The Power of Love

Luke 10

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

A Lawyer had asked Jesus this, and no one could argue with Jesus about the answer.  This was truly the Word of God.  Back in Deutoronomy 6, we have

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And in Leviticus 19:

18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:34

But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

So this is truly the law.  But in verse 29, the lawyer feels a need to justify himself, so he asks…

“AND WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?”

And of course, in response, Jesus presents the parable we all know, of the The Good Samaritan.

To the Judean Jew, and especially to the Pharisees, the Samaritans were the enemy.  There was enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, the Jews and the Greeks, the Jews and the Romans, the Jews and the Publicans, the Jews and Other Jews (Essenes and Saducees), and Jesus comes to walk the earth in the midst of all this enmity, and makes a proclamation:

Matthew 5:43-48 King James Version (KJV)

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

This is a foreign concept to the Jews of Jesus’ day.  Even though the Israelites were told from the beginning:

Leviticus 19:18

18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:34

But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

What they HEARD was:

exodus 21

23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Does this contradict?  No. 

Matt 19

7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

Jesus, being the Word Made Flesh, knew from the beginning the difference between what God Permits and what God Prefers.  Although remedies were put into the law for different circumstances, what God WANTED was that we Love our Neighbor as Ourselves, and not bear any grudge or seek vengeance.

Vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord.  That means if you take vengeance into your own hands, you are Stealing something that belongs to God.  Thou shalt not steal.

God’s way has always been to forgive.  And if you consider the cause and effect of things, Love is the cause, and forgiveness is the effect. 

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Proverbs 17:9

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

So this applies today then.  But we were warned by Jesus, that in these last days, 

Matthew 24:12

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Do we want our love to wax cold?  NO!  of course not!  But we have to see that love and forgiveness are entertwined.  

The Law, Love your neighbor as yourself, had been in force for thousands of years when Jesus came, but when he presented these cases, many of the religious elite were stunned. 

Consider the woman with the ointment:

Luke 7:47

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

Even Jesus’s disciples were in need of clarification.

In Matt 6

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

But then Peter needs clarification.

Matt 18

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

THIS IS CLEAR, AND REPEATED THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT.  Forgive others so your father can forgive you!

So here you are, faced with a dilemma.  Someone did something to you that you can’t forgive.  You can’t let it go.  It’s eating me.  It’s producing a root of bitterness in me.  So you turn to the Lord, and tell him, Jesus, I can’t forgive this person.

You expect a pep talk and a reminder of His Grace and Mercy, and a Word from the Scripture, a reminder of a parable, but what you get is….

                                                I know.

Well that’s not what you’re expecting.

                             I know you can’t forgive that person.

                                                But I can.

This has happened to me, but what happens next is incredible. The Lord does a work in me, which I will never forget, a work that has changed me, turns me inside out, and produces in me a New Creature!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

So the Lord does this work in me, and sets me free!  And then He reveals how He did it, so hopefully someone else can be set free today!

And it starts here:

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

You see, it’s a heart problem.  I was trying to forgive from myself, and to love with the love that I knew.  But that’s not what God has for me.  He has something better.

Consider David, a man after God’s own heart, who after he sinned, cried out to God:

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

The verb used there is Berali, a form of Bara, Which is only used in the context of God, for only God can create something Yesh me’ayin:  Something from nothing.  ONLY GOD DOES THAT!

Proverbs 20:9

Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

ONLY GOD DOES THAT!

Ezekiel 11:19

And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

Ezekiel 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

ONLY GOD DOES THAT!

Phil 2

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

REMEMBER THAT. THAT’S IMPORTANT.

As Jesus was about to complete his ministry and give himself as a sacrifice, being obedient even unto death, as they were leaving the Last Supper, He gave these words to his disciples:

John 13:34-35

A NEW commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

How is this new?  The command to love your neighbor already existed.  It had for almost 4000 years, between Moses and Jesus.  It is new because It is no longer Love your Neighbor as yourself. 

Back in Luke 10, the lawyer asked the Lord, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  And when the lawyer quoted the law, Jesus said, this do, and thou shalt live.  

But what if we can’t?

Some of us have a hard time loving ourselves, don’t we.  So if we have a hard time loving ourselves, how can we love one another? 

So Jesus, gives a NEW Commandment to go with his NEW Covenant.

 John 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

The Key here is AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.

And how did Jesus love us? 

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Jeremiah 31:3

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

He created us, watched in sorrow as we fell and became separated from him, and robed himself in humility and flesh, came walking onto this earth, to set the captives free, to proclaim liberty in the land, and to shed his blood for the remission of sins, to tear the veil so that nothing can separate us.

Romans 8

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

THIS IS HOW JESUS HAS LOVED US.

AND THIS IS HOW HE EXPECTS US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS HE HAS LOVED US.

So how do we fulfill this commandment?  We can’t.  We couldn’t follow the original command, love God with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself.  So how can we follow this one?  Love one another as Jesus has loved us?

The answer is We can’t.

BUT HE CAN.

AND HE IS HERE, WITHIN US, SITTING HERE IN HIS HOLY LIVING TEMPLE, HE IS HERE ON THE THRONE OF MY HEART, AND HE LOVES THROUGH ME.  AND HE FORGIVES THROUGH ME. 

Romans 5:5

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

THE LOVE OF GOD COMES FROM THE HOLY GHOST!  Which is given unto us!

1 Thessalonians 1:5

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL, TO LOVE AND TO FORGIVE AS JESUS DID, COMES THROUGH THE HOLY GHOST!

Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

WE HAVE NO GOOD WORKS!  IT IS THE HOLY GHOST THAT DOES THE WORK IN US!

THE HOLY GHOST EMPOWERS US!

Acts 1:8

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

POWER TO DO WHAT?  KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS!

Acts 5:32

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

WHEN YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO OBEY HIM, HE GIVES THE POWER TO OBEY HIM!

2 Thessalonians 3:5

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

IT IS THE LORD WHO DIRECTS OUR HEARTS INTO HIS LOVE, WHEN WE ALLOW HIM TO.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

GOD GIVES US THE SPIRIT OF LOVE.  NOT LOVE AS WE CAN GIVE, BUT POWER, LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND, ABLE TO FORGIVE AS GOD HAS FORGIVEN, TO RESTORE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, AND OUR SANITY!

YOU SEE, JESUS DIDN’T JUST DIE TO SAVE YOU FROM YOUR SINS, HE DIED TO SAVE YOU FROM EVERYONE ELSE’S SINS TOO.

PEOPLE HAVE AND ARE GOING TO HURT US.  THEY ARE GOING TO DO DEVASTATING THINGS TO US.  AND THOSE HURTS HAVE THE POWER TO GROW WITHIN US,  AS BITTER ROOTS, AND THOSE BITTER ROOTS ENTANGLE THE GROUND, SO WHAT GOD IS TRYING TO SOW INTO US CANNOT GROW. 

CAN YOU REMOVE THE ROOTS OF BITTERNESS?  NO!  YOU MUST TURN YOUR HEART OVER TO GOD, ASK HIM TO REMOVE THEM FOR YOU!  AND THEN GIVE HIM PERMISSION TO MOVE, TO OPERATE, TO ACT!  AND YOU MUST RESPOND TO WHAT HE GIVES YOU!  IT MEANS YOU GIVE UP CONTROL, IT MEANS YOU GIVE UP PRIDE, IT MEANS YOU GIVE UP HARDNESS. 

IN OTHER WORDS, JUST AS JESUS LAID HIS LIFE DOWN, WE LAY OUR LIVES DOWN, AND ALLOW JESUS TO RESTORE AND RESURRECT WHAT IS INSIDE OF US.  WE DIE TO OUR FLESH AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW HEART, A NEW CREATURE. 

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  JOHN 15:13 

WHEN JESUS PRAYED OVER HIS DISCIPLES, HE PRAYED THIS WAY:

John 17:26

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

HE DECLARED HERE THAT THE LOVE OF THE FATHER FOR THE SON MAY BE IN THEM.  THAT’S US. 

John 14:15

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:21

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 14:23

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 14:24

He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

1 JOHN 3

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1 John 4

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

GOD IS THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF ALL THINGS.  LOVE IS THE CAUSE, AND FORGIVENESS IS THE EFFECT. WE DO NOT POSSESS THE POWER IN AND OF OURSELVES TO LOVE AS GOD HAS LOVED, THEREFORE WE CANNOT FORGIVE AS GOD HAS FORGIVEN.  IT TAKES A MOVE OF THE HOLY GHOST.  LOVE WAXES COLD WHERE INIQUITY ABOUNDS AND THE SPIRIT IS STIFLED.  IT TAKES GOD TO MOVE UPON US, CREATE A NEW, CLEAN HEART INSIDE OF US, AND TEACH US ABOUT HIS ABUNDANT EVERLASTING LOVE FOR US, AND THEN DWELL WITHIN US, INFILL US WITH HIS HOLY GHOST, SO THAT WE BECOME NEW CREATURES, WITH GOD DWELLING WITHIN, LOVING THROUGH US, FORGIVING THROUGH US. 

EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST, IF YOU NEED A NEW, CLEAN HEART, NOW IS THE TIME, WHILE IT IS CALLED TODAY.  GOD WANTS TO SET SOMEONE FREE TODAY.   (the end.)

16

OTHER inspirations, that didn’t quite fit in the flow of things but are still incredibly important.

Galatians 5:13

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Galatians 5:14

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

James 2

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

1 peter

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Romans 13

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Matt 18
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Luke 17

3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US, IN THE WAY OF SALVATION, FILLING US WITH HIS SPIRIT, WE DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH.  THE GIFTS OF GOD ARE WITHOUT RECOMPENSE, AND HE TELLS US THROUGH PAUL TO SEEK THE BEST ONES, BUT DON’T FORGET THE FUNDAMENTAL PART HERE.

1 cor 13

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1 JOHN 3

3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

1 JOHN 4

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

1 john 5

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Foundations of a Prayer Life.

Why call it that?  Why not call it Foundations of Prayer? 

Because I can’t teach you how to pray.  The Holy Ghost does that. 

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

YOU LEARN TO PRAY BY PRAYING. 

Going to Exodus 33.

Context: Israel has miraculously left Egypt, Moses has climbed Mt. Sinai to receive the Law and the Instructions for building the Tabernacle, and Israel has sinned by making a golden calf and worshipping it. 3000 people had just died by the sword over it, and more were dying of a plague.  Moses had gone to intercede for Israel, and this is where we find ourselves now: 

⁷ And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

⁸ And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.

⁹ And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.

¹⁰ And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

This is NOT the Mishkan, The Tabernacle, with the specific dimensions and furniture that God specifically told them to pitch in the MIDDLE of the camp.  No, this was a different tent, referred to in this scripture as OHEL MOED, Ohel = tent, Moed = meeting.  Moed is the same word found when describing the festivals that God commanded the Israelites to keep:  Moedim.  Appointed Meeting Times.  The Tabernacle, Ha Mishkan, was not complete and set up until Exodus 40.  So the events of Exodus 33 happen PRE TABERNACLE, and OUTSIDE THE CAMP.

Exodus 33:11 King James Version (KJV)

11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

We learn many things from this section of Exodus, but here are 3 highlights:

1.  The tent was OUTSIDE the congregation.  It was alone and set apart.
2. ANYONE, not just Moses, who wanted to inquire of the LORD about something went there.  However, Moses was who God spoke to “face to face.”  Intimately.  God specifically mentioned to Moses that HE knew his name, and Moses acknowledged that God knew his name and that he had found grace in His sight.
3. Joshua, son of Nun, spent an awful lot of time there. 

Joshua: Joshua 1:5 “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Joshua 10: ¹² Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. ¹³ And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. ¹⁴ And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.

THAT JOSHUA. One does not command the sun and moon to stand still without knowing God intimately enough to ask such a thing. 

My point here tonight is INTIMACY.

Moses was intimate with God.  Joshua was intimate with God.  And while they were parting rivers and commanding celestial bodies, they were also humble under the hand of God, and staying in an intimate relationship with Him. 

And this did not start in the congregation.  This started in a lonely place, set apart from the congregation, where a man could solitarily, or in small groups, seek the face of God. 

Basically, to make a long story short, Moses set up a prayer closet. 

Matthew 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

So What is a prayer closet?  How is it a tent of meeting?

First, What is it NOT?

Church is not your prayer closet.  The Tabernacle, the MISHKAN, was not the Tent of Meeting.  The Tabernacle was set up in the Center of the Camp…but Moses’ tent of meeting was outside the camp, away from everyone else. 

The Prayer Closet vs Pray Continually

Pray Continually, Pray without Ceasing

Acts 6:4 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 17 Pray without ceasing. in the shower, on the road, doing the dishes,

Have a running conversation with Jesus all day in your head, This is wonderful, this is encouraged, but this is NOT your prayer closet.  Do you count doing the dishes together as a date with your husband?  Neither does God.  That doesn’t mean it’s wrong.  It just means something more Intimate is desired. Also, please understand that your car is not a prayer closet. He won’t give you mind blowing revelation and mighty visions if you are flying down the highway.  He’s God.  He’s not going to kill your body to give you a revelation.

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

WHY did Nicodemus go to Jesus at night?  No distractions.  It’s dark. Jesus the Light shines brighter in the dark.  John 1:9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

John 8:12 ¹² Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life., John 9:5 ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.  He can illuminate what needs to be seen that is hiding in the dark

Jesus wants you to separate yourself!!! From EVERYTHING!!!!  Matt 10:37-38, Ex 20:3, 34:14 He is Jealous!  Including:  false sources of light   *If you have anxiety over this, don’t let this stop you from creating a prayer closet.  Sometimes it takes time to build trust.  Go into a prayer closet, keep the lights on, build yourself up to turning the lights down, and finally off.  Relationships take time to build!!

Food, companionship, climate control, your PHONE, put it all down, and go into the prayer closet, remove all distractions, all stimulations, and be completely alone with Jesus.

What to do in your Prayer Closet…Matt 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Shut the Door.  No distractions.  Separate yourself. Pray in Secret.  No audience.  Just you and HIM. 

if I regard iniquity in my heart, Jesus will not hear me. Psalms 66:18

step one is repent.  always repent.

step two is praise.  always praise.

step one and step two can be reversed in order but they must both happen.  an acknowledgement of WHO Jesus IS, and Who I am Not.  “I am the Lord, I know no other.”  Isa 44:6, Hos 13:4

The Prayer Closet is about Intimacy.

YES YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PRAY FOR YOURSELF IN YOUR CLOSET.

Prayer is about RELATIONSHIP, not a means of getting what you want.  When you spend the time to develop the RELATIONSHIP, you will find that intercession comes easier and more effective. 

Fall upon The Rock before He falls on you.  Matt 21:42-44 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

HONESTY. If you are mad at Jesus, tell Him, because He already knows.  Then repent of it.  It may be a perception problem.  There is a big difference between what Jesus WILLS and what Jesus PERMITS.  *illustration about kid with stitches*  Keep in mind this is an argument you will NOT win.  But if you keep bitterness in your heart, you will get nowhere.  Acknowledge it, repent of it, and let Jesus free you of it.  It will sting, and you will feel embarrassed, and pretty humble, but you will be free.    

If you are ashamed, tell Jesus, because He already knows.  WHETHER IT’S YOUR FAULT OR NOT, tell Him.  Then accept His forgiveness or His ability to Forgive, whichever it is you need.

If you are bitter at someone else or a situation, tell Jesus, because He already knows.  Then ask for help rooting it out.  Forgive that you may be forgiven.

If you are numb, tell Jesus, because He already knows.  Then ask for His love to be shed abroad in your heart through the Holy Ghost. 

If you are lost and confused, tell Jesus, because He already knows.  Then ask for Wisdom.

Listen.  My Sheep Know me, and they Know My VOICE. John 10:27

WHO is praying in tongues? Do you know this voice?

Yes you are hearing His voice, even if you don’t understand it.

Romans 8:26  ²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

SO PRAY FOR UNDERSTANDING.

Other ways we hear His Voice.  Audibly, In your heart, In your mind, In the scriptures, from someone else later.  But wait until you hear it, and wait for it to be confirmed. Don’t jump on something because it’s what you WANTED to hear. 2 Cor 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Was that me, or was that Him?

Let the Word of the Lord Cleanse you.  If you keep repenting of the same thing over and over again, you are repenting but not being cleansed of it.  Let God cleanse you of it.  A Washing of Regeneration (Titus 3:5)

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.   Diligently believe in him? NO, diligently SEEEEEEK him. 

It was said that Moses spoke with God Panim al Panim – Face to Face.  They had an intimate relationship, which was called into question in Numbers 12.

⁴ And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation (OHEL MOED). And they three came out. ⁵ And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. ⁶ And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. ⁷ My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. ⁸ With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? ⁹ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.¹⁰ And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

God confirmed his relationship with Moses, that He would speak face to face with him.  Do you realize that Jesus died so that he could speak face to face with you?  Do you realize that you are a tabernacle and that He lives in you?  You are a temple, you are a tent of meeting, you are a house of prayer.  You don’t need to build anything fancy. You just need to find that special place apart from everyone else and every distraction where you can be consistently intimate with God. 

At the end of that story, Moses Intercedes for Miriam, and Miriam is healed, and made clean and whole and restored after 30 days.  Again and Again, Moses intercedes for the people, even when God told Moses, Get out of the way, I’m going to kill them all and start over with you, Moses STILL interceded for the people! It takes a personal intimate relationship with God to intercede on this level.  So begin in the prayer closet, your own personal tent of meeting, and begin building the Foundations of a Prayer Life. 

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL OUTLINE:  PRESERVE THIS.

1. Corporate Prayer starts in the Prayer Closet.
   1. The Prayer Closet vs Pray Continually
      1. Pray Continually, Pray without Ceasing

Acts 6:4 King James Version (KJV)

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 King James Version (KJV)

17 Pray without ceasing.

1. in the shower, on the road, doing the dishes,
   1. Have a running conversation with Jesus all day in your head
   1. this is NOT your prayer closet.
   1. Prayer Closet
      1. Joshua in the Tent of Meeting

                        (Tent of Meeting:  Ohel Mo’ed.  Tabernacle:  Mishkan)

Exodus 33:11 King James Version (KJV)

11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Joshua 1:5 “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

• John 3 WHY did Nicodemus go to Jesus at night? 
  • No distractions
    • It’s dark. Jesus the Light shines brighter in the dark.  John 1:9, John 8:12, John 9:5.  He can illuminate what needs to be seen that is hiding in the dark
    • He won’t give you mind blowing revelation and mighty visions if you are flying down the highway.  He’s God.  He’s not going to kill your body to give you a revelation.
    • Jesus wants you to separate yourself!!! From EVERYTHING!!!!  Matt 10:37-38, Ex 20:3, 34:14 He is Jealous!  Including :
      • false sources of light!!
      • Food, companionship, climate control, your PHONE, put it all down, and go into the prayer closet,
      • remove all distractions, all stimulations, and
      • be completely alone with Jesus.
  • What to do in your Prayer Closet…Matt 6:6
    • Shut the Door.  No distractions.  Separate yourself.
    • Pray in Secret.  No audience.  Just you and HIM. 
    • if I regard iniquity in my heart, Jesus will not hear me. Psalms 66:18
      • step one is repent.  always repent.
      • step two is praise.  always praise.
      • step one and step two can be reversed in order but they must both happen.  an acknowledgement of WHO Jesus IS, and Who I am Not.  “I am the Lord, I know no other.”  Isa 44:6, Hos 13:4
  • The Prayer Closet is about Intimacy.
    • YES YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PRAY FOR YOURSELF IN YOUR CLOSET.
    • Prayer is about RELATIONSHIP, not a means of getting what you want.  When you spend the time to develop the RELATIONSHIP, you will find that intercession comes easier and more effective. 
    • Fall upon The Rock before He falls on you.  Matt 21:42-44 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

1. HONESTY. If you are mad at Jesus, tell Him, because He already knows.  Then repent of it.
   1. It may be a perception problem.  There is a big difference between what Jesus WILLS and what Jesus PERMITS.
      1. Keep in mind this is an argument you will NOT win. 
   1. If you are ashamed, tell Jesus, because He already knows.  Then accept His forgiveness.
   1. If you are bitter, tell Jesus, because He already knows.  Then ask for help rooting it out. 
   1. If you are numb, tell Jesus, because He already knows.  Then ask for His love to be shed abroad in your heart through the Holy Ghost. 
   1. If you are lost and confused, tell Jesus, because He already knows.  Then ask for Wisdom.
   1. Listen.  My Sheep Know me, and they Know My VOICE. John 10:27
      1. WHO is praying in tongues?
      1. Do you know this voice?
      1. Yes you are hearing His voice, even if you don’t understand it. Romans 8:26
         1. SO PRAY FOR UNDERSTANDING.
      1. Other ways we hear His Voice.
      1. Was that me, or was that Him?
      1. Let the Word of the Lord Cleanse you.  If you keep repenting of the same thing over and over again, you are repenting but not being cleansed of it.  Let God cleanse you of it.  A Washing of Regeneration (Titus 3:5)

1. Fasting
   1. Fasting is more than just not eating.  It is setting yourself apart and consecrating yourself to the Lord. 
   1. ISAIAH 58

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

• This kind cometh out not except by prayer AND fasting Matt 17:21, Mark 9:29
  • The widows mite  Luke 21:2, Mark 12:42
    • Some of us don’t have 10 days to fast.  We have what we have. 
    • Give what you have.  If you give a full day that you have, and dedicate it to fasting and devotion to the Lord, then you have given all, just like the widow. 
    • If all you have is that one hour that you would normally spend eating lunch, and you give it to the Lord with all your might, then you have given all, and He will be faithful to multiply it.  Fish and bread are nothing to Him, imagine what He can do with what you give Him!
  • The talents Matt 25:14
    • some of us are given 10 days, some 5 days, some 1 day.  What we give back and invest, God will multiply. What we waste, God will take a way. 
    • If all you have is TWO HOURS and that’s all the alone time you have in a day, and you joyfully give that to God, not food or games or chores or companionship, but to God, and that is your ALL, and you have given Him your ALL…
    • …He is faithful to give you MORE to give to Him.
    • (In other words, don’t be satisfied with that, keep striving for more, just don’t be discouraged in the beginning.)
  • Matt 6:16

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

1. Praying into the Vision, Praying into the Will
   1. Jesus in the Garden Matt 26:36, Mark 14:32
      1. Not my will, but yours be done.
   1. The Book of Daniel Chapter 9.
      1. So I set my face toward Adonai, with fasting and supplication…
      1. even though he knew from prophecy it was going to happen anyway…
      1. But he prayed into the will of God.
   1. What is the Will of God?
      1. For it is not his Will that anyone perish, but that all be brought to repentance. II Peter 3:9
      1. Ask Jesus what breaks His heart.  He will tell you.
   1. The Lord’s Prayer

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1. Intercession
   1. The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. John 17

9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

• Travail
  • Souls. Souls. Souls. Souls. Souls. Souls. 
  • Moses falls on his face before the Lord, twice.  Exodus 32:9-14, Numbers 16:41-45
  • Abraham asks for Lot and gets Zoar Genesis 19
  • Standing in the Gap Ezekiel 22:30, Ezekiel 13:5

30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

1. Not everyone has someone praying for them.  Seriously.  You may encounter someone in some strange or seemingly awful way, and it’s because no one else is praying for them, and God wants you to do it!!
   1. Not everyone is empowered to pray.  Not everyone has a voice that can be lifted.  Not everyone realizes they are sick or hurting. 
   1. Slaves vs Children
      1. A person who is unsaved is still a slave to sin, and is in need of deliverance.  Pray for deliverance.
      1. A person who is saved is a child of God and no longer needs deliverance.  Pray for victory, the power to overcome.
      1. If they are straddling the fence, saved but still acting unsaved, pray for both.
      1. Joshua and the Ephraimites Joshua 17:14-18  Now go climb that hill, cut down some trees, and slay you some giants.
   1. I thank Jesus upon every remembrance of you Phillipians 1:3
      1. Pray for those who interceded for you.
      1. Pray for those who interceded for your family and your needs.
      1. Pray for those who are on the front lines of the harvest.

• Corporate Prayer
  • Where 2 or more are gathered…your family devotion time is corporate prayer.  Matt 18:20
  • Praying into the Will
    • God will not contradict His own word, which is forever established in Heaven. Psalms 119:89
    • What breaks His heart?
  • Praying in public vs Leading a prayer

Matt 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

1. Public Prayers
   1. Moses and the snakes Numbers 21:7-9
   1. Samuel and the ark 1 Samuel 7:5-6
   1. Elijah and the priests of Baal  1 Kings 18:37
   1. Leading a Prayer
      1. Joshua after the defeat at Ai Joshua 7:6-10
      1. David at Ziklag 1 Samuel 30:6-8
      1. Solomon at the temple dedication I Kings 8:12-62 speaking to both God and the men at the temple.
   1. Being In Agreement and in One Accord  Matt 18:20, Acts 2:1
      1. Acts 2
      1. Acts 4
      1. Pretty much all of ACTS. 
   1. Structure the prayer – A structured prayer keeps everyone in agreement and in one accord. 
      1. Tabernacle paradigm
         1. Enter the Gates with Thanksgiving and the Courts with Praise.  Magnify the Lord and let the universe know who you are praying to!
         1. The Altar – Jesus already paid the price, but here is where you leave your sins. 
         1. The Laver – Here is where you look into the mirror of the word and see yourself, and then WASH YOUR FACE.  Here is where you see what you have done, and WASH YOUR HANDS.  Here is where you ask Jesus to WASH YOUR FEET that you would have a part with Him.  Again, if you are repenting of the same sin over and over again, you need to be cleansed of it, sanctified from it, separated from it, let the washing of the word regenerate you. 
         1. Holy Place – Make sure you are clean before you enter.  Don’t just run into the throne room, prepare yourself, Esther!
         1. Candlestick – Jesus is the light, and the oil will never run out.  Pray for that fresh oil and anointing.  Pray for illumination and revelation.  Pray in the SPIRIT.  Use the tongues that God gave you!
         1. Table of Shewbread.  Jesus is the bread of life.  Eat that Word!  and pray for the tables who carry it (pastors, evangelists, etc.)
         1. The Altar of Incense.  Let our prayers come up as a sweet smelling fragrance before the Lord.  Intercede.  Travail.  Let your petitions be known.  Believe they are heard and already answered.
         1. The Holy of Holies.  Be still and Know that He is God.  When you are here, be prepared to listen more than you speak.  Worship Him in the beauty of Holiness.  Repent of yourself, and do not glorify anything but Him.  If you have no words, that’s fine, just worship.  You are in the presence of greatness, act accordingly.  He is good. 
      1. Isaiah 9/5 Pillars Prayer (GA Mangun)

            Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. 

• Wheel of prayer – UPCI  How to structure an hour’s worth of prayer.
  • Vain repetitions (of which there should be none) Matt 6:7
    • if you start praising God and you are just repeating it and not meaning it from your heart, there is a problem.
    • The gifts of God are without repentance, and God still gave water to Israel even though Moses disobeyed and hit the rock.  However, Moses paid a price for it.  There is a responsibility when you are a leader. Numbers 20
  • ALWAYS allow for spontaneity, and for a move of the Holy Ghost.
  • Remember, Jesus is in the MIDST, not on the left or the right Matt 18:20.   So don’t become so rigid in your structure that you can’t get out of it, but also don’t become so loose that chaos ensues.  Right and in order. 
  • Corporate fasting
    • Esther 4:16
    • Jehoshaphat II Chronicles 20:1-29 This is a powerful example of a corporate fast and prayer, with structured prayer, everyone in agreement and one accord, a powerful move of a sovereign God, and worship and thanksgiving at the end, and then a mighty deliverance of God showing Himself in demonstration that His Word Shall Not Return Void.   

• Final thoughts
  • Use the NAME!  John 14:13-14, John 16:23-26
    • We are UNDER authority (Centurion Matt 8:9), and when we say go, they go, and when we say stay, they stay, but it is not inherent in ourselves, lest we glory in it, for NO FLESH shall glory in His presence! 1 Cor 1:29
    • Be submitted to authority, for the power and the authority of God can be found in the humility of SUBMISSION.  James 4:7
  • Pray the WORD! 
    • His WORD is forever settled in heaven.  Psalms 119:89
    • All means all. Matt 28:18
    • His WORD will not return void.  Isaiah 55:11
    • Don’t just recite the Word, PRAY IT. We are not heard by much speaking  Matt 6:7
  • We have no good works  Psalms 16:2
  • The power is not in the prayer, it is in The One who answers it

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

1. be very careful that you do not develop this:  “Well, of course that happened, I prayed for you.” 
   1. All Glory be to the LORD!  He is the one who answered the prayer!   Who are you praying to, anyway!  If you think it’s happening because of you, check yourself and look back at what you came out of, and then
   1. Recognize the anointing and where it came from!  All Glory be to the LORD!
   1. So why bother praying? 
      1. RELATIONSHIP.  Aligning our will with God’s will that HIS will might be done.  For the sake of talking to each other.  Intimacy.  It’s not a list of I-wants, it’s a relationship!!!!  DO YOU TALK TO YOUR SPOUSE????
      1. Because faith without action is dead.  James 2:17-18 The action of prayer completes the faith in God to answer.
      1. It’s also an act of humility and submission.  We need Him.  Period.  Don’t you get mad when people expect you to do things for them but don’t ask you directly to do them?  And then get mad because you didn’t do what they didn’t ask you to do?
      1. 2 Corinthians 1:11 “Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.”  The more people who are praying, the more people who get to             say thank you and glorify God, which glorifies God.  God will be glorified, no flesh will glory in His presence. 

Parashat Pinchas Podcast…

We must give our secret pain to God, even if we don’t understand it, and even if it refuses to go away… Our hearts are often vexed; we are a mess of mixed motives; we are “strong to be made weak, weak to be made strong.” Blessings and curses come from the same mouth… And yet, despite all this, despite our inner contradictions, the battle between the “old man” and the “new,” this “divided house” of our inner life – our sorrows, our troubles, our fears – we must endure ourselves, we must press on, and we must never let go of hope in God’s love. Never.

Therefore we must not hide from God’s presence, nor pretend to be something we are not. We are invited to come boldly before the throne of God’s loving grace to receive help in our hour of need (Heb. 4:16). O Lord who makes me whole, “heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed, save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise” (Jer. 17:14). O LORD, forgive our sins and heal us of our wounds, or, at least help us to endure suffering with special grace to keep us from being distracted from the truth and glory of your Presence… Grant us strength to abide in your hope, until the last day, to keep watch for the ready hand of Your love… As we go from place to place, from this moment to the next, help us to behold the Sun of Righteousness that pervades our way. Amen.

The fact that God knows the number of hairs on your head means that he knows you better than you know yourself… Your heavenly Father “sees in secret,” and that also means that he can and will save you from whatever is hidden within you that still resists his love and touch… We have to trust in God’s power to heal us, even when it seems that healing is not forthcoming, even when we still find ourselves divided, troubled, and anxious. We have to believe that God’s help is always present. “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope for the LORD.”

God sees what He does within us, His “it-is-finished” work, the effect of His great salvation within our hearts, even if at this present hour this may be hidden from our eyes… There is appearance, and there is reality; and only God sees what is ultimately real. We have to trust in His promise to be transformed into the divine nature, even if today we find ourselves sinful, needy, and in disrepair… By God’s grace we are what we are. So don’t give up. We are saved by hope (ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν, Rom. 8:24), a hope for you today. [Hebrew for Christians]

Just as Noah foresaw the great cataclysm to come, so we are to understand that the world above our heads and under our feet is destined to destruction, as we likewise await the promised world to come: “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever (וישׁוּעָתִי לְעוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה), and my righteousness will never be dismayed” (Isa. 51:6).

This idea is repeated in the New Testament: “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:37). “But the Day of the LORD will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the Day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn? But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish and at peace” (2 Pet. 3:10-14).

In light of all this, we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. “For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal… For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. Therefore we are strangers and exiles on the earth, looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (2 Cor. 4:18; Rom. 1:20; Heb. 11:10,13).

Faith sees the invisible; it reckons and thereby apprehends God’s promise as a present reality… Our father Abraham was promised descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky or sand on the seashore, despite the fact that he was an old man and his wife had long past the age of bearing children. Abraham believed in the One who gives life to the dead and – καλοῦντος τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα – “calls into existence the things that do not exist as existing” (Rom. 4:17). “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform: And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:19-22). [Hebrew for Christians]

Nosinan wakwig ebiyin,
ape kitchitwawenitamag kitinosowin,
kitokumawin ape piyamikuk,
kitebwetako tipu wakwig,
apeke ichu tebwetakon chote kig.
Ngom ekijikiwok michinag wamitchiyak,
ponigitediwichinag kego kachikichiinakin,
echi ponigitediwiket woye kego kachikichiimidjin;
kinaimochinag ewi pwa patadiyak;
tchitchiyikwan nenimowichinag meyanuk waotichkakoyakin.
Ape iw nomikuk.

Believing to Understand…

Echoes from the Future…

What Is This That God Has Done To Us?

By Julia BlumJune 24, 2021No comments

They “trembled to one another”

Last time, we were watching the brothers during their first meeting with Joseph. We saw that right away they felt the connection between this meeting and the crime that they had been hiding all these years. Somehow, they knew it was all about their long-ago sold brother, however, they still credited what was happening to the whims of this Egyptian Viceroy, and consequently to just an unlucky turn of events. Therefore, during this meeting we still hear impersonal and passive verb forms: “this distress has come upon us” or, like Reuven said, “his blood is now required of us”. It is interesting that God is not mentioned here yet – they have yet to understand that none other than the Almighty Himself has made them participants in this game. But they will come to understand, because another invisible logic begins to make its way to the surface through the apparently irrational and inconsistent visible circumstances: the logic of the movement of God’s Spirit in the heart of the person He is pursuing.

The brothers set out on their way back and one of them notices the silver he used to pay for the grain was returned in his sack. “Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, ‘What is this that God has done to us?’”  I want you to see this profound transition: from the impersonal “his blood is required” to “What is this that God has done to us?” It is not so evident in most translations, but in Hebrew, this transition is very clear: from impersonal and passive verb forms describing just unlucky circumstances, to understanding that it is God who is doing this to them.

The Hebrew here literally says that they “trembled to one another”. After all, they had simply gone down to Egypt to buy grain (just as many centuries later the Samaritan woman simply went to the well for water) and they certainly didn’t expect, much less want, something unusual to happen on this trip. What now were these uncanny things happening to them? Like a doubly exposed roll of film with its images overlapped, we can see God’s, yet invisible, reality placed over their routine lives and beginning to show through. And if we recall ‘the unexpected interruption’ of Genesis 38, we might suggest that it was Judah— the one who had experienced the terrible tragedy of losing two sons, who had repented, who had a broken and humble heart—who said these words: “What is this that God has done to us?” The Torah does not disclose it, and at this point, it does not separate Judah from his brothers—and yet we do know that it did separate Judah before and will separate him after. We saw him repenting and confessing in his story with Tamar, and later we will see Judah’s speech and confession that will deeply touch Joseph’s heart and cause him to reveal himself to his brothers. So, I think we can safely conclude that Judah is the one who is the most sensitive to the move of God’s spirit in this story – and he is the one who began to understand that everything happening to them was not simply a twist of fate, but God had done it to them.

The Second Journey

When the brothers arrived back at Canaan, they were frightened and confused. Yes, they brought the grain home, and even the silver they paid for it was somehow returned along with it, but somehow this Egyptian story kept troubling them (besides, Simeon was left there, and they had to rescue him somehow).  Although at first Jacob emphatically refuses to permit Benjamin to go back with them, as if closing the issue altogether, I think they all knew in their hearts that this story was destined to continue.

The parallels between Joseph’s sale and this second part of the story are remarkable. Exactly as in Chapter 37, apart from the anonymous voice of all the brothers (They said to one another… – Gen. 37:19, Gen. 42:21), we hear two distinct voices here. The first belongs to Reuven: Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you.” These words sound so strange—after all, Reuven’s sons are Jacob’s grandsons. Why would Jacob kill his own grandsons? We already discussed them, however, as a clear echo of Judah’s tragedy.  If, in the eyes of the brothers, the death of Judah’s two sons was God’s judgment and punishment for not bringing Joseph back, then we can understand that Reuven is in effect saying: I will bring Benjamin back, and if not, I am prepared to pay the same price.

However, nothing happens after this emotional pledge of Reuven—just as nothing happens after his emotional words in Chapter 37. As in the story of Joseph’s sale, it is the voice of Judah that becomes decisive here. Reuven seems to have good intentions, but he doesn’t have the character to follow up—he doesn’t have the authority to make it happen. In Chapter 37 he wanted to save Joseph, but in the end, he did not—it was Judah’s voice that sealed Joseph’s fate. In Chapter 42, he wants Jacob to let Benjamin go with them to Egypt, but once again, nothing happens until Judah intervenes.

It’s interesting that, unlike Reuven, Judah doesn’t make any solemn pledges – doesn’t swear – he just says: “Send the lad with me… I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him,” but once again, it is only after his intervention that everything changes. Judah has been given this authority from the very beginning, and therefore here again it is his voice that becomes decisive and makes a difference. Moreover, in Hebrew we can see how this amazing authority affects his father. After Judah’s words, Israel (Jacob) says: אִם־כֵּן אֵפֹוא – If …so. The word אֵפֹוא is a redundant word in Hebrew, used only for stylistic purposes; it definitely reflects here some inner process in Jacob’s heart: even though he had not received any additional rational argument, after Judah’s words. he was compelled to let Benjamin go.

Thus, together with Benjamin the brothers return to Egypt. I suppose they were filled with expectations of gloom and doom. They were apprehensive of being accused of stealing the silver they had found in their sacks; they didn’t know whether they would find Simeon alive and whether he would be returned to them; and most of all,  they were afraid that Benjamin, upon whose coming the Egyptian magistrate had insisted, would for some reason be taken from them. When, upon Joseph’s order, they are brought to his house, the men were afraid … and they said, ‘It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.’[1] However, the steward of Joseph’s house to whom they tried to return the silver, answered them, ‘Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks…’ Then he brought Simeon out to them.[2] Therefore, contrary to their expectations, everything began to turn out not so bad after all, and it got even better after, once again – now with Benjamin – they came and stood before Joseph…

[1] Gen. 43:18

[2] Gen. 43:23

Being Born Again…

Our Great Need to Forgive…