hey man I don't know you're story but I'll give you a ride where you need to go.

During the car ride,   we shared with Patrick and encouraged him in his desire to pursue God.  Aaron told his story of how he pursued drugs and worthless things in his life.   Patrick told us of how he had recently become sober.   He stopped using some specific type of drugs but I do not remember what it was.    It seemed like God was moving in Patrick life during the car ride because he opened up to us about his struggles.  

We ended up giving Patrick a ride to his dad's house in Fort Worth area.   While in the car,  Patrick told us of his struggles over the past 24 hours.   Everyone he had met did not treat him well from people taking his stuff to beating him up.   They people that did not treat him well could be attributed to the crowds in the story of the paralytic that looked for the distance.   In the story of the paralytic man,  I was the man's friends that brought him to Jesus.    It snowed non-stop from Irving to Forth Worth to drop off Patrick.   

When we finally dropped off Patrick at his dad's house,  it had snowed a couple off inches.   We took a picture with Patrick in the snow when we arrived to his house.     It was a cool picture of us bringing someone before Jesus and then he does a work in Patrick's life.   Also,  his dad opened the door it had the feel of the the son coming home to the dad in the story of the prodigal man.  We told his dad of how we met him in Irving and gave him a ride home.    It was cool seeing the father opening up the door for the son and welcoming him back.   

The story ends with Aaron and I praying for Patrick as we traversed back to Irving in the snow.   We prayed that he would turn away from his old sin nature.   That God would sustain him with the ability to stay sober away from drugs.    We thanked God for the ability to share,  love, and serve Patrick last Sunday.   We took one last picture in the snow and enjoyed the snow in Texas.  

This story reminded me that I need to daily seek God's will for my life.   I desperately am seeking where God's calling me in life that I forget his will is more important.   Also,  at times I will put church as more important than other people.   I was reminded of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says, "your kingdom come,  your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."   I need to daily seek him for opportunities to share with what God has done in my life despite what hardship I am facing.   

New Year

 God has been revealing to me that he wants me to get back to journaling and writing in the New Year.   I have had this blog for a since 2010 but over the past few months I have not updated it as often as I would like to.   Also,  he has been showing me I need to be more consistent with journaling this year as I seek his will for my life.   Right now,  I am in the process of leaving Home Depot and seeking a ministry/para-church or non-profit position.   Lastly,  I need to journal about seeking him in terms who he is leading me to pursue in a future godly marriage.  

This blog has influenced many people since starting it in 2010.   I feel that God is calling me to get back to being more consist in writing in the blog.   I need to remind myself of how much my writing has impacted others so far in my life.   Also,  I need to look back on what God has done in my life in the past and use that for specific topics in my blog.   Once I pray, seek him for various topics, then I will be able to springboard more posts in my blog.   

Lastly,  God is calling me to journal consistently in the New year.   I need to make sure I am praying and journaling through what God is teaching me.   Also,  I need to journal about a specific direction God is leading me in.  I will be journaling more than two days weekly.  Lastly, I need to keep it up through the whole year.    God moves and reveals things to me when I am consistent.