TEMPLE MOUNT, MOUNT MORIAH, & THE THRESHING FLOOR IN JERUSALEM

 

Temple Mount, Mount Moriah, & the Threshing Floor in Jerusalem’s Old City       

          During each Holy Land Pilgrimage our Lakes Church Lead Pastor Dr. Aaron D. Burgner shared with us the biblical and historical significance of The Temple Mount, Mount Moriah, & the Threshing Floor, which are deeply intertwined sites in Jerusalem’s Old City, representing the same sacred hilltop. The Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine sits directly atop this rocky summit, which holds foundational significance in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The connection between these locations unfolds through history. According to the Bible, Mount Moriah is the mountain where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22). It is the geographic peak where the First and Second Jewish Temples were later built. Centuries after Abraham, King David purchased this Threshing Floor, an elevated bedrock from Araunah the Jebusite to build an altar and halt a plague (2 Samuel 24). Threshing floors were historically positioned on high, exposed surfaces so natural winds could separate grain from chaff. Abraham saw the acreage. David bought the lot. Solomon built the house. Nebuchadnezzar tore it town. Zerubbabel rebuilt it. Herod the Great expanded it. Titus flattened it. Before these temples stood on Mount Moriah, it was nothing but a hill used for threshing wheat. Hardly worth noticing. But today, the Temple Mount remains the most precious piece of real estate in the world. And the golden shrine that graces its crest has become the icon for the Holy City of Jerusalem itself.
          How did this ordinary hill become holy? Not through battles or land bartering or by popular vote. God chose it. It’s the same with us. The site of the Temple Mount first appeared on the scene when God told Abraham to go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice Isaac there (Genesis 22:2). The “Binding of Isaac” climaxed with the Lord providing a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in the place of his only son. “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” One millennium after Abraham, King David purchased the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite as a site to offer sacrifices after David’s sin with the census (2 Samuel 24:18-25). In the same area where Abraham came to offer Isaac, and on the very hill where David offered burnt offerings for his sin, Solomon began to build the First Temple on Mount Moriah in 966 BC (1 Kings 6:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1). Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. —2 Chronicles 3:1 The original size of the Temple Mount was smaller than the outline we see today, which is Herodian. The Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar tore down the First Temple on in 586 BC. It had stood for 380 years. The exiled Jews returned to their land after 70 years when Cyrus the Great allowed them to rebuild the Temple. The structure Zerubbabel erected seemed modest in comparison to Solomon’s magnificent edifice. Following the first Maccabean triumphs, the Jews improved it even more. 
             The most elaborate reconstruction and renovation occurred when Herod the Great began his extensive building project that would crown the Second Temple. This was the Temple Jesus knew, whose destruction He predicted (Matthew 24:1-2). The Southern Steps of the Temple Mount where pilgrims walk today would have felt Jesus’ sandals too. In AD 70 Titus rolled in his Roman legions and destroyed in a matter of days what had taken decades to construct (see Daniel 9:26). Stones from the Second Temple still lay in the first-century street where archaeologists found them. The Muslim ruler Abd el-Malik built the shrine called the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount between AD 688-691. Its golden veneer is a 20^th-century addition. The Holy Land and the Holy City owe their designations to a hill where the Holy of Holies resided for centuries. The Temple Mount remains the most photographed spot in Jerusalem and the goal of many pilgrimages. It’s amazing that the most important religious site in the world was for centuries a mere elevated hill north of Jebus where farmers threshed wheat.

          The ordinary was made holy because God chose it. Just like all who follow Him. Solomon understood that the Temple he would construct could not house the Lord. Even the great Solomon understood that the best he could offer God was worship. When Jesus told the Samaritan woman that worship would no longer be confined to the Jerusalem Temple, He taught her “the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers” (John 4:23–24). Because of God’s holiness and grace through offering His only Son, what can we really offer Him in return but absolute worship? That is what He seeks. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.—Psalm 84:1-2. Only the high priest goes into the Most Holy Place, and only once a year, and always with blood, which he offers to God to cover his own sins and the sins the people have committed in ignorance. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the Most Holy Place was not open to the people.—Hebrews 9:7-8. Because we can worship God anyplace and anytime, we might fail to understand the psalmist’s longing. 
            In Old Testament times a person made a pilgrimage to worship God. It was a yearly event and often involved a lengthy journey. That is why the psalmist sang of a dwelling place where he could be in the presence of the Lord. It’s why he expressed a desire to be even a lowly gatekeeper in God’s house (v. 10) so that he could worship God every single day! We have available to us what the psalmist could only hope for. When Christ hung on the cross, the heavy veil separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple ripped from top to bottom. This symbolic act shouted to the world that believers were no longer required to stand at a distance. We can walk into God’s presence and commune with him by name. Today many religions continue to require a pilgrimage to worship their gods. Christ made a way for you by making a pilgrimage of his own—the long, lonely walk to the cross—so that you could praise him wherever you are. In the Old Testament, people couldn’t just walk into the Holy Place to ask for God’s help or mercy. The priests ministered there daily, but only the High Priest—and only on the Day of Atonement—could go into God’s presence in the Most Holy Place, to offer a blood sacrifice for his own sins and the people’s sins and intercede for them. Even then, he had a rope tied around his foot so that if God struck him dead, the other priests could pull his body out.
          When Jesus was crucified, he entered the Most Holy Place once and for all by shedding his own blood as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. When he died, the thick veil separating the people from the Most Holy Place was torn. Think of it! Because of Jesus, we have unlimited access to the Lord. We don’t have to wait for a once-a-year meeting with God. We don’t have to ask someone else to go to the Lord on our behalf. We can enter his throne room anytime night or day. Go freely into God’s presence and thank him for his great gift of Jesus and this wonderful accessibility through prayer.

          JESUS, I am thankful that I can worship you right where I am. I will enter your courts with thanksgiving. I will kneel at the mercy seat and find forgiveness. I will call out your name in praise. Lord, I pray for those who do not have intimacy with the living God. You have already made the pilgrimage for them. Open their eyes to see that they can find you right here, right now. With all my heart I thank you, Jesus, for being the perfect sacrifice for my sins and the sins of the whole world. When your blood was presented on the heavenly mercy seat and you offered up your Spirit, the veil of the temple was forever rent, providing me access into the very presence of the Father. How I thank you, Lord. In Your Precious Name we pray, amen.
          Look Up—meditate on Hebrews 9:7-8…pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.
          Look In—as you meditate on Hebrews 9:7-8…pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."
          Look Out—as you meditate on Hebrews 9:7-8…pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

* If you liked this post, you will LOVE this new book: "Memorable Moments in the Holy Land," available on Amazon at this link:  https://a.co/d/06G79jQm

MAGDALA BY THE SEA OF GALILEE

MAGDALA BY THE SEA OF GALILEE

          On our pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2018, our Lakes Church Lead Pastor Dr. Aaron D. Burgner shared with us that this first-century synagogue in Magdala marks the hometown of Mary Magdalene. It was uncovered by accident in 2009 when workers broke ground for a new hotel. When the excavator first struck dirt, it made contact with a rock that turned out to be an ornately carved stone, now called the Magdala Stone. This stone was positioned in the center of the synagogue, leading scholars to believe it was used as a podium or reading desk—the flat surface where rabbis would unroll the Torah scrolls for teaching. Outside the entrance, archaeologists found a stone wash basin. This type of basin is where Jews would wash their hands prior to entering the synagogue. Scripture tells us Jesus taught in this synagogue, which means He likely rolled out a scroll on the Magdala Stone. And as a law-abiding Jew, He would have washed His hands in this wash basin. The hands that formed these rocks washed in them, taught from them. Archeologists long denied the existence of the first-century synagogues that Scripture mentions, but buried underneath this soil for thousands of years, these stones testify to the truth of His Word.
            In the basement of one of the buildings at Magdala is the Encounter Chapel which is modeled after the synagogue that was excavated in Magdala. The seating is like the synagogue, and the stones on the floor are the actual stones on which Jesus would have walked 2,000 years ago. There is a mural on the wall of the woman touching Jesus’ robe. This was painted by now famous Daniel Cariola from Chile. It is a work of genius and capturing that moment, he painted the tip of her finger as healed, and the rest of the hand is still sickly. He did a lot of study on the hands of 20 elderly sick women to produce this hand. By painting the tip of her finger as healed, he captures that instant of the miracle when Jesus asks the question, “Who touched me?” The disciples push back and say, “You're crazy, everybody's pushing, look at all the people here, so close, all tight, all wanting to get close to Jesus. Jesus knew and he said, “Power went out from me, somebody touched me.” What Jesus is interested in is the relationship with this woman, the relationship with every person whom he heals. Jesus wants personal relationships with us, not just a chemical, biological, physical healing. He wants us to enter into relationship because there's probably a lot more to be healed. We could be physically well, but we could be in real bad trouble with a child, with a parent, with a sibling, with a neighbor. The healing of relationships is so important.
          Think of somebody today who needs healing—it could be cancer, it could be diabetes, it could be migraines, but it could also be relationships. It could be depression, it could be unhealthy aggressiveness, unhealthy relationships, we want healing, we ask the Lord for healing. Place your finger as though you’re touching Jesus’ robe and think of someone now for whom we pray: Lord Jesus, we come to you as though we are at Magdala by the Sea of Galilee, with our sick and broken people, as represented by this painting. Jesus, we believe in you, that's why we bring them. We know who you are. Jesus, we hope in you because so many thousands came to you here 2,000 years ago with great hope of healing. We hope in you with a great hope. Jesus, we come to you with our broken person. We can say his name now, her name. We come with great love. Love makes us patient. Patience is nothing more than pure love for people who are a big burden for us. Pure love for you, Lord. When we are going through very hard times for which we have zero understanding. Jesus, fill the heart of this broken person with your love so that this person can become a hero of patience until they're fully healed. Jesus, we believe in you. Jesus, we hope in you. Jesus, we love you. Thank you, Jesus. Jesus, we adore you, amen.
          When you feel outcast or in need of healing, cry out to Jesus. The woman with the issue of blood did in Luke 8:43-48. As her story shows, Jesus meets us where we are and reminds us of our belovedness. Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and Holy Spirit, meet us in this space, whatever space we find ourselves in. Help us to learn more about who You are through this woman. Help us to see Your image in the image-bearer we find in this story. Help us to sympathize, grow, and lean into her story. Give us wisdom and gentleness with ourselves today. In the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

          The unnamed woman in this Gospel story is a woman who has suffered for 12 years from a certain kind of bleeding; it is often translated as “hemorrhaging.” She has visited many doctors and healers, and none of them has been able to heal her. It seems frenetic and like she is acting out in a last-ditch effort. Her very presence in a large crowd would be frowned upon in this society because she is considered “unclean.” Her normal existence would often have been spent watching people skirt around her to avoid the possibility of contact. No brushing or touching or sharing friendly gestures on the path. She lived in isolation and would have been known for her uncleanliness.
          This unnamed woman, whose story the text brings to light, not only suffered from continuous bleeding for many years, but also that dirty, unclean feeling resulting from being stigmatized and isolated. Hers was a continual existence of pain and being cast out. Jesus meets her in this space—or, rather, is met by her—and does the opposite of what is expected. Instead of being repulsed or disgusted by her, he responds with peace. He responds with acceptance and grace. He seems to respond with understanding. He calls her daughter. He accepts her. He offers her peace and heals her.
          This bleeding woman’s story interacts with all of our stories because we, like her, have been in need of healing at some point or another. We have been outcasts or have felt abandoned by our communities or our friends. We have been in need of a merciful touch by God and by the body of Christ incarnate in our sisters and brothers here with us.
          Know that you are beloved and known by God. Healing does not always look exactly like what we are hoping for, but sometimes healing looks like acceptance, belonging, and connection. Sometimes healing looks like not letting fear have a hold in your life. Love looks like a touch from a friend or loved one in a moment of shame, hopelessness, or deep pain to draw us out and remind us that we are loved and called children of God.
          Reach out and touch the robe of Jesus today and ask for the reminder, the grace, and the knowing that comes from Him. Let Christ find you wherever you are and meet you there—at your lowest lows and your highest heights. Ask for wisdom and pray for strength and courage this day.
          Lord Jesus, thank You for facing the same temptations and problems we do and for fully understanding our weaknesses. Thank You for pouring out your life on the cross, for rising again and reigning at the right hand of the Father. Your throne is a place of grace for Your children, where we can receive Your mercy and help when we most need it, in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

          Look up – Meditate on Luke 8:43-48. Pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.
          Look in – Meditate on Luke 8:43-48. Pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: “Because God is ______________, I will ______________.”
          Look out – Meditate on Luke 8:43-48. Pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.
NOTE: There is a wonderful online devotion every morning on YouTube called "Sunrise Stroll & Chat" with Fr Eamon Kelly which records the sunrise every morning from Magdala at the Sea of Galilee. It's a wonderful way to start the day.

* If you liked this post, you will LOVE this new book: Memorable Moments in the Holy Land, available on Amazon at this link:  https://a.co/d/06G79jQm

Sunrise at the Sea of Galilee

 

SUNRISE AT THE SEA OF GALILEE

          It is 5:30am, still dark as I settle down on the rocks beside the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias, Israel, on a cool Monday morning in March, 2000. I turn on my video camera and set it down on the rock beside me to record the sunrise and then I steady my 35mm camera for this first still shot of the pink glow beginning to peak over the eastern hills. 
          Then it hits me . . . He was here, He walked here, He may have sat on this very same rock on that early morning after His resurrection as He prepared a breakfast of fish and bread on a fire for His disciples. Right here where I am sitting right now. I am in awe. His Spirit Feet shod with flesh left footprints in this sand.
          He is here now, with me. Emmanuel, God with us. His Spirit dwells in the innermost part of me, taking authority over my soul, the seat of my emotions, and my body, my fleshly desires and appetites. El Shaddai, my all-sufficient Heavenly Father, my Abba Daddy, speaking to me through His Word from Jeremiah 1:5, “Beth, before you were born, I knew you.”
          The video camera on the rock beside me hums, and I begin to sing, "My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine, for Thee all the follies of sin I resign, My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou". . . and then suddenly, at the exact moment when the first golden round edge of the sun peeks over the distant hills, my voice can be faintly heard on the video recording singing the closing words of the hymn, "If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now."

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign, My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me, And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree, I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now 

In mansions of glory and endless delight, I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright; I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now

          John 21:1-6 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there--Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn't see who he was. He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!" So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.

          Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your peace today. You are our Peace. I ask you to help me to do these things: to lean on you, to meditate on your character and attributes, and to trust you with all my heart. Thank You for Your promise that Your perfect peace will guard my heart and mind. In Christ, I am relaxed and at peace in the midst of the confusions, bewilderments, and perplexities of this life, because I trust in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

          Look Up—meditate on John 21:1-6 pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

          Look In—as you meditate on John 21:1-6  pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

          Look Out—as you meditate on John 21:1-6   pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

* If you liked this post, you will LOVE this new book: Memorable Moments in the Holy Land, available on Amazon at this link:  https://a.co/d/06G79jQm

Name Above All Names--Deliverer

 

artwork by Krista Hamrick

 

Krista Hamrick’s beautiful original art print, Name Above All Names Alphabet, has so inspired me. Each of the 26 individual Names she has identified are so special, as Krista has intricately painted, almost like stained glass windows, each one with its Scripture reference. Krista said, “This is probably the painting that I have most enjoyed researching, designing, redesigning and painting. Beth Willis Miller has expanded upon each name with devotional word studies. By knowing, believing and trusting who God says He is, we can be confident in who He has created us to be.” I so agree with Krista!


My heart has been drawn to do a word study for each of the names included in her art print. Krista and I felt led to publish our... Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ …available now on Amazon as a softcover book and as a Kindle book at this link.

Combining the beauty of Krista's artistic excellence with these word study devotionals is perfect for individual quiet reflection or small group Bible studies focusing on the Name Above All Names—Jesus Christ—and His attributes and characteristics.

Review by Michele Morin: “The infinite variety in nature, the curious complexity of human behavior, the synchronicity of multiple systems in our own anatomy — and in the solar system — all point, through general revelation, to the nature of God: multi-faceted, magnificent, and yet mysterious. Special revelation in Scripture picks up where creation leaves off, and Beth Willis Miller has teamed up with artist Krista Hamrick to focus on twenty-six pieces of evidence in Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ. The result is an alphabetical collection that resembles a twenty-six sided gem, each facet reflecting a slightly different hue of the nature of God the Son. From Alpha and Omega to King of Zion, each devotional highlights the Scriptural basis for the name in multiple translations and then provides commentary on the verses. Beth applies the truth and then invites her readers to join her in a prayer that turns the truth into a paean of praise. No mere academic exercise, the point of Name Above All Names Devotional is threefold:


Look up – Meditate on the name and what it reveals about the character of God.

Look in – I am propelled to ask galvanizing questions about my discoveries: “Because God is ___________________, I should therefore _______________.”

Look out – Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

With full-color art work and space for notes, Name Above All Names Devotional is a treasure for devotional reading, a resource for serious study, and a thoughtful and inspiring gift for loved ones.” (review by Michele Morin)

Listening to the anointed Matt Maher hymn, Deliverer, while studying Colossians 1:13...

NASB: For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

Amplified: [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

Lightfoot: Yes, by a strong arm he rescued us from the lawless tyranny of darkness, removed us from the land of our bondage, and settled us as free citizens in our new and glorious home, where his Son, the offspring and the representative of his love, is King;

NLT: For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

Phillips: For we must never forget that he rescued us from the power of darkness, and re-established us in the kingdom of his beloved Son, that is, in the kingdom of light.

Weymouth:  It is God who has delivered us out of the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us into the Kingdom of His dearly-loved Son,

Wuest:  who delivered us out of the tyrannical rule of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we are having our liberation, procured by the payment of ransom.

Young's Literal: who did rescue us out of the authority of the darkness, and did translate us into the reign of the Son of His love,

Delivered is the Greek word, rhuomai which means to draw or snatch to oneself and invariably refers to a snatching from danger, evil or an enemy. This basic idea is that of bringing someone out of severe and acute danger, and so to save, rescue, deliver, preserve. Rhuomai emphasizes greatness of peril from which deliverance is given by a mighty act of power. In the NewTestament rhuomai is always associated with God as the Deliverer and with a person as the object of His deliverance.

Rhuomai  means to rescue, deliver, as when we first became believers and the Lord...delivered (rhuomai) us from the domain of darkness and transferred (removed us from. one place to another, causing a change in someone's official position) us to the kingdom (denoting sovereignty, royal power, dominion) of His beloved Son. Since rhuomai means to draw to oneself, here we see the great picture that God drew us out of Satan’s kingdom to Himself. That event was the new birth. We are not gradually, progressively delivered from Satan’s power. When we placed our faith in Christ, we were instantly delivered.

A great example is wading in a rushing river and suddenly being caught in the current utterly helpless. As you cry out someone hears you and holds out their hand as you go rushing by. As you lie there beside the river, safe in the presence of the one who pulled you out, you still are in the presence of the dangerous rushing current...you can hear it...you can see it...but you've been delivered from danger you are now safe. How foolish to walk right back into that current and let it sweep you away!

Jesus, when asked by his disciples how they should pray, gave as part of his answer that they should ask...”And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver (rhuomai - in the form of a command) us from evil.”

Rhuomai is in the present tense indicating that is our Savior continually delivers us. The  middle voice is reflexive ("He Himself rescues us") and emphasize His personal involvement in the rescue. He initiates and participates in the carrying out of the rescue.

Rhuomai is in the aorist tense (past completed act) and the middle voice which conveys the great truth that God initiated the "rescue operation" and participated in the carrying out of the operation!  One could paraphrase this verse as "God Himself rescued us" or the Amplified Version's "[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself.” This deliverance points to the moment of salvation for every believer—He "rescued" us from sin and death when He died in our place, and that "credit" was placed on our account the moment we first believed this Good News. The truth to depraved men and women is that we did not (and could not) rescue ourselves from the jaws of eternal destruction. God did only what He could do…truly all is grace.

Wing-walker Lee Oman slipped from his perch underneath a Waco biplane and dangled from a safety line 1500 feet over the Hillsboro, Oregon, airport during an air show. At first, everyone in the crowd of 40,000 thought the fall was part of Oman’s daring midair act. But after the plane had circled the airport for 20 minutes, it was obvious something had gone wrong. Oman had fallen and didn’t have the strength to pull himself back up. When they saw what was happening, several men jumped into a pickup truck and sped onto the runway. The pilot of the biplane saw the truck and realized what the would-be rescuers had in mind. He gently lowered his dangling human cargo over the vehicle until Oman was within reach. While one man grabbed Oman and pulled him into the truck bed, another cut the wing-walker’s nylon safety harness. Oman was free of the plane’s deadly grasp.

Captain Scott O’Grady knows better than most what rescue means. In June 1995 his plane was shot down over Bosnia. The Air Force pilot survived on insects, plants, and rain water and was only able to use his radio transmitter late at night. On the sixth night of his ordeal, his faint radio signal was picked up by another U.S. pilot. A daring rescue mission eventually brought the helpless pilot to safety. As amazing as this rescue was, every believer has experienced one even more miraculous.

We humans just naturally tend to be self-absorbed, so it is easy to get things all turned around and think that the Christian life is all about me—all about my disciplines and my effort, all about my problems and what I can do to solve them. But this scripture is one that pulls us back to the center, back to the truth: it’s all about what God has done--Christ's finished work on the cross--our Deliverer!

 

Heavenly Father, my Deliverer, I don’t know what is going to happen in the next twenty-four hours, but I know that You will give me the strength I need to handle it and to deal with whatever challenges I may face. I bless You, Lord! Give me Your peace as I look to You for everything I need. I rejoice in my relationship with You, Father—all because of what Jesus Christ has done for me. Having an intimate relationship with Jesus, the friend of sinners, allows me to have an eternal perspective about everything else that happens to me today. I praise You for the joy such a friendship brings.In Jesus’ mighty Name Above All Names—Deliverer we pray, amen.

No prayer is too hard for him to answer, no need too great for him to supply, no passion too strong for him to subdue; no temptation too powerful for him to deliver from, no misery too deep for him to relieve. Arthur Pink (1889–1952)

Look Up—meditate on Colossians 1:13

Look In—as you meditate on Colossians 1:13 pray to see how you might apply it to your life.

Look Out—as you meditate on Colossians 1:13 pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others.

Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ

Weekly LinkUps…

trusting...it's already done

artwork by Liz Lassa, creator of Spiritual Circle Journal

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus…this precious old hymn page, captured in this beautiful work of art by Liz Lassa, creator of Spiritual Circle Journal, inspired me as I listened to these same lyrics woven into an anointed new hymn, Already Done, featuring Jonathan McReynolds…May the peace of God calm your heart and your mind, through the tears and the trials, the heartache of this life, and when you can't hold on, know He holds you still, He will keep you, never leave you, He promised that He will, tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know that if He said it…It's Already Done…It’s Already Done…His love endures, His Word is sure, stand upon His promise…this war is won…tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word, just to rest upon His promise, to know that if He said it, I believe it…It’s Already Done…tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know, thus saith the Lord…we trust You, we believe You when you say, It’s Already Done…

It was spring break of my senior year in high school. My friends from Sebring and I drove to a camp near Ocala to attend a Young Life retreat along with several other students from inner-city Jacksonville. We shared our testimonies and prayed together. My heart was open as we went outdoors to find our individual places for prayer during our quiet time. I took my Living Bible and sat down under a tree. I looked up to the heavens and began to pray. When I looked down, I saw that my Bible had fallen open to Romans 8, and a bright ray of sunlight shining through the tree seemed to highlight verses 24 & 25. It contained a powerful message to me that day, but even more so as the Holy Spirit inscribed it on my heart for years to come…leading me to this word study on the word “trusting” from Romans 8:24-25:

Living Bible: We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don’t yet have—for a man who already has something doesn’t need to hope and trust that he will get it. But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently.

Amplified:  For in [this] hope we were saved. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for what he already sees? But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure.

NASB: For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Phillips: We were saved by this hope, but in our moments of impatience let us remember that hope always means waiting for something that we haven’t yet got. But if we hope for something we cannot see, then we must settle down to wait for it in patience.

Wuest: For we were saved in the sphere of hope. But hope that has been seen is not hope, for that which a person sees, why does he hope for it? But if that which we do not see, we hope for, through patience we expectantly wait for it.

Young’s Literal: for in hope we were saved, and hope beheld is not hope; for what any one doth behold, why also doth he hope for [it]? and if what we do not behold we hope for, through continuance we expect [it].
The word, trusting, comes from the Greek word elpízō, the verb form of elpís, which means to hope, to hopefully to trust in, joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. It means to look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial. It is in the present tense which expresses continuous action, constantly, habitually. It pictures this attitude as the believer's lifestyle, which is one of hope, where hope is defined as the absolute assurance that God will do good to us and for us in the future.

It is interesting that elpízō and elpís do not appear in the Gospels. And yet the concept, this truth expressed in the word elpis does appear in First Timothy 1:1 as the Apostle Paul writes, it is "Christ Jesus our Hope." Hope is not just an ideal, but is a Person, Jesus Christ, our Peace, our Life, our Hope.

Pastor John Piper explains: “There is no sweeter message of hope in all the world than to hear God announce that when you get up in the morning miserable and depressed with a sense of guilt and estrangement before a holy God, you can go to bed that very night—this very night—with a quiet and peaceful heart knowing that every sin you have ever committed and ever will commit is forgiven, and you are reconciled to the Almighty by the death of his Son. That’s the free offer of the Gospel!"

Pastor John Stott has said, “We wait for it patiently, that is, for the fulfillment of our hope. This whole section is a notable example of what it means to be living ‘in between times,’ between present difficulty and future destiny, between the already and the not yet, between sufferings and glory. ‘We were saved in hope’ brings them together. And in this tension the correct Christian posture is that of waiting, waiting ‘eagerly’ with keen expectation, and waiting ‘patiently,’ steadfast in the endurance of our trials. The combination is significant. We are to wait neither so eagerly that we lose our patience, nor so patiently that we lose our expectation, but eagerly and patiently together. Yet it is hard to keep this balance. Some Christians overemphasize the call to patience. They lack enthusiasm and lapse into lethargy, apathy and pessimism. They have forgotten God’s promises, and are guilty of unbelief. Others grow impatient of waiting. They are so carried away with enthusiasm that they almost try to force God’s hand. They are determined to experience now even what is not available yet. God give us a patient eagerness and an eager patience as we wait for his promises to be fulfilled!”

Pastor Charles Spurgeon writes, “This is our present position, patiently waiting for “the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ,” patiently waiting for “the manifestation of the sons of God,” for “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.” If we could be all we should like to be, there would then be no room for the exercise of hope. If we had all that we are to have, then hope, which is one of the sweetest of the graces, would have no room in which to exercise herself. It is a blessed thing to have hope. I believe the New Zealand word for hope is “swimming thought,” because that will swim when everything else is drowned. Oh, happy is that man who has a hope that swims on the crest of the stormiest billow.”

Pastor George H. Morrison illustrates, “One might take the instance of Zacchaeus, that outcast from the commonwealth of Israel. He had been taught there was no hope for him, and he believed it until the Lord Jesus came by. And then, like the dawn, there came the quivering hope that his tomorrow might differ from his yesterday, and in that new hope the saving work began. In the movements of the soul, hope may be the forerunner of faith. And our Lord, bent on evoking faith, that personal trust in Him which alone saves, began by kindling hope within the breast. That is how He often begins still. He does not begin by saying, "Trust in Me." He begins by kindling these hopes of better things that are lying crushed in every human heart. Despair is deadly. It is blind. It cannot see the arm outstretched to help. Our Lord begins with the quickening of hope.”

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for kindling these wonderful words of hope in my heart that day under the tree at the Young Life camp, I have never been the same…We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don’t yet have—for a man who already has something doesn’t need to hope and trust that he will get it. But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently.

Previous word studies from Romans Chapter Eight…

Romans 8:1-3

Romans 8:10-11

Romans 8:14-15

12 word studies from Ephesians Chapter One…

Weekly LinkUps…